Ecuadorian food options are few and far between in Midtown. The only places I’ve heard of are El Rincon de Sabor (on 47th btw. 5+6th) and the lady selling Ecuadorian food from a shopping cart that Zach wrote about a couple years ago. Neither are particularly accessible to me in the Midtown South area, so when Luncher “@stenro” tweeted the other day that El Guayaquileño, a new Ecuadorian food truck had popped up on 37th and 7th, I broke out into a jog to go check it out.

I was pretty excited because this was my first real opportunity to try out some Latin options more exotic than tacos and pernil. Interesting is definitely what this menu has to offer. See the food after the jump.

When I got to the truck, it was clear I wasn’t the only one who was excited. A crowd of customers ordered and chatted in Spanish and look at me oddly as I took pictures of the truck. Everyone seemed psyched to have a new, tasty Latin option available. As for the price, most of the Ecuadorian food was $8, except for the pork sausage soup, which is $10. Hot dogs and hamburgers are cheaper, but really, who cares?

The menu is heavy on the stews and soups, perfect for the chilly weather we had a couple weeks ago, but last week, not so much. For the adventurous, there’s all sorts of interesting items like goat or hen stews, morocho, which is described as a “corn drink” and beef tripe, which was my lunch choice.

I took my order down to Herald Square and sat out with the lunchers and tourists and ate in the sun. I got a pint container full of tripe and potatoes in an orange sauce and a wider container filled with yellow rice. Tripe isn’t for everyone, obviously. But, if you’re an offal fan, it’s got a soft, tender texture with a chewiness to each bite that’s deeply satisfying. I gobbled it down over yellow rice that sopped up all that sauce wonderfully.

Looking over the menu, there is a lot I want to try out. The goat stew or pork sausage soup in particular are calling out to me. It almost makes me wish for a couple more of those cold, bone-chilling days that call out for rich, savory stews to warm up your insides. But then, it’s probably just a matter of days before my office starts jacking up the AC to frigid summer settings, that always makes it feel like winter again.

El Guayaquileño, 37th Street, just west of 7th Avenue. 917.578.7980

Open 10am to 3pm, Mon-Fri. Free delivery.

Remember when Kati Roll was the only place in midtown that served kati rolls.  When they moved from 46th street to 39th street, the Biryani Cart jumped in and served their own version of the Indian burrito.  (And we all know how that turned out.)  They were followed by Indus Express’ naan wraps (on 48th btw. 5+6th), the standard kati rolls from Grill 44 on the East side, and even Spice Fusion (which is known for their all you can eat buffet) jumped on the bandwagon.

Now Touch of India (on 37th btw. 7+8th) becomes the latest to join the fray. I didn’t love their all you can eat buffet when I tried it last August, but for $9 it’s good enough.  And there’s no reason a mediocre buffet would stop me from trying their “kathi rolls”.

The Touch of India kati roll menu is a little stranger than most.  First, you don’t get the option of ordering two different kinds.  An order costs $6.99 and according to the manager is “3 pieces”. (I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it became clear once I ordered.)  The fillings are completely unique as well, with choices like palek paneer (cheese and spinach), potato and green peas, chicken and mushrooms, and chana dal (lentils).  Not exactly the “solid” fillings that make up the bulk of the kati roll options in Midtown.  And there is good reason for this…

Their “kati rolls” are rolled and fried like egg rolls!  I tried the palek paneer, which despite my initial shock was amazingly delicious.  How could it not be?  What’s bad about spinach and cheese wrapped in roti and deep fried. The “3 pieces” ended up being the number of “rolls” you get, which after being fried are chopped into 3 pieces each.  (So you end up with 9 pieces altogether.)  It came with the pretty standard Indian tamarind sauce, green sauce, and yogurt sauce all for dipping, and all good.  I guess the only complaint you could really register is that it felt more like an appetizer to be shared, than a complete lunch for one person.  But I got over that pretty quickly.

There is one option that is more like a traditional kati roll (or at least similar to the ones served at Indus Express).  If you order the “Kebab Roll”, that actually comes as one roll.   Their chapli kebab (minced meat kebabs) gets wrapped in naan with salad and sauces.  It was pretty tasty, with a strong curry flavor not just from the sauces- but from the heavily seasoned kebab.  It was also super spicy, and had a sweet flavor as well (they probably added some of the tamarind chutney/sauce into the mix.)  It’s much more like a lunch, and despite it’s nice girth was only $4.99.  I liked it a lot, but obviously the little fried rolls tasted a bit better. (It’s just the advantage of being fried.)

