What the Fuck -
that was my first reaction when I stubble into Sirtaj but it came highly recommended by the Village Voice which I love, so I gave it a try. For some reason when I entered the restaurant had a really sad and almost depressing vibe. The menu is on the wall with many specials for example daily specials as well as “discounted prices on monthly basis”
what the fuck, I have not a clue what that is supposed to mean, but I have a feeling if your a true cheapAss you might want to find out.
I am a cheapass but I wanted to see if the food was good enough for me to become a discounted monthly member, the cheapest item I saw on the menu was a vegetarian dish, sag paneer ( spinach, spices and cream with paneer, a soft Indian cheese, in this rich and spicy main course). After ordering I realized there are many different appetizers that ranged from $2-$2.5, DAMMMMITTTT! put in my order already and didn’t feel like splurging for the samosa.

Once the food arrived it kind of looked sad and lonely, went in for the bite, and to my surprise it was excellent. With the second bite I noticed some Indian cheese hiding under all that green glop, the sag paneer was a bit on the sweet side, but spicy at the same time (I asked for very spicy when ordering). When adding yogurt on top it was a perfect marriage in my mouth. The yogurt really calmed the sweet and hot with a nice hint of tart-ti-ness.

So for $5.50 I got a huge plate of Sag Paneer over rice, came with a small cup of yogurt and when I asked for it to be spicy they added some hot Thai peppers. You order at the counter and they'll call your name/dish when ready, and there is no need for tips, which inevitability means you have to clean up after your self.

New York Indian Flatiron