Unfortunately for Hale & Hearty, I have, in fact, been on vacation on the beaches of Thailand, and the soup did not remind me of that trip in the least. You’d expect Thai chicken soup to pack a punch when it comes to flavor, but this soup was bland. Chunky, but bland. I didn’t recognize ginger, red curry or the sweet creaminess of coconut milk, all ingredients listed in the description.

Considering we don’t particularly care for the soup chain on this blog to begin with, I know I should have known better. But sometimes you read a menu and lose sight of reality. In this case, abort mission. Don’t get sucked in like I did.

I really enjoy soup but usually avoid it for lunch for fear of major mid-afternoon munchies. The exception to this rule would be homey and delicious Asian noodle soups, but I’m sure that’s no surprise to regular readers of this blog — we tend to be partial to the Asian goodies. Anyway, a month or two ago, I noticed that the Hot Soup cart had returned the northeast corner of 45th street and 6th avenue for the winter season. Soup carts are usually invisible to me, because of my previously stated aversion to cup-of-soup lunches, but the unusually long line caught my eye. I checked in recently and couldn’t resist trying the interesting (or maybe just weird) sounding “chicken jerky” soup listed on the menu.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from chicken jerky soup, and the flashes of smoky beef jerky in my head certainly didn’t help. I was surprised that the soup had a slightly creamy consistency with flecks of spices visible in the broth. Filled with rice, the soup included chunks of red and green peppers, onions, carrots but very small pieces of chicken and not much of it. (Absolute points off for the chicken.) The 12 oz soup is $4.50 and came with half (??) a poppy seed a roll. Friends, be very careful removing the top from the soup cups: mine was filled up to the very top, and I nearly ended up with scalding soup all over the place.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I enjoyed it as much as my fellow ML’ers enjoyed the downtown Hot Soup cart in the past, but with all the rice and veggie chunks swimming around in the creamy liquid and a half roll to sop it all up, this was a pretty filling and tasty soup. Strange name aside, I might need to make a return trip this winter to see what else is on tap.

Hot Soup Cart, NE corner of 45th street and 6th avenue

The other day, I was feeling under the weather and in need of some hot soup. After perusing various menus, I settled on Bao Noodles (on 2nd btw. 22+23rd), which Clay recommended back in August for their lunch specials. Unfortunately, I ordered this meal on Seamless, where apparently the lunch special is not offered (so long, free starter). But I settled on Saigon Style Egg Noodle Soup (Mi Saigon): egg noodles with slices of pork, squid, quail egg, shrimp, garlic, chives, and bean sprouts in chicken broth ($9.95).

The meal came with the broth in one container and the additions in another, which I appreciated greatly. I think the pork may have actually been chicken in my version, but all of the ingredients came together well, and it ended up being a huge portion (enough for 2 meals). The noodles were springy, the seafood was tender and not overcooked, and the quail egg was an interesting addition that I don’t normally expect in noodle soups.

This soup warmed me up and immedately alleviated my cold symptoms (helped along with a generous squirt of sriracha), definitely recommend for a sick day.

Bao Noodles, 391 2nd Ave (btw. 22+23rd), 212-725-7770

Let’s face it – It’s only February, and we still have at least a month of cold weather left before we can put away the sweater, scarves and jackets. Bundling up is one way of beating the cold weather, but the contributors here at Midtown lunch like to reach for a hot bowl of soup to warm up. We’ve asked each of the contributors to share a favorite bowl of soup in Midtown, so read on to find out where we like to get our soup on.

Blondie is a fan of the Vegetable Menchanko at Menchanko Tei.

Over the past two years, I’ve finally fallen in line with the Ramen Lovers. As much as I wanted to get to Hide-Chan during lunch, it was brick out there, so I’d venture down the street to Menchanko Tei (45th btw 3rd+Lex). I get lazy in the cold plus they have Vegetarian Menchanko ($9.50), the soup I gravitate towards way too often. The salty miso broth, tofu, and vegetables warm my bones, and always give me enough sustenance to get me through the afternoon. I firmly believe it was the reason I was the only one in the office who didn’t get the flu.

Donny T digs the spicy crab with sweet corn chowder at Soup Spot.

Soup Spot (on 31st St btw. 7th and 8th Ave) cares about your health. I know this because every time you get soup it comes with a piece of fruit. They love us! On any given day they will have more than a dozen different soups ranging from chowders, vegetarian, chicken and rice, gumbo, apple and squash and many more other soups. There are so many reasons to love Soup Spot. Besides the piece of fruit, the menu changes daily, it’s cheap and it’s awesomely good.

On my most recent trip, for $6, I got a small spicy crab with sweet corn chowder and half of a turkey sandwich. That of course came with a piece of bread and an apple. $6!! It’s $3.68 for a small and $4.90 for a large soup without the sandwich. The spicy crab chowder had just the right amount of kick to it, enough to let you know it’s there. Also they used real crab meat in the chowder. Of course I’m not the only person that likes this place, once the weather turns just a bit cold people will line up for their soups.

