On my walk back to the office from lunch last week I noticed Buk, a new Balkan restaurant on 55th Street. Their menu is solidly on the pricier side of the ML scale, only the flatbread sandwiches and salads were $10 or under–and in my book you better make a damn good sandwich if you are going to charge $10. But I did see their window advertised a 30% off “your next fine dining experience at Buk” and they had a table top sign outside promoting $2.50 pizza slices. As luncher “high temp” reports in the forums, the early “reviews” on urbanspoon are of dubious authorship. Any reactions from early adopters?

Buk Balkan Bistro (55 W 55th St, btw 5 + 6th), (212) 541-4723

I really like Katsu-Hama and have been waiting impatiently for the one on 55th to open ever since I saw the notice on midtownlunch as it is much closer to my office. I used to walk down to the one on 47th to eat their katsu lunch special, but it’s a bit of a trek. Even though they promised to open at the beginning of August, it took them until the very last day of the month to open, which made it more of a September opening, but it’s finally here!

There wasn’t a single food item on the menu under $12 (only beverages), so I’m not sure it fits your midtown lunch $10 rule, but I know you appreciate the information particularly about new openings. The lunch special was tasty, and comparable to the food at their other midtown location. The rice was a good consistency and not too dry, the katsu was light and crunchy, and the condiments were well-balanced. The staff was also attentive and quick, and not just because I whipped out a camera, although the crowd wasn’t too heavy when I was there.

So to sum up, while it’s not a particularly cheap midtown lunch, it’s sure tasty. The lunch specials range from $12-16, and there are certainly other things that you can get for that amount in midtown that people would find to be a better deal. But you can’t find good katsu in too many places, so if you have a taste for it, this is the place to go.

Katsuhama, 43-45 West 55th Street (btw. 5+6th), 212-541-7145

Original Location: 11 E. 47th St. (btw. Mad+5th), 212-758-5909

When I crave a little Japanese curry rice with fried meat cutlets I usually hit up Go Go Curry (on 38th btw. 7+8th) or Yagura (on 41st btw. Mad+5th), but for a nice sit down splurge Katsu-hama is the jam (on 47th btw. Mad+5th.) which makes this news kind of exciting…  Matsuya Foods, the company that owns Menchanko Tei and Katsu-hama, is turning Onigashmia (the Japanese spot connected to the Menchanko Tei on 55th btw. 5+6th) into a second branch of Katsuhama.  I never tried Onigashima, so I don’t know if this is an upgrade or downgrade… all I do know is it’s good news for any tonkatsu fans working in the northern part of Midtown. They’re hoping to have the location up and running by the end of the month.

Ok, well maybe that is a bit of an overstatement… but between this, the duck sandwich at FreeFoods, and the Mexican Cheesesteak from the El Rey del Sabor cart- this Midtown Lunch Sandwich Challenge thing is turning out to be the best thing I’ve ever done for… well… for myself.  Seriously.  I can’t believe how well this is going, and after trying Certe’s “Thanksgiving Dip” (on 55th btw. 5+6th), I am ready to declare this challenge thing a complete success- even if not another sandwich gets made.

Unlike a standard “french dip”, where the bread is thick and can sop up the gravy, this “dip” is more like a burrito, with a thin tortilla shell. Strange, but it totally works. It’s $8.95, but a total gut bomb- and completely worth the money. Guaranteed you will not leave hungry. Mashed potatoes is the first layer to go down in this thing, and gets topped with thick chunks of turkey. On top of that goes a cornbread stuffing and a tiny bit of cranberry chutney. The whole things gets rolled, and grilled, and comes with a cup of gravy for dippin’. (You didn’t think that was coffee did you?)

Sorry the the close-up couldn’t be more “food porn’ish”, but my camera ran out of batteries- so I had to take this one with my phone. But you can get the idea.

