Brick Lane Curry House

[Suvir Saran]

And I know that water is the wrong strategy, but I don't care for lassi and 'twasn't enough bread. 

Next time try plain rice or even just some plain yogurt. Normally does the trick.

[Suvir Saran]

And for those of you interested in Vindaloo, there is a thread in the Indian forum that has a recipe.

Also you can post any comments you may have on Vindaloo on that thread.

Vindaloo Thread - Indian Forum

[oakapple]

This thread's subtitle — "Spicy food and slow service" — is regrettable. Three years later, Brick Lane Curry House has its act together. My friend and I arrived at 6:20 last night and were out by 7:35, which was sufficient time for us to order drinks, appetizers, and entrées. The restaurant is now on OpenTable, which was what brought it to my attention.

I started with Aloo Chaat, which is described as: Potatoes tossed in a yogurt and mint sauce with spices. At $6 this is a bargain, as the portion is almost big enough to be an entrée. My companion ordered the same thing with chickpeas, rather than potatoes. It has a lively flavor, and just enough heat to prepare the palate for the curry to come.

Most of the curries come in a variety of preparations, usually chicken, lamb, goat, fish, shrimp, paneer, tofu, and vegetable, priced from $12-19. We both had vindaloo: she the lamb ($17), I the goat ($18). I'm not a curry expert, but there was enough heat to bring sweat to the forehead, water to the eyes. I found the bones in the goat a bit annoying. We ordered two preparations of rice and another of spinach to round out the meal, and had more food than we could eat.

For the record, vindaloo is the restaurant's second-hottest curry. The hottest is Phaal, which is described thus:

An excruciatingly hot curry, more pain and sweat than flavor. For our customers who do this on a dare, we will require you to state a verbal disclaimer not holding us liable for any physical or emotional damage after eating this curry. If you do manage to finish your serving of curry, a bottle of beer is on us.

The restaurant is on 6th street just off 2nd Ave (not 1st Ave, as stated upthread). It is a short walk from Bleecker St or Astor Place on the 6 train, Houston St on the F or V train, or 8th St on the N/R.

Edited December 18, 2005 by oakapple (log)

[Pan]

This thread's subtitle — "Spicy food and slow service" — is regrettable. Three years later, Brick Lane Curry House has its act together.[...]

←

That's good to hear, and I've changed the thread subtitle accordingly.

I went to the place a few years ago, when it was further east and indeed two or three doors off 1st Av. I had goat phaal, and though I'm pretty much of a chilihead, that stuff was over the top. But it wasn't so much even the hot-pepperiness that got to me, but the fat. I was duly warned that the phaal was potentially dangerous to my well-being, and I finished perhaps 2/3 of my dish anyway, so the restaurant is not responsible for the fact that my stomach was upset all that night. Since the restaurant is approximately a block from my apartment, it would make sense for me to try the place again. But I won't get the phaal.

[JohnL]

This thread's subtitle — "Spicy food and slow service" — is regrettable. Three years later, Brick Lane Curry House has its act together.[...]

←

That's good to hear, and I've changed the thread subtitle accordingly.

I went to the place a few years ago, when it was further east and indeed two or three doors off 1st Av. I had goat phaal, and though I'm pretty much of a chilihead, that stuff was over the top. But it wasn't so much even the hot-pepperiness that got to me, but the fat. I was duly warned that the phaal was potentially dangerous to my well-being, and I finished perhaps 2/3 of my dish anyway, so the restaurant is not responsible for the fact that my stomach was upset all that night. Since the restaurant is approximately a block from my apartment, it would make sense for me to try the place again. But I won't get the phaal.

←

I have had the phaal at Brick Lane.

First--the two times I have eaten here the service was fine. The staff is quite friendly and accommodating.

As for the Phaal--my friend and I are chiliheads and especially love Indian cuisine. we get together regularly and try different restaurants ordering phaal or vindaloo.

We look for heat (a good vindaloo should have layers of heat from the subtle slow build type to the fiery up front in your face kind) and there should be flavor as well as tender meat (lamb is our favorite).

At Brick Lane the phaal is something of a novelty with their "challenge" to finish it. IMOP it is also not very good. The problem is a very strong pepper taste with heat that basically overwhelms any subtlety of heat and flavor. I believe they add or dump something in at the end of the preparation to "fire it up."

Many restaurants add fresh green chillies at the end of the cooking to add heat I don't know what they do at Brick Lane.

Anyway--we finished our phaal's--at least all the meat (the restaurant demands that you eat all the sauce --of which there is much) to get the free beer etc. I would have considered wiping mine up with the very good bread (onion kulcha and paratha) but the sauce was--as I noted--not that good.

The vindaloo is much better! Lot's of heat and some subtle notes and good, complex flavor. I would recommend it. all in all Brick Lane is fine--one of the better places for vindaloo.

As for phaal--so far-the best in the city IMOP is at Chola on the east side--mid town.

[Daniel]

Thats funny about the Phaal challenge.. I was going to write about that also.. Moping up the sauce is rather extreme for a free beer.. I got that surprise from the waiter when I asked for a beer.. The Phaal is more of a novelty, which certainly has worked for them.. I know my first visit was to try the "spiciest dish" in Manhattan.. It is the spiciest dish I have encountered, but certainly not the best..

[Pan]

I wrote above that it was goat phaal. Actually, it was lamb. Yeah, I definitely believe that was the spiciest thing I ever ate in New York. The spiciest thing I ever ate was a chili - um, I mean goat curry at a wedding banquet in Malaysia. Wedding banquets usually had excellent food, but those cheap bastards used megadoses of chili to save money.