Midtown Lunch

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Teresa, the girl responsible for the amazing Wah Mei Pork Chop Fast Food delivery story last week. I wanted to see what other tricks she might up her sleeve!

Name: Teresa

Age: 26

Occupation: QA Analyst (just started 6 months ago and still don’t really know what I do exactly).
Where in Midtown do you Work?: TheMarkets.com around 53rd and 7th

Favorite Kind of Food: So far, my favorite is street food in Taipei. The food is so tasty and cheap. Whenever I visit Taipei, I make sure to have noodles almost everyday. Also, they have their famous soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung. The dumpling skin is much thinner than what I get here in Chinatown/Flushing. This summer I’ll be visiting Japan, so I hope to find some new favorites.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Mushrooms, sea cucumber, abalone, clams, oysters, mussels, most of the “exotic” seafood in a typical Chinese banquet.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Tonkotsu or Curry Ramen at Men Kui Tei on 56th btw. 5+6th (I found out sadly they don’t serve Mabo Ramen for lunch), Fried Chicken Curry Udon at Teriyaki Boy (on 7th Ave. btw. 48+49th), Beef Soft Tofu Soup at Cafe Duke’s (on 51st btw. 6+7th), and the unlimited salad at Stage Star (on 55th & 6th).

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Yesterday, the Vendy Awards announced the identity of this year’s “Citizen Judge” and she just happens to work part time in Midtown. Meet Mina, a “do-gooder” who loves street ceviche and credits her friends and family with introducing her to great food.

Name: Mina

Age: 32

Occupation: Occasional do-gooder

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Columbus Circle

Favorite Kind of Food: My palette owes everything to my friends’ and family’s culinary delights, and introductions to their favorites. So, here are some of my faves with some love to those peeps who’ve influenced my taste buds (bear with me!) Family: Mom’s sukiyaki and soups are divine – always the freshest and tastiest ingredients, and Dad made the best veal “it’s just not the same without sherry” marsala. Aunt Jo’s Italian Christmas feasts were an abundance of celebratory delights including a caponata I have yet to replicate, and stuffed shells all the way to colorfully sprinkled and deliciously sticky rosettes and bow ties (Italian fried dough).

Then there’s the college crew from Tufts House: They opened my
taste-buds up to the possibilities of burritos and horchata, deep dish pizza, the irresistible Indian lunch buffet (Star of India, way across Chicagoland), challah, and kielbasa. And, I just discovered that your first profiled person on here was Harry (another high school classmate). His Brooklyn Kitchen hosts an annual cupcake contest to support a local soup kitchen. I went for the first time this year and achieved a blissfully delirious sugar high tasting some of the hundred plus cupcake options – it was absolute cupcake heaven.

My uptown roomies made the most fabulous gourmet meals nearly every night you’d never believe they were budget. From Zita’s redonculous (her word not mine!) cheese stuffed burger, cakes and frosting, to Helen’s risotto and homemade yogurt, and Jenn M’s delicioso chicken and potatoes. It was any wonder I was able to get through the door ways! Celebrating friends’ ethnic heritage through food is definitely a theme. Yoshi introduced me to Sri Lankan – on Staten Island! And Anastasia’s tsatziki, is just the start of her Greek specialties. Yin Mei’s wedding in Malaysia was a food bonanza, and I came back a fan of curry laksa from the street stalls (burning mouth and all).

My new extended family in Queens carries its own: Food Nation was one of my first events here. It is an annual event Choi Wah started as a college student to bring a nation of people (now multiple nations) together over the enjoyment of an ingredient or type of food; this year it was Pasta Nation. Andrea, doesn’t exactly live in Queens, but she brings the taste of Zabar’s Chocolate Babka to us often, and I highly recommend it. My roomie Ai, has truly been my latest food ambassador through her culinary talents. She has received wedding proposals for her mac ‘n cheese, and I have tasted why! We go on food adventures nearly every week (this week’s special – kale chips!), and she introduced me to the local vendors in Corona. The ceviche I had down the street is my favorite (south east corner of Roosevelt and Warren St.)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Hot spicy foods. There is a restaurant ironically called Spicy Mina in Queens, but I can only strive to reach such stature. (I assume she can eat as spicy as she can cook!). Unfortunately for me, I’m not capable of eating hot, spicy foods. So, there are no special requests for tabasco or more hot sauce from me, but I try to live vicariously through my friends – several of whom couldn’t have it spicier! And that leaves me wondering whether I’ll ever experience the delight of saying “can you pass the hot sauce?” Other than that, I tend to avoid super greasy, charred BBQ, and foods fried in old oil. Yick. But, don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good burger and fries now and again.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week we’re throwing a bone to the people who work in the Southern reaches of Midtown (or as some might call it… the Flatiron.) Meet Jason, a Renaissance Man/blogger (naturally) behind the site Me So Hungry which focuses on that area just below Midtown. Technically most of these recommendations are outside the official ML boundaries, but should be welcomed by anybody working in the low 30s.

