I think 41st St. btw. Madison & 5th might be my favorite block of Midtown. It’s no secret that I love Asian food, and this particular block is home to three of the best cheap and quick Japanese lunches in the city. Even though they all serve Japanese fast food, they are all very different- each with its own niche, and price range. Moderate, Cheap and Cheaper.
I’ve written about the “moderate” Chiyoda Sushi, which serves very creative little Japanese dishes as well as the regular assortment of bento boxes, pre-packaged sushi, and a small selection of rice balls. It is the most expensive of the three places, and usually not too packed (although they certainly do a healthy business).
Cafe Zaiya, on the other hand, is a mad house. In the middle in price as well as location on the street, they have a much larger selection of pre-packaged rice balls, bento boxes, and pastries (including Beard Papas!, the cream filled puff pastry). It’s slightly cheaper than Chiyoda, and there is a larger selection, making it the most popular of the three.
Finally there’s Yagura, the bastard child of 41st Street. Unmarked (the sign is propped up sideways against the wall inside the door) and with no windows, Yagura is actually a pretty sweet Japanese grocery store, that happens to sell soups and bento boxes out of a window in the front. It’s not as bustling as Zaiya, or as nice as Chiyoda- but it’s got one thing that they don’t. The food comes out freshly heated up.
What I got, and the +/- after the jump… Read more »
Posted by Zach Brooks at 8:05 am, May 10th, 2007 under 41st btw. 5+Mad, Japanese.
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