Midtown Lunch

Thanks to Lunch’er Copyboy for sending over this important news re: Hing Won, our favorite Chinese food place in Midtown (on 48th btw. 5+6th).  “Hing Won Gets a C.  It’s the only inspection grade of “C” I’ve seen, and as part of the restaurant’s knuckling under to the Health Dept., they stopped hanging their roast meats. But take heart Hong Kong food freaks: you can still order roast pig, and despite the low grade my favorites (sauteed udon w/roast pork, spicy beef stew, Indonesian curry chicken) continue to not sicken me. Nor has the grade had any apparent impact on the lunch crowd.” Whew. That was a close one. This isn’t the first time Hing Won has been in trouble with the DOH… let’s hope it doesn’t effect quality the way it did with Ying Du. (Ahem, sorry. Ming Du.)

Thanks to Lunch’er Wayne for sending along this news…

“In the time-honored spirit of Chinese restaurant tax-dodging, Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th) has transmogrified into MING Du. Not sure but i believe it involves the principal fleeing back to china while holding unrecoverable debt (i.e. the business “lost” money) while the business reincorporates under a new name. cash kept, taxes forgiven, business stays open, roast pork gets eaten, everybody wins except the IRS.”

We have no comment about your theory, but the name change has been duly noted and we hope the food hasn’t changed.

Last week we told you that Ying Du was hit by the DOH and forced to close. It’s now back open and they’re getting ready to see what kind of DOH grade they’re going to get! I’m really interested to see what kind of grade they get since the DOH has been pretty harsh on them in the past about roast meats. So what do you all think? I’m thinking we might see a crowd favorite get a B or C! And if they get an A, someone start shooting down those flying pigs.

Earlier this week Gothamist reported that the Department of Health has relaxed restrictions on allowing roasted meats to rest in a window of your shop exposed in the open (heaven forbid!)    Does this mean the proper roast pork and roast duck will finally return to the window of Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th)?  It hasn’t yet, but we are holding out hope!

Related:
Ying Du’s Roaster Ruined by the DOH?
Ying Du Reopens Minus Their Roast Pork/Duck Station

The Serious Eats offices are about 5 blocks outside the official Midtown Lunch’ing range, but it looks like on Friday Robyn Lee (their photographer extraordinaire and expert on all things manatee) found herself at two Midtown Lunch favorites: Go Go Curry, followed by a little dessert at Ying Du (both on 38th btw. 7+8th.)  Nice choices!

Related:
Make Your Own Bo Lo Bao/Pork Chop Sandwich at Ying Du
Go Go Curry Hits a Japanese Curry Grand Slam

To say I was inspired by this post on Fork in the Road about a pork chop stuffed bo lo bao would be an understatement.  Mesmerized? Entranced? Seduced?  Whatever you want to call it, seeing a pork chop sandwiched inside a sugar topped Chinese pineapple bun stirred up feelings in me of extreme desire. But how to get one of these creations?  The piece mentioned that this treat is indigenous to Macao- but nothing about where to enjoy one here in New York City!  Clearly I would have to take matters into my own hands, and go to the one place in Midtown that I knew had buns and pork chops: Ying Du (on 38th btw. 7+8th).

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Is it possible that the secret to great roast pork and roast duck lies in the caked on juices that occur after years and years of use? That’s what one commenter suggested about Ying Du’s roasted meats, which made a return last week after disappearing following a visit from the DOH.

“I went last week on Monday and can confirm that the roasted meats are indeed back at Ying Du, and they still cost $5. I went with the roast pork and roast duck combo. I agree that the flavor isn’t nearly as good as before the DOH close, and I can only assume that it’s because they were forced to clean everything and remove the years of built-in flavoring.”

Let this be a lesson to all you neat freaks and germaphobes. Dirty = Delicious!