The Thanksgiving kitchen sink sandwich is nothing new, but there is something about this one that really goes above and beyond the sum of its parts. The mashed potatoes could have made the thing too heavy (and for some people they might) but for me it was just right (and this is coming from someone who finds mashed potatoes to be the least exciting kind of potato you can get… I know- it’s shocking but true.) You could taste the perfect amount of salt and pepper and seasonings, and that tiny bit of sweetness from the cranberry chutney added the “mmmm, that is so good” moment of every bite. Of course the cup of gravy didn’t hurt either. I could go back and eat another one of these today.

One final thing… I have always found Certe to be a mildly intriguing version of the standard Midtown deli. Not only does their food look good, but they do a lot of interesting things… enough to have gotten me to consider eating there (although I never got around to it until now.) But the thing that puts the place over the top is how nice everybody is. I’ve never seen anything like it in all of Midtown. They know all their regular customers, and it is a total party in there at lunch time… so much so, you forget about how incredibly cramped it is to order and pay for your food. I had the other member of the Midtown Lunch Buffet Team with me, and they were totally cool about it- even though we were taking up a ton of room. They even offered us a free brownie. (Oh, maybe that’s why I liked the place so much.) And they didn’t know I was from Midtown Lunch. I just came in and ordered the sandwich just like any regular customer… they are literally that nice to everybody. The one negative… they don’t have seating unless you order from a waiter, but the Sony Atrium is just one Ave. away, and the perfect place to eat when it’s cold out (on 55th btw. 5th+Madison).

Oh, and one more thing. They have free brownie samples at the front (I had 2), but anybody can actually get a free brownie just by signing up for their mailing list. (The cards are also in the front.) This could be the greatest place of all time. I will definitely be back, and not just for the Midtown Lunch Sandwich Special.

Certe, 20 W 55th St. (btw. 5+6th), New York, NY 10019,    212-397-2020

Fresh on the heels of yesterdays post on how to make a complete Midtown Lunch out of free samples comes this ridiculousness.  Free sushi samples, on the street, in the hot sun, from a pizza place.  No joke.  Yesterday, Madrit’s Pronto Pizza on 55th btw. 5+6th added a sushi bar to their establishment, and to generate interest they were giving away free samples today in front of the store. I’d like to pretend like I didn’t try it, but I’m a gross man, and couldn’t help myself.  Luckily I’m still alive to type this…

I don’t think I’ll ever be getting the sushi from Madrit’s Pronto, but they do have a pretty sweet outdoor seating area in the back, so I may have to go back for a slice.

 

“Burger was decent, but no way in hell worth the wait,” seems to be the theme of a Friday that was supposed to be the “Grand Opening” of Five Guys on 55th. btw. 5+6th Ave.  I was on a plane to San Francisco on Friday, and missed out on all the excitement, meaning that my Five Guys experience was limited to Thursday’s surprise opening, where the wait time peaked at around 30 minutes.  Not so on Friday, where burger “Early Adopters” were forced to wait over an hour and a half for what is supposed to be fast food.  Comments flooded in, and even Eater covered the madness.

I was pretty angry to have to wait 30 minutes on Thursday, so I can’t even imagine what Friday’s customers were feeling. 

Over the weekend, I got this email from Sal Rincione, the Executive VP of Operations for Five Guys NYC (and “Manager” who was deserved a “big punch in the puss” according to some of Midtown Lunch’s readers):

Zach,
It was utter madness [Friday]! I would like to go on record saying how much we appreciate the support and the AWESOME turnout.  We humbly apologize for the long wait.

Five Guys normally does call in and faxed orders but due to the high volume [on Friday], we obviously will limit the amount of call in’s and faxed orders we will take [going forward].  Please let everyone know that if you fax in an order, unless you get a VERBAL Confirmation from either myself or my staff, assume we are not preparing the order. Unfortunately, we just dont have enough square footage to handle all of the walk in’s along with the called and faxed orders.

