It’s been ages since I got back from my month-long trip to Peru and Argentina, but as I settle into a new area of midtown, I can’t help but think back to all the wonderful foods that I wish was readily available for lunch. Besides being crazy cheap, it was just all so tasty. See what I’ve been craving after the jump..

1. Juice bar sandwiches - Here in New York, a juice bar is a place where health nuts go to avoid eating real food. In Lima, it’s a place where they sell juices of various rainforest fruits that we’ve never, ever heard of. And also, dozens of sandwiches from burgers and hot dogs to sausage and any number of other pork options. Above is my favorite, the El Enano (US$4), at the juice bar of the same name, was packed with seven slices of lomito, cured pork loin topped with avocado.

This sausage and cheese came in a pretty close second.

2. Picarones - We have plenty of doughnuts here, but nothing like Picarones. For US$1.50, a few of these small, light rings of fried dough that are sold in carts in parks around Lima. They’re topped with an herby syrup that’s so much lighter in flavor and body than you’d expect by looking at it.

3. Anticuchos – Restaurants around Peru tend to call marinated meat on a stick Anticuchos or Anticuchos-style, but the real deal is made from chunks of beef hearts, so tenderized that you’d never know it wasn’t chargrilled sirloin. The meat so intensely beefy and pretty much the best skewer I’ve ever had.

4. Ceviche - In Peru, traditional ceviche is made with the morning catch and is considered a quintessential lunch dish. For around US$10, you get a huge bowl of sharp, tangy onions, fish and shellfish along with a couple veggies.

5. Grilled platters –  Even with a generous currency conversion, Argentina’s famous meat platters are a bit of a splurge. I honestly can’t remember how much this mixed grill plate of chorizo, blood sausage, sweetbreads and chicken cost, but if it was more than US$15, I’d be shocked.

6. Choripan – If you’re looking for more of a lunch bargain, these chorizo sandwiches cost under US$3 each.

The choripan comes with three different sauces to top them with.

The good news is that this is New York and most likely there’s -somewhere- to find most of this food. The bad news is that more often than not it either costs a lot more cash or requires an expedition into the wilds of Queens to track it down. Neither makes for a good Midtown Lunch. Have other South American foods you wish we had in Midtown? Even better, know where we can get some of it in ML bounds? Let us know in the comments.

After reading Brownie’s recent preview of Palenque, the new Colombian truck that just started parking in Midtown, I knew I had to try it immediately. I braved the wind and the rain last week to get a hold of some delicious arepa goodness.  In addition to the traditional corn, Palenque offers some unconventional varieties of arepa: quinoa, brown rice with flax seeds, and brown rice with sesame seeds. They have a variety of meat and vegetarian toppings, so everyone should be able to find an arepa combination that pleases them. Since Brownie already went the conventional route, I decided to branch out and try the quinoa arepa with beef ($8). They offered to add hogao for $1 extra, and who was I to argue? With that addition and my $2 sugar cane and ginger lemonade I ended up slightly over the ML limit, but for the sake of science I let it slide.

Now I’ve never been to Colombia, so I can’t speak to its authenticity, but I can tell you that this was delicious. The steak was well-seasoned and tender, the cheese was salty and refrshing, the hogao added an extra layer of vegetable flavor, and the sauces (a cilantro-based green sauce and a spicy mayo) complemented each other nicely. The cilantro flavor definitely stood out, so if you are a cilantro hater I’d have them hold the green sauce. The packaging was…let’s say minimal…the arepa was sandwiched between two paper plates and put into a paper bag, not the best way to transport something as drippy as this, especially in the pouring rain. A styrofoam container would make a huge difference.

The arepas are clearly made to order, and each takes a few minutes to prepare. Luckily the line wasn’t too long when I went, but if people start coming out in droves the wait times could get pretty long. I was a little worried that this baby wasn’t going to be enough food, but it was reasonably filling for its size. A hungrier person (or a regular ML-er) might need two to really fill up though, bringing you over the ML limit.

