PROFILE: Midtown Lunch’er “Jennifer 8. Lee” (& Book Giveaway!)
Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Today I’m excited to have Jennifer 8. Lee, journalist and author of “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles”, my new favorite book for anybody who loves Chinese food (Americanized and/or “authentic”). It answers every question I’ve ever had about my favorite kind of food, like… What the hell is Chow Mein? Where did fortune cookies come from? (Spoiler: They’re actually Japanese) Who is General Tso? What is the best Chinese food restaurant in the World? And of course… Why do Jews love Chinese food so much??? It’s an amazingly interesting book about how food from China has evolved over the years, most specifically into what people consider “Chinese” food here in the United States. The book comes out in a week, but we have a few copies to give away today, after Jenny gives her Midtown Lunch’ing recommendations…
Name: Jenny
Age: 31
Occupation: Journalist, blogger, and Author of the new book “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles“)
Where in Midtown do you Work?: The New York Times
Favorite Kind of Food:Anything ethnic, more specifically Asian ethnic. So Vietnamese pho and banh mi sandwiches, dumplings with thick skin (no gyoza please), creative sushi rolls (the bigger the better), Korean cold noodles(spicy and non), Malaysian roti canai, anything the Indians do with cauliflower.
Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything French and creamy. Blah.
Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: I love Koreatown, so Woorijip (32nd btw. B’way+5th) which is a late night Korean deli that has a buffet and take away meal packages. I love their bulgolgi, their kim bop (beef and tuna good, but I still find the American cheese ones a bit weird), their pajun pancakes, the japchae noodles, and their little pickled vegetables of all sorts: eggplant, radish, and mountain root vegetable (whatever that is). I will grab $50 worth of boxed lunches as a time and bring them home to consume. Also Todai on 32nd btw. Mad+5th. I like their extensive super buffet because they have a good selection of vegetable-based dishes, so very vegetarian and low carb friendly even if you are not into their sushi. Cafe Zaiya on 41st between Madison and 5th for its Japanese fast food for Japanese expats. I love their rice/nori triangles. And interesting interpretation of “mini pizzas.” They have curry rices and odd sandwiches and pastries. Thank god, there is also an in-store Beard Papa for cream puffs (love green tea ones!) I love the fact you can buy sweet Japanese milk tea in bottles there. During summers you can get a great cool noodle dish whose name now escapes me. And I like Ustav(46th/47th btw. 6+7th) for nice Indian food. It’s a bit pricier for their lunch buffet compared to the standard $9.99 fare, but it has a beautiful upscale environment to go with it. So it’s nicer for those times when you want a slower paced meal. Of course, I also like grabbing any one of those lamb/chicken meals from the Halal carts that are scattered around Midtown and going back to my desk.
The “go-to” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often: I like Havana Central on 46th between 6th and 7th, for good, quick, reasonably priced Cuban in a colorful spacious bright restaurant. Turkey cuban sandwich (are there Turkeys in Cuba?), and ropa vieja. I would love to like their chocolate empanadas, but the crust was too hard. Avoid nights if you like conversation. They like to play their music LOUD.
If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Dubai… Dubai is a city of 85 expats, so there is no native palate to cater to. The ethnic restaurants therefore are generally for the immigrants/temp workers/expats from that region. So you can see the difference between Syrian, Kuwaiti and Iraqi cuisines instead of the”Middle Eastern” we see here. And you can get not just Indian cuisine,but Goan Indian cuisine! It has great street food in many respects but also glistening five star restaurants. One of the top Chinese restaurants in the world, Zheng He, a contemporary take on traditional Chinese cuisine is there. It is a dynamic food culture.
Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? What’s your favorite Chinese food dish in Midtown? (Americanized Chinese or Chinese Chinese)
To enter to win the book, just post your favorite Chinese food dish (and Midtown location) in the comments… and don’t be afraid to go with orange chicken! One of the themes of the book I found so interesting is how it tackles the idea of “authenticity”. All cuisine has been affected by outside influences, even things that we may consider “authentic” by today’s standards. So hundreds of years from now, Americanized Chinese food may be looked upon with the same reverence that we look at Dim Sum.
My favorite, after the jump…
If you are talking about sheer numbers, the honest answer (for me) has got to be the Sauteed Udon w/ Pork from Hing Won. It may not win in a head to head taste test with anything from Szechuan Gourmet (39th btw. 5+6th), or even with a lot of other dishes from Hing Won, but I’ve eaten it more than any other Chinese food dish, anywhere in Midtown.