I think they fry the kati rolls fresh, so I waited awhile for my take out order.  Call and order in advance if you can.  While I was waiting I took a second look at the all you can eat buffet, which looked pretty much the same- save for one new, and incredibly interesting addition.

Indian fried chicken!  I wanted to call it “tandoori fried chicken”, but that would like calling it baked fried chicken- which would make no sense.  But clearly the pieces of chicken are marinated in the same spice mixture as the tandoori chicken- but instead of being baked in the tandoori oven, they are deep fried.  It looked amazing!  It’s offered as a special, or part of the buffet on Wednesdays only- so I may have to hit up Touch of India one more time.

Related:
Touch of India May be the Last Under $10 Indian Buffet in Midtown (with Address Info)

Last month, when the W.T.C. closed for “renovations,” I figured that was it.  Even if they re-opened as a buffet, it’s not going to remain under $10.  So imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago, West Tandoori Club re-opened as “Touch of India” with an $8.95 lunch buffet.   Last friday, I headed over to check it out… 

From a decor standpoint, Touch of India is a huge improvement over West Tandoori Club.  They’ve made everything nicer and it seems more like a mid range Indian restaurant, than a cheap, steam table joint.  And, in much the same way Rangole touted the fact that their chef used to cook for Indian royalty, this place boasts a former chef from “Air India.”  (Is that an airline?  Is that a good thing?) 

Touch of India serves up what I’d call a “small scale” buffet, consisting of under 15 items that range from basic (chicken tikka masala) to the not so standard (egg curry.)  As outlined in my Guide to Beating A Buffet, I started with a plate that had little tastes of everything.

Buffets are already magical places. They combine quantity and variety in a way that is unmatched in any other dining setting.  The trick to finding the perfect buffet is balancing that quantity and variety with quality- a difficult thing to pull off.  Try getting it for under $10, and it becomes virtually impossible.  That’s what made Spice Fusion so much better than Rangole and Curry Dream.  Under $10, but the quality was there.

Touch of India is more what you’d expect at a $9 Indian buffet.  Every single one of the dishes was completely watery, rendering my plate a complete mess.  The chicken tikka masala, a pretty standard buffet dish, was made with bone in chunks of chicken- a preperation that no doubt helps the flavor, but alot of diners may find unappealing (I actually don’t mind it.)  A better choice was the Kadai chicken, a dish with an interesting sauce made from onions, tomatoes, ginger and chili.  On the second trip up to the buffet, I tried my best to pick the meat out out of the trays while draining as much of the sauce off the spoon as possible, before putting it onto my plate- something you would never dream of doing at a place that didn’t serve their curries watered down.  

Two chicken dishes was the extent of the meat, a disappointment considering you’ll often find lamb at good Indian buffets.  For $9 it’s not entirely surprising.  They had goat one of the other times I dropped in, so you may get lucky on the day you visit.  The egg curry was pretty interesting, and will probably be a big hit with those who like hard boiled eggs.  The rest of the vegetable dishes had were too watery for my taste- despite having a decent flavor. 

The one thing I didn’t expect was the spiciness.  A lot of the dishes had some pretty nice heat to them. The naan was pretty good, and they seemed to replace it on the buffet pretty often, so no complaints there.  Nothing was good enough to really load up on for my second plate, and after a few balls of gulab jamun (which were fair), I was done.  A pretty lackluster effort, and I wasn’t feeling so hot the rest of the day. 

All in all, I would only recommend this buffet to hard core enthusiasts who can truly destroy a buffet, regardless of the quality. 

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s an all you can buffet
• It’s only $8.95
• The naan came out fresh, and fairly often
• Some of the dishes were pretty spicy
• Did I mention you can eat all you want for $9?
• The flavors were not that bad and they had a few interesting dishes, like egg curry

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• The chicken tikka masala has bones in it
• All the dishes were totally watered down

Touch of India, 232 W. 37th St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-560-9414

The West Tandoori Club (on 37th btw. 7+8th), which closed for renovations over a month ago, has re-opened as Touch of India.  Gone is the dingy atmosphere, and take out counter in the back- replaced with a nice (but by no means well designed) atmosphere that is typical of these kinds of Midtown restaurants.  Thankfully they still offer the all you can eat buffet, and shockingly it’s still under $10 (making it one of the very few left in Midtown.)