Name: Jason

Age: 32

Occupation: Associate Producer at a cartoon company (I get paid to watch cartoons), musician, record label exec (I suppose?), food blogger!

Where in Midtown do you Work?: In the Flatiron District

Favorite Kind of Food: Sloppy (shepherd’s pie, stew, casseroles, chili, curry punjabi) …you would think the KFC bowl would be a godsend

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Beef that tastes like lobster. When I first moved to NY down in South Park Slope, all the beef tasted like that. Also if Uni (sea urchin roe) didn’t taste like my VCR from my hometown Winter Park, FL circa 1982, it would be disgusting. But it just reminds of this kung fu movie I watched everyday for 2 years straight: Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. It’s like Karate Kid with Jackie Chan as Ralph Macchio.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Cuban sandwich at Margon!!! (On 46th btw. 5+6th)… and I love the Hallo Berlin cart! (on 54th and 5th) Rock the Barack Democracy sausage & meatball special!

But what about around your work?

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Victoria- a financial “servant” who hates onions but loves fish tacos and horchata.

Name: Victoria

Age: 23

Occupation: Financial servant

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 58th & Lexington

Favorite Kind of Food: I’ll start with CHEESE – for me, melty cheese can save almost any dish, there’s nothing like a good grilled cheese with tomato, a meatball parm, Velveeta shells and cheese, a baked wheel of camembert, or a burger oozing with gorgonzola. I also love fish – raw: salmon, kampachi, hamachi, toro; cooked: black cod, Alaskan butterfish, Chilean sea bass – I don’t have the will power to be politically correct with food! I can’t turn down a rare, bloody ribeye steak or Porterhouse, or carpaccio with shaved parmesan and capers. I can be a bit of a carnivore, with venison, lamb, veal, ribs, and OXTAIL. (I even tried kangaroo in Australia.) I like anything braised that falls off the bone, like coq au vin or osso buco or pig’s feet (Chinese dish). And I can’t forget chicken wings of any kind! Also, being Chinese, dim sum: steamed shrimp dumplings, fried turnip cakes, lotus-wrapped sticky rice, sweet egg tarts – and did I mention I could honestly eat dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Scallions, chives, onions (I like the taste of them but I always pick them out), pickles, Vietnamese sandwiches (I don’t get the hype), Ethiopian food – only had it twice, once in LA’s Little Ethiopia district and once at Merkato – but both were horrible.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Anything from Woorijip (on 32nd btw. 5+B’way). Kimchi dumplings or bibimbap from Mandoo Bar (on 32nd btw. 5+B’way). Tina’s Cuban (Two Locations) for the heaping oxtail special plate. Kalbi or miso-marinated steak at Gyu-Kaku (on 50th & 3rd), small portions but very tasty. Coconut shrimp or any daily special at Gourmet 53 (in that basement food court at 53rd and 3rd.) And I know these are out of the “official” range, but they are MUST TRY places if you have the time: the chicken meatball sandwich with melted fontina and pesto mayo at Penelope (on 30th and Lex); the lamb, prosciutto, or clam personal pizzas with super thin crusts at Waldy’s (on 6th ave btw. 27+28th; and any of the desserts at Kyotofu (on 9th btw. 48th and 49th.)

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week I couldn’t be more excited to have Ruth Reichl, the Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine, which just so happens to be the media sponsor of “Street & Savory: A Global Street Food Festival” on Monday night to benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels. The event is in Rock Center and will feature street cart inspired fare by a long list of famous restaurant chefs as well as food from some of our favorite street vendors, like The DessertTruck, The Treats Truck, Red Hook Ballfield Vendors and (the one I’m most excited about) the Los Angeles based Korean taco truck: KOGI BBQ. Get more info about the event, plus register to win a pair of tickets (valued at $1200!) after Ruth recommends her favorite spots to eat lunch in Midtown.

