Midtown Lunch

Walking down 53rd Street recently I passed a tiny hole in the wall, a barely signed new space that for some reason caught my eye. Turns out it was Tomiya, a tiny grocery selling authentic Japanese sundries, treats, snacks, and…drum roll…a small assortment of prepared foods priced in ML range. I’m pretty sure this place is the real deal because the only things I could read in there were the helpful handwritten signs posted around the place to help us Americans navigate. See what I’m talking about after the jump…

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Sapporo’s next door neighboor, Iroha, is typically out of the ML range, but they recently posted signage touting new takeout bento lunches. You can get Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Kara-Age, Beef Yakiniku or Salmon Teriyaki bentos for $9.50 with fried shumai, California rolls, and kinpira. The vegetarian bento with tofu nuggets will run you $8.50. Early adopters, let us know what you think in the comments.

Iroha, 152 W 49th St, (between 6th and 7th Ave), (212) 398-9049

I know, after all the oyakodon posts on this blog, to write that headline will most likely cause some controversy (especially with Donny T.), but having grown up in Tokyo for eight years of my childhood, I have eaten (and actually cook at home) a lot of oyakodon, and the one at Katsuhama is, in fact, the best I’ve had in Midtown.

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Most people hit up Sapporo when in need of a nice, big bowl of hot ramen. In a crowded noodle market, though, Sapporo doesn’t particularly hold up well against the competition (a fact proven again by this year’s reader poll.) Don’t count them out of your lunching rotation, though: The noodle joint also serves up several homey and delicious donburi (meal over rice) that make a trip to west 49th street very worth while.

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Although Lunch’er Jon was kind enough to do an Ocha vs. Aoki sushi analysis for us, we’ve never actually taken a serious look at Ocha’s lunchtime menu. Turns out, there is fantastic value found in Ocha’s lunch specials, although sushi will most likely push you over $10.

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I love Japanese food, especially when the source is a hidden little restaurant in Midtown. So I was super excited when we got an email alerting us to a relatively new spot called Jukai. I was even more excited when I arrived at the address and discovered the restaurant was housed in a semi-secretive tranquil subterranean space. Many of my other favorite Japanese joints are hidden like this (Sake Bar Hagi, Yakitori Totto, etc.), so I had high hopes here.

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I’ll admit, that when I first heard that Sunrise Mart was coming to Midtown, I was excited more for the grocery options than for the lunch items. I’d always loved the selection of hard to find Japanese ingredients at the East Village location and was psyched to have them so close to the office. Jeremiah’s opening report and later Donny’s review of the Oyakodon got my attention, so when I stopped in a couple weeks ago to do a little shopping, I was sure to scope out the rest of the menu.

With all the great Japanese food on the menu, what surprised me was how many interesting sandwiches were available. I decided to take a closer look and sample a few of them. Check them out after the jump.

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I was pretty bummed back in March when Luncher “Matt” told us that Negi-ya (37th btwn Mad and 5th), the Japanese spot formerly known as Washoku Cafe closed its doors. They were the closest place to my office that served a proper bowl of tonkotsu, not to mention all the off the menu snacks in the display case.

Well, Matt wrote back with some good news. Apparently they’ve reopened as “Ronin” – complete with pictures of Robert DeNiro and Jean Reno in the window.

From Matt:

Update on Negi-Ya. They’ve reopened under the name “Ronin.” Same cute, pleasant Japanese lady (who I presume is the manager). Same sushi chef. Takeout is now ordered in front. Waiter service with a red-bearded white guy who also may or may be the owner.
 
Friend and I ordered “Rice Burgers” — Japanese lady said they’re the only ones in the city to have it. $8. The “buns” are made of grilled rice and hold a filling of your choice. I got sliced pork and ginger and friend got chicken sukiyaki. Served with very good steak fries. Burger itself holds together surprisingly well, filling is well-flavored but a little salty.
 
They still have ricebowls, noodles, etc. More expensive (chicken teriyaki don is now $8 but organic). Also now a full tap beer selection in the back. Half-price happy hour 5-7.

I stopped by to get a photo and noticed that they’ll be hosting a grand re-opening party on the evening of May 25th (next Wednesday). Check out the flyer after the jump (it’s mostly in Japanese, so if anyone can translate, let us know what it says in the comments.
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Come tax season it’s a tradition of mine to visit Cafe Zaiya (41st btw. Mad+5th) every time I go see my accountant (his office is just around the corner, lucky guy). But now with the addition of Sunrise Mart, deciding where to eat on 41st St just got a bit tougher- although on my most recent visit the fact that I hadn’t been to the new Sunrise Mart yet made the decision a bit easier. I walked straight to the back and ordered their oyakodon, the Japanese rice bowl with chicken and egg. I wanted to compare the version at Sunrise Mart to the version I had at Sapporo few weeks ago.

And then I realized I should probably go to Yagura too (the ugly duckling of the Japanese stores on that street).  After all, they serve oyakodon as well. So how do all 3 oyakodons compare to one another? Will I ever get tired of eating oyakodons? Let’s fine out.

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If yesterday’s post about the Serious Eats review of Food Gallery 32 got you thinking about stopping in for dinner or an after work snack tonight, you might want to hold off. This afternoon, around 3pm, a sprinkler burst over O-De-Ppang! in booth 3 of the Koreatown food court. The FDNY was on sight in minutes to get things worked out. Don’t panic though, word is they should be up and running again in the next couple of hours.