The only down side to Soup Spot is that it’s tiny inside, therefore the rest of the people will have to wait outside in the cold dreaming about drinking that perfect cup of soup.

Ultraclay is fond of the karaage curry udon at Udon West (on 46th btw. Lex+3rd)

Udon, curry and fried chicken – is there’s some other combination that better defines comfort food for me, I haven’t found it yet. And I need comforting. It’s just so cold.

Udon West’s karaage curry udon ($8.50) has long been one of the few things I appreciate about winter. The broth is hearty without being heavy, the noodles are thick and chewy and the chicken chunks are meaty and well seasoned.

Jeremiah enjoys the Maryland vegetable crab soup at Westerly Natural Market.

Tucked away in the back of Westerly Natural Market (8th Ave. btw. 54+55th), beyond
the rows and rows of organic snacks, natural vitamins and fresh proteins and
produce, sits a row of steaming pots of soup. You ladle your own soup into a 16 oz.
container for $4.49 or a 32 oz. one for $7.99 (the 16 might need to be supplemented
to make a full lunch, the 32 is a crapload of soup). The offerings change daily (there’s
a schedule on their website), but pretty much everything is available everyday in a
16 oz. serving in their refrigerated section.

My favorite is their Maryland vegetable crab soup. It’s basically a delicious, slightly spicy vegetable soup with cabbage, celery, corn, tomatoes, onions, potato, zucchini and a healthy does of Old Bay. As a bonus, it’s loaded with little bits of crab that lend that signature flavor to every spoonful. The lack of crabmeat chunks would be disappointing if the soup weren’t so delicious.

Chris H adores the spicy vegetable chili at Cer té (on 55th btw. 5+6th).

On cold days, i’m drawn to spicy soups like white on rice. And if my go-to spicy soup, yuk gae jang at Cafe Duke, is unavailable, then Cer té’s spicy vegetable chili ($5.95) serves as a reliable backup. This chili is deceptively spicy, and chock full of chunky carrots, zucchini, and al dente pinto and black beans. Despite the fact that I’ve documented decadent lunches here on ML, I’m actually kind of a health freak, and even once dabbled in vegetarianism (I’ve since come to the light). Even as a full-time omnivore, Cer té’s spicy veggie chili is so satisfying, I don’t really miss eating meat. Whether you’re a vegetarian, flexitarian, or meatatarian, it’s hard not to like Certe’s spicy vegetarian chili.

And last, but not least, Mamacita really wishes that Yushi still carried their sake ramen. (She’s a drunk through and through.)

Got a favorite soup of your own?  Throw in the comments…

Related:
Lunch’er Grace Reports: The Ultimate Midtown Soup List

Despite the terrible name, I’ve become a little hooked on Foodie (44th btw 2nd+3rd). Everything close to my job has gotten a bit stale for me, so when Boi became Foodie earlier this month it allowed me to enjoy the quick lunch again. I have been especially looking forward to their dumplings, which weren’t available until last Friday. And not only do they have dumplings, they have dumpling soup! I know it’s just dumplings in broth, but it’s more than that to me-it’s the first time I’ve gotten respectable dumplings for lunch in Midtown in a long time.

Their soup comes in two sizes: small, 5 pieces, $4.36; or large, 9 pieces, $7.30. Dumplings can be either the pork or chicken variety, and the broth is shrimp-based. Between the cold and my hunger, I went with the large. The dumplings have a nice thick, hearty skin-one could say doughy, but not in a bad way-that tries its hardest to stand up to the hot broth. A few of mine didn’t make it and one squeeze with the chopsticks made them fall apart. Didn’t matter to me, I enjoyed my pork dumplings immensely even when they’d been dunked. The meat filling is pretty well-seasoned, and on par with some of the better dumpling places in the city. They’re not stingy with the filling either- the nine dumplings were ample enough food to keep me going through the afternoon. I didn’t really care for the cilantro bits floating around in my broth, but it did add a different flavor contrast. Also, said broth is one of the hottest I’ve had in a while, a container of this will definitely stay warm on the walk back to the office.

Foodie, 246 E. 44th Street (btw 2nd+3rd), 212-681-6541

I’ve been very curious about the French onion soup that recently returned to the menu at Macaron Cafe. I’ve been a huge fan of onion soup since I first had it on my honeymoon in Paris a couple years back. When done right, it’s an amazing bowl of oniony beef broth with chunks of bread inside and topped with a thick layer of gooey, chewy gruyere on top and a bit more tossed in the middle for good measure.

