At this point, I’ve come to terms with the maddeningly inconsistent schedule at Café Duke’s Korean counter (on 51st btw. 6+7th). As far as we can tell, their daily specials ($8.95) usually jive with the given meteorlogic conditions, and if you haven’t noticed, it’s getting nippy outside. So it should be no surprise that on a particularly bitter cold day, I stepped into Café Duke and found that they were serving a soup special that bites back. Yuk gae jang is a fiery, tangy, yet refreshing Korean soup, rich with slices of beef flank, crunchy bean sprouts, earthy fern shoots, and pungent scallions. This dish’s raison d’être is to warm the body and soul. Halfway through the peppery bowl of soup, I had loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves, and had a sheen of sweat on my brow despite the blustery conditions outside. A side of adequately steamed white rice provides relief to the sting of the broth, and the obligatory side of kimchi is the ultimate cure-all for any and all ailments (sez my Grandmother). Baby it’s cold outside, but boy, this yuk gae jang has got me feeling warm inside.

The only downside? You never know when they’re going to have it!

Related:
Café Duke, Give Us Our Bulgogi Tacos!
Korean Food at Cafe Duke

Café Duke is such a tease. Ever since initial reports that bulgogi tacos were being haphazardly offered as a daily special at their Korean entrée counter, I’ve been fascinated by these tacos. After all, Bann Next Door took on the Korean taco concept and hit a home run, so I don’t see why Café Duke couldn’t replicate this success (and it’s a few avenues closer to work.) Besides, assembling a competent Korean taco is laughably easy in concept – just jam Korean meat into a taco (no double entendre intended), and you’re the next Roy Choi.

Café Duke has always been a staple in my weekly lunch rotation, given that it‘s a smorgasbord of wallet friendly options that appease my co-workers’ finicky spectrum of palates. But for weeks, I’ve bolted straight to the back counter, only to see a non-bulgogi taco special coquettishly playing with my emotions. We even sent ML contributor, Jeremiah, on a wild goose chase to hunt down these tacos at the 41st Street location, to no avail. However after weeks of speculation, my dumb perseverance and gullibility was finally rewarded.

I came. I saw. I conquered the elusive Café Duke bulgogi taco.

But first, a burrito interlude. During one of my frequent visits, I happened upon the bulgogi burrito special. Though sufficiently plump with bulgogi, rice, and beans, at $8.95 this burrito came unadorned of accompanying sides to contrast the mushy, prosaic heaviness of the burrito. Unlike Tri-Tip Grill’s attempt at a Mexi-Fusion hybrid burrito, this creation is probably worth passing over.

On the other hand, the Café Duke bulgogi tacos ($8.95) are irresistible. During my successful bulgogi taco run, I was happy to receive four sizable tacos, generously packed with bulgogi. In my humble opinion, Café Duke’s bulgogi preparation has always been heavy handed in seasoning – the saltiness, sweetness and spice levels amplified to a nearly disagreeable level. In taco form, the aggressiveness of the bulgogi is tamed by the speckling of crunchy pico de gallo, cooled by the dollop of sour cream, and balanced by the earthiness of the corn tortilla, revising the flavors into a harmonious bite.

Unfortunately, this story doesn’t end on a happy note… yet. I badgered the manager on duty about the availability of their bulgogi tacos and learned that, I kid you not, they set their specials according to the current weather conditions. Milder weather means soup, while Korean tacos apparently pair nicely with the scorcher that New York underwent earlier this week. To Korean taco lovers, control freaks, and lunchers too busy or lazy to check up on Café Duke every day, it is simply unacceptable to leave our lunch at the whims of the weather.

Let this article be a modest proposal, an obliging request, a call to action – the next time any luncher visits either Café Duke location – please beg, plead, and cajole the manager on duty to schedule and publish a weekly menu of specials (and tell ‘em that midtownlunch.com sent ya). It is our right as customers, critics, food lovers, and Midtown Lunch’ers that are frankly too busy at work to deal with this spontaneity.

Let there be order. Let there be reason. Let there be bulgogi tacos!

