Midtown Lunch

Don’t Forget 50% off Day at Zest by Zaiya

10 Comments

• 

  Blondie

  artichoke pizza or cafe zest?!! decisions, decisions!!!!

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 10:09 am  
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  stevee

  Artichoke Pizza is not the bargain it used to be. Now 4.00 a slice, 3.50 for Spinach/Sicilian. Then there is that “hidden” cost of 20+ minute waits.

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm  
• 

  jeff

  Good stuff.. what a deal! Clean, neat and tasty. I got there early but it started filling up. The only negative was that the food was a bit “exotic” and so most customers just stood around trying to figure out what it was, causing a bit of a crowd. I even heard one asian guy say to his lunching co-worker “i’m from Japan and I don’t even know what half this stuff is.” More humor to the confusion was that the labels were as simplified as possible… beef, chicken, spicy chicken when clearly there was a lot more going on with the dish being described. But still, really delicious and a pretty little place. Might even go back later to enjoy the cafe and get some tea and a little pastry.

  **Idea, maybe you can do a breakdown of the menu.. or heck, enlist some help of your readers, those with expertise on some of the more exotic dishes at any of the ethnic food spots you review. It would help (but then again, your site rocks as is!)

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm  
• 

  Tom

  I had a reasonably good bulgoki bento. No way it was worth $8, but it was bargain at $4. It came with eggplant and what I think was some kind of preparation of nori.

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 1:58 pm  
• 

  quamzibo

  I just got back from there. I got a whiting sandwich and a green iced tea drink for 3 dollars and change. pretty tasty, though they had run out of food on display and have to make things fresh because of the crowd. not that that is a bad thing. it is like an asian pret!

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm  
• 

  Crackhead

  We just went, too. Very limited selection and no sushi — though that may be because it is 1/2-price day. Plenty of pastries. I got:

  One (1) mochi doughnut
  One (1) piroshki
  One (1) frankenbun
  One (1) tuna sandwich
  One (1) spicy chicken sandwich

  for $7.13.

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 2:52 pm  
• 

  you said so yourself

  christ, if this is so “exotic” that you need a menu “breakdown” (even after the labels “were as simplified as possible”), i think what you really need is a KICK IN THE NADS.

  Jul 21st, 2008 at 4:25 pm  
• 

  Jackie

  The wait was worth it for the an pan…and boy, was there a wait…

  Here’s the Breakdown:

  The Salmon Shio Bento: the salmon was kind of dry, but the eggplant side was excellent. The Salmon Teryaki Bento would most likely be a better bet.

  The Riceballs:
  Tuna: Nice. The mayo wasn’t over loaded and balanced the tuna well, but the rice itself should have had a bit more salt.
  Salmon: Bland.
  Kobu: Yummy! Yay seaweed in a riceball! Nicely seasoned and stuffed. No skimping on the filling.

  The Bread:
  An pan: Just how it should be–delicious. Moist, sweet & an excellent combination of flavor and texture.

  Mellon pan: While I’m not sure that it tasted as much like a melon as it should, it was still sweet & tasty. The texture was a bit harder than that of the an pan, but it suited the bread, and wasn’t so hard that it crumbled when you bit in to it…just pleasantly crisp.

  Green Tea Muffin: (I know it has a real name, I just wish I remembered it) The texture was nice and moist, with the red beans adding a nice flavor. The green tea taste was a bit more overpowering and a bit less refined than I had hoped, but overall a good snack.

  Yakisoba pan: Very authentic. If you’re used to the American version of yakisoba (i.e.: mostly oil with a dash of soy sauce) you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s nicely flavored, and the bread holds on to the yakisoba well, so you most likely won’t find yourself covered in noodles or sauce. This would make an excellent lunch for those on the go.

  I’ll report back with the desert later, but there’s just so much a girl can eat in one sitting without putting on a few pounds…

  Jul 22nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm  
• 

  Jeff

  Hey “you said so yourself”

  I was clearly pointing out that the labels were oversimplified and didn’t provide any true/complete description of the ingredients used (especially the ones unique to japanese cuisine). But i guess oversimplified labels are the way to go for illiterate pigeon-brains like yourself. Gotta love the putzy folks who talk tough while hiding annonymously behind their computer…. seriously, thanks for the entertainment value! By the way, when does your interview on Dr. Phil air again? [i know, i know.. you don’t get it. It’s ok. Just get back on your special short bus and when you get home, mommy will make it all better]

  By the way, thank you JACKIE for your productive and helpful contribution… much appreciated!

  Jul 28th, 2008 at 6:07 pm  
• 

  E-Dawg

  Jeff,

  ITA, I went there, and would have liked some guidance in terms of figuring out some slightly complicated descriptors/names. It never hurts a place to provide that kind of guidance.

  Jul 29th, 2008 at 10:37 am