Midtown Lunch

Obviously we here at ML believe that lunch is the most important decision you’ll make today, and I often get asked how I decide where to go. I can’t divulge all of the complex algorithms that determine whether a place is worthy of being called a Midtown Lunch, but there are a few menu items that are guaranteed to get me excited (spoiler: putting avocado on a chicken sandwich, which an improvement, is not one of them). Topping a burger with a runny egg will guarantee you a looksee. In fact, topping anything with a runny egg is good thing in my book. Putting french fries or onion rings in places where they don’t belong also brings me a lot of joy (i.e. inside falafel pitas, or stuffed into burritos). And of course, there is the all you can eat buffet- which could be the greatest form of lunchtime eating ever invented. I am a very forgiving eater when faced with the prospect of all you can eat.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “You, are a fat bastard Zach. Of course you like the all you can eat buffet!” But to be completely honest it is way more about variety than quantity. Which is why I was super excited by the $7 sampler platter being served at Guisados in Boyle Heights.

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As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Brandon, a downtown luncher who hates Starry Kitchen!?

Name: Brandon

Age: You mean kara-age?

Occupation: I work in fashion and music. Wow..that was such an LA thing to say. I’m such a hipster.

Where in L.A. do you Work?: McManus Studios. DTLA.

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese. There are way too many options within this cuisine for it not to be my favorite.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Starry Kitchen? Am I allowed to say that?

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Sashimi lunch at Sushi-Gen (422 E 2nd St). The Nozawa at Sugarfish (600 W. 7th St.) Banh Mi at Spice Table (114 S. Central Ave.) Ceviche and arroz con pollo at Mo-Chica. Any sandwich off the special menu at Mendocino Farms.

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If you work near La Cienega and Melrose chances are you’ve been to ink.sack for lunch by now. (You have been to ink.sack by now, right? Because if not, what the hell are you waiting for?! Go. Now! Well not now. It’s closed on Mondays. But go soon. It’s really good.) For those who have already been to ink.sack too many times, or don’t feel like waiting in line, or need lunch on a Monday, what are the other options in the area? Real Food Daily? No. Urth Caffe! You’re joking, right? What about La Cienega Kabob House? Now that looks like my kind of place…

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Tinga’s JuanTon Burrito. Photo courtesy of Eater/Elizabeth Daniels

• CTOWN New Dragon makes great wonton noodles [Eat Drink Be Merry]
• DTLA Spice Table‘s banh mi is better than ink.sack’s [Squid Ink]
• DTLA Baco Mercat is supposed to finally open next week [Eater]
• DTLA Word is starting to get about the Escondite [LADN]
• MID CITY Tinga is making a deep fried Chinese burrito!? [Eater]
• WEHO ink.sack now open on Tuesdays, and taking phone orders [Grub Street]
• WEHO The new Mendocino Farms is now open [Eater]
• WEST L.A. Sounds like Komodo’s Cafe is doing really well! [Unemployed Eater]
• WEST L.A. The tsukemen at Tsujita is even better than the ramen [Eat Drink Be Merry]

There is so much to hate about Fukuburger, the new “American hamburgers with a Japanese twist” joint that opened on Cahuenga in Hollywood last week.  There’s the yelling when you walk in.  The “hip” urban Asian (urbasian?) decor, which looks like a fancy design firm was told to Kogi-Truck-ify a bar for anime characters.  Then there is the giant flat screen displaying real time tweets that mention @fukuburger, and the waitresses forcing you to come up with a nickname for your table- “no real names, please!”   After a bit of prodding our waitress put as down as the Purple People Eater, a name she came up with for us based on my wife’s favorite color.  Are we having fun yet!?

It all seems a bit too gimmicky, which shouldn’t be a complete shock considering that Fukuburger started off as a food truck in Vegas, and was brought to L.A. by the same people who own Pink Taco (the ultimate in trendy gimmicks, in a city full of gimmicks, by people who specialize in gimmicks.)  So, it wasn’t entirely shocking when the whole staff broke out into a “When I say FUKU, you say BURGER” chant.  Seriously… are we having fun yet or what?!

And yet, I’m willing to forgive a lot when we’re talking about a burger topped with egg, onion strings, and teriyaki sauce. Fukuburger me!

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When the craving for Thai food hits, those who aren’t satisfied by pad thai and yellow curry alone will usually make the trek into Thai Town for the real deal.  Boat noodles at Pa Ord, jade noodles from Sapp, crispy catfish from Ganda, khao soi from Spicy BBQ or Pailin, and crispy pork w/ morning glory from Ruen Pair are the kinds of things that aren’t as easily found west of Highland.  But what happens if you live or work on the Westside, and those cravings hit at a time when you can’t make the 30 minute drive East?  There are plenty of Thai restaurants to choose from, dotting the landscape along Venice, Robertson, and Lincoln.  And a few of those places might make your favorite prik king.  Or massaman curry.  Or pad thai.  But when Natalee Thai is the best Thai food in your neighborhood, there might be a little room for improvement.

Enter the newly open Moo Moo Thai Cafe on Sepulveda and Venice.

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