Cafe Duke, 140 W. 51st. (btw. 6+7th Ave.), 212-445-0010

Uh… yeah.  You heard me right.  Soft shelled mother f’ing crabs on a Midtown by the lb. buffet.  That is what I discovered at the Cafe Duke on 51st btw. 6+7th yesterday. I’ve already written a bunch about how much I love their by the lb. buffet, but this just put it over the top.  Soft shelled crab! I’m still giddy thinking about it.  This could be the biggest money item to ever show up on one of these generic Midtown deli buffets (the ones that cost under $10 a pound anyway).  And, they don’t even weigh that much (especially compared to other stuff like fruit and bone in chicken).  It really is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen at a by the pound buffet.

At $7.79 a pound, Cafe Duke by the lb. is on the high end of these kind of crappy Midtown options… but for the quality it is definitely worth it.  The food always looks fresh, every choice looks damn tasty, and the sauce they put on their fake jumbo shrimp makes me not mind that they are trying to fake you into thinking you’re actually getting shrimp. 

How they were, a shot of my lunch, and the one big downside- after the jump…

I’ve written a lot about strategy at the by the lb. buffet, and I admit it always scares me since you never know how much it’s going to cost until the moment of truth (the weigh in)… but on this day I got pretty much everything I wanted and it ended up being a little under $9.  Crabs, a couple of dumplings, 3 fake shrimp, some roasted cauliflower and asparagus, a few pieces of general tso’s chicken, and a little bit of noodle salad.  This is about as balanced a lunch as you’ll ever see me eat.

I only took two of the soft shelled crabs, to be safe, but if I went back I think I would load up.  Sure, they’re cold- but they’re fried, salty and gooood, and they are a surefire winner from a beating the by the lb. buffet standpoint.  The one downside… they are a seasonal item, and won’t be available forever.  In fact, they may not even be there today.  I talked to the manager who said as long as their purveyor keeps delivering them, they’ll keep ordering them… but he has no idea when that will stop.  They’ve been on the buffet for 10 days straight now, and should be there today (but he wouldn’t guarantee it.)  Good luck!  And feel free to report back in the comments if you’re in the neighborhood…

Related:
Fake Shrimp Scam (?!?!) And the ML Guide to Eating at a Pay By the Pound Buffet in NYC
All New York City Pay by the Pound Buffet Posts on Midtown Lunch

I try my best not to be too negative on this site, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to vent. Every once in awhile I’ll share some of the more angry useful emails I get in a post called “Airing of Grievances”. (If the Eater Complaints Dept. would like royalties, I’ll be happy to pay up…)

“I just went to Cafe Duke yesterday and I bought a mini black forest cake for $5.50!! I went home and wanted to surprise my husband with a little cake for dessert and what happens?? We bit into the cake and it tasted like sour bleach! The whole cake layer inside was alive with greyish blue mold! Needless to say, it not only ruined my evening but it spoiled my appetite for anything Duke in the future!!”

Ooops. Not sure if this was the Cafe Duke on 51st btw. 6+7th (which is one of the few generic Midtown delis I will eat in) or the one down on Broadway and 41st, but either way, it may be a good idea to stay away from their baked goods. If you’re headed to the one on 51st, stick to the by the lb. buffet, and the Korean food in the back left hand corner.

After the jump, a Tad’s complaint you knew would come eventually…

This actually occured before my big Tad’s Steaks write up, and they said it was at the Tad’s on 42nd St. (???)… but it’s a story that needs to be told:

Tads is the worst food I’ve ever had. Some of you guys might have gotten lucky but I walked out feeling worse than after downing a white castle crave case.

My boyfriend and I sat in the back to eat and saw alot of back n forth to the bathroom, excessively. Turns out they were dealing drugs in there. To top it off, as we were heading out a lady squealed because she saw a roach. As gross as that was, it’s pretty unavoidable in Midtown. Besides, I had already eaten and even if I threw it up there was no taking back the fact that I ate there. So back to the roach – a guy serving the meals sees the roach the woman is yelling about. The roach is on the counter where you slide your tray. The guy kills the roach with a rag they use to wipe the counters, shakes it off and goes back to serving up meals.

That sounds awesome. How could I not? Got an grievance you’d like to air? Email it to zach@midtownlunch.com

Despite my extensive report on fake shrimp at by the lb. buffets, the word is not entirely out on this NYC deli tactic.

From commenter “Leo” on the post about Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th):

Got fooled by the fake shrimp.

