Mehfil Indian Cuisine
600 Folsom Street
(between 2nd St & Hawthorne St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 974-5510
Yes yes, something is afoot. Grubgirl has been spending a lot of time South of Market, near 2nd street. Why? We’ll go into that later. The main point though is that these new regions have left my stomach anxiously looking for grub bargains for breakfast and lunch.
Fortunately, Mehfil is here. Also know by some locals as “Curry in a Hurry,” this place runs a brisk takeout business with North Indian specials that range from $5 – $7. Yes, folks. The $5 includes one of four options, at least one of which is a meat. There’s a bigger Tandoori special for $7 where you get something other than Basmati rice and the entree.
So what do you get for $5? I got a chicken dish in sauce with onions…You know those black plastic microwaveable bowls that those “Frozen Teriyaki” meals are served in? That’s what their bowls look like. Rice is scooped in there as you walk through the cafeteria line, and then your entree is scooped on top. They put a lid on it and bam, you’re done. Naan is extra.
As far as flavor goes, this place gets high marks. Not seeping in grease, the 2 chicken dishes I’ve had have been delightfully spicy and fresh tasting. One of the 2 chicken dishes (both were boneless chicken breast meals) did give me a couple bites that had cartilage in it. (Ugh, but at least they weren’t bone shrapnel.)
Portion size could be bigger to get full Grubgirl accolades. However, the amount is just enough to tide you over for lunch without invoking a food coma. (You know how I love my meals to include leftovers!)
We have ‘Curry in a Hurry’ up here in the frozen north as well, but I didn’t enjoy it much. Maybe yours is better than ours. There is nothing like chicken in curry and Indian spices. My mouth is watering as I write this.