Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week’s lunch’er was actually nominated by a co-worker, who had this to say: “Her navigation of the midtown lunch terrain is that of a seasoned veteran, and her knowledge of the area’s best soups is her secret weapon… Although she somehow gets her work done, every time I look over at her screen she’s on Midtown Lunch or Menupages.com. I’ve never seen anyone get so excited about planning what she will be having for lunch at 8:30 am. Sounds like a good candidate to me.” Sounds like it to me too. Meet Grace, a soup obsessed PR exec with no shortage of recommendations for lunchtime…
Name: Grace
Age: 25
Occupation: Public Relations Executive
Where in Midtown do you Work?:43rd and Broadway (Talk about a food wasteland and tourist trap!)
Favorite Kind of Food: Soup! Hot and hearty goodness when done right!
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Generic Midtown Deli Sandwiches. Also anything with a weird chewy texture (e.g. overcooked calamari = rubber bands).
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Well, within the “Midtown Lunch price range” I’d say:
- Green Symphony (43rd btw. 7+8th) — When I am feeling somewhat healthy, their hot buffet is delicious and usually includes an Indian-style curried veggie stew that I am obsessed with…spicy stewy goodness … mmmmm. Unless you are a total glutton like me and eat huge quantities, it’s also relatively non-food-coma-inducing, since the multi-ethnic buffet features lightened-up versions of heartier dishes like enchiladas, Korean BBQed Chicken, and various Indian dishes along with all different types of salads on the cold side. I also like their made-to order “Health Salad,” which probably isn’t really healthy at all since it includes practically an entire avocado—which is just butter masquerading as a vegetable if you ask me—but oh so good. This salad also includes hummus, sprouts, greens, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins. I top it all off with Green’s lemon-tahini dressing.
- Cho-Dang Gol (35th btw. 5+6th) — Hidden slightly off the main Koreatown strip, this place is known for their handmade tofu, which comes in several different textures from silky to firm but airy. It’s my favorite place in K-town because it features dishes beyond the standard bulgolgi and bibimbap. Also, it actually just received a Michelin Star (for those that assign merit to this French import rating system — I personally think it’s not bad and am impressed that they are able to appreciate off the beaten path restaurants as much as a Daniel or a Per Se.). It’s a total steal because their lunch prices mean that many dishes are less than $10 and they have the best, most interesting panchan (free side dishes) in K-town. I would recommend their tofu pancakes with ground pork and chopped kimchee as an appetizer if you go with a group. Individual stew/casseroles that I like include: the “Hae Mul Cham Doo Boo” (hand made tofu casserole mixed with various seafood) and “Doo Boo Darn Jang Jigae” (hand made tofu with squash, potato, green pepper in soybean pasta stew) — both only $7.95 at lunch. If you go with a group and want to stay within the Midtown Lunch price range, it is worth sharing the “Cho Dang Gol Son Doo Boo Jun Gol” (3 different types of handmade tofu w/ potato, mushroom & squash in spicy broth with beef) $33.95 but enough for 3-4. Also good to share for two people is the “Buh Sut Gob Dol” (Different types of mushrooms topped on steamed rice in hot stone bowl with beef, crabmeat and vegetables)–$14.95. They also have a winter chicken casserole with what looks like whole cut of pieces of chicken that is a special sometimes, which I haven’t tried yet but looks amazing. If anyone gets to it before I do, please report back!
- Jean Georges (60th & Central Park W)— It’s outside the price range, but worth mentioning. Their two-course $28 lunch is a steal compared to dinner here or at any other comparable establishments and many of the signature dinner items appear on the lunch menu, e.g. the jalepeno braised short ribs. I also like their cheese cart because they will actually have cheeses on it that I haven’t tried. (I eat a lot of cheese and find most NYC restaurant cheese selections tasty but very predictable.)
And now… in the interest of space- I must, for the first time ever, place the jump in the middle of a lunch’ers Profile. Grace’s secret, hidden soup spot, the best cheese in the city and more after the jump…
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Posted by Zach Brooks at 8:45 am, December 11th, 2007 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
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