Since its opening in the fall of 2022, Indian and Pakistani restaurant Pizza and Curry has gained popularity in Shorewood. We at Ripples had to explore the craze for ourselves, so we took the journey to the restaurant to verify how good the food actually was.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by amicable staff, who were more than happy to strike up a conversation about the food: what’s often too spicy for the average American palette, what favorites returning customers have, etc. The menu was a decent size for such a small restaurant. We were able to pick from curries, naan, rice, desserts, drinks, and of course, pizzas. However, we unanimously decided that despite the restaurant’s namesake, we wanted to pursue its authentic cuisine over its pizza fusions.

The first thing we ordered was the mango lassi: a creamy, mango flavored beverage. Despite the drink’s underwhelming lukewarm temperature, it did a great job of quenching our thirst before we started eating. It had a distinctive blend of sweetness, milkiness and the taste of mango, and while tasteful on its own, it paired well with our other dishes. Original lassi drinks in Pakistan tend to be lighter in their texture, because lassi is simply a mixture of water and milk. However, this one had a thick, smoothie like texture that thankfully did not disappoint. 

Then came the naan, and along with it, the achar ghosht (or pickles with beef). Achar gosht is a spicy curry cooked in a wok with lamb or mutton. The tender meat may have been a little too pulverized, with it resembling a stringy ground beef in the way the main protein blended with the dish’s oils, spices, and sauces. However, the dish itself delivered a much needed and powerful kick. However, the spiciness level was easily combated by the absorbent naan bread we ate our curry with.

The butter chicken was especially great. It was a mix of hot curry with the well-cooked chicken, a balance between spice and thickness. Paired with naan, the butter chicken is an excellent meal that offers a variety of tastes, yet having a singular, unique essence of its own. The tender meat was complemented with a rich, creamy, tomato base that had a hint of sweetness in it. All together, the most wonderful part of the dish was not a particular taste, but rather the composition of flavors. We did feel that perhaps the ratio between the sauce and the chicken could have been improved, but it was only a minor infraction.

The final, and best, food item we tried was the chicken biryani. The dish, which holds the title of being one of the most famous and exquisitely prepared dishes to come out of South Asia, had a distinctly vibrant aroma, reflecting not only its taste but also centuries of evolution of techniques that make more than 25 ingredients come together in one dish. The top most layer of rice was mostly yellow, with onions and cut spinach spread on the top. As we started putting it on our plates, the brownish and more orange rice started to rise from beneath the top layer. This rice was fortunately not burnt but rather ground in biryani masala, a specific mix of spices adding a multitude of flavors. Well-cooked, sufficiently warm, and mildly spiced, the dish brought several fierce and flaming tastes to it that stood out more than just being ‘spicy’. It came along with the special raita, or mint sauce that cooled down the dish and added its own taste to it. The dish was very similar to its original version in Pakistan, representing the epitome of how a restaurant biryani should be. While many households tend to add some little variations to the same recipe of biryani, restaurants often try to make the central, most realistic and original version of the same dish so that it could be enjoyed by everybody. Pizza & Curry did a fantastic job bringing the real South Asian taste to an American city. For any sensitive tasters, the mint sauce will and definitely did mellow out the slight spice of the dish.

Overall, we highly recommend trying out Pizza & Curry for its delicious delights, fair prices and tastes that transcend the globe. Make sure to try the chicken biryani!