The two noodle dishes I had on my most recent trip, are after the jump…   

Pad Thai (top) and Pad See Ew (bottom).  Both were fine, with a slight edge going to the Pad See Ew which was slightly above average.  You could do a lot better… but you could also do much much worse. Next up on the Thai Train… either Topaz (on 56th btw. 6+7th) or the new’ish Chai Thai (on 8th Ave. & 55th.)

Pongsri, 244 West 48th St. (btw. 7+8th), 212-582-3392

At the end of my Monday piece on Aoki, the sushi restaurant on 48th btw. B’way+8th with the 3 roll lunch special for $10, I predicted they would raise their prices soon. I didn’t think 24 hours soon. From a commenter yesterday:

ZACH, get this. i went to Aoki today for the first time and all the menu prices were whited-out… it’s now two rolls for $9, three rolls for $11 (and for the record, I got two rolls and they charged me $9.50) … seems my honeymoon’s over before it even began. :(

My initial thought was, “Shit, I’ve ruined it for everybody.” My second thought was “Shit, my co-workers who told me about this place, and convinced me to write about it, are going to kill me.” My goal is to help people find good, cheap lunch, not to hurt them by unearthing deals that are too good to be true, only to have them yanked as a result of the exposure (Del Frisco’s, I’m looking at you). I would have become really depressed if it wasn’t for the little part of me that was proudly surprised that the stupid site I started almost two years ago as an excuse to eat gross food for lunch, was now having a marked effect on the way Midtown restaurants do business.

Thankfully, it turns out I had nothing to do with the price increase- which went into effect a few weeks ago, and only effects the lunchtime combo if you eat in the restaurant. The take out price is still $8 for two rolls, $10 for 3 rolls, although the lady I spoke to at Aoki did imply that the take out/delivery price would probably have gone up as well, but they had all these take out menus printed with the old price. So, like I said on Monday, enjoy the deal while you can, and whatever you do- don’t take a menu. We need those things to last as long as they possibly can…

The search for good (but cheap) sushi in Midtown has been an arduous one. Good is not really the issue, since there is plenty of amazing Japanese food in Midtown. Good and cheap is a different story. Try for under $10, and you’re in a danger zone, where better quality is tempered with smaller portions- and cheapness leaves you wondering about exactly what it is you’re eating. There are a few mediocre take out choices (Naruto or Midtown delis), but I think if quality is your main concern, then the sit down restaurants, where the sushi is made to order, is the way to go.

Most of the mid range places in Midtown have a lunch deal where you can usually get two rolls with a soup or salad for under $10. Taki (on 48th btw. 5+6th), and Kikku (on 55th btw. 5+6th) are two pretty popular choices, but two rolls for lunch always leaves me wanting, both for quantity and variety. Give me 3 rolls for $10, and now we’re talking. For months now, two of my co-workers have been extolling the virtues of Aoki, a sit down sushi place (on 48th btw. B’way+8th), with the holy grail of sushi lunch specials. My craving for quality sushi overtook my usual reluctance to get lunch from a place where you have to order from a waitress, or take the food to go… but 3 rolls for $10 will do crazy things to a man.

What I got, and a +/- after the jump…

Even at sit down restaurants there can be concerns when it comes to sushi. 3 rolls for $10 sounds great on paper, but what are you actually getting? Some places will limit your selecton, forcing you into choosing from cheaper rolls, like california or cucumber. Not Aoki. Their sushi roll lunch menu is pretty long, and even includes some big money items like the shrimp tempura roll. They also improve upon the standard spicy tuna roll by offering a “crunchy” version, that includes the addition of tempura bits into the spicy tuna mixture. (Is there anything not improved by adding bits of fried stuff to it?)

My favorite combo is the eel and avocado roll and spicy tuna roll, so I went with those two (the cruncy version of the spicy tuna roll of course), and for my third roll I couldn’t resist ordering the shrimp tempura roll. I wouldn’t normally order more cooked food than raw, but the lure of the shrimp tempura, a roll that can cost $10 on its own at some sushi restaurants, was just too great to overcome. The remaining two fears (quality and quantity) were pretty quickly put to bed…

A ton of food, and it tasted great. The quality of the eel was much better than you get at most cheap sushi places, and everything tasted really fresh and delicious. Since spicy tuna is usually the chopped up dregs, it’s hard to judge the quality of a restaurant’s fish based on that one roll- but considering my experience and how much my co-workers love this place- I think you’d be hard pressed to find better sushi in Midtown for the price. If 3 rolls seems like too much, they offer a two rolls lunch special for $8- but for an extra $2 it’s almost like they are paying you to take a third roll. Don’t be a wuss…

Of course, when something is too good to be true, then chances are it’s too good to be true, and with food costs rising at a pretty alarming rate, I give this place about a month and a half before they realize what suckers they are and raise the prices. In other words, get in while the gettins good, because eventually, they are going to pull a Del Frisco’s, and the holy grail of sushi will become a mysterious hidden treasure once again.

THE +

• 3 rolls for $10. Does it get any better than that?
• You get 24 rolls to choose from, and includes some particularly great ones like crunchy spicy tuna and shrimp tempura
• The rolls are a good size, unlike the 1/2″ tall rolls you get at delis and even though they’re only 6 pieces each, it’s a pretty great deal for the quality.
• They’re made to order

THE -

• It’s a sit down place with waitresses, so in order to keep the cost around $10 you have to order for pick up and take it to go.
• The rolls are only 6 pieces each, not 8 pieces
• Eventually they are going to raise the price…

Aoki, 234 W. 48th St. (btw. B’way+8th), 212-956-2356