Midtown Lunch

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

Who doesn’t love having their noodles hand pulled? Wait… let me rephrase that. I love pulling my noodle! Shit wait, no that’s wrong again. For great hand pulled noodles check out Sheng Wang on Eldridge street (that’s better). I had lunch there after being told about it from the same friend who told me about Lan Zhou last summer, but she said that since discovering Sheng Wang, it’s her go-to HPNJ (hand pulled noodle joint).

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

In celebration of the Chinese New Year which is this Monday, Jan 26th, I wanted to review what I consider one of Chinatown’s elite restaurants, Nice Green Bo. Formerly New Green Bo, the ownership changed hands last March and the “New” became “Nice”. Whatever. As long as they don’t mess up the food they can call themselves Big Dongers Chinatown Food Hut (I think that name may actually already exist).

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

For some reason whenever I hear someone mention Big Wong in Chinatown, I hear a gong sound go off in my head.. maybe I’m just thinking of an association with the Sixteen Candles character (of a different but similar sounding name). Word on the street is they have one of the cheapest lunch specials in the city, but I had never tried it so went with a friend to scope out the situation earlier this week. I was impressed with the number of lunch specials, all around the $4.50 range.

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

Wah Ji Pork Chop fast food has a bigger name than the space it occupies, having recently opened in a small cubbyhole on Allen street. Word of this spot came through a tip by our Midtown Happy Hour correspondent Mamacita, who saw it posted on chowhound ….gracias mama! After reading a few of the reviews I wanted to check it out for myself, having seen several posters compare (and ultimately diss) Excellent Pork Chop House.

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.) Today he tackles something near and dear my heart: Dim Sum. I’m more of a Jin Fong man, but Golden Unicorn isn’t bad… and if they can get Daniel to eat (and enjoy!) chicken feet- than they have a new special place in my heart.

There’s something exciting about going to an old school Dim Sum restaurant where the waitstaff wheels around carts with pipping hot steamed buns, different types of shumai, dumplings, and various parts of animals I never would have thought you could eat. I’ve always steered away from the uncommon parts of an animal (intestines make me, well, sick to my stomach.) But I felt if I was going to go for some traditional dim sum, at the storied Golden Unicorn restaurant, I should try something I’ve never had before. Luckily I had with me the prolific flickr poster Wendalicious (or Wendy if you will) whose food photography has been on my radar for about a year now. I don’t know anyone who photographs their meals with such enthusiasm and vigor. She’s a Chinatown regular (having grown up there), so I thought she’d be the perfect dining companion.

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.) Today he clues us in to secret Korean chicken wings, from a by the lb. buffet inside a generic deli.

Park Lane Deli is situated at 56 Reade Street and to the curious passerby would appear to be a typical sandwich slinging deli with a hot/cold buffet for the lunch crowd. Go inside, and wait on line for the buffet- and at the end of it you’ll be greeted with large trays filled with some of the best fried chicken in NYC. Fat little drumsticks and wings, heavily coated and perfectly seasoned, the meat is tender and juicy in the middle. Also available are sticky hot and sweet wings, equally irresistible.

Read more »

Midtown workers shouldn’t have all the fun, so to even the score, I’ve brought on Daniel Krieger as an official Downtown Lunch Correspondent to write up some of the tasty stuff you can get in the lower half of Manhattan. He’s a great photographer (ensuring good food porn), but more importantly he is a lover of cheap, unique and delicious eats (or as I like to call it- Midtown Lunch’ish food.)

Before reading the sign at the entrance of Pho So 1, the new Vietnamese restaurant located on Mott street, try to visualize a drunk Vietnamese restaurant owner shouting those words at you. Yhat’s the only way I can read that sign with a straight face. But then again it’s really funny, so why would I even want to read it with a straight face?

This end of Mott street has a few old Chinese standbys including Wo Hop and Hop Kee, the old-school-kinda-joints where you walk down a flight of stairs to get inside. Pho So 1 is also found down a flight of steep stairs at 11 Mott street, now offering good, honest priced Vietnamese food (also currently offering a 10% discount as part of their grand opening).

Read more »