Midtown Lunch

If you’ve walked by Daheen Wang Mandoo (32nd St. btw. Broadway + 6th) recently, you’re probably wondering what’s going on. Have they shuttered for good? What we know for sure is that they haven’t been open and there are two signs on the windows with something written in Korean. Well, according to Luncher Sam Kim – who wrote our Guy Fieri live-blog – and his somewhat shaky handle on the Korean language, it appears that Daheen is closing and will reopen with a new concept.

We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.

Considering how often I’ve been to Treehaus (3rd Ave. btw 50th+51st) in recent weeks, it’s hard to believe that inside I missed  Kosofresh, a separate eatery specializing in build-your-own bibimbap-style rice bowls.

Kosofresh follows the basic Chipotle model: you choose either the Koso-Bap (rice bowl, $8.45) or Koso-Green (salad bowl, $7.45), you choose your protein (bulgogi, soy garlic chicken, spicy pork, or tofu), additional toppings typically found in bibimbap, and your sauce.

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Raise your fists and bow your heads, those of us who work just near or completely in those out-of-bounds zones, that we may all struggle together against the oppressive forces of market dynamics causing all the good trucks to be on or near the 50s and Park. Yes, that’s where the disposable income professionals are, the big-money finance types. Though they command the markets both professionally and in terms of food dollars, we do not suffer gladly these slings and arrows. Nay, we look elsewhere. We recognize our own. With this in mind, if you’re like me and working in the 30s, and don’t mind a moderate walk (or voting with your Seamless dollars), and your knowledge of K-Town is confined to Food Gallery 32 and Woorijip, Kofoo is the option that was positively made for you.
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Every Friday we go south of the ML boundaries in search of a delicious lunch. Sometimes it’s Murray Hill south or the Flatiron District, sometimes Gramercy and everything in between- but we just like to call it Flatiron Lunch.

What is it about Korean food that has us obsessed? I am not complaining, but have you seen the Midtown Lunch archives on Korean food?? Seriously. I am guilty, and since K-town Proper is technically in the ML boundaries by a block (just one block!), I think it is only fair that we have our own Korean restaurants in the Flatiron District (not that we can’t and don’t walk that extra block to partake in the joys of K-town.) A few weeks ago, as I walked the northern most Flatiron boundaries, I spotted a small place hiding under scaffolding and went in to investigate further. It was dinner-time, and every table was filled with young, hip Koreans. I asked to see a lunch menu and didn’t see a single item over the ML budget, which isn’t surprising for K-town, but was for such a design-y, trendy spot.

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On Fridays during Lent I’m always on the lookout for a good meatless lunch. While I love me a good fried fish sandwich, sometimes I’m in the mood for something a little lighter but still filling. So when I saw that O-de-ppang! at Food Gallery 32 was now offering a Sashimi Bibimbap for $9.95, I had to check it out.

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Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new player in the Korean taco game. A couple of weeks ago, when I visied Yogi BBQ, I was certain that this would be the end of the Korean taco craze. But lo and behold, commenter “locondcoco” tipped us off to yet another: Seoul Food.

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Remember Ambrosia, that generic deli on 45th street that we once said had the best bibimbap in Midtown? Then, there was talk of a decline in quality and they raised their prices out of ML range, so we sort of stopped writing about it. Well, I’d like to bring it back, and here’s why…

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Imagine it’s “one of those days” at the office. You look up and it’s way past lunchtime, and suddenly you realize that sound you keep hearing is your own tummy grumbling. Now what? Now you can order Korilla delivery. Details are thin at this point, but according to this you can email them after lunchtime rush to order delivery. They did clarify that deliveries are available only in midtown and lower, and that orders should be placed an hour in advance.

Crisp on Wheels has also been tweeting lately about delivery in Midtown, usually around where their truck is parked. Could this be the new model for food trucks in 2012? Only time will tell …

You would think that the Korean taco niche has reached capacity by now, but apparently not.  Yesterday Lunch’er Harry tipped us off to this new cart on the corner of 56th and Madison, and we had to see if the new kid on the block could hang with the big boys.

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