I heard grumblings on the forums that the rolls seem to be on the small side, and the stingy side of me could certainly make that argument. However, the size is about on par with the rolls from Luke’s, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Mary’s Fish Camp, etc. After all, lobster doesn’t come cheap, and I do appreciate a fine dining restaurant making the effort to cater to the cursory and the cheap luncher.

Oceana’s roll is a mixture of chopped claw and tail meat, a smattering of celery and lettuce for texture (and filler), bound by a lobster infused mayonnaise, and served in the traditional buttered and toasted split bun. If you’re the type of person who enjoys the lobster rolls at places like Ed’s, Mary’s Fish Camp, Mermaid Inn, etc – that is to say chopped up lobster with a bit of texture and crunch, and a good bit of mayo, you might find something to like about this roll.  But if you’re a purist who prefers the Luke’s Lobster or Dr. Claw style roll (all claw and leg meat dressed with just a touch of butter), then this roll is definitely not going to be the one to bring you over to the other side.

Whatever camp you’re in, it’s always worth a splurge for a bit of lobster for lunch. (I, however, will be sticking with Luke’s.)

Oceana, 120 W. 49th St. (btw. 6+7th), 212-759-5941

If you’re in the mood for a lobster roll for lunch, and frankly who wouldn’t be, lunchers around Rock Center have another option to get their lobster roll fix. Starting today, Oceana will be serving lobster rolls from 11:30-3:00pm from a stand that will operate behind the restaurant (weather permitting), in the public seating space between 49th & 48th St, between 6th & 7th ave.

Despite its 1 Michelin Star and 3 New York Times stars, Oceana will be pricing their lobster roll at $15, a buck cheaper than Luke’s Lobster and Red Hook Lobster Pound. They’ll also be selling a homemade ‘Smooshed’ cookie ($2), which combines two different cookie batters – this week it’s a oatmeal raising and chocolate chip cookie. Beverages will also be available for $3. Cash and major credit cards accepted.

Last week, we covered the re-design, menu revamp and subsequent price increases at the Bapcha cart (formerly known as Bulgogi & Kimchi, on 49th btw. 6+7th), though we neglected to mention the re-design of the adjoining noodle cart extension. Like big brother Bapcha, the noodle cart has received a matching make-over, though the menu and prices emerged relatively unaffected. The most note-worthy difference, however, is the food.

In my inaugural once-over of the noodle cart, I was lukewarm on the quality of the food. Admittedly I hadn’t returned prior to last week, a decision based entirely on one plate of food- a hot mess of merely adequate jjajangmyeon with truly alarming green soba noodles.  And yet, over the past few months, I’ve noticed with increasing frequency the appearance of Bapcha Noodle Cart ramyun on my co-worker’s desks and the unmistakable whiff of jjampong (spicy seafood noodle soup) around the office. After overhearing a trusted foodie (and Korean) co-worker effusively gush over her order of spicy tuna kimbap, I decided it was definitely time for a revisit.

First, a simple answer to a simple question: “Did they improve?“. The answer is a resounding Yes! The jjajangmyeon ($8) is as good as any that you would find in Manhattan K-town. I could find little fault in the homemade jjajang (black bean sauce), which is liberally applied to freshly heated udon noodles. Next they add tender beef bulgogi and half of a hard boiled egg. Both the beef and the egg are unconventional toppings for this dish, but upgrade this humble bowl of noodles into a well rounded meal. A word of caution though… the jjajangmyeon sold out before 1pm on each of my subsequent visits.

The dak bulgogi ramyun also improved since my first visit. Ramyun 2.0 is now served in a wide-mouthed bowl, making the noodles far easier to consume. The quantity of dak bulgogi (spicy chicken strips) has been increased, and a handful of crunchy chopped scallions give the dish some textural contrast. Some lunch’ers may have deeply rooted issues (I fought my own inner-demons on this one) paying $7 for packaged ramyun that can be had for less than a $1 in stores. In retort to this quibble, I ask you, “Who the hell has the time and equipment to cook a packet of Shin ramyun during a busy work day?” The defense rests your honor.

The kimbap, like the jjajangmyeon, also suffers from erratic availability, but it’s worth the inquiry. On my first visit, the spicy tuna had already sold out, and on all visits, the jalapeno flavor was unavailable. But having sampled the veggie ($5) and spicy tuna ($6) kimbaps, I’ll demurely suggest that these kimbap are as good, if not better than the product available at Woorijip (E-Mo still gets the highest mark in my book). Both orders were appropriately plump, and remarkably fresh given the fact that they aren’t made to order.

