Hi Folks,
It's been quite some time since I have had the will to write. I figured my hiatus for a couple months was enough time to get myself together and actually made me want to write again! I am finally feeling a bit better about myself on a personal level and therefore feel compelled to once again grace this blog with my knowledge! :)
On a recent trip to New York for a business meeting, I had a bit of time to kill prior to taking my train back Upstate from Penn Station. I usually show my face at a couple of Irish styled pubs on W. 33rd, near the Garden. However, today I felt instead of a liquid lunch, a proper lunch was in order. For some reason, call it a major craving, I decided to search the internet via Google for Indian joints close to where my meeting was. Lo and behold, there was one (a satellite of) that I saw on the Man vs. Food show. It's called The Brick Lane Curry House. This is in reference to the street in London which is the London equivalent of Mulberry Street in NYC. Think of the hosts doing whatever they can to get your business! Well, because of this name, I thought that I would probably get an authentic meal. Well, I can honestly say, it wasn't bad. However, far from stellar.
Okay, so on a first glance at the menu, Onion Bhajis caught my eye. These are thinly sliced onions slapped together with chickpea batter and fried. Oh yes, they are delicious. If you have any Indian Food rookies with you, this is a safe bet for a starter. Following that the Poppadums were served, which are lentil crackers that are fried and puff out. Usually served with a chutney and some veggie mixture (varies from place to place). The Poppadums were good, but what about the mains?
I opted for a Lamb Bhuna, which is a semi-spicy gravy which is cooked in it's own juices. It's not overly spicy, but for a rookie, it would be too much. I'd suggest the Korma or Tikka Masala for them (I like both of those as well). Noticeably absent was my favorite dish, Butter Chicken. I have a hard time finding that on US menus and I am not sure why? Oh well... I guess I will have to continue cooking that one myself. The Bhuna was excellent. The lamb meat very tender and not overpowering, signifying it was LAMB and not MUTTON. Some restaurants will opt for the cheaper, which in my opinion is disgusting. The meal came with Pilau Rice, which was nicely seasoned. However, I am certain if I bought a take away meal at the supermarket chain Sainsbury's it would have been better.... The Nan selection was wide. Nan is bread that is like a pita, but softer and a bit thicker. They didn't have my favorite, again... Peshwari Nan, which is usually made with raisins and coconut inside the bread. I like it because the sugar cools the spice, if your mouth is on fire!
I wanted to order a vegetable dish, but they didn't do half orders and I wasn't about to carry Indian food back on the train! All of this was washed down with a large Kingfisher beer.
So why did Man vs. Food come here? They serve one of the hottest curries known to man-- Phaal. Phaal is hotter than a Vindaloo and you must have a verbal agreement before eating it that you won't hold the place responsible (think Ghost Chili pepper). It's more heat that it's worth. If you do manage to finish, you will be haunted the next day by said "ghost (oh, and they give you a free beer)."
I am always on the lookout for the better curry house in NYC. I will be adding more to this genre as time goes on. On a scale of 1-10, I would rank Brick Lane as a 6.5 to 7. They almost have it down, they just need a bit more fine tuning and they'd be a 8 or 9. Tens are reserved for London.
Cheers!
Total with tax - $41.57
Total with tip- $50.00
NOT CHEAP, but when you have a craving for Indian food, nothing can stop you!
The Brick Lane Curry House, Midtown
It's been quite some time since I have had the will to write. I figured my hiatus for a couple months was enough time to get myself together and actually made me want to write again! I am finally feeling a bit better about myself on a personal level and therefore feel compelled to once again grace this blog with my knowledge! :)
On a recent trip to New York for a business meeting, I had a bit of time to kill prior to taking my train back Upstate from Penn Station. I usually show my face at a couple of Irish styled pubs on W. 33rd, near the Garden. However, today I felt instead of a liquid lunch, a proper lunch was in order. For some reason, call it a major craving, I decided to search the internet via Google for Indian joints close to where my meeting was. Lo and behold, there was one (a satellite of) that I saw on the Man vs. Food show. It's called The Brick Lane Curry House. This is in reference to the street in London which is the London equivalent of Mulberry Street in NYC. Think of the hosts doing whatever they can to get your business! Well, because of this name, I thought that I would probably get an authentic meal. Well, I can honestly say, it wasn't bad. However, far from stellar.
Okay, so on a first glance at the menu, Onion Bhajis caught my eye. These are thinly sliced onions slapped together with chickpea batter and fried. Oh yes, they are delicious. If you have any Indian Food rookies with you, this is a safe bet for a starter. Following that the Poppadums were served, which are lentil crackers that are fried and puff out. Usually served with a chutney and some veggie mixture (varies from place to place). The Poppadums were good, but what about the mains?
I opted for a Lamb Bhuna, which is a semi-spicy gravy which is cooked in it's own juices. It's not overly spicy, but for a rookie, it would be too much. I'd suggest the Korma or Tikka Masala for them (I like both of those as well). Noticeably absent was my favorite dish, Butter Chicken. I have a hard time finding that on US menus and I am not sure why? Oh well... I guess I will have to continue cooking that one myself. The Bhuna was excellent. The lamb meat very tender and not overpowering, signifying it was LAMB and not MUTTON. Some restaurants will opt for the cheaper, which in my opinion is disgusting. The meal came with Pilau Rice, which was nicely seasoned. However, I am certain if I bought a take away meal at the supermarket chain Sainsbury's it would have been better.... The Nan selection was wide. Nan is bread that is like a pita, but softer and a bit thicker. They didn't have my favorite, again... Peshwari Nan, which is usually made with raisins and coconut inside the bread. I like it because the sugar cools the spice, if your mouth is on fire!
I wanted to order a vegetable dish, but they didn't do half orders and I wasn't about to carry Indian food back on the train! All of this was washed down with a large Kingfisher beer.
So why did Man vs. Food come here? They serve one of the hottest curries known to man-- Phaal. Phaal is hotter than a Vindaloo and you must have a verbal agreement before eating it that you won't hold the place responsible (think Ghost Chili pepper). It's more heat that it's worth. If you do manage to finish, you will be haunted the next day by said "ghost (oh, and they give you a free beer)."
I am always on the lookout for the better curry house in NYC. I will be adding more to this genre as time goes on. On a scale of 1-10, I would rank Brick Lane as a 6.5 to 7. They almost have it down, they just need a bit more fine tuning and they'd be a 8 or 9. Tens are reserved for London.
Cheers!
Total with tax - $41.57
Total with tip- $50.00
NOT CHEAP, but when you have a craving for Indian food, nothing can stop you!
The Brick Lane Curry House, Midtown
