Midtown Lunch

There are a couple of trucks selling southeast Asian foods these days, including Mamu Thai Noodle. The truck has been parking at one of the lots near the World Financial Center in Battery Park City at least one day a week and based on the line when I stopped by on Monday, you all are happy to have a Thai option in that part of downtown. 

The menu is fairly brief and focuses on the hits that you see at most Thai restaurants: pad Thai, pad skew and drunken noodles. It appears they also have a couple of specials each day in case you’re feeling a bit more adventurous. Prices run from $8 for tofu to $10 for shrimp with chicken as the mid-range option. They sometimes have sides of things like curry puffs, but the day I was there the only side on offer was a couple of types of chips including a Thai version of Lays potato chips in chili cheese flavor.

You want to hear about the food, right? I got the drunken noodles with tofu for $8 which is advertised as spicy. It was pretty low on the spice level I’m used to, but they do ask if you want chili flakes with your order. Other than that minor quibble, I did like that they cook each dish to order, so be ready to wait 10 to 15 minutes during prime lunch time. The tofu and noodles had a nice smoky wok flavor and the portion was decent. There weren’t any vegetables or anything to distract from the noodles and tofu, so don’t look to this for a healthy lunch. Also, the prices are a bit high but I liked my dish. I don’t know that I’d pay $10 for the shrimp version.

If you work in the nether regions of downtown that are without any Thai options, this truck will fulfill your need. Just don’t expect to have your mind blown by the food.

Mamu Thai Noodle Truck, look on Twitter for location.