Called them to complain and the lady that picks up the phone had an attitude.
She said that 1. I had to ask — Ask who, there is no one you can ask around the food buffet. 2. Nothing is labeled  3. They make the fake shrimp same shape and size as real shrimps.

Would not offer me a refund after I spend $10 on cheap fish instead of what looked like shrimps…

They are so busy have like 10K people there during lunch, there is no need to cheat customers… Will not go back unless given real shrimps of refund.

I was fooled too, but I only took a few of the fake shrimp, and I really liked the way they tasted- so I wasn’t too upset.  The lesson to take from this-  when eating at a by the lb. buffet, never take a full tray of something you’ve never tried. 

For more rules of by the lb. buffet eating, you’ll want to read this post.

Most people like to go to fancy lunches for their birthday. Me? I wanted buffet by the lb. so I loaded up at Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th) with no guilt about the price (it ended up being $9.79 before tax). Fake shrimp, noodles, 5 dumplings. Screw the rules- today’s my birthday!

I got two, and discovered one of the greatest scams I had ever fallen prey to.  They’re not real shrimp!!!  I couldn’t believe it.  Actually, I could believe it.  It reminded me of this thing I once learned about Professional Gamblers.  There are teams of gamblers who when a new table game opens up anywhere in the world, they find out about it, and run the numbers, trying to find a single wager that will beat the game.  While most are games are tirelessly tested before being put into a casino, every once in awhile a game’s creator will make a mathematical error that leaves the game open to being “broken”.  The team will fly to his location, bet the one wager for hours and hours, until the casino realizes their mistake and shuts the game down.

I guess that’s why I wasn’t surprised about the shrimp.  Can you imagine if the Jumbo shrimp were real?  For $6.99 a lb?  Hoards of fat guys (like me) would be crowded around the buffet, loading up on jumbo shrimp… trying to ”beat the game”.  Thankfully, the fake shrimp were delicious so I wasn’t too upset about being duped.  I’m not sure exactly what they are made of, but I’m guessing it is a rice cake type of mixture (or imitation crab meat… although it didn’t have that fake fishy flavor that imitation crab has).  The best part about the scam… the “shrimp” are not only colored and shaped to look like shrimp, they even have the indentation where the tail was pulled off.  Such detail.  It’s like art.

The Midtown Lunch guide to eating at a Buffet by the lb… after the jump.

Although I don’t eat at deli by the lb. buffets too often, I’ve decided to give the five tips I use when taking the very dangerous plunge of eating a lunch where the price is determined by how much it weighs.  Here goes…

1. Beware the fruit!!!!  Aside from the fact that I usually avoid things that are healthy, fruit can be very tricky at one of these places.  If you must have fruit, try to avoid the melons (especially watermelon).  They are cut in gigantic chunks for a reason, and heavy with water.  If you have to get fruit, try to find a buffet with more expensive fruits, like raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.  And under no circumstances should you top that fruit with yogurt or cottage cheese!
2. Load up on meats (and seafood and cheeses).  While the Asian choices are usually bogged down with heavy breading, it’s still always better to eat the meats then not eat the meats.  Chicken and pork are ok, but beef is usually your best choice, and if you find a buffet with seafood, you’ve hit the jackpot.  Most shrimp dishes are loaded with other items, so try to pick out the shrimp- and salmon or calamari is always a good choice.  In the case of fried chicken, boneless strips are always better.  With the wings, don’t forget you’re paying for that bone.  Fresh mozzarella is also a decent item… just make sure to pick around any cheaper items they mix it with.
3. Atkins diet anyone?  Beware the carbs.  It’s tough, but try to avoid the carbs at buffets.  Rice, lo mein, potatoes and noodle salads are all very cheap to make.  If you are going to go for one of these items, it better be really tasty… and don’t load up.  Or, pick a carb that is mixed with a bigger money item, like “Shrimp Pasta”.
4. Beware the dumplings.  One of my favorite things about these buffets is the Asian items (big surprise)- but you have to be very careful, especially with the dumplings.  Beware of the super doughy ones.  They are very very heavy.   If you do have to get them (personally, I’m addicted) make sure they are filled with meat- not vegetables.  A veggie filled, super doughy dumpling, can seriously impact your bottom line.
5. Find a good balance between price and quality of choices.  In the end, the most important decision you can make is which buffet to go to.  Find a middle ground between price and quality.  Some buffets may be $5 per pound, but don’t have any quality items, making it very difficult to beat.  But the nicer buffets, with various fishes and big money items, may charge you upwards of $10 a lb, making the cheaper, filler items a gigantic rip off.

