Midtown Lunch

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.