Midtown Lunch

When it rains it pours! Last week we got a taste of what’s to come from Ma Peche, Momofuku’s Vietnamese inspired restaurant opening in the Chambers Hotel (on 56th btw. 5+6th). This week it’s O-Bao, the latest project from Michael “Baoguette” Huynh, another slightly upscale, Vietnamese inspired restaurant supposedly opening today on 53rd btw. 2+3rd (in the old Bunchberries space). Last week they had a free preview night, and both Joe Distefano and the Strong Buzz got to sample some of the menu. Both agreed that the pork belly skewers and ox tail pho were delicious.  Photo courtesy of Serious Eats NY

The menu is made up of a mix of under and over $10 dishes. I was disappointed to see that the Vietnamese noodle bowls (or bun) are all over, but if you’re looking for a bowl of pho, all but one is in the Midtown Lunch price range.

Check out the menu after the jump.

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The Michael “Baoguette” Huynh train continues to plow across New York City.  O Bao, his Pan-Asian noodle shop moving into the old Bunchberries space on 53rd btw. 2+3rd, was supposed to open yesterday but it’s been pushed back to next Monday, 11/9 (apparently there is something about Mondays being a lucky day.)  It will be the first of four spots he’ll open in four weeks (the rest all are Downtown.)  But that’s the not the end of the “Huynhews”.  He told me yesterday that there are plans to open a Baoguette in the Grand Central Terminal food court (on 42nd and Park). Now we won’t have to walk all the way to 25th and Lex for a top notch banh mi (sorry Boi Sandwich, but you just can’t compete with these guys.)  No date has been set for that opening, but he said that putting anything in Grand Central “takes a long time”. [Photo courtesy of Eater]

Related:
Midtown Proper is Finally Getting a Bao-Something
Baoguette’s Out of Bounds Banh Mi is Worth the Extra Walk