Please note that this event was complimentary. However, I was not obliged to post and the opinions expressed in my blog are 100% my own!
Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Last Tuesday, I was invited at an event at Brick Lane in Jersey City to celebrate the pairing of Indian food with a beer made in Queens called 1947. Why 1947? It is the year India gained It’s independence from the British Empire. So, bold year for a bold beer and the branding, changed in 2020, reflects it perfectly, showcasing a beautiful red elephant, that culturally represents power and intelligence. Making its own beer is a challenge considering all the brands out there and the story around that beer is interesting: when asked all it all started, entrepreneur Nirav Vyas mentioned right away that he loves food (starts well for me!) as well as beer, but could not always find a beer that would complement the dishes rather than compete, some beers being too bitter or a meal by themselves. With no experience, he started this adventure and is now distributing 1947 in the States.
147 Beer
Founder Nirav Vyas with a 1947 Beer
147 Beer
1947 Beer
Pairing it with the food at Brick Lane in Jersey City, an outpost of the popular curry house in NYC, known for the phaal, an extremely spicy curry that you can only get after signing a waiver, was a great idea, showcasing the balance of the beer with the spices and level of spiciness of the dishes that, although it is a light beer, do not overpower it. Sweet, with a smooth finish, it is a good drink to extinguish the fire in your mouth, of course not at the same level a lassi would, but still.
Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Before I speak about the dishes we had that evening, Let’s talk about Brick Lane’s menu, because, fortunately, it is not just the phaal! They have classics for sure like the chicken tikka masala that was apparently invented in England, but there is more than that: of course, there are dishes for vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners, with various levels of spiciness from mild (the moilee we had) to spicy (vindaloo). What is great is that for curries, you can choose the protein that is rarely the case and quite similar to other Asian cuisines like Thai, from chicken, lamb, fish or paneer. I think this is great because, for instance, Jodi loves the tikka masala sauce, but, being vegetarian, she cannot eat it when served with chicken and paneer is not often offered as an option. Well, at Brick Lane, she can indulge!
So, here is the food that was paired with the 1947 beer:
They first brought us some papadam with various chutneys/ sauces: tamarind, mint, tomato chutney, onion chutney and mango chutney. I love these crackers that are a great way to start with a drink (beer in that case), while waiting for the food to come, similar to the aperitif concept that we have in Europe.
Papadam at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Papadam at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Then we had the onion Bhaji that is sliced onions dipped in chickpea batter and fried. I love that dish as an appetizer and was quite happy with theirs as it was not greasy, slightly crunchy and the onion was cooked all the way through. It was also not dry, so there was no need to eat it with any chutney.
Onion bhaji at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Onion bhaji at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
The second appetizer was the tawa liver fry that is chicken liver that is fried. First, I should mention that I was really excited to try this as you really rarely see liver in an Indian restaurant menu. Second, I love liver. And I was not disappointed: it was nicely fatty, packed with Indian spices.
Tawa liver fry at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Tawa liver fry at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
For the entrees, we also went for one vegetarian and one non vegetarian dish. The vegetarian one was paneer moilee, a very mild coconut curry (you could definitely taste the coconut).
Paneer moilee at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
The non-vegetarian dish was chicken jalfrezi, a medium spicy tomato curry cooked with stir fried onions and bell peppers.
Chicken jalfrezi at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
I ate these dishes with naan (rosemary and mushroom & truffle, the latter being my favorite), rather than with rice.
Naan at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Rice at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Last was dessert. The classic rice pudding (Kheer) was deliciously creamy, but a bit surprising was the chai affogato, where they pour hot chai instead of coffee on vanilla ice cream. It is as if you get your dessert with tea but at once!
Kheer or rice pudding at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
Chai affogato at Brick Lane Curry House in Jersey City, NJ
This was overall an amazing meal and I am glad I got the opportunity not just to have delicious Indian food (one of my many favorite cuisines), but also to taste the 1947 beer that I hope will continue to grow. I definitely recommend both!
Enjoy (I did)!
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Brick Lane Curry House - 136 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
