Midtown Lunch

Every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Wendy, a “fact nerd” (?) who would rather be lunching in Laos.

Name: Wendy

Age: 43

Occupation: Fact nerd

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Times Square

Favorite Kind of Food: Mexican, anything Asian (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese Filipino)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Italian (yes, it’s true, but I’m not that weird)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: El Ray De Sabor Mexican Cart (on 43rd st and 6th): Sopas with spicy pork and mole sauce; nachos with mole and green sauce, tamales. Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th): Spicy tuna rice ball, curry, the roll cake. Bon Chon (on 38th btw. 7+8th): spicy fried chicken. Kwik Meal (on 45th and 6th): Lamb and chicken combo with extra spicy sauce. Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th): BBQ pork. Spice Fusion (on 8th Ave. btw. 47+48th): buffet. La Rosita (on 47th btw. 10+11th): sopes with guacamole. Yagura Japanese Grocery (on 41st btw. Mad+5th): Chicken Teriyaki. Indus Express (on 48th btw. 5+6th): Chaat

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Cafe Zaiya (both at book store and main shop on 41st)

Place(s) you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch? La Rosita (there was a passing mention from a Rachel Maddow blog citation. Yum. Thanks) and Indus Express

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Luang Prabang, Laos, on the edge of the market. I still think about the rice flour crepes stuffed with pork I got from a woman squatting over an open fire. Then there was the black sticky rice with coconut milk encased in bamboo. Or the grilled potatoes over an open flame. Yeah, I skipped the white ant larvae and looked the other way at the (dead?) coiled snakes. But everything had such stand out flavor and freshness (and well, no refrigeration or health codes). The town may be known for the number of Buddhist temples, but the food should also be worshipped.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? What’s the latest “first” food for you (for example, you just tried olives or dabbled in a spicy Indian curry you’ve never tried before)?

As always, if you would like to be next week’s Profiled: Midtown Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email editor@midtownlunch.com.