In February 2011, Groupon ran one of the most talked-about Super Bowl ads of all time — actor Timothy Hutton pivoting from the plight of Tibet to raving about the “amazing” fish curry at a Himalayan restaurant. The ad was seen by 111 million people, sparked a national controversy, and was eventually pulled.
The Himalayan restaurant in the ad? That was us.
Two nights before the ad aired, we had also appeared on WTTW’s Check, Please! — a back-to-back publicity whirlwind unlike anything we’d experienced. And amid the uproar, the Chicago Tribune’s Kevin Pang drove to our Niles dining room to investigate the only question he felt truly mattered: is the fish curry actually amazing?
His verdict was written with a wink. He took issue with the word “amazing” itself — arguing no fish curry on earth could clear a bar that high — but conceded ours “is quite good.” He described a North Indian-style curry with coriander, cumin, cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes, ordered medium-hot, delivering — in his words — enough heat to turn his head into “a sniffles machine.” He praised the mahi mahi for its firm, flaky texture and called the flavors well balanced, spicy without overburdening.
His closing line summed up the whole strange episode: insensitive ad, hyperbolic ad copy, nice restaurant, decent curry. We’ll take it — from a critic allergic to hyperbole, “quite good” is high praise.
Original article: Kevin Pang, Chicago Tribune, February 2011.
Fifteen years later, the fish curry is still on the menu in Niles and Chicago — and you’re welcome to run your own investigation. Order it medium-hot in Kevin’s honor.
Niles: 847.324.4150 · Chicago: 312.877.5999