Flatiron Lunch: New “Desi Truck” Brings Kati Rolls to 5th Ave.
Now that Downtown has its very own section of the site, what are we going to post on Fridays at 10am? Answer… how about a new column devoted to those lunches just south of the ML boundaries. Every week we’ll post about a lunch in Murray Hill south, Gramercy, Flatiron, and everything in between… or as we’ll call it from now on: Flatiron Lunch.
Desi Truck is a brand new Indian food truck that opened up on 27th Street at 5th Avenue just this week. It’s still a bit early and they are planning some changes at least in the look of the truck over the next week, but after a couple visits, I can say the kati rolls alone are worth going for.
Check them out after the jump…
I first came across Desi Truck on my way back to the office from lunch three days after they first started serving there. The truck is still a work in progress. I’m told that they are planning their ‘grand opening’ for the weekend of the Fourth of July, so, the look may change a bit over the next week.
For now, the hand-written menu focuses on chicken and veg more than lamb, but I was told lamb is available. It’s unclear whether they’ve got real lamb or just gyro meat. I’m going to keep my eye on that as they settle in and post a full menu.
The first time I was there, the owner was playing hype-man, pulling aside anyone who showed interest in the truck and offering out samples. I was stuffed from a big meal, but wasn’t going to turn down an offer for some street meat.
He gave me a small portion of chicken curry over rice to try out. The chicken steers away from the browned, griddled variety. Instead, it is served juicy and covered in a creamy coconut curry sauce.
It was good, but what really has me excited about Desi Truck are the kati rolls. Between Kati Roll, Kathie Roll and the Biryani Cart, I’ve been having a good time exploring the variations on these Indian wraps.
Desi Truck’s kati rolls have a soft, chewy dough that improves on the bread at the Biryani Cart, which I think can be slightly gummy and a little too sweet. It’s got a similar texture but tones it back just enough.
The chicken filling is noteworthy for how little it’s seasoned. Unlike others which have a lot of strong spices involved, the filling here tastes of chicken and caramelized onions. It may be my new favorite kati roll – but I’m going to keep trying them all just to be sure. (You know… for science.)
Given how recently they’ve been around, I think it’s a little early for the +/-, so I’ll skip over that for the moment.
Desi Cart, SE Corner of 27th Street and 5th Avenue.
Posted by ultraclay at 10:00 am, June 25th, 2010 under Desi Food Truck, Flatiron Lunch.
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This was nicely written. Thanks.