Name: Ruth

Age: 61

Occupation: Eater, Editor, Writer

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Conde Nast

Favorite Kind of Food: There is almost nothing I won’t happily eat.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: The only thing I won’t eat is honey.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Mysore masala dosa, saag paneer, and brinjal bhartha at Minar (on 46th btw. 6+7th.) White rice, chicken, all the vegetables, no white sauce at the Halal Chicken Curry Cart (on 43rd and 6th.) Kalbi, bibimbap, yukgaejang, and soondubu from Kang Suh (on B’way and 32nd.) The spicy tendon from Wu Liang Ye (on 48th btw. 5+6th.) Ma po tofu and twice cooked pork belly from Szechuan Gourmet (on 39th btw. 5+6th.) Spaghetti neri with squid, crudo, fried blowfish tails, grilled fish, fish soup from Esca (on 43rd & 9th.) Chawan mushi with uni and omakase sushi from Sushi Zen (on 44th btw. B’way+6th). Lasagna, pasta, and salads from Insieme (on 7th Ave. and 51st.) And Le Bernardin (on 51st btw. 6+7th) is pure luxury; everything is fabulous.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Dani an account executive/food blogger who answers all of our profile questions, except for one: How do I get invited over for Mom’s Indonesian home cooking!?!

Name: Dani

Age: 34

Occupation: Account Executive (and Food Blogger)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 40th and Madison

Favorite Kind of Food: Mom’s Indonesian home cooking (specifically her risoles, which are breaded, crepe-like pastries filled with a creamy chicken and veggie concoction), sushi, dim sum, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, seafood, potato chips, Southern cooking

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Try as I might, I’m not a big fan of cheesecake, which leaves many people simply speechless, especially my co-workers who rave about the cheesecake at Juniors. Jiggly desserts like jello and pudding do not thrill me either. I also can’t get into organ meats unless it’s “broken down” like in pate. I’m also not a big steak eater.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Even sans the salmon topping, the Caesar Salad at Salmon River (on 40th btw. Mad+5th) is the best; the dressing seems to have much more zing than other places. I also cannot get enough of the Ma Paul tofu at Szechuan Gourmet (39th btw. 5+6th); great sinus-clearing spiciness and massive portions that will carry you to the next two meals! Tokyo Restaurant (on Lexington btw. 39+40th) offers giant bowls of ramen and hearty sushi in a serene traditional atmosphere. Cafe Zaiya (on 41st btw. Mad+5th) for pretty much anything like the chicken katsu, udon noodles and pastries. $10 at Japas (on 38th btw. Mad+5th) will buy you a robust lunchbox of three sets of maki rolls, miso soup and salad.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Ian, a podcaster who is looking for some fried zucchini.

Name: Ian

Age: 25

Occupation: Editorial Assistant (and Podcaster)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: America’s Tower (Sixth Avenue b/t West 45th and 46th)

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m a big fan of Japanese food, primarily sushi and various forms of teriyaki. Miso soup does for me what chicken soup does for some people; it’s my comfort food. I grew up on Fried clam sandwiches, so a good one of those will make me a happy man. Indian (usually curry), Caribbean jerk chicken, Chinese (dim sum, roast pork, beef and broccoli), Mexican burritos and quesadillas, and a good Grandma slice of pizza or a Hawaiian pie. Oh, and veal. Sorry to those who think it is cruel, but I think it is yummy.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Kosher pizza (I have nightmares about their faux cheese), hot capicola (tastes like feet), raw white onions, kimchi, and interesting enough, lettuce. Well, at least the flavorless lettuce lunch places will put on a sandwich that really add no flavor at all to the food at all. And most vegetarian food made to taste like meat is lacking to me, since I am a meat eater and get to experience the real thing.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Roast pork over yellow rice and red beans at Margon (46th b/t 6th and 7th), Kati rolls from the Biryani cart on 46th and 6th (and the kashmiri curry when they offer it), the pulled pork waffle from Waffles and Dinges (which I haven’t had in forever since they’re usually not there on the days I work :( ), and the newest creation from Café Zaiya (41st btw. Mad+5th): the Omu Soba, which is a thin pancake with Soba noodles, vegetables and meat stuffed inside it. Once a week I can go for a chicken and broccoli and a Hawaiian slice from Pronto Pizza (the one across from the Nintendo store, on 48th btw. 5+6th, not the other one), and I think I can add the fried chicken from The NYC Cravings truck to the list after eating from it on Monday, even if I did have to wait 20 minutes for them to make more rice. Well worth the wait! I can go for the occasional Magdy’s double meat cheese steak when the weather’s good (on Park and 46th). Oh, and I’m a fan of Park Italian Gourmet’s (45th b/t 5th and 6th) chicken parm sandwich. It’s not the best, but it’ll do.

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week, it’s Andrew an analyst who loves lobster rolls, and is mourning the loss of Mitzy’s Macarons.

