Komala Curry House

Tasty, fast and somewhat healthy alternative to what is available around 1111 Bishop. I work in the building so I’ve been to most of the eateries here and Komala is my go to place. To me, the food is quaint and personal and satisfies my hunger for Indian cuisine. This is not food made to order and I don’t mind that at all for the quick convenience during lunch. The lady that runs the place is very nice. I am from California where good Indian joints are a dime a dozen and this place satisfies my cravings. The rice is stellar and I usually get the chicken dishes with sides. I’ve tried her lentil balls and the naan is great to mop up the sauce. Uncertain about other comments on the food being bland, every time I’ve gone, her food has been consistent and flavorful. Komala Curry House gets my vote for best eats in 1111 Bishop.

Quick Indian lunch — this is a good go to spot. They have a hot line with mild and spicy, meat and veggie offerings. You can get a mini plate (1 choice + rice) or get a regular plate (1 meat choice + 1 veggie choice + rice). I usually go for the regular plate and pretend that I’m going to have leftovers (then eat everything). Chicken Korma is a solid choice.
Don’t forget it’s CASH ONLY!

Got the lamb. Meat was good. The curry was good too. It is a mom and pops Indian place. Not fancy rather simple. Worth checking out. I usually avoid spicy food, but the spice balance here was spot on for me. There is not burning in the mouth after the meal.

Delicious aromas greeted me as I walked in. I overheard a man in line saying he eats here everyday, so I know I chose correctly. The prices are very reasonable for a Honolulu lunch.
I opted for the regular sized veggie plate, which included ample scoop of saffron rice and two main dish choices. I had the corn with chestnuts and lentil balls– both items I’ve never had before. The latter was wonderful, mildly spicy (not very as the sign said). I also added a samosa, this one was good in that it was mildly sweet with cinnamon zest. Minus one star for less than amazing flavor. With a drink it was $ 9, which is under my max lunch limit.
The owner and her son were both professional and friendly. The restaurant was very clean and bright. I will be eating here again.

Been here a few times and I love it. I usually get the chicken kurma and one of the squash or potato sides. Definitely is terrific comfort food. Flavor and texture are wonderful. I like having the option to choose large or small plate. And the folks that run it are kind and very sincere.

I had it for lunch to day and was very disappointed. I got the «spicy» chicken masala curry. It wasn’t spicy at all, and actually very bland. My friend got the combo plate with the mixed vegetables and a green/​yellow chicken curry. This was also pretty bland and the only redeeming bits were the cauliflower and broccoli in the veggies. I’m not sure what they’re going for here… maybe trying to water it down to appeal to western taste? Because it literally tastes watered down.

I am a fan of Komala Curry House! My office is just a minute away, so I often pop in for lunch. They always have a big selection of vegetarian entrees, and it’s only $ 5.50 for the mini, which is almost enough for two meals. For lunch downtown, that’s one of the best deals you’ll find.
It’s steam table-​style, so nothing fancy, just warm Indian comfort food! I love that every time I go in there’s a new dish to try. My favorite are the tofu curries. There’s a choice of yellow turmeric rice or brown rice.
There are some negative reviews from people saying that the food is bland, but it’s never seemed that way to me. I always get the ones marked «spicy» so maybe that’s why it hasn’t been a problem.
For what it is, Komala Curry House succeeds, and I hope they stick around!

Not my top choice Indian but they have vegetarian food and is quick and convenient for a downtown lunch. It’s a bit of a rip off for what you actually get. Lots of sauce and not enough substance. The naan should come free with the plates.

I like it. This is my first Indian food place so I have nothing to compare it to… but I get the coconut shrimp curry. I can smell the coconut milk in there since I cook with it too sometimes so I know it’s real. The food is really comforting and the mini is usually enough for me. But, the shrimp dish is like $ 6 and change… which is a lot for a mini.
The lady serves you then rings you up so it takes a while sometimes… especially if someone is doing an office run.
Actually three stars sounds more accurate but I really like their coconut shrimp curry so I say 4 — btw, it’s totally not spicy at all.

When I miss India, I go here to get some curries that make me feel nostalgic. Total comfort food. I really like the squash curry.
The standard is yellow rice (turmeric-​dyed white rice?) and you can choose a pair of veg and non-​veg curries to go with it for around $ 8 – 9 and a paratha or samosa are about $ 1 each.
I’ve brought my own tupperware there before to avoid getting a styrofoam take-​out container and that wasn’t an issue. I think the lady speaks Tamil.

