After a day full of at-home-fun with my kids, at about 5 o’clock in the late afternoon laying in bed with the two little ones I decided it would be nice for us to have a ‘’mommy date night.’’ I hadn’t booked any reservations and since my mood was so impromptu we all got dressed and decided to stroll down the street of our Playacar neighbourhood to a lovely little Indian restaurant I had passed dozens of times during the day with much curiosity.
It wasn’t without some curiosity that got me to venture at the unsuspecting little Indian restaurant on the corner of Playacar.
So, off we went into the easygoing sunset hours of the cool evening sky in beautiful Playa del Carmen. A place I now call home and proudly so. As we approached the little restaurant with a few white chairs nesting seats outside over Indian style umbrellas, I decided to head on inside the doors with a Ganesh deity before the name ‘’Curry Omm’’ the name of the restaurant. I browsed through the menu and with a look of satisfaction turned to my four and six-year-old – ‘so how about’ it?’ ‘Can we eat here, mommy really wants to try the food and there’s good food for us all here.’ As I waited for their approval, my tough little critics they smiled broadly and nodded, ‘yes mommy.’ So we were set.
A beautiful tall lady greeted us with a brilliant smile as we sat down. We sat indoors within the air-conditioned space as the tunes from Bollywood hits played very discreetly in the background. It’s not a big space by any means and I was lucky we were able to have a table considering we strolled on in without a reservation but I suppose that’s the perk of dining out early. Most of Playa del Carmen dinner crowd increases well after the sunset when the city speaks a most beautiful culture that is very contrasting to that of the day.
I went on to place our orders and picked out a little bit of everything that caught my eye. We started with an order of Papadums -thin Indian crispy cracker or flatbread paired with a delightful yoghurt and herb garnish and a set of the best ever lamb samosas. For my children, this was a first and a thorough favourite of the evening.
We sipped on freshly made mango lassies – great for cooling the tongue over spicy meals and I enjoyed a delightful masala chai in between our family fun. Everything was freshly made at an enjoyable dining rhythm that left you completely satisfied.
Our second phase arrived in fragrant Biryani, traditional curried chicken and a side of chapati – Indian whole wheat bread with a cracked centre over which melted butter is drizzled.
The food was marvellous. The manager of the restaurant came several times to ensure we were comfortable and was most polite. We felt at home in their service. The ambience was simple and not over-done. It was really all about the food and how it made you appreciate it afterwards. This was evident. At the end of our meal, we ordered desserts of vanilla ice creams and sweet Gulab jamun – this is a traditional Indian dessert of spongy milky ball-rounded texture soaked in rose scented syrup.
And so, after our taste buds completely spoiled like children on Christmas morning I requested the check which was if converted to US$ just about $55. The evening ended on a delightfully sweet note. Every moment spent in this unsuspecting little restaurant with the dark glassed exteriors open to dinners only was well worth the visit. Will I be having seconds? Yes, most definitely. It’s my pick for most authentic (Indian) across-borders food experience in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.