I’m not sure if any Midtown Lunch’ers still eat at Variety Cafe, the big generic deli on 48th (btw. 5th and 6th), considering its rather odious presence on this site over the years. On my way to lunch yesterday, however, I noticed that they are celebrating their 5th Anniversary by slashing the price on their hot and cold buffet from $7.49/lb to $5.99/lb (Monday-Friday). Unfortunately, it doesn’t apply to their “salad bar for fat people,” and you know, there’s the whole DOH thing to worry about. I stopped in just to see what they had to offer, and besides the usual stuff all these delis have, there were some shrimp stuffed mushrooms. Proceed, if you must, but do so with caution.

On my first visit, I tried their lechon (pulled pork) meal which comes with white rice, frijoles negros, some of their “mojo-pickled onions” and a choice of one of three sauces (guava-habanero BBQ, cool and creamy garlic aioli or jalapeno cilantro aji). According to our good friend wikipedia, “lechon” is a dish that features a whole suckling pig roasted over charcoal… but like most Cuban spots, their version is pretty much just pulled pork. It was moist and tasty but fairly standard overall, and there was no skin or anything- so if you’re hoping for some crispy skin action you might be disappointed.

The white rice fills the whole tray and forms a bed onto which everything else is served. The rice was a little on the mushy side but I think that’s a good thing considering all the food it has to stand up to here. The frijoles negros were very flavorful and were actually the highlight of the meal for me (strange, cause I love meat). The onions were crunchy and not too vinegary. They add a nice bit of variety to the plate. For my sauce I chose their jalapeno cilantro aji. It’s a thin, citrus-y sauce with bits of jalapenos and cilantro chopped up in it. It wasn’t the most perfect tasting sauce I’ve ever eaten, but it’s pretty spicy… so in that sense I guess it did its job.

When presented with this sort of dish, where everything is in very close quarters, my instinct is to mix it all together. That was pretty satisfying, but I think it might have actually been a mistake in this case. The sauce got lost in the mess, just adding a little bit of heat here and there. I think I’d have been better off keeping the beans on their own (since they’re delicious) and using the sauce to further liven up the pork and ample amount of rice hiding under it. Lesson learned. The meal costs $7 (as does their chicken meal, the steak meal is $8). It’s not going to stuff you the way one of Cafe Cello’s mammoth plates of food does (on 46th btw. 5+6th), but it’s a good sized lunch and all the rice makes it pretty filling.

I’m used to maduros (sweet fried plantains) being served with a dish, so it was a bit of a bummer that they were extra. I’m not really sure what I was expecting- but I was a little disappointed with what I got for $2. They were good, but nothing beyond all the other maduros I’ve had before.

QBA offers a couple of special drinks, and while I don’t usually buy drinks at lunch limeade is a favorite of mine and $1 seemed like a steal for some sort of fancy mint version. It was a little fizzy and just the right mix of sweet and sour. I couldn’t really taste much mint (despite a mint leaf floating in there), but I certainly did not regret ordering it. It’s great for the kind of brutally hot summer days we’ll be facing in Midtown for the next few months.

On my second visit I had to get QBA’s Cuban sandwich. It’s the only legitimate lunch item, aside from their combos, and I was hoping it would really elevate QBA. Sadly it was a bit luke warm after a 4 minute walk from the truck to the Broadway pedestrian mall. Afterward, I noticed on their Twitter feed that a few weeks ago they asked customers to let them know if their sandwiches weren’t heated thoroughly, because their oven seemed to be weak that day. Clearly it’s still a bit of an issue. I could see mustard, but I never tasted it, and the pickles provided a little crunch but not much else. The cheese seemed to all get absorbed by the bread. Mostly, all I tasted was ham.

And that was too bad because the pork in the middle was salty and delicious… I just wish there was more of it. And at $7, it’s pretty small. I was hungry a few hours later. In fairness to the truck I did get my sandwich at around 1:30, when they had already run out of their meals, and I think I might have gotten the last one. In other words, this truck is fairly new, so hopefully they will work out the kinks. (But for now, if the Cuban sandwich urge strikes, I think I’ll probably head to Sophie’s or Margon instead.)

The meals, on the other hand, seem like a nice alternative to standard chicken and rice plates when you’re looking for a street lunch. I would go back for the pork if I’m in the mood and I am curious to try the chicken and steak varieties, as well as the other sauces. In the end, I’m happy QBA is making stops in Midtown, but with so many other great Cuban options in Midtown, it’s hardly a must visit… yet.