This is an Indian take out place nestled in with many other places catering to the same 12 pm business lunch rush.
I love curry and Indian curry is no exception, so when a coworker mentioned this place I knew I had to try it out. She warned me that it was no maharani, so I knew not to have my expectations too high.
You can choose between a meat or vegetarian plate which comes in a mini or regular plate. I’m used to my take out Indian food from India café, which means a mini is one meat and one veggie side. This place’s mini does not include a choice of veggie side, so you only get meat and rice.
The curry was kind of bland to be honest. It didn’t seem to have the same variety of spices that Indian curry usually has, but maybe it’s because I tried their «mild» curry? However, it wasn’t horrible and am willing to try out their other curries in the future. Their bread and samosas also looked good in the display case~

I used to come here 10 years ago, before I moved to California, and since I’ve been back in the islands I’ve come to eat twice! The woman is really nice and is pretty generous with the food. My vegetarian mini (a veggie curry on top of yellow rice) is always over flowing and oozing out of the container. I left a tip for her in the tip jar and she reached over and plopped a samosa on my plate! How sweet!
But like other reviewers said, the curries are not spicy. I got the corn curry today and the label said spicy, but it was just bit hot. Not like Indian hot. Or even Korean hot. But I liked the veggies and the rice. Maybe it’s just comforting because its exactly like how I remember it from 10 years ago, but I like it here and will be coming back once in a while to eat and hang out downtown.

I was with a friend looking for lunch when he suggested this spot. I looooove laaaaaamb and hadn’t eaten it in a while so I figured why not. I was debating between a mini or a full place and decided to go big… I was hungry. So I chose the lamb and some kind of bean curry. It was really good! And I didn’t feel grossly stuffed after I ate everything. I’d say its not very heavy food at all.
And I didn’t have enough cash so the woman said I could pay another day. Which I thought was crazy trusting!!! You never see that kind of trust anymore… Maybe if I was a regular but it was my first time there. I borrowed some cash from my friend instead but very nice!

When I am craving Indian food and want a quick fix, Komala Curry House is the place to go if you are working in the downtown area. Apparently there are two locations but the one on Bishop Street is the only location I frequent. Just because there are other restaurants surrounding this location which I also frequent.
Just a very simple store set up with a very simple selection of food. I usually stick to the mini, which is rice and the choice of 1 entrée, just because I can’t eat more. I have tried both their curries and their vegetable and I love it. Their samosas are pretty good but are on the smaller side compared to other Indian Restaurants I’ve patronized.
The woman who runs the counter is very quiet but very kind. All in all, I like coming here but it’s the not the best Indian food I have ever tasted. But I still come here regardless when I am craving Indian food during the work week.

I am a bit disappointed by this place. I like to support local Indian/​Pakistani restaurants when I go places since I am Pakistani, but unfortunately this place offered up very bland food that looked unappetizing. I got the lunch plate with the two veggie curries (potato eggplant and lentil vegetable) and they both tasted the same — bland and not spicy at all. I got a couple of samosas too and they were the same — it looks like they used pre-​made wonton wrappers for the outside. And there was no raita/​yoghurt or chutneys! What kind of Indian/​Pakistani restaurant offers no raita/​yoghurt or chutneys! Pretty disappointing.

Dreadful. Bland, unappetizing food. Was craving Indian, but this place just doesn’t satisfy.

Good but not great. Priced okay, but not super cheap (considering portions). Location is convenient for downtown workers. The look of the place, not so appetizing. I mean, I get that it’s a take out place but clean it up a bit and make it look a little more inviting. I.e., Panda — the chinese place is similarly a takeout place but their restaurants have color, is vibrant.
The curry — well, I agree with the other reviewers that it is bland. But I can’t complain because loads of sodium and what not isn’t good for you. And the curries that they mark as spicy… seriously, there is no spice. Not even a kick. But good options and variety in terms of curry, including vegetarian.
They have another Komala Curry in Topa tower down the street. Personally, I like the Topa tower one better.

Seeing as how there are no recent reviews on this place I can only assume it has changed ownership, because I think it’s great! Either that or you people are all crazy for giving one– and two-​star reviews! The food is delicious, not bland at all, and very reasonably priced. $ 5.50 for a mini vegetarian plate that I can almost get two meals out of. Yummy samosas for a dollar a piece. And super friendly service. The lady who runs it also owns India Bazaar Madras Curry on King St. and she is so nice!

Who knew bland and Indian food would go together in the same sentence. While that may be an oxymoron, it is what you will find in this place.
I was going to give this place two stars, but I just ate good Indian food yesterday and it actually made me angry thinking about the time/​money/​calories/​mealtime wasted at this place. At least I know not to come back here again. To top off the bad food was the bad service. The lady who had the difficult job of scooping the entrees into a styrofoam take-​out box seemed disappointed that the already made separations gave too much room for meat. It seemed like she was counting exactly how many pieces of chicken to give me and still was not satisfied that there was extra room in the entrée section of the take-​out box. Horrible service aside, it was under $ 10 and whatever I burped up tasted better than the meal itself.

It’s takeout «indian» food. Take it for what it is. If you’re in the mood for a fast food type of indian food then this is your spot.
The yellow rice thing isn’t too bad and actually kind of interesting but everything else was such a let down. had a chicken dish and a veggie dish and they were both bad and about 2 hours later, my stomach kept reminding me how bad it was.
Selection is so limited: they don’t have a regular full menu but rather just a few meat and veggie choices to choose from.
Such a let down. But hey, it was mostly edible. That’s gotta be worth a star?