Brick Lane Curry House

[Matt Zito]

My father spent many years owning and operating restaurants, which has given him a certain fanaticism about restaurant service levels. When I was a child, there was a ritual where whenever a new "family restaurant" opened in our corner of Texas, we would go visit it in the first week after it opened. Of course, the staff would be a disaster - dishes would get forgotten, drinks spilled, inability to discuss dishes, etc. At the conclusion of the meal, my father would ask to speak with the manager. The manager, generally a young guy in his 20's would hurry over and my father, a distinguished looking man with glasses and salt-and-pepper hair would say something like, "Son - I appreciate that you just opened. But I've got twenty years in this business and if I ran my restaurants the way you run yours, I would have been out of business long ago.". He would then proceed to critique every service failure over the course of the evening, not just at our table, but at all the tables within his field of view - never raising his voice, never getting angry, just discussing. The manager would then apologize, cards exchanged, and my father would then leave - content that he'd helped a new restaurant on their way to success.

Now, that was when it was a new restaurant. Restaurants in business more than a few months were an entirely different story. Serious service failures in these restaurants were not tolerated, retribution was swift, and heaven help the manager who copped an attitude with my father.

The relevance of this to Brick Lane Curry House is that as I watched customer after customer be violated (including Jordyn and myself), all I could think was, "Thank God my father isn't here".

BLCH is located on 6th street, towards 1st avenue. We arrived at around 8:30 or so and the restaurant was packed. This seemed to be largely an effect of a favorable writeup in the Times the previous week, as the staff seemed overwhelmed by the number of people they were dealing with, and the phone was ringing nonstop. The woman who seemed to be the floor manager informed us that there were no tables available, that it was very likely there wouldn't be tables available anytime soon, and would we want to eat at the bar? Jordyn and I agreed, and were given menus.

The menu at BLCH is best described as "deceptively short", compared to many Indian menus. There are approximately a dozen apps. and kebabs, plus 8 curries as the main dishes, each available with multiple kinds of meat or veggies. The most notable dish was the "Phaal" curry, which was described as, "more sweat and spice than flavor". The menu said that those who succesfully ate an entire portion would receive a free bottle of beer and get their name up on the "'Phaal' of Fame" (which, incidentally, was a small chalkboard that had long since filled - new winners had the dubious distinction of having their name placed on a Post-It note that was placed on the chalkboard). Jordyn dared me to try the Phaal, but I decided to adopt a defensive posture and go for the vindaloo (the second-hottest curry). Jordyn ordered the Lamb Madras.

Papdum was served, which was excellent - tangy with a hint of nuts. While we were eating this, the couple sitting next to us at the bar (more than halfway through a bottle of wine when we sat down) inquired whether they would be getting their entrees soon. With an apologetic expression, the server informed them that not only were they not ready, it probably was "going to be a while" before they would get their food. The scene behind the bar was one of general disorganization - servers not saving steps, food arriving from the kitchen with no one knowing whose table it was for, plus the constant ringing of the phone.

It took about an hour for the food to arrive. I'll leave Jordyn to discuss his Madras, but my vindaloo was delicious. The vegetables, a good mix of potatoes, eggplant, and peas, were nicely cooked and the sauce was a good consistency. It was certainly spicy - starting slow but gradually growing until, five bites in, I was lunging for the water. The spice, however, didn't overshadow the flavor, which was heavy on the cardamom - I'm just glad I didn't get the Phaal. The rice served with the dish was basmati rice, extremely moist, with big pieces of cinnamon stick thrown in. I also got naan with my dish, which was very tasty, but obviously rushed out of the kitchen, as it was very light in color and doughy in the center. Service was spotty - I was drinking a lot of water and had to occasionally seize someone firmly by the upper arm to get more water or rice.

Overall, the food was excellent, but the restaurant is a study in what happens when an underequipped, underprepared restaurant becomes suddenly successful. Judging by the number of angry and frustrated customers I overheard over the course of the meal, they would have been better off simply politely turning customers away and running fewer covers. The consistent reason given for the delay was that, "The kitchen here is very small" - so perhaps they ought not to try to pack as many people as they do? I'll definitely try BLCH again, but in a few months, when the crowds have hopefully died down. I doubt my father would be so generous.

