We recently wrote about a food cart on 44th St just east of 6th Ave called Indian Tasty Halal Food. It looks like every other halal cart around, but served Indian food rather than Middle Eastern fare.
After being pleasantly surprised by our lunch, we wrote about it, but later got some negative feedback from a couple of people who went there on our recommendation. Sounds like a follow-up visit was needed, which we did.
Perusing the menu, we asked the chef, Firoz, if he had salmon. No, but he had tilapia, which he said was fresh, and was rubbed with his special blend of herbs and spices. This dish cost $7, which is one of the more expensive items on the menu, but we wanted to check it out.
The Chef of Indian Tasty Halal Food took out an airtight container and removed a fillet. There were a few fillets in the container, and they were each separated by wax paper. The fish was not white, it was dark from the herbs and spices rubbed onto it.
Firoz said it would take a little while to cook, which was fine. I would rather have fresh fish than pre-cooked chicken or “lamb”. He put the fillet on the grill and covered it with foil, then flipped it over after a few minutes. He also put some veggies on the grill to cook to go with the fish.
A container was then filled with rice (yellow or brown), the grilled veggies put on top, then the fillet. I didn’t want white sauce smothering the fish, so I asked for green sauce and hot sauce (sriracha), with just a dash of white sauce.
With all the veggies and rice under the fish, the sauces got a little smushed from the lid, but that didn’t affect the taste, only the photo.
This was a nice size piece of grilled fish. There was plenty to eat, and it was spicy and pretty good. The herbs and spices gave some flavor, but not as much as I expected. Most of the flavor (and heat) seemed to come from the green and hot sauces.
Under the fish, the grilled veggies (onions, carrots, broccoli) were nice, but the yellow basmati rice was very good. I would have to say they have one of the better rices around. It was light and fluffy, with a lot of flavor.
Grilled fish and veggies over rice at the Indian Tasty Halal Food cart was an enjoyable lunch. It was also a good value.
Some people think we’re crazy to get fish from a food cart, but Firoz handles it with care, and if you go there with the proper expectations, you should have a good meal. Firoz is a little on the slow side though, so try not to be in a rush.
After two visits to the Tasty Indian Halal Food cart on 44th St just east of 6th Ave, we’re comfortable adding them to the NY Street Food Directory. No, they aren’t as good as Biryani Cart, but we were pleased with 2 lunches there.