Notably, the veggie kimbap isn’t truly vegetarian – ‘Krab’ makes an appearance in these – but makes for a satisfying $5 snack.

In truth, I am thrilled to report that the Bapcha Noodle Cart has improved their food and operations. The family friendly feel good story of the original cart and the noodle extension (the two cart owners are first cousins) melts my heart like a whimpering puppy or the ending of Home Alone. Finally the quality of the food is commensurate with the rest of the story.

Related:
Lunch’er Chris Reports: Bulgogi & Kimchi Cart Opens Korean Noodle Soup Cart

The new Kosher Oasis Cart has had an interesting first couple of months. It first appeared on 44th street (btw. 6+7th) at the end of last year, but then like a mirage (or oasis?) it reappeared on 47th, only to disappear and reappear again a few times throughout August. It seems to have settled in over on 47th Street (btw. 6+7th), but it was forced to move somewhere else on Wednesdays (possibly related to the intimidation reported by the local news?)

But what about the food?  I headed over recently to sample a few of their menu items. (And by “sample” I mean stuff my fat face with pretty much everything they make.)

This is actually only half of the sandwich (it’s pretty long)

It seems like schnitzel is everywhere these days… Schnitzel & Things, Schnitzel Express, and now this.  Their version is chicken (obviously), but is pounded far thinner than the version at Schnitzel & Things or even Kosher Deluxe. You don’t get a ton of meat for your money ($7), but they make it seem a little more substantial by slicing your two small pieces of chicken into halves and spreading it out over a huge baguette roll. Their special sauces (garlic mayo, chimichurri, and hot sauce) plus the fairly strong tasting pickles made for a tasty enough sandwich, and by pounding the chicken thin they avoid drying it out in the fryer.

The owners of the Kosher Oasis also own the Brooklyn franchise of Burgers Bar (a Kosher hamburger chain that is incredibly popular in Israel) so I was pretty interested in trying their burger.  The patty was pretty thin, and didn’t seem like the best quality meat (from a burger lovers prospective), but it was seasoned pretty heavily with Middle Eastern spices- making for a pretty interesting burger experience.  Bun to meat ratio was way off as well, but the lettuce and tomato was a nice addition. The combo of the meat with the garlic mayo made for an interesting flavored burger, but for $6 I don’t think I’m going to be rushing back to get this one again and again.

The falafel was a pretty standard Israeli number.  The falafel themselves were good, with a nice crunchy outside and creamy inside, although the bread and everything else made it pretty ho-hum.  I’m not the biggest fan of Moshe’s on 46th and 6th (they have a serious ingredient distribution problem) but I doubt many die-hard Moshe’s fans will find this falafel significantly better.  The line is shorter at Kosher Oasis though, and it’s a perfectly decent sandwich ($4.75).

How can shoestring french fries ($2) be bad, right? Actually if you don’t add salt, they are. They didn’t, and I didn’t notice the little salt packets in the bag until after I finished them (well I wasn’t going to *not* eat them.) Make sure to look for the salt and ketchup in the bag, and problem solved!

And finally… I couldn’t leave without trying the Moroccan cigars ($3), right? If the thought of eating an egg roll stuffed with ground beef and middle eastern spices sounds delicious to you, you find these delicious. They are egg rolls stuffed with ground beef and middle eastern spices. Huzzah!

In the end, if you keep Kosher, you’ll be pretty excited to have another lunchtime option in Midtown. If you’re just looking for the best burger, best falafel, or best schnitzel in Midtown- and don’t care about the Kosher thing, this cart doesn’t really qualify for any of those titles. It’s just another decent cart, amongst a lot of decent carts.

Kosher Oasis, 47th btw. 6+7 on M-T, Th-Fri; 49th btw. 6+7th on Wednesdays

Every few months I gravitate back to the Bulgogi Cart on 49th btw. 6+7th hoping that it will graduate from decent to excellent. Over the year and a half it’s been operating, I think we can all agree on certain conclusions.  1) Their kalbi is much better than their bulgogi.  2) Keeping your expectations low is a good thing.  Not amazing Korean food, but decent considering it’s from a cart.  3) They don’t give you nearly enough kimchee! 

