Midtown Lunch

We got a tip from Luncher Proby about a new halal cart on 47th Street and 6th Avenue. He told us it was being run by the woman who used to work at Biryani Cart’s Sandwich Land  and that the kati rolls were bigger and just as good as the iconic ones over on 46th. I stopped by a couple of Fridays ago and discovered that the cart, called Bhabi Halal, has actually been at this location for about 6 months. The owner told me she is actually Meru’s relative and serves the same sort of food, but with her own twists.

Having a pretty strong bias towards Biryani Cart, I wasn’t planning on ordering anything since it would be difficult to fairly compare. But the chicken smelled so good and I have a hard time resisting a kati roll. The prices are the same – $6 for two rolls and the descriptions are more simply described.

My chicken tika kati roll was indeed huge. In fact, it was too big. The roll was overflowing with ingredients and it was not wrapped fully. So I had a very difficult time eating it without a fork and lots of napkins. The rich flavors were great with a nice white sauce, onions and fresh cilantro. But I found this just a little too over-the-top with a persistent greasy messiness. Meru’s kati rolls are a bit more refined with more nuanced flavors while still maintaining that decadent butteriness.

That being said, these are still tasty and you certainly get more food for the price. She is also offering standard dishes like biryani, samosas, and chapli kebab platters, alongside Sandwich Land-y fare like philly cheese steaks. Might be a good option if the line on 46th Street is too long.

Bhabi Halal, 47th & 6th Ave.