Midtown Lunch

Tadka Indian (53rd btw. 2+3rd) has been mentioned several times in the comments, forums, Lunch’er profiles, and links over the years as a place for a decent Indian fix in upper Midtown East. While we never got around to a full review, it’s always sad to see good places go out of business. Luckily, its (slightly more expensive) sister restaurant, Chola, is still in business (58th btw. 2+3) so we’re not completely out of luck. Here’s hoping something amazing comes in to fill the void!

For anyone that has eaten from many different Halal carts know that not all carts serve the same hot sauce. I mean it’s hot sauce but not all of them are actually hot. Some may just give you a slight kick in the throat while some will burn your face off. So far I haven’t found a hot sauce that really kicked my ass, until now.

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As Anna wrote earlier this week, the Columbus Circle Holiday Market is going on now, and there are several great options for lunch. She sampled the empanadas from both Sizzle and La Sonrisa, as well as cider things at Breezy Hill Orchard. Plus, there’s Wafels & Dinges, German Delights Bratwurst and the Turkish pastries from MMM … Enfes that Brownie was a big fan of from the Bryant Park holiday fair. Shamefully omitted from the previous writeup was Red Basil Thai Kitchen, which hails from Astoria and has a stand between the Brats and the Turks.

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As you might remember, a couple of weeks ago, I passed by a deli called Taz. This is the kind of place that ML readers would most likely never frequent, except that there were signs for Vietnamese food heavily advertised outside and in the back of the deli. Excited, I made a mental note to return, but when I did, the workers there were perplexed, because Mr. Vientamese food didn’t show up for work on day two.

The past couple of weeks have been supremely annoying, because the more I returned to try the food, the less the guy showed up for work. It’s almost like I dreamed up the whole thing, except I am in possession of the original menu.  Anyway, according to the workers who do come in for work, it seems that during the first week — which, I would like to point out was Thanksgiving – they didn’t sell enough Vietnamese food (maybe because Mr. Vietnamese food didn’t show up!), so the guy has given up the whole idea. Oh well!  Back to the drawing board.

A couple of nights ago, I was treated to a homemade wonton dinner that my friend did. She invited few people over and served a couple of variations on wontons (pork and fish). Lucky for us, she did most of the work so all I had to do was arrive, sit down and eat. Ever since then, I’ve been dreaming about good wontons. I know the stuff they serve in restaurants will rarely be as good as the ones my friend made. So I wasn’t hoping for much when I got a wonton noodle soup at Hop Won (45th btw Lex+3rd).

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Fans of Uncle Gussy’s Truck know to stalk the Twitter Tracker to see what special owners Nick and Franky’s mom has made for the day. Lamb chops and pork chops are popular in the rotation (it’s hard to beat mom’s oven roasted lemon potatoes), but keep your eyes peeled for Pastistio.

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Today my weekly Thai food craving struck. Having just come off a gluttonous holiday weekend, I decided to forgo my usual noodle grease bomb and try something a little lighter. As I was perusing menus for places in my neighborhood, I came across Rain Thai, a relatively new addition to the ethnic food enclave on 53rd between 2nd and 3rd. I was particularly struck by the delicious sounding and amusingly named item Grilled Moo Yang: marinated pork served with spicy chili and sticky rice ($10).

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The Bob & Jo truck has been in Midtown a lot lately. Earlier this week, I found myself happily ordering at their window after unsuccessfully trying to solve the Vietnamese food mystery at Taz. Having enjoyed the chicken rice platter in the past, I went with the chicken baguette sandwich. The chicken was even better than last time, because this time, it WAS hot and spicy, as promised on the menu. The heat was tempered by the condiments in the sandwich. Served in a crispy baguette and topped with sweet and sour radish and carrot kimchi, the sammie was an absolutely delightful lunch.

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On Monday, I walked by Taz, a generic-looking deli on 45th street, and noticed signs for Vietnamese food. Well, hello! Sure enough, in the back there were offerings of bun, congee and more. Unfortunately for me, I had already acquired my Thanksgiving-inspired lunch, but I was excited for a return trip.

When I returned yesterday workers at the establishment seemed bewildered, because Monday was the first day for the freshly made Vietnamese fare, and yesterday the guy just didn’t show up! I guess only one dude knows the recipes? Obviously, I’ll be checking back next week, but did anyone get a chance to try it out on Monday? To be continued …

Taz, 19 W. 45th St. (btw 5th & 6th Ave.)