Yes, it’s St. Patrick’s Day and yes, I’m writing about curry. But I believe, dear reader, that you already knew what you were eating and drinking on St. Paddy’s Day a week ago because you’re just that savvy, hence why I’m prepping your taste buds for the weekend for something besides green beer and cabbage: curry. And I’m not talking about just any old run-of-the-mill curry dish; I’m loving the discovery of curry in unexpected dishes, like the Madras curry-fried chicken at Foreign Cinema that my coworker Vanessa recently told me about. Says Vanessa: “Not only is the chicken fried perfectly (gorgeous crispy-fried crust on the outside, super tender chicken breast on the inside), but they mix red chili flakes, garlic powder, and Madras curry into the batter before frying. The result? Crispy, savory chicken with a subtle, sweet tang. It’s slightly unexpected, but unbelievably delicious.” From the looks of Foreign Cinema’s menu and the comments on Yelp, the chef seems to keep fried chicken on the menu all the time, but changes up the focus (curry, buttermilk, etc.) every couple of weeks. Thanks to Vanessa’s mouthwatering description, I’m now stalking the Foreign Cinema menu daily waiting for the curry-fried version to come back. I’m blaming my distracted lack of productivity on you, Vanessa. Photo courtesy of Jennifer C.P.

If you take a quick look at the Humphrey Slocombe website and their long list of prestigious press mentions, you’ll quickly understand—from the length of the list alone— that a lot of people love the unusual flavors (and, IMHO opinion, deliciously weird flavors) this upscale ice cream shop offers. A not-so-quick wait in the ever-present long line will confirm the fact that people don’t mind waiting for flavors like prosciutto, bourbon, foie gras, and strawberry candied jalapeño. But the peanut butter curry is one of HS’s overwhelmingly favorite flavors, and after trying it on my last trip there, I can see why. It’s peanut butter. It’s curry. It’s sweet. And yes, it’s a little bizarre and it took a few bites for my palate to get used to it, but I did like it―and I didn’t expect to. I’m not sure I’d want my ice-cream birthday cake made entirely with this, or if I could finish a whole pint if it were in my fridge, but it’s definitely worth a lick. Photo courtesy of foodie h.

Eating a french fry without ketchup or some other dipping sauce is french-fry blasphemy, in my opinion. (I’m sure there are plenty of potato purists who will disagree with me.) I’ll dip a fry in anything to see how it tastes, which is why I’m surprised that I’ve never come across any curry ketchup in my dipping adventures. Fans of Hela brand’s ketchup say that despite the inclusion of “hot” in its name, this one isn’t too unbearably hot, but the heat does creep up on you while you’re savoring the subtle curry taste. Wish I’d carried a bottle of this in my bag when I lived in London; would’ve been a perfect addition to all those late-night chip orders we’d place after a long night out at the pub.