My #1 goal is to make the BEST BURGERS IN NYC! Thanks :)

Sal

What I think of the burgers & fries, plus some meat porn, after the jump…

No food is worth a 90 minute wait, especially during Midtown Lunch, where we’re all competing with co-workers who take 22 minute “Cafe Metro” lunches… but that being said, from a pure food standpoint, Five Guys is the lunchtime answer for anyone wishing there was an In N Out Burger in NYC.

Just like In N Out, they serve a thin fast food style patty, made from 100% fresh (not frozen beef).  Just like In N Out, the fries are fresh cut, from real potatoes- with one difference; the Five Guys’ version are thicker than the shoestrings you get at In N Out.  There were some complaints about the fries, but I’m guessing that those complaints stemmed from bad batches caused by the crowds.  I’ve heard some people say that you get a “rediculous” amount of fries, and that two people can share a small order.  Fat guys should ignore this advice.  A small order is more like a ”sensible” amount of fries for two people to share… and if you are walking into Five Guys in the first place, you are probably not looking for a “sensible” amount of food.  The large fry (pictured above) is probably a “sensible” amount for three people too share.  If you like to stuff yourself, ignore all this and order your own fries.

Aside from cheese, all toppings are free- including fresh cut jalapenos, grilled onions and grilled mushrooms- a huge bonus, that you normally pay out the nose for in Midtown.  For fans of In N Out looking for substitution, the biggest differnce is going to be the price… Five Guys is more expensive- but what do you expect?  We’re in NYC.

The biggest complaint I’ve heard about Five Guys (aside from Friday’s lines) is the fact that the burgers are well done.  This complaint is silly.  Nobody ever complains that In N Out Burger’s patties are “well done”.  Why?  Because the patty is too thin.  It’s impossible not to cook them all the way through, and you either like thin pattied fast food burgers or you don’t.   Five Guys’ patty falls into that In N Out Burger category.  Two very thin patties, stacked on top of each other.  If you’re into it, you’ll like Five Guys.  If not, there’s always Good Burger, Burger Joint, Carnegie John’s, and The Blarney Stone to fall back on.  (And for now, the wait it probably shorter at those places!).   I love a juicy Medium Rare burger, but I love In N Out Burger too.  Two totally different animals. 

For me, I think Five Guys might end up being relegated to Burger Joint status… a once in awhile treat on days when it’s slow at work.  As for the wait, I’m guessing Friday was an anomaly, and 30 minutes will probably be the standard wait time.  It will probably never be “fast food”, but now that I think about it, neither is In N Out Burger.  Try walking into one of those places at lunch time on the West Coast.  It takes 5 minutes to order.  30 minutes before you get your food.  But man is it worth it…

OPERATION “HOW IS FIVE GUYS DOING?”: I can’t go to Five Guys every day to check on their progress, but I know alot of people are interested in seeing if the lines and wait times die down.  So, if you go to Five Guys at all over the next few weeks, please comment below about your experience.  I’m interested to see if it starts to improve, and I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated by Midtown Lunch readers interested in checking this place out… thanks!

In the end, it’s all about balance.  The goal- finding something that is not so cheap it’s just gross, but not too good, because then it ends up being too expensive for Midtown Lunch’ing.  I’m pretty excited for the new conveyor belt sushi place opening at the end of the year, but I know in my heart that filling up at Sakae Sushi for under $10 is going to be a very difficult task.  In the end, I can’t seem to find an end all be all for cheap sushi.  There are some delis with decent sushi counters (Cafe Duke is ok, as is Variety Cafe on 48th btw. 5+6th), but none that I would wholeheartedly recommend.  Yummy Sushi in rock center is pretty bad.  Kiiroi Hana, a restaurant that served to go sushi on the sidewalk of 56th St. was pretty good, but it closed.  In the end, even good pre-packaged sushi is still pre-packaged, and your best bet is to find a sit down place with a really good lunch special

My favorite, hands down, used to be Wu Kong on 46th, a Chinese/Japanese combo, but it closed over a year ago- leaving me searching for a replacement.  Taki Sushi on 48th btw. 5+6th is pretty good, but when I wrote about that place I got a ton of people who recomended Kikku on 55th btw. 5+6th, claiming that it is the best cheap sushi in Midtown.