Interior buffet shots, after the jump… 

I’m not positive, but I think the buffet at West Tandoori was bigger. Even so, it looked good enough- and at $9 it’s a welcome sight. Unfortunately, after spending the weekend eating the shit out of Montreal, I wasn’t about to buffet it up (sorry, even fat guys need a break every once in awhile) so I didn’t actually try the food. That will have to wait for another visit. (Early adopters, feel free to go, eat, and comment below.)

Touch of India, 232 W. 37th St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-560-9414

The rennovation of the 47th St. Japanese Convenience Store between Lexington & 3rd continues on, and I got this look inside.  It’s hard to make out exactly what is going to happen to this place, but as long as they keep all the bentos and fun stuff they used to serve (at fairly low prices) it should be good.  The store, which is owned by the upstairs restaurant Amakusa, has been closed since January.

Major plywood just went up at the original Kati Roll location on 46th btw. 6+7th, covering not only Kati Roll but another location next door.  Still no word on what may be moving into the place… but from the last bit of info I got, it probably won’t be a Midtown Lunch.

Speaking of speculation, info about the Strawberry space in the McGraw Hill plus the Indian buffet on 37th St., after the jump… 

The West Tandoori Club on 37th btw. 7+8th is still closed.  Rennovations continue, and they hope to re-open next week.  I’ll try to keep an eye on it…

And finally, it turns out I was right about Oceana moving into the McGraw Hill Building.  The New York Times reported it today.  Bummer.  Think about the enormous Midtown Lunch’ish buffet they could have fit in that space…

And as always, if you have any bits and pieces of your own to report, please email them to zach@midtownlunch.com 

The new location of Golden Krust on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th. has finally opened.  The Caribbean chain (which has multiple locations in NYC) will be offering a special grand opening lunch special price of $5.99 for fried chicken, stewed chicken or curry chicken served with rice & vegetables.  They have 3 other locations in Midtown…

• 33rd St. btw. 5th+Mad
• 3rd Ave. btw. 43+44th
• A kiosk in Grand Central Terminal food court 

Golden Krust too much of a trek from your office?  Or maybe you’re just feeling lazy, but still want some jerk chicken?  The Jamaican Dutchy cart on 51st & 7th now offers delivery.  It’s a $15 minimum order, so you’ll need to get at least one other person in on the plan before calling (646-287-5004 or 347-213-2851).  Actually an afternoon office Jamaican beef patty party doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

Cupcake question, and El Sabroso hits the blogs, after the jump…

I’ve never actually had a cupcake from there, but I was surprised that nobody mentioned Crumbs (42nd btw. 5+6th) in the comments of Rachel’s profile on Tuesday.  I can’t imagine that it’s a hidden gem, so maybe it just sucks?  No need to state the obvious?  What’s the deal?  Thoughts?

After winning the Guardian UK’s NYC Blogger Lunch Challenge, El Sabroso, the latin lunch counter hidden inside the freight elevator hallway beneath a building on 37th btw. 7+8th, popped up on a couple of blogs this week.  Midtown Lunch’er Swan  checked it out on her blog “Lifestyle of a Yuppie“, after seeing the post here, while Young over at Cheap Ass Food seems to have stumbled onto it coincidentally. 

Thanks to Jed for posting the Golden Krust info on the Midtown Lunch Facebook Group (yes, one exists- and it’s very exciting!).  Got any bits and pieces to share with Midtown Lunch?  Email them to zach@midtownlunch.com 

So, about three weeks ago I took Benji Lanyado, a Travel writer for the Guardian UK, to El Sabroso, the latin lunch counter hidden inside a freight elevator hallway on 37th St. btw. 7+8th.  He told me he was interested in writing about Midtown Lunch for his “Meet the Bloggers” series, and wanted to check out one of my favorite places to eat.  Unbeknownst to me, it was a blogger competition- and El Sabroso won!!!  He gave it a 9/10, calling it “what foodie blog content is all about – really good food with a cultural angle, off the beaten track, and with a quirky situational twist. ”

Amanda from Eater took him to the ultra hip (and what I would have picked as the hands down favorite) Fette Sau in Brooklyn & Josh from Grub St. took him to a generic NYC Deli near the NY Magazine offices- but in fairness to the other “competitors”, I didn’t know it was a competition- so they probably didn’t either.  But who cares!  Midtown never wins shit, so I’m taking it.