Post your favorite dish as a comment below, and you’ll be automatically entered to win a copy of Jennifer’s book “The Fortune Cookie Chronicles”. (Make sure to include your email address in the email field. Don’t worry, it won’t show up on the site.) For more info on the book, go to http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com
And as always, if you want to be the next Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er, or you’d like to nominate somebody in your office, email me at zach@midtownlunch.com
Posted: 9:01 am, February 26th, 2008 under PROFILE: Midtown Lunch'er.
61 Comments | RSS comments feed for this post
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61 Comments
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hehe the mountain root veg is called “gosari” - it’s fern brakes! Great profile, can’t wait to check out the book!
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The Curry Stewed Beef Noodle Soup with Rice Cake at Noodles 36 ( 305 W 36th St) for $5.25.
The place is kind of a dump, but the customers are 90% Chinese, not sure if that is a good sign or not, but seemed worth mentioning.
It is spicy and hearty and great for cold winter day -
My go to in midtown is Spade on 37th and 3rd, where i usually go for the chicken and string beens in spicy garlic sauce. The spicy really does depend on the chef though, where sometimes it will leave you sweating uncontrollably, while others it’s just ho-hum heat.
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Once every few months I need my General Tso’s fix, and John’s Shanghai on 46th gets my vote. It’s far less “gloopy” than most places - and relatively tasty.
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The mapo dofu at Wu Liang Ye…36 W. 48th..also their dan dan noodles…
Mimi -
Single midtown favorite would have to be the fried shrimp/chicken dumplings at ho yip/sun yip. More generally, the usual buffet mix from them — pork fried rice, dumplings (pork and chicken/shrimp), salt and pepper pork, ginger chicken, maybe something else, all mixed into a uniform glop.
Hey, you wanted honesty.
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Char sui bun’s at Ying Du for breakfast. They are fresh and warm coming out on big metal trays.
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The beef with black mushrooms and bamboo shoots from Joe Shanghai on 56th street b/w 5th & 6th is my all time favorite midtown chinese dish. I get it everytime, no exceptions, because it’s crazy delicious. Honestly, black mushrooms in Chinese cooking takes any dish to another, better level. So good!
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Stir Fried Sea Scallops with roasted chili peanuts at Szechuan Gourmet - basically kung pao scallops and it packs a punch!
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Won ton noodle soup from Mee’s on 2nd Ave & 49th. Around $5 for a big takeaway soup tub. Pour some hot sauce on & it’s the perfect cure for springtime allergies. Seriously.
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In my book Szechuan Gourmet is the best, their sweet sweet sesame chicken’s the best!
James at 1177 Avenue of the Americas.
Hope I win, I havn’t read a book in years!
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More importantly, I’ve read your articles on City Room and always wondered… what is the deal with your middle initial… just the number ‘8′? I mean, it’s great, but… what’s the deal with that? And how about some Chinese food spots for us midtown east-siders?
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If Inane wins he’ll need crayons.
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The sweet and sour shrimp from Tang’s Pavilion. I never thought much one way or the other about sweet and sour shrimp till I had theirs. It’s out of this world.
Anyone have good recommendations for hot and sour soup? It’s the yardstick by which I judge any Chinese restaurant.
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The virtues of Szechuan Gourmet are well covered here in the comments and throughout the Midtown Lunch universe, but I can’t get enough of their Shredded Pork with Spicy Garlic Sauce. The lunch special is cheap, the don’t charge extra for brown rice (unlike an inferior Chinese restaurant closer to my office) and I think their hot and sour soup is pretty delish too.
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Best Chinese hands down is Grand Sichaun - there are a couple locations in the city. My favorite meal is the chong ching spicy chicken. Diced fresh chicken stir fried with an absurd amount of chilis. Extremely flavorful and unbelievably spicy - get it almost every time. Haven’t seen this dish at any other Chinese restaurant. Order this and the crab and pork soup dumplings. This combination cannot be beat.
Second choice for Chinese is a specific dish at China Moon. Average Chinese place - more American vs. authentic. However they have a triple chili chicken that is incredible. Fresh chicken with skin deep-fried and then tossed in a triple chili sauce. Crispy, tender, with deep spicy flavor. Unreal. Not as spicy as the Grand Sichaun. Again only thing I would order from China Moon.