I finally made it down there last week.  What we ordered, and a +/- after the jump…

Kikku is a tiny little Japanese restaurant on the second floor of a building on 55th btw. 56th.   The entire restaurant probably only seats about 20-25 people at the most, and on some days it can be pretty tough to get a table.  That being said, the price is right.  Two rolls of you choosing for $7.95 (unless you want non raw fish rolls, like cucumber- in which case it is even cheaper), and you get your choice of soup or salad.

I’m a big fan of eel and avocado & spicy tuna (alternating bites between the sweet and spicy), so any place that allows me to get that combo, is alright in my book.  My wife had the California Roll & Tuna+Avocado Roll, giving me a chance to try those as well.  You can also get Yellowtail+Scallion, Salmon Skin, Plain Tuna Roll and a few other choices.

The quality of the fish was very nice, and the rolls were an ok size (with the California & Tuna/Avocado faring much better than my eel & spicy tuna), but with a very good rice to fish ratio.  All in all they were bigger than what you get in a pre-packaged sushi place, but smaller than a lot of sushi restaurants where you pay for ala carte rolls.  At least they don’t pad the rolls with a ton of rice.  The only complaint I would have, and this may be a + for some, is that the rice was 100% not seasoned.  No vinegar at all, and for me that gave it a weird “something’s missing” kind of taste.  My wife, who doesn’t like overseasoned sushi rice, didn’t seem to mind, leading me to believe that some people may be into this type of sushi.

With tax and tip, the meal ended up being $10 a piece, putting it right at the Midtown Lunch price limit.  A third roll can be added to your combo, but that would put you over the top from a price standpoint.  All in all, I felt like we got what we paid for, and the quality was definitely better than what you get prepackaged in a deli.  It’s not the end all be all of outstanding sushi, but what do you expect for $10?

THE +

• Quality sushi, made fresh, for $10
• Very good quality fish for the price
• I can order Spicy Tuna & Eel+Avocado- my favorite combo
• If you don’t like vinegary sushi rice, you will love this place!
• You get orange wedges at the end of the meal.  Very exciting!

THE -

• The rice is not seasoned, so you may feel like something is missing
• There aren’t a *ton* of options for the combo meal.  Nothing too exciting…
• The rolls aren’t too small, but they’re not satisfyingly large either
• Two rolls isn’t enough for lunch (for some people) and three rolls puts you over the $10 Midtown Lunch’ing limit
• The dining room is tiny, so you may have to wait or take your food to go

Kikku, 50 w. 55th St. (btw. 5+6th), 212-582-8357

Mark in on your calendars… Thursday, October 25th.  I’ll be the fat guy in the corner, taking a picture of his double cheeseburger with sauteed mushrooms & onions (and bag of fries of course).

Walked by what will soon be the Midtown location of D.C. chain Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries today and found them in the process of hiring staff.  The guys in front of the 55th St. (btw. 5+6th) location said they were 2 weeks away from opening, but from the looks of the inside, I’d guess more like 4.  Regardless, we’re getting close and I’m getting excited.  

Check out the menu w/ prices, after the jump…

When it was first announced that Five Guys was coming to NYC, the saying “In N Out prices” was thrown around.  That is certainly not the case, as a cheeseburger and fries is going to run you $9.  A little pricey, but in line with what the rest of Midtown is charging for a decent burger these days.  The plus side is their standard burgers come with two patties.  A “little” burger, just means one patty.  Sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers as free topping options is certainly a bonus. 

If you can’t wait, there are already locations opened in Brooklyn Heights & Queens.  For more, check out A Hamburger Today’s coverage.