Cheap Eats
Contrary to urban legend, all the food on Curry Row is not cooked from a central kitchen. Of the dozen establishments, Taj Mahal is the standout for the fiscally challenged. The spices are dazzling and the quantity is crippling-all for prices beyond cheap. Just be sure not to mistake Taj Mahal for the abbreviated Taj, the close-but-not-quite Raj Mahal or the Brooklyn eatery of the same name.
The furious competition on the entire 6th Street block between 1st and 2nd Avenues has driven prices obscenely low, but ignore the slick-talking restaurant greeters that appear after dark and slip into Taj Mahal. The extra dollar spent is worth several times its price in quality and quantity.
While the entire menu can be consumed for under $10, narrow your choice to the lunch or dinner special (at night, they keep the special on the down-low, and you must ask for the specials menu). For the criminally low prices of $5.95 (lunch) or $7.95 (dinner), you'll be served mulligatawny soup, a choice of several appetizers, two different types of bread, a wide selection of entrees, a dessert and a beverage. No combination will disappoint.
While not all-you-can-eat in the strict sense, few will finish their plates. I strongly recommend an after-meal coffee as your choice of beverage. Without a little digestion aid, it'll be painful trying to make it out of the East Village.
212-529-2217