Best hot and sour soup in my opinion can be found at Chin Chin. Upscale and outside of the scope of midtown lunch (due to price vs. location) but the food there is also outrageous.
I could go on and on regarding Chinese food……if you are a true fat person at heart you love Chinese……
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I’d have to go with the (Cantonese style) pan-fried noodles with beef at Tang Pavilion. I can’t say it’s the most amazing version of the dish I’ve had, but it does the trick. And I’m not biased at all by the fact that it’s my favorite Chinese dish in general. None.
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Tie: Ma Po Tofu and Beef with Chili Sauce -Grand Sichuan either east side location but the 2nd ave is more a midtown lunch option
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Dan Dan noodles and Chengdu wontons from Wu Liang Ye, no question. (Yes, that’s two items, but I order them together so much that it’s like one dish for me.)
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The fried rice that comes with the lunch specials from Wu Liang Ye. I know they do lots of other great dishes, but the fried rice is the base for all the great meals.
I’ve been looking forward to Jennifer 8. Lee’s book on Chinese American food. Hope to win a copy of the book!
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#1 - Double Cooked Sliced Pork Belly w. Chili Leeks w. brown rice - Szechuan Gourmet.
#2 - Black Bean Chicken - Sun Yip.
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Stir Fried Fresh Chicken with Red Chillies and Szechwan Gourmet
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What is the deal with Dombrooks and Anonymous writing about “fresh” chicken? Even the worst chinese restaurants that I’ve been to cut the raw chicken right there before dropping it into an MSG and vegetable oil filled wok. Are there places that use frozen chicken in a chicken entree? I’ve never heard of this.
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Eggplant with pork at Sun Yip
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Singapore Mai Fun at Great N.Y. Noodletown, though that is way down in Chinatown, nowhere near Midtown Lunch-land.
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Pink Chicken: je su sim dy ing
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Tie between the roast pork lo mein and pork buns at Chinese Noodle House (down the street from Manchenko-tei) and Scallop Wonderland w/brown rice at GoodPortions on Lex between 39th and 40th. The sweetness and crunchiness of the scallions goes perfectly with the soft scallops and the chewy brown rice, and the sauce is to die for.
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I am a big fan of everything at Spades, (37th and 3rd) as mentioned by eric above. My dish there is either the Baby Shrimp in Black Bean sauce lunch special (make sure you tell them to put extra sauce on the rice) or any of the BBQ meats, especially the duck. They give you a ton, so salty and tasty. Plus, I just finished a huged portion of it!
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The dan dan noodles and the sauteed snow pea shoots from Grand Sichuan Eastern on 2nd Ave between 55th and 56th Streets.
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I love the house special fried rice from Sabroso on 60th between Lex and Park. It has shrimp, pork, beef, ham and veges, and is very satisfying. You can also pay a little extra, and get it with any of their lunch specials, including the Cuban dishes that this combined Cuban/Chinese restaurant has.
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I love Sabrosos because you can get Cuban and Chinese. I love the spare ribs with black bean sauce
The crackling chicken is also fantastic!!!
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At Grand Sichuan - at one or more of the locations - you have the option of choosing either frozen or fresh chicken. I am sure other lesser Chinese places may use chicken that was frozen at some point in time. Moral of the story is you can taste the difference between frozen and fresh chicken and meats for that matter.
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Favorite Chinese Dish = Gong Li. Would devour that one and ask for MORE
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My faves are Curry Squid and Fish Balls Noodle soup at Hing Won (which I’m having as I write this), and the old-standby, Roast Pork on Rice from Ying Du.
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Crispy Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce lunch special from Szechwan Gourmet
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The Fish Ball noodle soup from Hing Won. Absolutely.
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Location: Mee Noodle Shop (922 2nd Ave btw 48th & 49th)
Dish: Pan Fried Meat Dumpling w/ soup and noodle (I get the lo mein), don’t forget to ask for some hotsauce!
great, comforting cold weather dish.