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

• Cuban food, from a truck?  I’m in!
• Their meals offer nice variety and a solid value
• I really want some tasty frijoles negros

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

• Their Cuban sandwich was lukewarm and way too small for the price
• You have pay extra for maduros!
• No crispy skin with the pork
• The portions are “reasonable” and I like to be an absolute glutton on my lunch hour
• If they plan on parking so close to Margon and Cafe Cello, they’re going to have elevate their game

QBA Cuban Kitchen, They’re going to try parking on 48th St. (btw. 5th and 6th) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but confirm on Twitter or the ML Twitter Tracker to be sure. 973-687-2000

There’s a reason that most Midtown pubs are not considered Midtown Lunches.  First off, few serve lunch for under $10.  Tack on tax and tip, and you’re usually spending a ton of money for food that is fine by Midtown standards… but kind of boring.  And not better than what you can get for less at a real “Midtown Lunch” spot.  Sure, there is the added bonus of beer and TV during your lunch… but is that really worth paying $4 for a soda?  Yeah, that’s right… Channel Four (on 48th btw. 5+6th) charges $4 for a soda.  I know it’s expensive to run a restaurant in Midtown, and I won’t pretend to understand the financial difficulties of being in this high rent part of town. But $4 for a soda?  That says one thing to me… tourist trap. (Or, rich lawyer happy hour spot.) Either way it’s unforgivable.

But I’ll give credit where credit is due.  Channel Four stepped to the plate with this bacon explosion thing.  If you haven’t heard of the bacon explosion, it was one of those gross food sensations that hit the internets earlier in the year. Essentially a bacon wrapped, ground pork roll covered in BBQ sauce, Channel Four decided to recreate it for consumption in Midtown. (Amazing, right?)  Even more than that, they were willing to turn it into a sandwich (called the “Bacon Implosion”) and charge under $10 for it as part of our Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge.  So I swallowed my cheap bastard, Midtown Lunch’ing standards and stepped into Channel Four yesterday for a taste.

Be prepared to be rocked by the “Implosion” after the jump…

Yeah, I was a little disappointed too.  Not by the taste but by the look.  If something is called the “Bacon Implosion” it should be… well… I don’t know… grosser looking.  If the bacon implosion sounds good to you, and you like bar food- you’ll probably enjoy the sandwich.  The bread is what you would expect, and the most prominent flavor is less the bacon than the sweet and smokey BBQ sauce it’s covered in.  It’s moderately fatty, and overall pretty tasty… although I would have liked it to have more meat (surprise surprise.)  I’m sure they use quality ingredients, and good bacon and pork is not super cheap… so I won’t question.  But there is no doubt this sandwich would be 10 times better with 10 times the meat. (Hell, even twice the meat.)  Of course then it wouldn’t be under $10.

All in all it was a good BBQ bacon/pork sandwich, and the fresh fried potato chips and pickle make the whole thing worth the $9.95.  But it wasn’t the explosion of grossness I think a lot of people will be hoping for. Not enough pork, too much BBQ sauce flavor. If there is a ton of meat, the BBQ sauce flavor is perfectly fine. But if using high quality ingredients means the sandwich has less meat, I think I’d prefer the BBQ sauce flavor to be dialed back a bit- so we can taste the quality meat.

In the end if you normally like bar food, and bacon and pork, I would definitely recommend trying it at least once… but real Midtown Lunchers should take it to go.  If not, you may end up paying $4 for a soda!

Channel Four, 58 W. 48th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-819-0095

After posting that you really have to go to 9th Ave. for a decent Greek style gyro, Lunch’er Susan emailed me to ask about a gyro special she had seen in Midtown Proper: “Pronto on 48th btw 5+6th, near Indus Express and Hing Won, has a gyro combo. Gyro, fries, drink for $6. Could this possibly be any good? I suppose stranger things have happened.” There are actually *two* Pronto Pizzas on 48th btw. 5+6th, but the gyro deal is at the one closer to 6th Ave. I stopped by there the other day to check it out.

I suppose they get points for having a real gyro spit. Most pizza places serve their sandwiches made from those pre-cut pre-processed long oval shaped gyro pieces. Sadly though, Pronto doesn’t even turn the thing on, so there is no crust on the outside. They slice the meat off the log, and grill it on the flat top- before putting it in the sandwich. Thanks, but no thanks. $6 is a good deal for all that food, but I think I’d prefer to walk to 9th Ave. (or even Famous Chicken place on 3rd Ave.)

Related:
Uncle Nick’s and Poseidon Bakery Make 9th Ave the Ultimate Greek Lunch Spot
Is Gyro II The Best Gyro Midtown Has to Offer?

“Two Fridays ago I was with a co-worker who gets a jump on the lunchtime rush by going out every day at 11:30. He hits Variety Cafe 19 out of every 20 lunches (the other one being Tina’s Restaurant). As we’re walking from 6th Ave. on 48th towards Variety, someone drops a can of soda and I pick it up and hand it back to a little lady with what is essentially one of those metal laundry/grocery upright carts filled with plastic bags of all sizes and colors. I see it is food and waste no time asking what she’s selling. She says sheepishly “food” as if I’m going to bust her. Instead I said I’d take a plate, and to allay her fears I take the first thing she offers. It ends up being a piece of fried fish over a bed of awesome yellow rice, drowned in a great shrimp sauce.”

