Midtown Lunch

Several months ago, I reported seeing that the Comme Ci Comme Ça Truck had added over rice specials to their Mediterranean influenced Moroccan menu. I’ve been a fan of their chicken couscous, but on a recent trip I noticed that all five of the people in front of me ordered chicken over rice and I had to see how they’d pull off this midtown lunch staple.

The lemon chicken comes over basmati rice with a bit of salad (it was more like a garnish on my plate but that seems par for the course with chicken over rice plates). Instead of your standard white sauce, hot sauce, you can choose from 4 special sauces concocted by Chef Samir. There’s the Spicy Andalusian sauce, the spicy mint sauce, the green olive sauce, and the Casablance sauce. Or, if you’re like me, go for the works and get them all. The chicken over rice ($6) is cheaper than the couscous by two bucks which is a win in my book, but it didn’t come with all the tasty roasted veggies that you get with the couscous.

Still it’s a generous serving of chicken and rice and left me feeling way more than satisfied. And the hot sauce, whoa, the hot sauce. Chef Samir isn’t playing any games, this stuff packs serious heat. Since I went for all of the sauces, I can’t isolate which was the spiciest, but I can say, if you love melt your face hot sauce, these deliver.

The Iced Moroccan Mint Tea that I ordered ($3.50) was sweeter than I would typically take my tea, but gave my hot sauce scorched mouth some welcome relief.

Since I was in the mood to try new things, I also picked up a slice of Limoncello Mascarpone Cake ($3.50). This cake was moist and very lemony. And the mascarpone frosting was light and topped with white chocolate shavings which made for a pleasant springlike dessert, albeit a sweet one.

Today they’re at their usual spot on 38th and B’way, but check the ML Twitter Tracker or @chefsamirtruck to be sure (and for their dessert special of the day.)