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three for the price of one…
Dish number 1 - Stir Fried Chicken with Spicy Capsicum at Wu Liang Ye
Dish number 2 - Braised Beef Filet with Chili from Grand Sichuan
Dish number 3 - Szechuan beef brisket in noodle soup from Szechuan Gourmet
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For me it’s:
Shredded Pork with Plum Sauce
@ Joe’s Shanghai on 56th Street (btwn. 5th & 6th)It’s ridiculously delicious, if a pinch on the sweet side. Split it with a friend - believe me, there’s plenty to share - and start with an order of the pork and crab meat soup dumplings (also fantastic). you’ll clock in around $17 before tax and tip. which means you’ll stay within ML price boundaries (if you’re a cheap bastard who doesn’t tip).
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A second on the Ma Po Tofu at Wu Liang Ye (36 W. 48th)
Dan Dan Noodles, Eggplant with Chicken and Niu Riu Mien (Beef Noodle Soup) are all excellent.
There’s a second location on Lexington, between 39th & 40th. However, I think the one on 48th is better (better decor as well).
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Why has Jenny got calamari around her neck?
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Fried dumplings from Noodles 36, on 36th just west of 8th Ave. They’re plump and really hit the spot if you’re craving a doughy, thick-skinned dumpling. (I’m vegetarian, so I’ve only had the veg ones, but I’ve been told the meat dumplings are delicious, as well.)
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roast meat + veggies at Ying Du
or pork belly and leeks at szechuan gourmet
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Any of the meats over rice (combos are best) at Hop Won, 45th between Lex/3rd.
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very simple my fello midtown lunchers…
Roast Pork Udon Soup with Wontons and an eggroll from Big Bowl Noodles on 6th and between 36 and 37 ( I think. you justt have to look for the big yellow overhead sign. You cant miss it.
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I used to live on East 55th b/t Lex and Third, the home of both Our Place Shanghai Tea Garden (love the chicken pineapple fried rice) and Shun Lee Palace (nice for a splurge, try the grand marnier prawns). Sadly, I’ve since moved to the UWS, where we’ve got Ollie’s but not many other options.
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Rudy - obviously you’ve been crafting new material. That was A+ work!
Shawarma from Olympic Pita, and shrimp cevice from el sabor del rincon.
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Shredded duck with snow cabbage noodle soup at Hing Won. Once I ate it everyday for 2 months.
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The sichuan beef brisket noodle soup at Szechuan Gourmet: It comes with a 1/2 inch layer of bright red, viscous chilli oil floating on top. A lake of fire. The steam arising from this hell in a bowl is peppery enough to burn your face off. You have to go fishing for chunks of meat and noodles and pray that they’re not completely drenched in the hot stuff. It’s in Midtown, and I love it, but it’s a bit NSFW, unless it’s normal for your co-workers to see you staring at the monitor, panting and sweating and moaning, with a greasy sheen around your mouth. Best to eat on a Friday, if you know what I mean.
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Soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai–two servings :)
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Not Midtown Lunch friendly, but the Peking Duck at Peking Duck House (53rd between 2nd & 3rd) is amazing. The guy who carves the ducks tableside is an artist.
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Chicken parm from Park Italian!
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Sesame chicken at Mee Noodle Shop at 53rd and 9th. No idea how authentic it is but it’s damn good.
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Definitely the “doong-goo yee mein” (mushroom with noodles) at 69 Bayard St. Is anyone aware they’re closing their restaurant TOMORROW???!!! Say it isn’t so. Gonna miss their dollar bills hung throughout walls…
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We love the Chicken Curry Noodle Soup at Mee’s (9th Ave) Big portions that make even better take-home leftovers! Actually, is that Chinese, or some kind of Malaysian?
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Hing Won at the Rockefeller Plaza (48th st btwn 5th and 6th) is my favorite. They have something for your All-American co-workers and something for you to order off the “real” chinese menu. YUM!
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Going lowbrow with this one, and it’s certainly not authentic Chinese, but I love the BBQ Chicken at Yips.
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[...] profile/interview of me on Midtown Lunch, which is a fun food blog. (Have I posted this before? This was in draft mode and I’m not [...]
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Oxtail
Eggplant
General Tso’s Chicken
All from Shih LeeSpade’s is pretty bad..I get MSG lips everytime i eat there…
The Smoky Hot Shredded Beef with Spicy Capsicum at Wu Liang Ye (36 W. 48th). Not available as a lunch special, only as a full $15.95 portion (share with a friend and it’s less than $10 each!). It’s smoky, tender and delicious.