[LaNiña]

Similar to my experience, Matt. I loved the food, but the service was horrendous. I'll go back too, but not very soon. Or maybe soon-ish, but at an off hour...

[SobaAddict70]

Matt, next time, order some lassi instead of going for the water. Dairy products generally act as a laxative when combined with spicy foods. Also bread (which the naan does as double duty). But then you probably already knew that.

SA

[jordyn]

Just a few quick comments:

The lamb Madras was quite good. The curry was fairly sweet, with a note of spiciness that was supposed to be "medium", but that I found relatively mild. The meat itself seemed to be quite good.

Paratha was average. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing particularly good either.

Service was, as Matt indicated, abyssmal. We actually seemed to do better than some of the people around us, but this was a small consolation.

[Robert Nesta Marley]

matt,

man, your father is a tough one, eh? and i thought my family was embarassed to go out with me.....what part of texas? i'm from brownsville, in south texas on the border.

generally speaking, restaurants get advance notice when they're getting press, including the day a mention or review will appear. this obviously gives them time to schedule staff in anticipation of a rush like this one.

[Matt Zito]

matt,

man, your father is a tough one, eh?  and i thought my family was embarassed to go out with me.....what part of texas?  i'm from brownsville, in south texas on the border.

generally speaking, restaurants get advance notice when they're getting press, including the day a mention or review will appear.  this obviously gives them time to schedule staff in anticipation of a rush like this one.

"tough" is a polite way to put it - as a child, I generally used the terms "nuts" and "embarrassing".

They seemed to have enough staff - but few of them seemed as competent as they ought to have been. They kept saying that the kitchen was very small as a reason for the delays in the food. If that's the case, they probably ought not to try to serve quite so many people.

Brownsville, eh? I went there once when I was little.....I just remember being thoroughly unimpressed with the Rio Grande I'd heard so much about. I'm from Houston - SE corner of Texas.

It's also worth noting that the BLCH meal was preceded by cheese and wine at Bar Demi, where Nesita ably assisted Jordyn and myself in picking yummy cheeses.

[Haggis]

The most notable dish was the "Phaal" curry, which was described as, "more sweat and spice than flavor

I'm curious about which meats/veggies this Phaal curry is offered in. Is it a set dish offered only one way, or do you have your choice as in Lamb Phaal, Chicken Phaal, etc?

[LaNiña]

That whole phaal things seems like a silly gimmick to me. Who could taste which meat is in there, given the supposed intentional heat-to-kill?

[Haggis]

Are you implying that they could stick bits of cuy in there and I wouldn't even know it?

[LaNiña]

Heheh. Probably.

[g.johnson]

That whole phaal things seems like a silly gimmick to me.  Who could taste which meat is in there, given the supposed intentional heat-to-kill?

Phaal (or paal or phal) is a Ceylonese curry that is generally the hottest thing on the menu in Indian restaurants in England. You'd have to ask Suvir about authenticity.

[jordyn]

I'm curious about which meats/veggies this Phaal curry is offered in. Is it a set dish offered only one way, or do you have your choice as in Lamb Phaal, Chicken Phaal, etc?

I think it's offered with lamb, chicken, veggies and one more type of meat (goat??).

[Haggis]

Thanks, Jordyn. I did a search and came up with shrimp as the other 'meat', at least according to Sietsema.

Mini Review of BLCH (and others)

[polly]

Matt, next time, order some lassi instead of going for the water.  Dairy products generally act as a laxative when combined with spicy foods.  

SA

And you want that effect??

[SobaAddict70]

Well, water is the wrong thing to consume, even though people grab for it all the time.

You want something to soften the burn's impact. That's why in so many cultures, not just Indian, they serve something made of dairy or starch to perform that function (cheese in Tex-Mex cooking; rice in practically any Asian cuisine).

