New Indian restaurant opens on Lakeland’s north side

A new Indian restaurant has opened on Lakeland’s north side. Curry Leaves Lakeland has been welcoming guests to its restaurant in the Quality Inn at 3260 US Highway 98 N since July 15.

Owner Saji Mathew, 54, of Pinellas Park, said he has felt supported since opening his first store in Lakeland. “It feels great. I’m so happy I opened there,” he said. “So far, everything’s been good. I’m so happy I’m in Lakeland.”

What it is: Curry Leaves describes its menu as “fine Indian cuisine,” with “each dish being a symphony of Indian flavors.” The food is cooked by chef Unny Krishnan, who worked in five-star hotels in India before moving to the United States. He is a partner in the Lakeland restaurant.

“I can guarantee it’s the best food you can get. You don’t have to travel to India. We bring it to you,” said Mathew.

Customer favorites: Mathew is from South India, from a state called Kerala, which is on the southwest coast of India, but the food at Curry Leaves is representative of the food of all of India.

The best dishes according to Mathew are:

• Butter Chicken is chicken, peppers and onions in a sauce made from garlic, tomatoes, butter and curry on rice.
• Appam Mutta Roast, South Indian rice pancakes.
• Chicken Varutharachathu is chicken cooked in a roasted coconut curry sauce with rice.

He said that if you are not yet familiar with Indian cuisine, you “can’t go wrong” with butter chicken and naan bread.

“People are afraid it’s spicy. It’s not spicy. We can make it mild. We customize (the dishes) for each individual. There are a variety of spices (including) ginger and garlic. If you’ve never eaten Indian food, you’re missing all the flavor,” Mathew said.

Coming soon: Mathew said new menu items will be introduced soon, including 15 to 20 vegetarian offerings. The restaurant is also hosting a large Onam celebration starting Sept. 15. Onam is a Hindu festival celebrated for 10 days. It typically includes large feasts and food served on banana leaves.

Award-winning company: This is the second Curry Leaves location. Mathews’ first Curry Leaves restaurant is located near the Westshore Plaza shopping center in Tampa, next to his BP gas station at 4843 W. Kennedy Blvd. Originally, the space was an auto repair shop. Then he converted it into a pizzeria and decided to open the first Curry Leaves in 2015.

The first location has won numerous awards, including Best Indian Restaurant in 2024 from Yelp and TAMPA Magazine.

“It’s gotten so many awards. Six awards last year. We didn’t know people voted for us,” Mathew said, adding that the Tampa location is being remodeled and is currently only offering takeout orders.

A boost from YouTube: Mathew credits his chef and YouTubers for the success of his first Curry Leaves restaurant in Tampa. Thanks to the proximity to the airport, he has had customers from all over America, he said.

“We have customers from Orlando and even Miami,” said Mathew. “People from Canada come here. Three or four YouTubers came, which made us really popular.”

He hopes to have the same luck at his new restaurant, Curry Leaves, in Lakeland. From there, he hopes to open another one in Orlando or St. Petersburg.

Invitation to Lakeland: Mathew said Quality Inn owner Sam Patel visited his restaurant in Tampa and then approached him in June 2023 and asked him to open a restaurant on his property in Lakeland. Mathew said he was hesitant at first, but after exploring the area in Lakeland, he decided to go for it.

“I saw a great location near I-4. A great place. I drove around and saw that it was an attractive place for me,” Mathew said.

Year of hard work: Mathew said it took a year of hard work to open the Lakeland location. “It was pretty challenging,” he said. “The owner (of Quality Inn) helped us a lot.”

Inside the restaurant, you’ll find chandeliers and a mural of a beautiful Indian woman, as well as a full bar with Instagram-worthy cocktails. There’s currently no outdoor seating, but Mathew hopes to add that option in the near future.

Tradition of entrepreneurship: Mathew is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He moved to the U.S. from India in 1985 and worked in Chicago as a respiratory therapist. He then decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and moved to the Tampa Bay Area in 2000 to open a gas station. He owns another one in St. Pete.

Hours: Curry Leaves in Lakeland is open every day except Tuesday. It serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. It also offers catering and delivery via Uber and DoorDash.

The restaurant serves a lunch buffet on Saturdays and Sundays. The price is $18.99 for adults and $15.99 for vegetarian-only dishes and children 9 and under.

Mathew said he hopes to be open seven days a week soon.