The lemonade was just sweet enough (borderline too-sweet), with little chunks of ginger settled on the bottom. It was a little small, but very tasty and refreshing. Overall, this was a delicious meal, although a little on the pricey side. These arepas are definitely a welcome addition to the food truck scene in Midtown, and once they work out all the kinks I think they’ll develop a pretty solid following.

The + (What someone who likes this place would say)

• Finally! Arepas in midtown!
• The food is very tasty and I like the variety of different options.
• Homemade sugar cane and ginger lemonade? Yum!

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

• I’m starving, filling up here would mean breaking the ML limit.
• Quinoa? Brown rice? No thanks, I’ll stick to the classics.
• With this bootleg packaging, I’m worried about spilling on my suit.

Palenque Homemade Colombian Food, 51st St. btw Park + Mad

First the good – during the weekdays, they run $6.95 lunch special of a protein of your choice over rice (white or yellow) and beans (pinto or black). They also had a commendable variety of dishes available – pork ribs, a fish curry, two different styles of stewed beef, and two different types of stewed chicken, all served out of gleaming clean hotel pans.

But the food, for the most part, was bland and lacked ‘oomph’. And as it was, my pork ribs were dubiously diminutive and sinewy tough. On the other hand, there was enough gravy present to cover up some of the mistakes, and it made for a nice moistening binder for the flat-tasting rice and beans. A side of hot sauce (only served upon request), had about as much heat as an R.A. Dickey knuckleball. Although the $6.95 plate of food is a fair deal and more than filling, the food on paper is much more interesting than in reality.

For the lunchers relegated to the far west side, OUT will certainly fill the void for those craving a cheap plate of Latin food. However, I’d recommend that the rest of you stick to a tried and true taste of Latin food at Margon or Sophie’s/Tina’s.

Out Latin Food, 710 9th Ave (btw. 48+49th), 212-246-0867

Arepas are something I look forward to eating when I head downtown or when I find myself in Brooklyn or Queens. But I never think about eating them in Midtown. I suppose the reason is that the Venezuelan/Colombian specialities are not easily available in this neck of the woods. That is until Shachi’s Arepas To-Go opened a few weeks ago. The NY Times just reported the opening this week, but the guy working the counter told me they’ve been there for more than a month already. How did we miss this? I guess it was slightly confusing because it seems this is the sister restaurant to one that recently closed in Williamsburg. And the website and Yelp reviews make it sound like this is a sit-down restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen that’s been around for years. Hm.

But the name of the restaurant speaks the truth – the joint is truly a take-out place with just one table off to the side. It’s a shame there’s not more seating options because the colorful walls and comfortable atmosphere beckons you to dine in. But alas, it’s not really possible. The menu consists of entrees, empanadas, and of course, arepas. The arepas range from the traditional, like chicken and avocado salad, to the unusual, like pesto, tomato, and cheese. They offer a few special takeout combos, but the only one within my budget was the Arepa/Soda/Empanada. If you want more than one arepa, you’re going to spend well over ten dollars.

So I stuck with the combo and found myself a seat elsewhere. The arepa I chose was the Pabellon with shredded beef, sweet plantains, black beans, and white cheese. It was much smaller and messier than the ones I’ve enjoyed downtown at Caracas Arepa Bar. The corn patty still had a nice grilled crisp and a rich, buttery mouthfeel. It was slightly dry, but the fillings made up for that – when they stayed put. With each bite, I’d lose more and more of the insides until I was resigned to use a fork. And it was quite tasty – the shredded beef was incredibly moist and I loved the sweet plantains and the salty white cheese. The black beans, however, seemed almost like an after thought. They were dry and bland and it felt like they were going to be a side dish that accidentally got stuffed inside with everything else.

My chicken empanada was a disappointment. The bright yellow batter resembled the exterior of a corn dog and it was much sweeter and greasier than the empanadas I’m used to. Could this be a different variation? The chicken filling inside was quite wet and made me think it was stuffed with chicken soup. And I don’t think they were going for a Venezuelan soup dumpling, although that sounds pretty darn good. It also came with two sauces – a bright tangy chimchurri sauce (that tasted fresher than it looked) and a hot sauce that had a little kick at first but mellowed out into the meal. They definitely added to the experience.

