A new Indian restaurant has opened on Lakeland’s north side. Curry Leaves Lakeland began welcoming customers on July 15 to its eatery inside the Quality Inn at 3260 U.S. Highway 98 N.
Owner Saji Mathew, 54, of Pinellas Park, said he’s felt supported since opening his first business in Lakeland. “It feels great. I am so glad I opened there,” he said. “Everything is good so far. I am so happy I am in Lakeland.”
What it is: Curry Leaves describes its menu as “fine Indian cuisine,” where “every dish is a symphony of Indian flavors.” The food is cooked by Chef Unny Krishnan, who worked in India’s five-star hotels before coming 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 go to India. We bring it to you,” Mathew said.
Customer favorites: Mathew hails from southern India, from a state called Kerala that sits on India’s southwestern coast. However, the food at Curry Leaves is representative of food from all over India.
The top dishes, according to Mathew, are:
- Butter chicken, which is chicken, bell peppers and onions in a garlic, tomato, butter and curry sauce on top of rice.
- Appam Mutta Roast, which is South Indian rice pancakes.
- Chicken Varutharachathu, which is chicken cooked in a roasted coconut curry sauce with rice.
He said people new to Indian food “can’t go wrong” with the butter chicken and naan bread.
“People get scared about it being spicy. It’s not spicy. We can make it mild. We customize (the dishes) for each person. There are a variety of spices (including) ginger and garlic. If you’ve never had 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 big Onam celebration starting on Sept. 15. Onam is a Hindu festival that is celebrated for 10 days. It typically includes grand feasts and food served on banana leaves.
Award-winning business: This is Curry Leaves’ second location. Mathew’s first Curry Leaves restaurant is located near the Westshore Plaza mall in Tampa, next to the BP gas station he owns at 4843 W. Kennedy Blvd. Initially the space was a car repair shop. Then he converted it into a pizzeria and then decided to open the first Curry Leaves in 2015.
The first location has won numerous awards, including from Yelp and TAMPA Magazines as the Best Indian Restaurant in 2024.
“It got so many awards. Six awards last year. We didn’t know people voted for us,” Mathew said. He added that the Tampa location is being remodeled and only offers to-go orders at the moment.
A boost from YouTube: Mathew credits his chef and YouTubers for making his first Curry Leaves restaurant in Tampa a success. With its close proximity to the airport, he said he’s had customers from across the Americas.
“We get customers from Orlando, even Miami,” Mathew said. “People visiting from Canada, they come here. Three to four Youtubers came so that made us really popular.”
He hopes he’ll have the same luck at his new Curry Leaves restaurant in Lakeland. From there, he hopes to open another in Orlando or St. Petersburg.
Invitation to Lakeland: Mathew said the owner of Quality Inn, Sam Patel, visited his Tampa restaurant and then reached out to him in June 2023, and asked him to open a restaurant at his property in Lakeland. Mathew said he was hesitant at first, but after scoping out the area in Lakeland, he decided to go for it.
“I saw a great location off of I-4. A great place. I drove around and saw it was an attractive place to 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. It doesn’t currently offer outdoor seating but Mathew hopes to add the option in the near future.
Tradition of entrepreneurship: Mathew isn’t a stranger to entrepreneurship. He moved to the United States from India in 1985, working in Chicago as a respiratory therapist. Then, he decided to follow in his family’s footsteps, moving to the Tampa Bay area in 2000 to open the 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 p.m. to 10 p.m. It also offers catering and delivery through 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 dishes only and children aged 9 and under.
Mathew said he hopes to be open seven days a week soon.
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