Currylicious, Oakland

I really wanted to like Currylicious. They're cheaper than going across the street to the grossly overpriced Khana Peena; and considering I know very little about Indian food, I figured I'd probably like Currylicious just as much as any other of the Indian places I've reviewed.

Not. So. Much.

Maybe my standards for Indian food have improved. I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo and Baigan Bharta (eggplant) with plain naan. It was nice that I was able to tell them how spicy I wanted the food (though on what scale?), but the flavors overall were lacking.

The Baigan Bharta, while visually appealing, had no spice whatsoever, and was very bland. I ordered the Chicken Vindaloo spicy, but it was not even remotely so. In addition, despite being cooked on the bone, the chicken was dry. The consistency of the sauce was a bit off as well. It was very runny and greasy, tasting mostly of tomato water and oil, so not even really worth trying to sop up with naan.

I couldn't believe I found myself missing the fake neon-yellow hue of the Chicken Vindaloo at House of Curries. At least theirs is delicious and in the exact same price range for more food. I could believe that I was missing the absolute perfection of everything served at Biryani House (also the exact same price range). Sadly even the naan was disappointing at Currylicious. It was fluffy but very greasy. Though the parking is terrible in downtown Berkeley, the next time I have a craving for Indian/Pakistani food I'm making my way to Biryani House. Every time.

Currylicious is located at 5299 College Avenue in Oakland.
They are open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.