At Lunch Now: Today Is My Birthday

Birthday lunch for me is all about reckless abandon. So what better place to go crazy then the By the lb. Buffet. A perfect blend of variety and gluttony, the only downside being the concern that builds as you move your way down the buffet, stacking your tray. What will the outcome be? How much will I owe? Last year, I hit up Cafe Duke (with my favorite fake shrimp), this year it was Sun Yip (formerly Ho Yip) on 45th btw. 5+6th.An all chinese food by the lb. Buffet, Sun Yip is $5.19 per pound, unless you go after 2:15, when the price drops to a special $3.99/lb. But today isn’t about savings, it’s about reckless abandon. So we headed over at a very early 12:45, and I began to load up without any regard to how much it was going to cost.Here’s the damage… Pork fried rice, flat rice noodles, 3 kinds of fried and sticky chicken (the general, sesame, and something else), salt and pepper chicken, roast prok, two kinds dumpling (two steamed, two fried), string beans (gotta do one vegetable) and fried plantans (I don’t know why they’re there, but I had to take them, right?)

Total cost… an embarassingly cheap $7.49! Amazing. I’m pretty sure I was over $13 at Cafe Duke last year. With “reckless abandon” costing a mere $7.50 this may be the greatest midtown lunch of all time.

27 Comments

  • Happy Birthday!

  • Going to Ho Yip-Sun Yip before 2:15?? You might as well buy a slice at Naples for the regular price!

    I realized after about my tenth visit to Ho Yip-Sun Yip that I always leave feeling awful. Always.

    I hope you have better luck than I do. Happy birthday, young man.

  • Happy Bday Zach! But really, isn’t it more a day to splurge on REALLY GOOD QUALITY midtown food or someplace special rather than loading up on the cheapest buffet slop around? Dukes, Whore Yip – Zach, you deserve so much better…

  • Happy BIRTHDAY!!! How old are you? In keeping with this Chinese theme, remember that you’re supposed to eat boiled eggs today for good luck. Wayne’s right, you deserve so much better. And for a guy whose b-day lunches are marked by reckless abandon, I gotta say this is a pretty restrained buffet effort. It looks as if you really held back with the noodles.

  • ‘appy b’day.

    Maybe he’s saving the calories for Dinner tonight.

  • Happy Birthday, Zach!!!! Thank you for all your sacrifice in the name of midtown lunch :D

  • Happy Bday Zach. I’m heading to London and Barcelona tomorrow for 11 days so I’ll be sure to eat with reckless abandon for you-

  • Not sure why people are gettin on Zach’s case about his BDAY meal and telling him to go somewhere nicer. Guy wanted his favorite food – Chinese – and Sun Yip’s got some special stuff. Sounds like he got exactly what he wanted – pure Chinese food bliss.

    Happy BDAY Zach – I think you should do Chinese for dinner as well….I’m on a two day Chinese food bender currently.

  • Happy b-day Zach!

  • Happy birthday Zach! I hope tonight brings you some excellent food as well! Would it be against protocol to perhaps blog your birthday dinner? :)

  • Happy Birthday Zach!
    I too hit up the yo hip today,albeit after 2:15 where lunch cost me a total of 2.55!

    Here’s to you and another 364 days of midtown lunching until your next bday!

  • haaaaaaappy birthday man!!

  • Happy Birthday! The Zantac is on me!

  • that lunch looked like something i would feed someone else’s dog. good god man please go to higher quality places than by the pound cheap chinese.

  • damn, stan. Don’t hate on Zach’s favorite-cuisine birthday lunch.

  • Happy birthday, Zach!

  • Happy Birthday, Zach! Mmm. I completely understand the delight of reckless abandon both calorically and monetarily at the pay by the pound buffet. I’m always trying to figure out what is the best bang per oz myself.

    Hope you had a great b-day filled with tasty eats. Did you have cake? Did your co-workers get you b-day treats?

  • Happy B-day Zach! Remember, free haggis cart tomorrow!

  • happy birthday!

  • Happy birthday! (Slightly belated!)

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