Name: Andrew

Age: 22

Occupation: Analyst

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 52nd and Lexington

Favorite Kind of Food: Pho, Banh mi, Ramen, Yakitori, Seafood (in particular: Sushi, Sashimi-I love uni, Lobster rolls, crabs, both soft and hard shell, oysters, clams, mussels, pretty much anything that comes from the sea, really), Corned beef and pastrami sandwiches (with hearty mustard), Macarons, Baked goods in general (cookies, breads both sweet and savory, pies, cakes)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I tried Ethiopian food once and didn’t like injera, so I guess there’s that. I’m open to trying anything at least once though

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Tacos and Quesadillas from Pampano Taqueria on 3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th (love the free chips and salsa, I usually get the chilorio, shrimp, and fish tacos or one of those fillings in quesadilla form), Sophie’s Cuban (either a roast pork sandwich with plantains or the fried fish sandwich with plantains, and with extra green sauce), Fried Coconut Shrimp and French Fries from Gourmet 53  in the food court on 53rd & 3rd (awesome place that almost always has a long line, but they are very efficient about moving the pace and they give samples so that helps too, lunch comes with a free cookie and soda for under $10, and the rest of their food is tasty too.)

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week meet Janelle, a saxophone playing administrative assistant who might run my new favorite blog: Foodlebrities. Don’t ask, just go check it out… after you read about her love of spicy pickles below.

Name: Janelle

Age: 25

Occupation: Administrative Assistant and Saxophone Player (with a token blog mention)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 41st & Madison Ave.

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m partial to anything that packs a lot of sodium so Udon, cheap Chinese buffets, Mexican, bento boxes, and anything with pickles or excess vinegar. And, of course, bacon!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I’m not a fan of the licorice taste in green curries or fermented bean curd (Go Go Curry failed to convince me with a topping coupon). Other than that, I’ll eat it up!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The Braised Ma “Paul” Tofu w/ Chili Minced Pork or the Pork Belly w/ Chili Leeks from Szechuan Gourmet (39th b/w 5th and 6th), the Reuben from Homefront Deli (41st b/w Mad and Park), Rollies from Old Bridge Deli R.I.P. (Lex b/w 40th and 41st), Falafel from Olympic Pita (38th b/w 5th and 6th), Chaat from Indus Express (48th b/w 5th and 6th), double-cooked pork bento box lunch special for $4.25 from Café Zaiya (41st b/w 5th and Mad), and the shrimp ceviche from El Ricon Del Sabor (47th b/w 5th and 6th).

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Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. Meet Jamie, a future law student who works on the outskirts of Midtown, and thinks bacon, pigs in a blanket, and tequila qualifies as “healthy” food. She actually sent in two photos, and insisted I posted both because they “capture her essence.”  The before photo is below (I cropped out all her friends, but they’re about to start drinking). The after the drinks photo is after the jump.

Name: Jamie

Age: 23

Occupation: Non Profit Paralegal (with a food blog)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 33rd & 10th (and you think you have it bad!)

Favorite Kind of Food: A pretty impossible question, I tried to break it down into categories. Jew: sour pickles, pastrami/corned beef sandwiches, matzah ball soup made by my mother. Healthy: wings, crispy duck skin, bacon, tequila shots, pizza, pigs n a blanket. Japanese: takoyaki, miso soup, katsu, hakata ramen. Korean: fried chicken, bulgogi, kalbi, kimchee. Chinese: dim sum, dumplings, congee. Malaysian: roti canai, beef randang. Vietnamese: pho, summer rolls. Spanish: arroz con pollo, sancocho, lechon asado, ceviche, arepas. Eastern European: borscht, pierogies, stuffed cabbage, lagman. Also, can’t forget French, Italian, Burmese, Thai, Greek, seafood, spinach, soup… this is harder than the LSAT, I’m spent. (I also enjoy a nice piece of cheese and a well plated dessert.)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Half sour or dill pickles, super bitter things like grapefruit and arugula, and I do not love offal- I recently tried gizzard and wish I hadn’t.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: The special noodle with brown sauce (ja jang mein) at Hyo Dong Gak on 35th btw. 5+6th is probably the best midtown lunch dish around. It’s a huge portion of noodles with a thick brown sauce made with pork, onion, and zucchini for $8 that easily lasts me two lunches. I recently enjoyed curried goat roti at the Best of the West Deli on 34th and 9th. I always get the sweet and sour pork at Woorijip (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th), the eggplant at Pick a Pita (on 8th Ave. btw. 39+40th) is delicious, and I like the chorizo torta at Las Poblanitas (on 38th btw. 8+9th.)

The rest of Jamie’s answers, plus the “after the drinks” photo, are after the jump.

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