M-F: 11AM-3PM & 5PM-10PM; S-Su: 11:30AM-10PM
(609) 924-8863 Website Google Maps
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Hurry Chutney opened in late 2012 next to Sam’s Club off Rte. 1 near Quakerbridge Road in “Princeton” (actually West Windsor). There’s a lot to like about Hurry Chutney, and one thing that make me shudder.
What’s to like? For me, two things stand out.
First, the food quality (in my limited exposure to it) seems quite high. My lunch entree was beautifully spiced and not greasy, and was garnished with fresh cilantro. The contrast with several other local Indian buffets was striking. It may also explain why the joint was mobbed by a well-heeled, south-Asian crowd at 2 PM on a recent Friday.
Second, Hurry Chutney is the only Indian Restaurant in the area that serves Chaat on a regular basis. On the rather extensive menu, you’ll find a selection of Chaats including Bhel Puri or Pani Puri, Dahi Wada, Pav Phaji and several other varieties. Given that Myilai Masala no longer has its special chaat night, there’s no other place in the immediate area for chaat, which I love, so it’s no small consideration.
Hurry Chutney is not a buffet in the normal sense, it’s more like a cafeteria. You order from an extensive menu. The ala carte entrees are Princeton-priced (highish), though they have several “special” combination lunch platters — see photo — that are attractively laid out, and competitively priced with a typical local buffet lunch (though the ample portions are fixed). The good news here is that you can show up for a late lunch and your meal hasn’t been sitting on a steam table for 2 hours. The bad news is that, if you’re by yourself, you’re limited to sampling a single entree (though go with friends, and you can readily share different entrees among yourselves).
Really, my biggest concern with Hurry Chutney is the service concept: if you order from the regular menu, pricing is similar to “white table cloth” Indian restaurants with full service. The food quality is similar: indeed, better than most. But here you’re paying top dollar to carry your meal to your table on a tray. The ambiance encourages you to eat and run. This is probably a very good thing for CH’s bottom line but not so good for you. The “slow food” movement wouldn’t approve, and neither do I.
