Midtown Lunch

This time of year it’s natural, even for professional fatsos like myself, to be feeling a bit gross. So it’s become a custom to post a list of the healthiest Midtown Lunches I can bring myself to eat as a public serve to our readers looking to start off the year a bit healthier. Of course my idea of healthy differs a bit from the average Angeleno, but in my defense the title of the post isn’t “healthy” lunches. It’s healthiEST lunches, which on this website could be medically questionable. In other words, if avoiding carbs is your preferred method of getting healthy, you may want to avert your eyes. If, on the other hand, you consider carbs to be healthy by virtue of their not being fried, read on! This list is for you…

1. Bun from NongLA. Vietnamese food is one of those completely unique cuisines where my preferred dish also happens to be one of the healthier things you can order. Boiled noodles, grilled meat or shrimp, veggies, and nuac cham. That’s one small step removed from a salad in my book. The version at NongLA is not as good as what you can get driving to Westminster or the SGV, but it’s the best in West L.A. for sure. Sadly it’s next to impossible to order this dish without getting the fried spring roll. If you don’t tell anybody, I won’t. 2055 Sawtelle Blvd, West LA. 310-268-1881

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I find it hard to believe that this city can get any healthier than it already is, but somehow people in L.A. seem to dig deeper this time of year to find new, creatively disgusting ways to starve themselves.  I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions (especially ones that involve exercise or depriving myself of delicious lunches) but as a community service to those of you who are, here is a list of the healthiest* lunches I can bring myself to eat.   (*Legal Disclaimer:  It says healthiest, not healthy.  I cannot be held responsible for any weight gain as a result of eating lunches that I consider “healthy”.)

I’m not a big salad guy, but there is something about topping a salad with raw fish and Korean chili paste that makes it ok.  My favorite version of hwe dup bap right now is from Hawl Uh Kwang Jang in K-Town, and it somehow only costs $6.  So think of all the extra pounds you’ll shed if you end up with food poisoning!

More raw fish, another salad (shocker!), turkey burgers, small sandwiches, and an all you can eat buffet (yes, I’m going to try and convince you an all you can eat buffet is healthy) after the jump…

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Sorry, but I’m not down with the New Year’s resolutions.  I think salad is an appetizer not a lunch. You will never see me in a gym. And as fat as it makes me feel to look at every single lunch I ate in 2010 in one gigantic photo, I will not be going on a diet to kick off this new year. (And lord knows I need to.) Hell, I’m not even going to pretend that I might try and eat better, or convince myself that pre-paying for that Bally’s membership will actually motivate me to exercise this year. (34 years of experience tells me it’s probably better to save that money for heart surgery.)  That being said, I am well aware that this defiance puts me in the minority (and quite possibly completely alone) here in L.A. so for all of you who are attempting to lose weight this month here is a list of the healthiest lunches I can stand to eat.

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