I haven’t been in a few months, but a lunch’er emailed this report yesterday:

I don’t know if you have already been informed, but I walked over to the Bulgogi cart (49th and 6th) to get lunch today and noticed that the prices have increased! Most of the standard fare which was previously $6 has been increased to $7. So now a number 1 with double meat is $9! That is a bit steep for cart food in my opinion, but you gotta respect the effects of the economy.

But wait, there’s more…  

However, the upside is that there are some new menu items. There is now a combo meat and spicy chicken meal (I think it was $8) and a new udon soup dish for $5. I happened to walk over with exactly $6 and didn’t quite realize that the prices had changed because the photos on the side of the cart look the same. But they guy was very nice and I told him I would bring another dollar next time. You should check out the new menu items and report back to us!

That’s a bummer about the prices… I don’t know about the combo plates, because I never bother with the chicken (is that a mistake?) but the Udon soup isn’t new.  I tried that in January, and like it enough.  Although if it gets more expensive than $5, it won’t be worth it with Sapporo a block away.

The last two dishes I’ve tried from the cart was the tofu (I know, crazy right?) and the gyoza plate.

The tofu was pretty disappointing. I found that gloopy sauce, with the peppers and onions and carrots, to be weird and not appetizing at all. Plus I always prefer my tofu to be fried.

The gyoza were fine, but are probably just frozen, pre-packaged dumplings. I don’t mind the japchae, and what was true about the bulgogi cart a year ago is still true today: If you’re looking for cheap food from a cart, with korean flavors, this is really your only choice. (The bulgogi at Kim’s Aunt Kitchen cart on 46th btw. 5+6th tastes more like chinese food.)

It’s been a few months since I ate either of these dishes, and the bulgogi cart is known for switching things up quite a bit. Have the dishes changed since I’ve tried them? What does everybody else think?

On Friday I had lunch plans with my brother, who is hands down the soup aficionado of our family.  I don’t mind soup; he can’t get enough of the stuff.  To decide where we would go for lunch, I sent him a link to Lunch’er Grace’s Ultimate Midtown Soup List, and after careful perusal, he chose Sapporo- so we could try their tantan-men, a Japanese sesame paste broth with pork and scallions.

I hadn’t been to Sapporo (on 49th btw. 6+7th) in awhile so I was happy to oblige. Out of the three Midtown Lunch’ish, sit down ramen places in Midtown (Sapporo, Menchanko Tei and Men Kui Tei) I’d probably rate Sapporo my least favorite, but after this visit, I am starting to really enjoy the charm to the place.  It has a casualness and vibrancy that is missing from the stodgier other two.  And while their ingredients (especially the pork) aren’t as high quality, they do make a mean bowl of soup.

We both really liked the tantan-men.  Despite being rich looking, the flavor of sesame wasn’t too overpowering.  It had a great kick, and if you like ground pork and scallions, you will definitely enjoy this soup.  As always the noodles were perfect.  It’s a nice change of pace if you are sick of ordering the miso or shoyu ramen (the two most popular choices.)  Admittedly the tantan-men doesn’t have as much “stuff” as the other soups, and it is slightly more expensive, so if the fillings is what you’re after, you may be better off going with a different choice.

Since it’s summertime, I went with the Hiyashi Chuka, or cold noodle soup special.  Available only during the summer months, Sapporo’s version is very good.  Chock full of stuff (unlike the tantan-men) I could do without some of their seemingly out of place toppings (the fake crab sticks, corn, and tomato) but overall the sweet and vinegary sauce/cold broth at the bottom was pretty tasty.  My favorite part?  They give you plenty of karashi, a mustard-like paste that I’m guessing they mixed with wasabi; it had an awesome kick.  Smudged against the side of the bowl, you can perfectly distribute the spiciness as you see fit.  Although I’ve always said Men Kui Tei was my favorite ramen place, Sapporo’s hiyashi chuka may be better.

Thanks to Lunch’er Grace for the fantastic suggestion.

Related:
Sapporo (6/14/06)

The guy is only out there until around 12:30/12:45 so by the time I showed up yesterday the pickings were slim.  What I got is after the jump… 

The choice between a ginger pork rice bowl and sushi that’s been sitting in a giant plastic tub on the hot sidewalks of Midtown, is not really any choice at all.  I’m all for buying strange seafood off the street, but there is something about unrefrigerated sushi that even keeps me away.  The pork was sliced really thin, so it was tender and fatty in the best possible way.  The bowl is mostly rice (not a ton of meat) and I could have done without the glob of mayo underneath the shredded cabbage, but all and all it was real tasty, and still kind of hot (although that probably had more to do with the sun than whatever pan it was in at 10 a.m.)