Luncher HungryK9 recently gave it a try and posted about it on her blog. She was sorely disappointed. Apparently, she searched and searched but barely found any cheese to speak of. Now, that’s just not right. Has anyone else tried the soup with more success? Or know of a great French Onion Soup in Midtown?  Let us know in the comments.

The random swings in temperature over the last few weeks probably have a lot to do with the coughing and hacking I’ve been hearing up and down the rows of cubicles at work. It’s getting to be about that time when the office cold starts spreading. Hoping to preempt the first cold of the season, I headed to Negi-Ya (on 37th btw. Mad+5th), formerly Washoku Cafe, to fortify myself with noodles and rich, warm broth.

According to luncher ‘hungryk9′ in the comments last week, Negi-Ya does table service in the evenings. I’ve only been here for lunch, so I’ve never seen it, but I imagine the experience is a little more sensible that way. During lunch, customers line up at the back counter and order either with the cashier or the person behind the display counter. It can get a little confusing as there are a couple different menus scattered behind the counter and the items in the display case aren’t listed. I know I’ve missed items in the past by ordering from one menu before discovering an entire other list of options available. So, fair warning… look around behind the counter for two menus in order to see all the offerings.

Once you order and pay, it takes between five and ten minutes for them to make your food. The staff may not inform you of it, but your number is on the ticket with your order (not the receipt), so you’ll need to listen out.

On my first visit, I went for the tonkotsu. They offer two options, a lighter version at $9.50 and a richer one for $10.50. I don’t really do ‘light’ anything, but I stuck with the ML price range and got the light version hoping it wasn’t just a watered down version of the porky deliciousness I love in tonkotsu. I needn’t have worried. If it hadn’t said ‘light’ on the menu, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. The broth was creamy and intense and makes me wonder how much better that rich broth could be.

My main complaint is that the serving was fairly light on the pork and the noodles. For $3 more you can add more of each, but that’s a just too pricey for me (even though it needed both.)

I’ve been a big fan of curry udon ever since my first introduction to real Japanese soups at a ramen shop in Hawaii. When I ordered Negi-Ya’s curry udon ($7.50), I had a particular idea of what I thought it would be: a thick, spicy, warming broth almost dense enough to be a sauce. That’s not exactly what this was.

Instead, the soup had a regular broth with curry sauce poured into the middle. It definitely warmed me up on a chilly fall day, but it wasn’t quite as satisfying as what I had been hoping for. They also don’t offer it with meat, like the fried chicken at Udon West, so the udon is the meatiest part of the meal.

Even so, the soup was very good. Carrots, onions and potatoes added a depth of flavor and even though the curry wasn’t as thick as I’d prefer, it still gave an underlying heat that I liked a lot. The real problem was that they only gave me a tiny plastic spoon to eat it with. That was less an issue with the tonkotsu, which I could mostly eat with chopsticks, but the bits and pieces in the curry udon required a little more equipment.

With all the other options at Negi-Ya- including many non-soup ones – I’ll be stopping back in to follow up soon. I may even come in after work one day to see how much table service makes a difference and to partake in the $2.99 Saporro Drafts (available all day).

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

• Even the light tonkatsu is hearty and rich.
• The curry udon is exactly what a rainy day needs.

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

• For $9.50, you could give me more pork and noodles.
• I need a real spoon.
• Ordering is confusing and the staff doesn’t always make things clear.

Washoku Cafe, 9 E. 37th St (btw. Mad+5th), 212-686-2233

At this point, I’ve come to terms with the maddeningly inconsistent schedule at Café Duke’s Korean counter (on 51st btw. 6+7th). As far as we can tell, their daily specials ($8.95) usually jive with the given meteorlogic conditions, and if you haven’t noticed, it’s getting nippy outside. So it should be no surprise that on a particularly bitter cold day, I stepped into Café Duke and found that they were serving a soup special that bites back. Yuk gae jang is a fiery, tangy, yet refreshing Korean soup, rich with slices of beef flank, crunchy bean sprouts, earthy fern shoots, and pungent scallions. This dish’s raison d’être is to warm the body and soul. Halfway through the peppery bowl of soup, I had loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves, and had a sheen of sweat on my brow despite the blustery conditions outside. A side of adequately steamed white rice provides relief to the sting of the broth, and the obligatory side of kimchi is the ultimate cure-all for any and all ailments (sez my Grandmother). Baby it’s cold outside, but boy, this yuk gae jang has got me feeling warm inside.

The only downside? You never know when they’re going to have it!

Related:
Café Duke, Give Us Our Bulgogi Tacos!
Korean Food at Cafe Duke

The beginning of my search for Vietnamese food ahead of my upcoming trip to Asia coincided with the rainy days we had over the last few weeks. With the early onset of soup weather, I’ve found myself at Pho 32 a lot lately. The Koreatown soup station has been mentioned many times here and I’ve written about it, but it’s never gotten the proper Midtown Lunch treatment.

