Addendum – GOOD: Punjabi Taxi Deli

I almost forgot.  If you want to know a real LITTLE gem in the city to get FILLING food for INSANELY cheap you have to go to… I don’t even know the name, but it’s AMAZING.  

It’s down on Houston St. between 1st and A (right next to Habibi, the overpriced Hookah Lounge) and is a true hole in the wall.  When you walk in it feels sort of like a secret society (and no matter what I’m wearing I always feel inappropriate – even though no one there really cares).  The place is probably 6 feet wide in total and have that is cut off by the food case, which is set against the colorful backdrop of Indian spices and videos of every genre.

And in that case is 2 shelves each with six numbered vegetarian dishes.  For $3 you can get a bowl of rice with two veggie sides on top.  You can’t tell what dish is what so you have to kind of guess by color and texture.  Last time, however, I made the wrong decision.  Luckily the purveyor caught it in time and informed me that one of the dishes was very bitter and that I probably wouldn’t want it.  That’s what I get for being an outsider.  But it was sweet of them to give me the heads up.  I’d rather lose my pride than my lunch.

The only really sketchy part (besides the fact that it is so crazy that it is so cheap) is that they give it to you in an open styrofoam bowl and send you on your way.  I don’t even care though – I totally just ate it all walking up Essex St. to the F train.

And if the OVERFLOWING bowl is not enough you can also get a plate with 3 sides for something like $5 buck and samosas for $1.

I haven’t had food poisoning yet.

 

M