If you don’t like leaving your lunch up to chance, the guy has a menu print out in Japanese and English that changes every week.  You can even call in your order (347-852-2385) if you know what they are serving that day.  It’s not necessarily as good as the Japanese Trinity on 41st btw. Mad+5th (Zaiya/Chiyoda/Yagura), but if you work in the area, it’s a nice change of pace.

There is no opening date set for the Washoku Cafe on 37th btw. Mad+5th, and I’m not exactly sure what the place is going to be like, but it’s pretty safe to assume it will be like Cafe Zaiya or Chiyoda sushi.  If you’ve been to Washoku Tei on 2nd Ave. btw. 53+54th, it’s the same owners, sort of.  The restaurants are owned by a team, and it looks like one of the owners has broken away to open the cafe.  Very scandalous!  No word on whether or not they’ll continue serving bentos on 49th after they do open. 

Washoku Cafe, 9 E. 37th St. (btw. Mad+5th) Coming Soon

Street Bentos: on 50th btw. 6+7th between Noon(?) and 12:30/12:45

Oceana (on 54th St. btw Park+Mad), is moving closer to the heart of Midtown after its lease expires in July of next year. The new space, whose location has not yet been disclosed, will be larger, with 200 seats and room for private dining.

Interesting… that sounds about right. If Oceana does take over the space, then this really has nothing to do with Midtown Lunch, but there is still the business of the former Duane Reade space which is empty on the opposite side of the building. Mini-Sizzler anybody?

It wasn’t until a month later that we got the infamous $1 Bulgogi sandwich, promised by the original sign- but it was nothing more than two pieces of white bread with bulgogi sandwiched in between.  Very disappointing.  Months went by, as they tinkered- raising the price of the pretty mediocre sandwich from $1 to $2, before getting rid of it entirely, and replacing it with a bulgogi sandwich on a roll for even more money.  This might have been good, if it wasn’t for the cucumber, and american cheese they decided to use as condiments.

They introduced a bi bim bap, which was pretty unimpressive, and even kimbap (Korean sushi) appeared on the menu- although they never seemed to have it.  But the real turnaround began with the introduction of Galbi (a thicker cut of Korean bbq’d beef).

The Bulgogi Cart of today, after the jump…

Now they seem to have finally settled on a menu, and what they are putting out is pretty darn good for a street cart.  Gone, the awesome in theory, not so great in practice bulgogi sandwiches.  Gone, the weird yellow rice that may or may not have been an attempt to imitate the standard chicken and rice carts.  Gone, the weird American ingredients (i.e. white bread and american cheese) that nobody is interested in.

In its place, a scaled down, strictly Korean menu of Galbi or Bulgogi (and chicken, which I’ve never tried), served with standard Asian white rice, japchae (Korean noodles), and kimchee.  And the simplicity has paid off.  At $6, you are clearly not going to get the same cut of meat you get at a restaurant in Koreantown, but the flavor is spot on.  And while the bulgogi is pretty good, the Galbi is the new star of the cart.  They’ll give you both as a combo if you ask…

For winter they added a new dish, but this time with more success- as Bulgogi and Kimchee Udon appeared for this cold part of year.  $5 buys you 2/3 of a quart of soup, with a few pieces of bulgogi, Kimchee and some pretty decent Udon noodles.  I would have liked more bulgogi, and I’m sure the Udon is from a package, but overall it was really satisfying, and for $5 I’d take it over Hale & Hearty any day of the week.

It’s no secret that carts are probably my favorite part of Midtown Lunch’ing, and nothing excites me more than watching a street cart adapt to their surroundings.  I watched the Biryani Cart on 46th & 6th go from being a standard chicken and rice cart, to one of my favorite carts in the city when they started highlighting their Indian food offerings, and added Chapati rolls to their menu to make up for Kati Roll moving away from 46th St.  And the Jamaican Dutchy seems to have finally gotten their act together after two months of excruciatingly slow service.

It’s good to see the Bulgogi Cart follow suit, and turn what was once the biggest disappointment of 2007, into a street cart that I would happily eat at any day of the week.