I can’t say I was completely satisfied with my meal here. I was satiated for a bit, but found myself hungry a lot earlier in the day than usual. Yet I can’t complain too much because we finally got some arepas in Midtown. And they’re pretty decent.

The + (What people who like this place would say)

• I’ve been trying to find arepas in Midtown forever
• Comfortable, clean setting
• Wide selection of fillings
• Open for breakfast

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

• The food is not quite filling enough
• No place to sit
• Not as good as Caracas
• Messy stuffings
• What’s with the weird empanadas?

Shachi’s “Arepas” To Go, 317 West 35th Street (btw. 8th+9th Ave.), 212-695-8884

It’s been some time since we’ve seen the Ecuadorian lunch truck El Guayaquileño. Last I’d heard, they had temporarily converted it into the Malaysian Kitchen Food Truck in the fall.  Then yesterday, I stumbled across it at its old spot on 37th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway. Does anyone know how long they have been back? Just as I got there, the lady inside darted off on her break, so I didn’t get to ask any questions. Regardless, I’ll be keeping an eye out so I can try some of that goat stew Mamacita raved about last year. Seems like the perfect thing to brighten a rainy spring day.

Thanks to Lunch’er “Moonji” for sending along this tip last week… “Just saw the attached sign this afternoon, on 45th between 3rd and Lex (where the old Tasti-D used to be). Hope it’s something reasonable and delicious! Their website is up but no menu/information up yet. I did see someone inside working on stuff.” Nice… could be good. We don’t really have a shortage of Latin food in Midtown, and Margon (on 46th btw. 6+7th) is actually run by Dominicans (despite calling themselves a Cuban restaurant.) But it will be cool to see a place that takes ownership of their Dominican heritage. More info as soon as we get it…

Have a tip of your own to share? Don’t be selfish. Send it to editor@midtownlunch.com

When Leña Latin Grill opened up in June (on 35th btw. 5+6th), we pegged it as a “Latin Chipotle” (yes, South American would have made more sense) and comments were mixed. Since then I’ve stopped in several times and to be honest… I keep going back for more. See why after the jump.

As Mamacita pointed out in the comments of our first post about Leña, they use a wood-burning stove in the kitchen here. The Colombian chef, Ronny, worked under Mario Batali for years at Lupa and has high hopes for Leña to be a dinner spot as well, once they get their beer and wine license – and the scaffolding comes down from in front of the shop. Given the quality of the food, I think he’s on the right track.

On my initial visits, I tried out the wraps. First it was the steak ($8.95), then the grilled chicken ($7.75). Both of the meats are great, but I was underwhelmed by the wraps in general.

The wraps are so packed with lettuce and corn, it’s pretty much a bundle of salad, which might be your thing, but doesn’t get me too excited. The sauces, particularly the garlicky chimmichurri, do work well in the wraps, permeating the veggies and the meat, but still.

I gave up on the wraps after a while and have since stuck with the plate lunches which come with two sides and a good sized cut of meat. The fried chicken cutlet ($9.75) looked like it could be too dry when I got it, but had a juicy interior and a crispy shell that was very tasty.

The grilled chicken ($9.50) was similarly moist, and had nice char marks on it from the wood-burning grill in the back.

I ordered the side of coconut rice as an afterthought, but ended up absolutely loving it. Usually ‘coconut’ dishes have shavings that could very well be made from sawdust, but this rice had actual chunks of toasted coconut inside that really propelled the flavor throughout the dish.

If you don’t mind splurging outside of ML range, the steak is still a good deal. $12.25 gets you a skirt steak cooked to order with two sides. My only complaint with this particular meal was that the tostones were too dry and not salty enough for my taste, but I grew up with sweet plantains, so that may just be me.

Speaking of splurging, the juices are pricey at $4 each, but taste amazingly fresh and are so good I rarely manage to have any left before receiving my food. With flavors like mango, passion fruit, watermelon and guava, they are ridiculously refreshing.

