The efficiency stops at hustling - service, and food take a downhill turn after one orders at this Brick Lane restaurant.

The Venue
At the north end of the Indian eateries portion of Brick Lane, on a corner close to the Truman Brewery, sits Prithi. Stepping onto Brick Lane is like stepping into the past: like the majority of the restaurants here, the decor of this spacious corner unit is a preservation of expired trends and proud beliefs and tradition. At Prithi, the glass front holds within outdated but functional fittings, and its walls are covered with artwork (paintings or drawings) of deities, Indian life, and the curiously out-of-place Venus that takes centrestage in the inner dining room.

The Atmosphere
It is necessary for one to maintain their own litter of hustlers if they want to keep up with the fierce competition on Brick Lane. On a quiet Tuesday night, Prithi deploys two of these capable salesmen - one stationed at the main entrance to usher in customers who have been hooked, and another loitering dangerously close to its neighbour's entrance to net those who got away. The hustlers seem to have been trained well - the boldness they possess and the confidence they have in their restaurant relieves the potential customers of their doubts, so much that customers almost immediately buy into their firm prices. But what was once confidence turns into brusque snobbery when the doors are closed; service is shabby and curt, with staff more concerned about reeling in customers than tending to the ones they ensnared.

The Food
Unfortunately, this restaurant and Balti house does not deliver the quality its prices and their promises pledge: the Special Pulao Rice (£2.45) is essentially dry and tasteless fried rice with shrivelled pieces of grey scrambled egg and prunish putrid-green peas; the Lamb Jalfrezi (£4.95) is too chewy from the dry and fatty meat; the Paratha (£1.75) is too dry and tough; and Bindhi Bhajee (Okra) (£2.45) soggy from sitting and waiting for the crowd to appear.

The Drink
Unlike its competitors who also offer discounts on the full bill, this restaurant only believes in giving complimentary drinks. The bottle of red that they offer is an unimpressive tasteless and dull Italian Merlot Veneto. In addition, they are stingy with their table water.

The Last Word
For £10 per person, you'd be better off getting a couple bowls of hot soup and a fresh bag of bagels from the nearby shops.

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