The noodles were just a little bit on the wet side and extremely tasty, even a little spicy. At close inspection, I saw tiny chili flakes throughout the dish. There was also plenty of white meat chicken. Topped with peanuts and scallions, it was a pretty decent Pad Thai. In fact, I’d even go back there to get it.

I’m all for fried stuff — in fact, spring rolls are some of my favorite apps on any Asian menu — but the crab and shrimp rolls (4 for $2.99) were too oily. Really, it’s nothing a few seconds on a paper towel wouldn’t probably solve. The rolls were filled with minced crab and shrimp, but the taste of fried overpowered the taste of the filling. I’d probably skip ‘em next time.

If we end up judging Thai restaurants — first and foremost — by their Pad Thai, I wouldn’t write off our very first Thai cart yet. They just might be getting into a groove.

Tuk Tuk Boy, 50th btw. 6+7th

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.

The prices have gone up since Brownie checked out their fish sandwich as a lent option. Sandwiches run from $4-5 and platters top out at $8 for a combo platter – more on that below.

The platters come with a salad – which is to say iceberg and some sad, pale tomato slices – and your choice of white rice, fried rice or lo mein. Given all the chicken and rice available from the halal carts, I almost always go for the noodles from these guys to change things up a little bit.

For the first two months of visiting Kims Aunt, I pretty much only got the bulgoki on lo mein ($6.50). I know, I’m supposed to be checking out the variety of food available, but the sweet sauteed beef and onions kept calling to me.

Finally, my lunching sensibilities kicked in and I decided to try out one of the sandwiches. Like Brownie, “Thou shalt not eat fish from a cart” has always been one of my street food commandments, but I figured if she, Blondie and Zach have all enjoyed it, I should give it a try.

I ordered the flounder sandwich ($5). It was a decent size and packed with fried deliciousness. Honestly, I don’t know enough about fish to say why the flounder is a dollar more than the whiting, but I did enjoy it.

Recently, I stopped by Kims Aunt looking for something I hadn’t tried before. I decided to double up and go with a combo. For $8, I got chicken and shrimp on fried rice. It’s not a bad deal at all. There was no skimping at all, I got a pile of chicken, six shrimp (they promise five) and a large portion of rice. They dispensed with the sad salad and chucked another scoop of chicken in that compartment.

I hadn’t expected the shrimp to be fried (somehow I missed this article from 2009), but in hindsight, how else would it have been served? It’s got a lot of breading around it, but it was still pretty tasty.

Like Zach, I still have no idea who Kim is or what kind of food this is even supposed to be. Bulgoki with its sweet, tangy marinade would seem to indicate Korean, but the rest of the menu and the Latin staff don’t really follow that assumption. What really matters, though is that you can still get a pretty great meal on the cheap here.

Kim’s Aunt Kitchen Cart, 46th street (btw. 5th + 6th)

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.

Those who are sick of the whole taco thing will be excited to find a taco-free menu of simple and straightforward stuff. Thinking that the sandwiches weren’t going to fill me up, I decided to get a rice platter. Sadly my 1st choice (the bulgogi) and 2nd choice (galbi) were all sold out, so I ended up going with the spicy pork platter ($9).

I have to admit my 1st reaction when I opened the box was, “I want more meat for my $9!”  But that all went away with my first delicious bite.

Everything tasted so good. The slices of pork were tender, flavorful and the perfect amount of spicy (though if you’re one those people that snack on chili peppers then it may not be enough for you). The lunch came with a little container of fermented bean sauce for added saltiness and it made the rice and pork very very good.

As for the salad, it had a nice light vinaigrette and it was a good balance with the spicy pork and salty fermented bean sauce.

My lunch also came with a delicious cup of japchae filled with spinach, carrots and raw red onions.

The only real complaint is that $9 is a little too expensive for the amount of food you get (and I was hungry an hour later.) But considering it was their 2nd day out on the streets, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. (Aka, I’ll be back.)  They’ve spent the past two days (Monday & Friday) parked on Madison and 56th but you should check their Twitter account for today’s locations.

The + (What somebody who likes this would say)

• I’m tired of bulgogi tacos but bulgogi sandwiches, sure!
• I like menus that are simple and straightforward.
• The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked.
• Fermented bean sauce made what already tasted good even better.

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

• Not another Korean food truck.
• A little pricey for the amount of food.
• Wait… they don’t have pork and chicken without spicy sauce?
• This is not spicy enough, I want my mouth to be on fire.

Bob & Jo, Check their Twitter account for locations.

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.

The cart is pretty much like so many others, which makes it so odd that he’d decide to park so far into what amounts to a pass-through block. 35th Street may have Leña Latin Grill and some notable Korean spots, but it’s not the high traffic area you’d expect a cart to look for. The cart on the other end of the block always sticks as close to 5th Ave as he can to make sure he gets as many passersby as possible. Still, as far as I can tell, this new guy has already begun to get a following, I know I’m fond of him already.

Here’s the thing that makes the street meat here different, in my opinion: he adds the white sauce and hot sauce onto the meat while it’s still on the griddle. This gives me extra sauce (because he still tops it all off with sauce when it’s done) and it leaves a thicker, reduced sauce blended into the meat while it’s browning. When I saw him do this, it caught my attention and I’ve noticed him do it a couple times afterward, so it’s not fluke. It’s a nice technique that I really appreciate.

On another visit, I decided to switch it up a bit and try out the cheesesteak on the menu. I was hesitant, after all it was just down the block where I had that terrible halal Italian sausage.

