The overriding — and deceptive — theme of Curry n’ Hurry (6 University Square) is modesty. The restaurant’s entrance is unassuming. Its dining tables are simple with minimalist napkin holders and beaten up menus, and food is served on plastic plates with plastic dining ware. Owner Vinay Patel, a constant presence at Curry n’ Hurry, greets customers with the informal, soft-spoken banter of a hard-working chef.

But when it comes to the food, the only modest thing at Curry n’ Hurry is the prices. Appetizers and entrées are consistently cooked to near-perfection with an abundance of spices to add just the right kick to nearly every item on the menu. And portion sizes are hefty, rendering the mid-range prices a bargain when you consider that each meal should leave enough for an entire course of leftovers.

The menu’s finest item is the Chicken Tikka Masala ($7.99), a soupy curry with generous chunks of chicken and neatly diced onions that do a superb job of soaking up the rich panoply of spices in the dish. Although not denoted as spicy on the menu, the entrée is fairly hot.

But do not let heat intimidate! Curry n’ Hurry offers a trio of excellent breads on its menu that, in combination with the white rice served with the Chicken Tikka Masala, work to all but neutralize any unwanted kick without sacrificing flavor. Perhaps the best bargain in the restaurant, the Tandoori Roti ($0.99) is the fullest of the flat breads with a fluffy whole wheat texture and strong hints of the butter it is cooked in. Slightly richer in unique flavor, but less of a spice neutralizer is the Lasooni Nan ($1.99), a crispy, oversized piece of flatbread replete with garlic and herbs. For a simpler option, try the Butter Nan ($1.49), which is similar to the Lasooni Nan, but comes sans the garlic kick.

Other notable entrée options include a variety of Indo-Chinese courses, available after 3:00 PM, something no other restaurant in Madison offers. And Curry n’ Hurry is also one of the few places to feature South Indian cuisine, a portion of the menu highlighted by a couple of thick, oversized crepes that dangle over the edges of even the largest of the restaurant’s plates.

Curry n’ Hurry offers a generous variety of appetizers, but two of particular note are the Aloo Vada ($2.49) and the Vegetable Samosa ($2.99). The former is a well-portioned deep-fried potato dish that is complemented by a rich dipping sauce that nicely extenuates the spices in the potato. The Vegetable Samosa is also a deep-fried potato dish, but it takes on a triangular shape with an addition of peas and more transparent spices on the inside. The appetizer’s outside is firm and crispy, but the vegetable filling is soft and warm, again nicely accented by the rather simple dipping sauces provided.

When it comes to atmosphere, Curry n’ Hurry finds a happy medium between the tremendous intricacies of its stunning food and the sheer humility of its projected image. The walls are a compromise, with peacock feather-latent artwork, mini busts of elephant heads and apparently Asian inspired works screaming with pastel colors.

Still, for those wishing to dine in the potentially more formal or informal confines of their apartment or dorm room, the restaurant offers take-out. But then again, with such generous portion sizes and fabulous meals, any effort at dining in will likely land leftovers in your refrigerator before long. And this is just fine considering that the restaurant costs so little green that its entrées can be enjoyed even in those places once ridiculed before Sam I Am.

Grade: A