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

• It’s super cheap Korean food, from a Cart.  What more could you want?
• As much as I love the idea of a bulgogi sandwich, the experimenting at this cart is thankfully over.
• A really good for the price Udon noodle soup for the cold winter months
• The galbi is very good, especially considering the price
• Good variety.  With your meat, you get rice, salad, a not so terrible japchae and kimchee.
• I love food from a cart

THE – (What people who don’t like this place would say)

• It’s not the same quality of bulgogi or galbi you’d get at a real Korean restaurant
• They still give you a rediculously small amount of kimchee (something that normally comes for free, and in abundance at most Korean restaurants)
• Not worth walking too far for…
• I hate eating food from a cart. I’d rather go to Koreantown, or even a place like Cafe Duke

Bulgogi Cart on 49th btw. 6+7th

This is not a typo people.  You are not seeing things.  This week I made an amazing discovery, that adds Del Frisco’s (the enormous, upscale and extremely expensive steakhouse in the middle of Midtown Manhattan) to the list of official Midtown Lunches.  THE Del Frisco’s.  If you work in Midtown you have been to or know someone who has eaten, or more than likely work for someone who has eaten, at Del Frisco’s.  All on the company dime, of course… after all, nobody pays for Del Frisco’s themselves!

Until today.  Do not mistake this for a drill.  This is real.  I have discovered a loophole in the Del Frisco’s cortex that may stop the space time continuum.  There is a meal…. at Del Frisco’s… that is delicious… and filling… that involves steak… and it is $9.95.  I am not shitting you!  While reading Andre Mika’s review of Del Frisco’s for dinner on his blog “Fork New York” I noticed this little mention:

I’ve been preaching about the filet tips and mashed potatoes on the bar menu for 2 years now (yes, they are still there for $10)…

That can’t be, right?  $10?  The burger there is $13.95.  How could steak, in any form be less?  But sure enough- I went to this place where Onion Rings cost $12.95, and poor men dare to dream, and there it was.  Right there in plain English.  At the top of the bar menu…

Filet tips w/ Chateau Potatoes.  $9.95.  Meaning that if you ignore the tax & tip (which we clearly will), eating at the Bar of Del Frisco’s is now… a Midtown Lunch!

Steak tip porn, after the jump…

From the first bite, you know you are in for a treat.  Despite the average price, these are not your average steak tips.  They are Del Frisco’s Steak Tips, and they tasted every bit like Del Frisco’s steak tips.  The bartender recommended getting them cooked Medium, so I obliged.  They came out on the Medium Well side, but they were still perfectly tender… especially when compared to your average crappy bar in NYC steak tips. 

6 decent size tips, surrounding a big pile of “Chateau Potatoes”, which are basically seasoned mashed potatoes with the skins left on.  (When my boss heard that “chateau” just meant they left the skins on, he commented that he made potatoes like this all the time, but called them “lazy man potatoes”.)  The potatoes were delicious, and the steak tips were out of this world.  Of course, I’ve never eaten off the real menu at Del Frisco’s so I have nothing to compare it to, but after trying the filet tips, I can honestly say I will gladly eat the throwaway bits off of rich peoples’ expensive steaks any day (especially for $10).

If you are not a big fan of black pepper, you might complain a little bit about how much pepper the steak tips are seasoned with- but to that I’d say, “Quit your freaking complaining,  you’re eating at Del Frisco’s for $9.95.”  The one thing to remember is the Filet Tips are on the “Bar Menu”, which you have to ask for specifically, and only available at the bar.

If you want to skip out on the whole tipping thing, call and order it to-go.  For me, it’s worth the extra couple bucks to sit at the bar of Del Frisco’s and see how the other half lives…

THE +

• Delicious steak & filling mashed potatoes at a restaurant that nobody can afford to eat at without a corporate card… for only $9.95.  What bigger + do you need?
• If you eat at the bar, you get free bread & butter!
• It’s pretty quick, ordering at the bar.  We were in and out in about 40 minutes.

THE -

• No complaints here!  (Although for some, the $4 sodas and copious amounts of black pepper that cover the steak might be cause for complaint.)
• The plate looks small when they first bring it out, but don’t let your eyes deceive you.  For $10, it’s plenty of food…

Del Frisco’s, 1221 Ave. of the Americas (btw. 48+49th), 212-575-5129.