Midtown Lunch

Tuk Tuk Boy, the Thai food cart on 50th btw. 6+7th, got off to a rough start back when it opened, but now that they’ve been on the street for a few months (and presumably had a chance to work out the kinks) I checked back in to see if there’s been any improvement. You might remember, Chris experienced a particularly sad looking Pad Thai that certainly didn’t justify the wait he endured to get it.  Well I’m happy to report that my chicken pad thai ($6.99) looked nothing like Chris’, and didn’t taste the way he described either.

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One of the easiest parts of acclimating to central Midtown after seven years in Midtown south has been the getting used to the variety of cart food. No less than half a dozen mobile food vendors surround my new office building. One of the most noticeable has been Kims Aunt Kitchen, which manages to waft a garlic-scented breeze past me as I walk down 46th Street every morning.

It’s been years since we’ve given the cart some proper attention so, I decided it’s about time to follow up on the fried delights that this cart had to offer.

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There is definitely no shortage of Mexican food in Midtown but good tasting authentic Mexican food is a bit harder to come by. Enter Mexico Blvd, a new food truck set to hit the streets in February, which according to their website plans to “bring to New York the food and culture of Mexico that we loved so much.  Apparently the owner of the truck has worked at Riverpark the Tom Collichio restaurant run by ‘wichcraft chef Sisha Ortuzar.  You can check our their menu and a gallery of photos on their website, plus follow them on twitter or the ML tracker for updates, and as soon as we know more we’ll let you know.

This again? Last year when the DOH announced they would be giving letter grades to restaurants, there was also talk about doing the same for food carts. A few articles appeared this week in places like the NY Daily News and the NY Post saying that Mayor Bloomberg is pushing for the grading system, but the DOH says it is unlikely to institute it any time soon. They claim they don’t have enough inspectors (only 20 devoted to food carts) and it is difficult to do re-inspections since carts and trucks are not always in the same spot. It looks like we’re in the clear for now, but could this do more harm than good for the carts? I have no doubt the majority of them are just as clean (if not more so) than most restaurants in the city, but as we’ve recently witnessed at places like Cer Te, the DOH grading system doesn’t only include food safety and health concerns. On the other hand, this could help legitimize the cleanliness of food carts once and for all to the people who are hesitant to eat there in the first place.

Eagle-eyed lunchers may have noticed that the newish halal cart on 32nd Street (btw. B’way and 5th) has kati rolls on its menu. I happened to spot the sign after work one day a few weeks ago, but my excitement turned to disappointment when the vendor shook his head and said he didn’t have any.  Figuring they were out because it was the end of the day, I stopped by again the next afternoon and got the same answer.

When I asked if he ever planned to have the advertised kati rolls, he shook his head again.  (Clearly the guy enjoys shaking his head.)  Kati rolls isn’t something I ever really expected to be able to get in Koreatown, but now that I’ve been teased I totally want one closer than The Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6).  Has anybody managed to score a kati roll from this guy?  Let us know in the comments…

Another season, another Korean truck launches into the streets of NYC. Last week fellow Lunch’ers Wined and Dined spotted a new Korean food truck, Bob & Jo Korean Fusion Cuisine truck. There are definitely no shortages of Korean food trucks with both Korilla and Kimchi Taco trucks roaming around, so when I heard about Bob & Jo I sort of rolled my eyes a little. (Can’t we get a Japanese curry truck?! ) Since I was in the area, I decided to check this new truck out and ended up pretty glad I did.

Check out the menu and food porn after the jump.

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I walk down 35th Street from 6th Ave to 5th Ave pretty much every day on the way to work. About a month ago, a new Halal cart popped up and caught my eye. After the yellow halal truck on 33rd showed up and then disappeared a few weeks later, I hesitated to write this new cart up for fear that it would wander off before too long. At this point, it’s been around long enough that it’s worth mentioning, which is good since the guy who runs it has an interesting trick or two that absolutely makes it worth a visit. See why after the jump.
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With so many food trucks roaming the streets of NYC, I still manage to get excited when I read about a new truck hitting the streets- especially when that new truck serves oxtail. Last week Lunch’er Hengde reported that Sunrise Grill (37th btw. B’way+6th), a new Jamaican truck, was serving delicious oxtail with rice and beans. Just knowing a truck was serving oxtail was enough for me to trek out into the rain for lunch.

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When I first heard that the mini-chain restaurant Crisp was launching a falafel truck, I was dismayed and thoroughly unexcited. First off, I think of food trucks and carts as a great way to start a business when you don’t have the funds and capital to open a restaurant. When chain restaurants get in on the action, this completely defeats the purpose. God help us if we see a Chipotle or McDonald’s truck roaming the streets soon. And secondly, why would I want to eat this generic falafel when I have options like Taim and Kwik Meal on the streets?

In all fairness, I’ve only walked by Crisp and have never actually been inside, partly because I assumed it wasn’t much more innovative or delicious as the likes of Europa Cafe or PAX. Then I discovered Zach’s review from a while back and I truly learned what happens when you assume. It’s not the first time I’ve made an ass of myself.

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City Room noticed this amazing sign posted on 43rd Street and 6th Ave, and went so far as to interview the two different coffee cart vendors. The best part of the whole thing? They’re owned by the same guy, and serve the same bagels! Only in Midtown. [via @samsifton]