The dishes that won it for El Sabroso, after the jump…

Benji’s Roast Chicken

My lamb stew

Always delicious, and only $6.  How can you beat it?  That’s right.  You can’t.

• Guardian UK: Meet the Food Bloggers in New York
• El Sabroso, 265 W. 37th St. (btw 7+8th), 212-284-1118

But El Sabroso is on a different level.  At least those other places are actual restaurants.  El Sabroso is just a counter, with a few stools.  A counter, inside a hallway, leading to the freight elevator of a building.  Yup.  My first lunch in a freight elevator hallway.  And while the menu is mostly standard Latin fare (pernil, pork chops, stewed and baked chicken, rice & beans), on Fridays they serve a few Peruvian specials- courtesy of the Peruvian lady who makes all the food.

What they’ve got, freight elevator food porn and a +/- after the jump…

Peruvian cuisine is one of the few treasures I have yet to unearth in Midtown, and while El Sabroso is not the lomo saltado godsend I have always been searching for, it will do for now.  All week long they have the standard Latin dishes available at Margon or Sophie’s, but on Fridays the menu includes tallarin rojo, a homestyle Peruvian red spaghetti dish.  

When I got there, and sat down in one of the few stools at the counter, the guy next to me was happily tucking into a plate of spaghetti and other assorted goodies.  And it looked pretty damn good, pushing me to say the words that come in handy so often when eating at a place where their native language is something other than English.  “I’ll have that.”

Those “assorted goodies” turned out to be white rice, beef stew and a green spaghetti (which replaced the normal Peruvian red spaghetti special on that day).  The whole thing was garnished with a few chunks of roasted pork (hello!), and he offered me some orange’ish hot sauce to go on top.  It was all pretty delicious, and only cost $6.50.

Still interested in the Peruvian red spaghetti, I returned the next Friday hoping it would be back on the menu.  He asked if I wanted it with chicken, I said yes, and he proceeded to load a plate with plain noodles, and then pour a reddish gravy, from the big pot of chicken stew, over the noodles.  Then came two big pieces of stewed chicken, and there it was.  Tallarin rojo?

The chicken was fall off the bone tender, and the spaghetti was, well- spaghetti.  But it was all good, and a nice change from the standard Latin fare in Midtown.  The special green spaghetti from the week before was far superior, but I don’t know if they are going to offer that again- or when.  Even so, as workers from the area came in and ordered their lunches, I got to see much of what El Sabroso serves- and nothing looked bad.  Pork chops, rice and beans, roast pork, baked chicken, stewed chicken- they even have tamales. 

The prices on the board say $5 and $6 for everything, but I’m not exactly sure what you’ll end up being charged.  From my two visits it looks like $5 gets you a plate with meat, rice and beans., $6 for the Peruvian dishes, and $6.50 for that plate of mixed food.  No matter what you get charged, at under $7 it’s a total steal.  The guy behind the counter is very helpful, and even though the place is tiny (there are only 4 or 5 stools and one little makeshift table), most people take the food to go- so both times I was there the counter was pretty empty.

So while I’m not sure exactly what they’ll serve you, or how much they’ll charge you for it, I do know this.  Go and order what looks good, and you won’t be disappointed.  That’s the beauty of a hidden gem.  How can hidden Peruvian food in a freight elevator hallway for under $7 be bad?

THE +

• It’s Peruvian food!!!  In Midtown!!!  (But only on Fridays)
• It’s in a freight elevator hallway
• Everything is under $7, and the guy behind the counter will pretty much give you whatever you want.  Even a mixed plate of stuff…

THE -

• It’s not a true Peruvian place.  While the lady who makes all the food is Peruvian, most of the dishes they serve are standard Latin fare- and the tallarin rojo is fine, but not great.  Lomo saltado, where are you????
• If you like latin food, but are not down with adventure, Sophie’s may be more your style.  The menu at El Sabroso changes every day, and you just have to ask the guy behind the counter what they have.
• If you don’t like little bones all throughout your stewed meat, you may not like this place
• It’s very small, so there is a possibility there won’t be anywhere to sit when you go (although both times I went there was nobody at the counter when I got there).  Not the best place to go with 5 of your office mates (unless you are going to take your food to go).

El Sabroso, 265 W. 37th St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-284-1118

Thanks to db from FoodCandy for the great recommendation… If you have a reommendation or the lowdown on a hidden gem in Midtown, email it to me at zach@midtownlunch.com