Midtown Lunch

I don’t understand what is with all the banh mi backlash? Why would anybody get sick of a delicious Vietnamese sandwich? (Maybe we’re just getting sick of all the traditional media latecomers acting like these sandwiches are a brand new trend!) Anyway, I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of banh mi, but for those who are Metromix has put together a list of ten Asian sandwich alternatives to the banh mi- and 3 of them are in Midtown.  Their suggestions in our neck of the woods: the Vada Pav at Sukhadia’s Gokul (on 45th btw. 5+6th), the Indonesian Sloppy Joe at Danku (on 57th btw. 5+6th), and the Yakisoba Pan at Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th).

Last week Lunch’er Marisa asked for some strawberry shortcake help.  You responded with suggestions, and here is what she ended up with:

“We went to Café Zaiya. Honestly, the shortcake was fresh, but the whipped cream wasn’t real whipped cream and there were only 3 or 4 strawberry slices (so maybe one or two whole strawberries?) in the whole piece. It was enjoyable, but didn’t measure up to the real thing. Also of note, my boyfriend was absolutely shocked by how cheap everything is at Zaiya. I bought a edamame and bacon roll plus the piece of cake for under $5! He bought this delicious panko breaded chicken sandwich with a spicy mayo sauce for $3. Great place.”

Yes it certainly is. More strawberry shortcake porn, plus a shot of that edamame and bacon roll, and links to more Cafe Zaiya posts, all after the jump.

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Hello!  Lunch’er Sal spotted this at Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th) and was kind enough to send the photo along. How can that be bad?!?! (No word on whether or not they’ve begun pumping cinnamon bun smell onto the sidewalk.)

Related:
A Food Porn Guide to Navigating Your Way Through Cafe Zaiya

Is it possible to love something so much, you end up kind of hating it? That might be the way I feel about Cafe Zaiya. Yes, I’m talking about that Cafe Zaiya (on 41st. btw. Mad+5th), the Japanese fast food place that specializes in bento boxes and rice balls and amazing Japanese baked goods. The place that won best Japanese Fast Food in the Midtown Lunch Readers’ poll. That Cafe Zaiya. The simple fact is, I will step foot in that place and not be able to decide what to get. Everything just looks so damn good. In fact, there have been times where I have spent 15 minutes looking, browsing, picking something up, putting it down, picking another thing up, waiting in line for a baked good, get out of line, contemplate the sushi, put the thing I picked up down… and so forth… until I become so crazed, I just leave and eat somewhere else. I have no excuses. Love will sometimes do crazy things to a man.

What I’m saying is, I could never compile a post like this. It would require too many visits… choosing too many things… making too many decisions. I just don’t have that willpower. I would probably just end up buying one of those little fried chicken sandwiches and a rice ball every single time. Damn you Zaiya! Luckily, Kathy YL Chan, author of the blog A Passion for Food, and our resident Hawaiian food expert, doesn’t have my issues. And she was happy enough to put together this massive look at some of the best things Cafe Zaiya has to offer. Sure it’s nothing groundbreakingly new here on Midtown Lunch… but who would complain about looking at a ton of amazing food porn from one of the best lunch places in Midtown.

Of all the places to eat lunch in Midtown, Café Zaiya is my safe haven. Reliable, cheap, and most importantly, very tasty. Most days I veer straight towards the bakery counter and select two baked goods. That fills you up just about right for less than $5. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal.

The café is divided into five major sections. The bakery area on the left side of the shop, bento and sandwiches in the middle, a hot food station in the back, a cold food area to the right (sushi, salads, and cold sandwiches) and Bead Papa’s upfront. I find the hot food at Zaiya to be simply passable and nothing more. Same goes for the sushi. Divert your attention to the bakery.

Here you’ll find wonders (most priced under $2) of the sweet and savory sort, either baked, steamed, or deep fried. Below are a few of my favorites.

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One of my favorite NYC blogs, Lunch w/ Front Studio, left their normal Soho beat for a meeting in Midtown earlier in the week.  They ended up picking up lunch from Pret on 42nd btw. 5+6th and called it a “rousing success”!  I don’t mind Pret, and the two sandwiches they bought sounded tasty enough, but ladies… next time you have a meeting near Bryant Park, can I recommend Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. 5+Mad) for your lunchtime needs? I know it was raining, and Zaiya is full block and half and avenue away from where you were- but it is well worth the extra walk… I’m just saying.

2008 was the year of the price hike, and if the state of the economy is an indicator, there is no reason to think 2009 will be any different.  And yet, Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th) starts off the new year with some great news, sending out an email to their customers last week announcing that they are going to decrease their prices now that food costs have gone down:

“First and foremost, we would like to thank each and everyone of you for another great year. The last sharp increase in prices of ingridients such as flour and butter caused by the commodity boom had severely affected our business and we unfortunately had to raise our prices. Most recently though, prices have dropped to a more sustainable level and ingredient pricing has been stable as well.”

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Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), the winner of Best Japanese Take Out in last year’s Readers’ Poll, has severed ties with Cafe Zest, the slightly more upscale version of the grocery store they opened on 47th btw. Lex+3rd earlier in the year.  The people at Zaiya didn’t want to discuss the reasons for the break-up and admitted that the food will probably remain “similar” at Zest, but that it’s not “authentic [Zaiya] product.”  I stopped by Cafe Zest yesterday, and it doesn’t look like anything has changed, although they have added a line of serve yourself soups, and an Udon bar.

Zaiya on the other hand has added a brand new lunch special for the money conscious…

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As understandable as it is, it never gets any easier to take. Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Madison+5th) is still one of my favorite Midtown Lunches. Price hike or no price hike.