The original Brick Lane is a London street renowned for its' curry shops. In New York, Brick Lane Curry House is on Sixth Street between Second and Third Avenues in the East Village. Along this street there are a slew of Indian restaurants, giving the street the local nickname 'curry row'. Many of these restaurants offer similar marginal fare in shabby environments. Brick Lane Curry House is a step up in both food and atmosphere, but luckily for bargarin hunters, not in price. Brick Lane is perhaps best known for its phaal. Phaal is an incredibly hot curry dish that comes with a warning. "We will require you to state a verbal disclaimer not holding us liable for any physical or emotional damage after eating this curry". The main ingredient in phaal is very hot chilis. These chilis are pureed into the sauce and then diced and added dried as it cooks. It's pretty much solid chili. Should you choose to sample phaal, it is available on chicken, vegetables, lamb, squid, fish, or shrimp. The rest of the Brick Lane menu is curry based, with your choice of entree selections as above. Vegan dishes are cooked seperate from the meat dishes and there are a number of side dishes such as naan and pakoras. There is a bar, which is nice as many of the Sixth Street restaurants do not have a liquor license, but do allow patrons to bring their own alcohol at no charge. Main dishes run between $10-$17, with seafood being on the upper end of the scale. The food at Brick Lane is quite simply amazing. The naan (which comes in plain, onion, garlic, or ginger) melts in your mouth. The chicken tikka masala (my dish) was subtly spiced with a thick, rich sauce. It was not too heavy or too greasy. The phaal itself, which I sampled a TINY bit of, is enough to burn your nasal passages from across the table. My tongue went numb from a speck on a piece of rice. It's serious business folks, and truly for the brave. My dinner partner did have the phaal and I have included pictures of the look on his face. Please take them into advisement before sampling phaal! Service at Brick Lane was quite attentive. We were there during a slow time and the server was neither absent nor hovering. There is a buffet during the weekend for lunch. It runs until 3pm and offers you a chance to sample many dishes from their selection. If you are a fan of Indian food and in New York, I would highly recommend Brick Lane Curry House over some of the bigger names like Diwan and Tabla. The food is better for half the price!