Leña also offers fish and tofu as protein options for wraps, salads and plates, but despite my recent tofu revelations, I haven’t been tempted to try it out here.

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It’s great to get some higher end Latin flavors than the steam trays at Tina’s and K Foods Pizza.
• Skirt Steak, cooked to order for lunch, is awesome. (And I don’t mind spending the extra couple of bucks)

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

• I want more from a wrap than a bundled salad.
• Those juices are expensive, but so good!
• Come to think of it… everything is a bit pricey

Lena Latin Grill, 34 W 35th St (btw. 5+6th)

As much as I love a cheap meal, I haven’t really been able to get behind the 99 cent pizza trend, which is why back in February, it was Brownie who hopped the subway to try the dollar slice at K Food Pizza (on 33rd btw. Mad+5th) even though I work a block away. This pizza joint, located on the site of the old Golden Krust, has been churning out dollar slices ever since and it hasn’t once tempted me to walk in the doors. That is, until I saw the sign advertising a Latin Food Buffet for $5.50!

For the price and the place, my expectations weren’t particularly high, so it wasn’t so surprising that the buffet wasn’t all you can eat. It’s a steam table behind glass and you select which of the four options you would like. For $5.50, you get one choice of meat and a side of rice and beans.

There are about four meat options which include fried fish filets, beefsteak in sauce, chicken with sauteed vegetables and roasted chicken leg/thigh quarters, below.

Outside of wishing they had provided some hot sauce, the chicken was perfectly acceptable. Not earth-shattering, but not significantly worse than Tina’s down the block and for a couple bucks less, it makes a good alternative if your standards aren’t too high.

K Foods Pizza, 18 East 33rd St. (btw. Mad+5th), 212-213-5100

The first new special they’ve introduced is ropa vieja. Described as “savory beef with red peppers in smoky paprika sauce,” the ropa vieja sounds different than their other meals, but as you can see it looks pretty similar. They’ve made a few changes since I first tried them, most notably that the pickled onions are now served on top of the beans, and there seem to be less of them. I like them being served on the beans, I don’t like less of them. The rice and beans were once again excellent.

The beef, on the other hand was not excellent. It wasn’t bad at all, but from the description I expected something more flavorful, something really stewing in juices. It mostly just seems to be shredded beef though. There wasn’t any discernible sauce. There are a few pieces of pepper underneath. They don’t add a whole lot but at least it’s a little more variation in the dish. The beef was also a little tough. Nothing too bad, but if you’re expecting really juicy, really tender meat, you may be disappointed.

Meals still come with your choice of sauce. I went with the jalapeno-cilantro again (they recommended it). It was less watery this time which I appreciated. Once again, it gives the meat most of its flavor. All in all, the ropa vieja doesn’t take QBA to the next level, but it’s another fine lunch option from them (although I’d probably go back for the pork before I’d go back to this- for whatever that’s worth).

QBA Cuban Kitchen, They can usually be found on 44th btw. 5th+6th on Thursdays, but confirm on Twitter or the ML Twitter Tracker to be sure. 973-687-2000

The QBA Cuban Kitchen Truck is going to roll out some changes to its menu next week, and there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that their bistec meal and their chicken meal (the one that the Downtown section of ML raved about yesterday) will no longer be available on a daily basis- leaving the pork meal, maduros meal and Cuban sandwich as their core daily menu items. The good news, on the other hand, is that the bistec and chicken will join a daily specials rotation that will also include new items, such as picadillo (ground beef in savory tomato sauce) and ropa vieja (shredded beef, peppers & onions in savory tomato sauce). I was pretty happy with the pork back when QBA started making stops in Midtown so I’m interested to see what these new dishes are like. QBA can usually be found on 44th btw. 5th+6th on Thursdays, but you should keep up with their location (and menu) on Twitter. Or the Midtown Lunch Twitter Tracker, of course.

Related:
QBA Truck Brings “Quick but Authentic” Cuban Food to the Streets