Thankfully, this wasn’t anything like that. He tossed a flat square of steak on the griddle and chopped it up with some onions and a couple slices of cheese. He even surprised me with a proper hero roll to put it in.

Now, I won’t claim this is an authentic cheesesteak, or even that it approaches the level of Carl’s, my favorite cheesesteak place this side of New Jersey. Still, it certainly hit the spot and is worth having again when I’m in the mood for greasy steak and cheese.

Besides having good food, the guy who works the cart is very friendly and already seems to know a fair number of his regulars. His cart is a good addition to a generally under-served area. I’m glad to have him there.

Halal Cart, Near 66 W. 35th Street (btwn 5th Ave and 6th Ave)

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.

When we arrived at the truck, I noticed the menu was different from what Lunch’er Hengde had. There was no iron ball porridge (damn and I was looking forward to trying it) and the fried plantains were a buck less. Plus there were many more items added to the menu, like a pepper steak entree, brown stew snapper for $12, fried chicken for $12 and salt fish for $9. A rotating menu on a dry erase board? I’m loving this truck even more.

Thankfully they still had the oxtail ($7), which I ordered along with two fry festivals (how could I not order something that was called fried festivals?!)

Man oh man, were the oxtails delicious. For something to have been cooked before and sitting in the tray (not sure how long) these were tender and had great flavors. The combination of the crunchy cabbage side, plantains, rice and beans and oxtail was excellent (I can imagine a dash of hot sauce would make it amazing).

Sadly the fry festivals pretty much failed. The outside looked nice and golden but when I took a bite into it, it was all dough and super dense. These probably would have been better if there was some juice or sauce for them to soak up.

Another sad thing was me bringing a vegetarian friend. I was hoping maybe he could try the porridge but since it wasn’t on the menu my friend had to ask the guy in the truck what sort of vegetarian options they had. The only thing they had that was vegetarian was the cabbage side ($3) which my friend said was bland, but he was happy to find few pieces of fried plantains in the container as well.

After having the oxtail I am looking forward to having more meals from Sunrise Grill. Yes the $7 option may be a tad small but that just means there is more room for beef patties ($2) or super dense fried dough (if you like that sort of thing) and still walk away for under $10.

The + (What somebody who likes this would say)

• Oxtail from a truck!
• I hate to be super full from lunch so a smaller option is great.
• I love rotating menus.
• Fried plantains in my stewed cabbage! Excellent.

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

• For $7 I can go somewhere else and get a bigger lunch.
• I hate rotating menus.
• I’m a vegetarian and there isn’t much options for me.

Sunrise Grill, 37th St btw. B’way+6th

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.

Turns out the food at the Crisp Truck is just as exciting as the four locations around the city (the newest just opened in the FiDi). I found them on their second day out on 46th Street between Fifth and Second Avenue, controversially a few steps away from Moshe’s Falafel. The modest line moved rather quickly and the crew had a system down pat. Most trucks take a few days (especially in Midtown) to figure out how to get through the lunch shift smoothly. While they did run out of sandwiches just after I ordered at 1:15, Crisp Truck made the process of ordering and picking up your food quick and painless.

It did take me a while to decide which of the unusual falafel sandwiches to choose. Would it be the Crisp Mexican (with cilantro pesto, nachos, corn, and salsa) or the Crisp Parisian (with sun-dried tomato, goat cheese, and roasted red peppers)? I tend to pick the most unusual flavor combinations possible, so I ultimately settled with the Crisp Africa (peanut sauce, sweet potatoes, corn, and habanero harissa). And I bucked it up with some fries for $1 extra.

It’s served in what the company calls a “handbag” – a weird cone-like package. It made getting the sandwich out of the packaging awkward and eating it on the go almost impossible. There may have been directions somewhere on the box, but I don’t have time to read how to eat a sandwich. Especially when I’m hungry.

However the sandwich looked beautiful, with an array of colors that hinted at freshness and texture. The corn, scallions, tomatoes, and garnish of black sesame seeds introduced the sandwich as fresh and light. And if these were the only additions to the crispy, tender falafel I might have been alright – if I wasn’t expecting African flavors. It took a while for all the flavors to open up, as I think many of the integral ingredients were far down in the bottom of the pita. Halfway through the meal I got some rich spice from the peanut sauce and a bit of earthy sweetness from the sweet potatoes, which I wished were crispier. At first, the falafel had that wonderful crunchy bite giving way to a tender soft interior, but the last few packed down into the sandwich were less perfect and a little soggy.

The fries were awesome. They were piping hot and it was clear they just came out of the fryer. Seasoned well, light and crispy they didn’t really need anything else. Yet they were served with a light red sauce that had been doused with sesame seeds. I thought maybe this was for dipping, which was tough because of the thin consistency of the spicy sauce. I finally realized this was the habanero harissa for the sandwich and I was supposed to add it to the falafel. I guess they do this for people adverse to heat, but I didn’t find it that spicy at all and I feel I missed out on some of the experience because of my ignorance. Maybe they said that somewhere on the menu, but I told you I don’t like to read during lunch.

Even though there were some minor flaws, which amazingly had nothing to do with operating the truck, this was a pretty good falafel sandwich. Crisp Truck continues to take falafel to a whole new level giving us flavor combinations that are completely unexpected. While their falafel might not be the perfect fried orbs of Taim or Kwik Meal, these succeed at being something different and delicious.

Last week they were on 46th and 6th on Friday, but this is their first full week out (and yesterday they were having some technical difficulties) so follow them on Twitter or check the ML Twitter Tracker to see when they will hit Midtown next.

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]