With fall here, it’s just about the right time to start looking at the area soup options, so check out Pho 32’s offerings after the jump.

Obviously, the focus here is pho – for the uninitiated, that’s pronounced ‘fuh’ – a Vietnamese soup made from a light broth, noodles and topped with meat or meats of your choice.

The soups come in two sizes, medium and large, the large is pretty large and always the way I go. For just a couple bucks more it’s worth it.

They also serve a few other Vietnamese options like bun as well as shabu shabu, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone order. Pho 32 is open 24 hours, so I’m guessing it’s more popular in the evening and for hearty post-party snacking. The lunch hour is for less elaborate meals.

The meats available for the pho vary from the staid to the obscure. Above is my longtime favorite, the #4, which includes brisket, flank, beef tendon and tripe (Large, $8.95). I’ve never managed to convince anyone to try it, so I won’t try now. I will say that while tripe’s coarse, rubbery texture might put some off, the soft chewiness on the tendon is very satisfying and worth a try even if you wouldn’t usually.

If that’s not your thing, you can certainly get it with just Brisket (Large, $8.95), as my friend had here.

In both cases, the broth is a base, not heavy or strongly flavored. The pile of sprouts and cilantro and a lime that comes alongside each bowl, together with the chili sauce and plum paste, allow everyone to adjust the flavors of the soup as they see fit.

I’d recommend using the chili sauce even if you aren’t into spicy foods. My friend wasn’t particularly blown away by his soup until I coaxed him into adding a bit into his. A small dollop here and there will work wonders without setting your mouth on fire.

In an effort to explore the menu a bit, I tried the pork bun, noodles, veggies and chopped grilled pork piled high in a bowl with a spring roll on top ($8.95).

It’s good, but the layering made it a hassle to get to the noodles beneath it all. Everything tasted good, and I’m sure all those veggies are good for me, but digging through it was a little annoying.

On my most recent visit, i strayed from my regular meaty selections and chose the Seafood pho (Large, $9.45). It was packed with shrimp, scallops and squid – more than I expected for the price.

Barring some amazing discovery while I seek out Vietnamese food around town, Pho 32 will continue to be one of my go-to soup spots when the weather sucks and I want a hearty bowl of warmth and spice.

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

• There are few things more satisfying that a big bowl of noodle soup on a chilly day.
• It’s even better when that soup is full of chewy beef tendons and slices of flank steak.
• I love being able to modify the soup broth with the condiments on hand – especially the chili sauce.

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

• Uh, I’ve had good pho and this is not it.
• Ew, tripe!
• I don’t do DIY, I want my broth to be perfect when I get it.
• Sorry- but you can’t get good Vietnamese food anywhere in New York

Pho 32, 2 W 32nd St (btw. B’way+5th), 212-695-0888

A few months back when I posted about my undying love for the red lentil soup at Dervish, Lunch’er “steveroller” tipped me off that “there’s a similar soup for a similar price at Akdeniz on 46th a couple blocks away.” Interesting. Very interesting. Never one to pass up the opportunity to check out a new soup spot, I paid Akdeniz a visit to see how their red lentil soup stacks up.

Like Dervish, Akdeniz seems to be much more of a dine in spot than a quick take out joint. Their prices place them solidly out of the Midtown Lunch zone but shy of a fancy pants “expense account” business lunch (if anyone still has expense accounts.) I arrived and ordered just a red lentil soup to go. Be warned that, like Dervish, there isn’t much space to wait for your food, so you’re probably better off calling ahead and picking up. On my previous post lunch’er “Goudaburrata” commented about getting some bad vibes from the Dervish staff for just ordering a red lentil soup. I’ve never found that to be the case at Dervish or during this visit to Akdeniz, but I tend to be a late luncher, so there wasn’t anyone waiting for a table while I was hanging out awaiting my soup.

Just like at Dervish, the soup is served with a nice big hunk of pide bread- a crusty Turkish flat bread topped with black sesame seeds (i.e. perfect for sopping up soup.) Unlike Dervish’s though, Akdeniz’s soup came with a lemon on the side- which is how I serve the soup at home. Nice touch if you like a little citrus kick in your soup. The Akdeniz soup is noticeably more peppery–tasted like a little bit of red pepper bell pureed in with a touch of hot pepper mixed in.

All in all, Akdeniz makes a delicious soup. I can see why they have their fans. That said, it’s $1 more expensive for basically the same amount of soup and bread ($4.95 vs $3.95). If you like you red lentil soup with a lemony, peppery kick Akdeniz is the place for you. The thriftier lunchers among us might save the buck for a slice of pizza at 2 Bros on 46th to make for a more filling meal. Next up- Akdeniz’s chicken soup, which got a glowing review from Lunch’er Grace in her “ultimate Midtown soup list.”

Akdeniz, 19 W 46th St (btw. 5+6th), 212-575-2307