I don’t eat at these places too often, but there are two that I’ve eaten at and would recommend.  On the West side, I’m still a fan of Cafe Duke (51st btw. 6+7th).  It turns out a lot of these buffets use the fake shrimp… so I’m not too mad (and at least their version tastes delicious).  On the East side, Azure (picture to the left) is better than most (3rd ave. & 51st).  Both have a nice balance between quantity, quality and price.  And of course, I have to mention Ho Yip the chinese buffet by the lb that is $3.75 if you go after 2:15pm!

I don’t intend to eat at too many of the these buffets, so if you know of a good one (or have better tips than mine), feel free to post your recommendations as a comment below.

“I’ll never eat at a deli/salad bar place again” I said to myself (I use slashes when I talk- that’s pronounced “deli slash salad bar”), that is, until I found Cafe Duke.  From the outside it looks like your typical Manhattan lunch place.  The name, the decor, the salad bar, buffet by the pound, rotisserie bar, sandwiches and paninis, wraps and of course the sushi bar.  But, hidden in the back left hand corner is the real gem of the place… The Korean Food station!

That’s right, Bi Bim Bap, Bulgogi and Korean soup, being served in the back of a Midtown deli.  Bastards!  I can feel myself falling in love all over again…

The food porn, and +/- after the jump…
I don’t know if you noticed, but there is no cheap Korean food in Midtown.  So what do you do when you’re in the mood for some Bi Bim Bap or Bulgogi?  Well, now you have Cafe Duke.  $7.95 is not the cheapest price in the world, but it will have to do- since there is no other option.  I went with the Bulgogi (Korean Style marinated beef over rice), which I now see was a little bit of a mistake, since the meat they serve over the Beef Bi Bim Bap is the Bulgogi- so if you order the Bi Bim Bap you get all the extra vegeatables and the egg, but still get the meat (granted it’s less meat- but if you like variety, Bi Bim Bap is the way to go).  They give you a pretty decent size portion, with rice and kimchee (fermented cabbage- which tastes exactly as it sounds).

I’m a big fan of kimchee, but the one they serve is a little disappointing… so don’t expect too much from that, but the bulgogi was pretty good- especially considering it’s from a fast food deli.  The Bi Bim Bap is obviously the fresh version (no option of having it served in a hot pot).  It’s served in a plastic container that normally houses a salad or sandwich- but it looked good enough.  They also had these Soft Tofu soups that seemed to be pretty popular.

The best part is, you don’t have to convince your boring co-workers to go to some “weird” cheap Korean place.  So while they’re munching away on their $6.95 salad bar, you can be enjoying your Korean lunch that you didn’t have to go all the way to 32nd street to get!

SIDE NOTE:  If you are reading this, and YOU ARE the boring co-worker, Cafe Duke is a great replacement for Variety Cafe (and even a little bit nicer).  The salad bar is pretty comparable ($6.95 for 6 toppings), and they have a fresh deli area (where they can make any kind of sandwich you want, with freshly cut meats), a “Cosi”-like bar where they make sandwiches on wood brick oven baked flat bread, a fresh sushi bar, a Rotisserie bar, soups, and wraps.  They also have an Udon bar (the tempura shrimp Udon looked pretty good).

Everything is slightly more expensive then it should be (by maybe a dollar) but the place is really nice, clean and comfortable- plus there’s a nice seating area with a flat screen TV, although it gets filled up pretty quickly- so get there early, or be willing to wait.

THE +

• There’s something for everyone.  Korean food for you, boring deli food for your co-workers
• Did I mention there’s Korean food?
• Cleaner then most Deli’s in the city, with a nice seating area that has two flat screen T.V.’s

THE -

• I know, I know… there’s better Korean food to be had just 20 blocks south in Koreatown- but not everybody can make it down there for lunch (For those who can, I will be reviewing Arang- a Korean buffet, next week)
• Everything is about a buck or two more then it should be, in order to be considered cheap
• The kimchee was not that good
• It’s a frickin’ deli in Midtown, and mediocre Korean food doesn’t change that

Cafe Duke, 140 W. 51st. (btw. 6+7th Ave.), 212-445-0010