Water's not the way to go. Its medium makes it easy for the volatile oils present in chiles and/or spicy foods to spread around, thus causing more harm than help...but hey....what do I know? I'm just a culinary geek.

SA

[LaNiña]

Whenever I go to Sripraphai and it's getting a little spicy, I always get their coconut milk drink - nothing seems to cool my mouth like that drink does. Lassi works beautifully with Indian food in that same way.

[SobaAddict70]

Whenever I go to Sripraphai and it's getting a little spicy, I always get their coconut milk drink - nothing seems to cool my mouth like that drink does.

Yay! What she said.

hehe

SA

[yvonne johnson]

At last, an Indian restaurant that serves curries that are British-tasting. Brick Lane seems a propos after having just seen the movie "24 Hour Party People", which I heartily recommend.

Started with Salia Kababs: minced chicken sausages basically. Light in texture, with hint of mint.

Mains: Husband had lamb vindaloo which tasted mutton-y, the rich juices had a spicyiness that caught up with you. I had chicken jalfrezie ( onions and peppers were the main vegs); maybe not the best I've ever had, sauce was a little on the thin side and it appeared to be all chicken breast, no darker meats, but still very good.

Breads were excellent. Wholewheat chapati and the plain naan was one of the best I've tatsed in NY. No trace of sweetness (horrid, which you find at Banjara).

As mentioned in previous posts, the service left a lot to be desired. This is a tiny place (around 23 covers in main dining area with a couple of tables by the bar). The wait staff were many and were almost falling over themselves in chaos. We did not wait long for our food, but there's an air of craziness in the ordering, serving and getting the bill. One sign of being overwhelmed is making no eye contact with the customers (for fear another request will be made)which of course just compounds the difficulties. Also they should throw out the black, round appetizer plates: if you cut into food that isn't dead on center of the plate, the plate tips over. Ditto the tomatoes they serve as granish with starters: the tomatoes have been cut into shapes of baskets compete with handles, and are filled with dipping sauce. Just plain twee. A plus: the decor is bright, plain

I see the chef is Goan and called Eric McCarthy, and the waitress told me he has never in lived in England, but he cooks as though he has, nonetheless. Can hardly wait to go back.

[Wilfrid]

A high recommendation. Five pints and a curry it is, then. I am only a little concerned that my tolerance for spiciness has fallen since I left the UK.

[jordyn]

Wilfrid: I don't have a particularly high threshold for spiciness, and I found the "medium" spiced dish to be easy to consume and the "very spicy" vindaloo to be palatable. Phaal, on the other hand, would probably have presented a challenge...

[g.johnson]

The vindaloo had me reaching for the bread and I usually regard myself as iron-gulleted by US standards. Maybe I've gone soft too.

The phaal was giving an Indian guy at the next table problems.

[jordyn]

Admittedly, I didn't have much vindaloo, and it seemed to have the sort of heat that would build bite after bite, so I may have understated the experience.

[Wilfrid]

Many years since I tried a Phaal. It was possible if you had the Phaal on one plate, and yoghurt and plain rice on another, and kept the cutlery for each plate completely separate. Yoghurt and rice was a complete antidote to the Phaal, so long as you didn't get it mixed with the Phaal sauce.

[Matt Zito]

Admittedly, I didn't have much vindaloo, and it seemed to have the sort of heat that would build bite after bite, so I may have understated the experience.

It definitely builds - the first couple of bites, I was kicking myself for not having been a showoff and eaten the Phaal. Then, as the heat failed to dissipate, I started being grateful I'd gotten the vindaloo. Then I was just grabbing for the water.

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

[Suvir Saran]

Paal is Tamil for Milk.

I have asked two Sri Lankan friends about this dish. They seem to have no clue. I have checked two cookbooks I have from Sri Lanka, no clue in them about any dish with even a remotely similar name.

I wish I could help here. I will go when the dush has settled some...chat with the chef.. and see from where this dish came to his repertoire.

I am very curious about it myself.