But wait… there’s more.

“The next Friday I find her again (this time on purpose) setting up in the same place at exactly 11:30. I ask fish? And she says fish is in a soup and holds up a huge (think large soup from Chinese place) thing of green soup with chunks of white fish in it- but I am scared. I’m sure it’s awesome I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I say “what else,” thinking she can’t bank her whole day’s sales on that, and she says tongue. I’m also scared. Then she says pork & chicken mixed with rice. So I got that, and it was essentially really good ten ingredient fried rice that had not just crispy bits of pork and spiced chicken, but also veggies and very finely diced hot dog! Amazing.

So this past Friday I go again at 11:30 a.m. (she wasn’t there on Thursday) and don’t see her. I hope she’s just running late and sure enough that’s all it was. I help her with her cart and cooler out of the subway, and before she has a chance to get settled I find out that she has the fish and the pork again. $7 is a bit much for illegal plates, but it is clearly homemade and really good so I gladly paid. The pork was crispy and awesome though there was not too much, and it came with white rice which wasn’t as good as the yellow.”

Any other reports of Latin food being sold from the sidewalks of Midtown? Feel free to put them in the comments. I wouldn’t be surprised if nobody is around the few days before Thanksgiving, but I’d be down with some sidewalk food beginning of next week!

I hit up the new by the lb. buffet at Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th) for the first time on Friday, and here’s the damage.  It was a little over $6.  Not too bad, but not great either- and I think Sun Yip/Ho Yip on 45th btw. 5+6th is probably better (plus they have the price drop at 2:15, which can’t be beat.)  I think I’ll probably stick with the right side of the counter when I go to Hing Won, and order things off of their more authentic menu.

I did, however, break one of my cardinal rules of by-the-lb. buffet eating.  Can you spot it? What’s wrong with this picture? (If you want to cheat, you can look at my rules for by the lb. buffet eating.)

Big changes at one of my favorite fast food Chinese places in Midtown… Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th) which is famous for their two different lines, has upended the left side of their operation by making their steam table into a pay by the lb. self serve food bar.  The Americanized Chinese food they served on the left side used to be one of those point-to-what-you-want situations, but now you help yourself- and pay $5.80 a pound for whatever you take. The food itself hasn’t really changed, so you probably end up paying more for less of the exact same food- but you do end up with greater variety, so it’s not all bad.  And $5.80 is still cheaper than most generic deli by the lb. buffets.  So if Chinese food is what you like, and buffet by the lb. is your preferred method, this news should be very exciting to you.

That’s not all though.  The right side, where Hing Won serves up their more ”authentic” Chinatown style fare, didn’t escape unscathed. 

There’s a new menu!  Well, it’s the same menu- but instead of being charmingly scrawled by hand, it’s officially printed.  Kind of a bummer… I prefer it messy.  And of course, with any menu change comes the inevitable price hike.  The new “printed” menu features a 50 cent increase on pretty much every single thing on the menu.  It’s still a good deal though, and their food is still better than Yips (on 52nd btw. 5+6th).

Hing Won, 48 W. 48th St. (btw. 5+6th Ave.), 212-719-1451

All Midtown Lunch Hing Won Posts

For those who were hoping Bagelfeller (on 48th btw. 5+6th) would morph into a decent Midtown Lunch, I’ve got some bad news.  They changed the name (it’s called Sam’s House Cafe now), and they’ve added a weird greenish counter, but the food seems to be mostly the same.  The salad bar, the weird tex-mex food, the sushi… it’s all there.  So much for hopes…

In the comments today about Indus Express, the fairly new Indian “Deli” on 48th btw. 5+6th:

Zach – you missed the really ass-kicking deal at Indus Express. At the front of their store they have a sign for “All you can eat buffet.” Last night my friend and I inquired, and to our great joy, the buffet consists of ALL of their meat and veggie curries, PLUS naan, for $8.99 (it’s not a self serve buffet, but who freaking cares). The guy who seemed to run the place said that deal was available anytime, any day. Service was great, food was excellent, and the price really is phenomenal for what you’re getting. And I didn’t even make it to the chaat or the naan-rolls yet…

I managed to contain my excitement enough to call up Indus Express and confirm that they do have an $8.99 buffet special, but it is only M-F after 4pm, and all day on the weekends.  Eat in only (obviously) and you’re allowed to take as much as you want from the steam table (including pakoras and samosas).  I’m bummed that it’s not for lunch, but still a great deal if you need a big (but cheap) dinner after work, or you’re stuck in the office on the weekends.

Indus Express, 48 W. 48th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-221-7952

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