I like trying different ethnic cuisines. Tonight I had Pakistani food for the first time -- it was very tasty! My daughter and son-in-law took me to this tiny restaurant near their apartment. It is well-known among Indian and Pakistani cabbies in New York City because the food is cheap and good, and the hours are convenient (open till 4:30am). We often see yellow cabs parked on the street while the drivers are grabbing a bite inside.

We made our selections of curried meat, chicken, vegetables and rice which the countergirl scooped from the steam table and microwaved for us. Then we picked out some delicious Indian desserts that included yogurt cheese balls in sweetened milk, fritters, and a kind of white non-chocolate "fudge." I didn't have high expectations for for the homemade lemonade, but it turned out to be surprisingly good.

The Pakistan Tea House is a far cry from the glitzy Time-Warner Center that we were at earlier in the evening, but our bill came out to only $19.75 for 3 people -- an excellent price considering all the enjoyment we got out of our late-night snack.

Later, the owner let us watch him cook a huge pot of lamb in sauce for tomorrow's lunch crowd. The pot was the size of a laundry basket! He used a stirring stick that was about 4 feet long ... it seemed like a good length to me because the sauce was boiling away vigorously.

Pakistan Tea House, 176 Church Street, New York, NY 10013 (212) 240-9800