Midtown Lunch

A few months ago fans of Shendy’s Halal (on 52nd and 6th) started noticing some changes in the cart.  The containers had changed, the hot sauce was hotter, the meat was different.  We weren’t sure what was going on at the time, but one thing was clear… they were not serving the same food that scored them a second place finish in this year’s Street Meat Palooza.  Well, this week all of our questions have been answered… Shendy’s is now partnered with the Famous Halal Guys on 53rd & 6th!

In the photo above you can clearly see the branded sweaters, and the yellow bags with the logos.  But what about the food?

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At the beginning of the month we reported that Danku, the Dutch/Indonesian fast food craziness on 57th btw. 5+6th, was closing to revamp their menu and concept. Not so says Lunch’er Ben, who forwarded along this photo and email:

Hey Zach, Long time reader and Danku hater here. I walked by Danku this morning and there were forms taped to the door. Upon inspection it turns out they are eviction notices for non-payment of rent. Hallelujah! Not only were they total shit merchants, but also liars (Remodeling and reopening in February??Right.) Anyway, our long midtown lunch nightmare is over. I’m counting the days till Baja Fresh rolls in. -Ben

I don’t take joy in watching anybody lose their business, and clearly Danku could still end up resolving their issues and reopening (we’ve seen Old Bridge Deli do it time and time again.) But it’s not looking good. And maybe a Baja Fresh would be nice… but you know what would be nicer? A fast food restaurant that serves *good* Indonesian food. Come on Danku, make it happen!

Related:
Danku Goes Back to the Drawing Board
Everything You Wanted To Know About Danku (But Were Afraid To Try)
Queen’s Day Miracle: Can Fresh Stroopwafels Save Danku?

I don’t know what you guys think, but I’m pretty psyched to finally have a NYT reviewer that eats like us. In 5 years as the restaurant critic of the New York Times Frank Bruni and Midtown Lunch crossed paths just once (his 2 star review of Szechuan Gourmet.) But in less than three months Sam Sifton (who is quickly becoming my favorite food reviewer of all time) has doubled that output- first with his one star review of Le Relais de Venise L’entrecote, and today with his one star review of Madangsui- a great Korean BBQ place on 35th btw. 5+6th. Getting real Korean BBQ (where your meat gets grilled on the table right in front of you) is too expensive for Midtown Lunch’ing purposes, but if you’ve always wondered where the best place to get it in our neck of the woods is Sifton says Madangsui.

Photo courtesy of meltingnoise

What is it with today and burgers? Frites N Meats, Five Guys, Pop Burger, and now this… Burger expert Nick Solares weighs in on Black Shack today, the new burger place that opened on Lex btw. 38+39th a few weeks ago. As always, his A Hamburger Today review is geared towards the real burger aficionados (who notice things like “toothsome”-ness), but in the end he pretty much agrees with us average Midtown Lunch’ers. It’s a perfectly good version of a fast food burger, but nothing to go out of your way for.

Related:
Black Shack is Not a Destination Burger, But Will Work Out Just Fine For the Area

Booooooo Superbowl?  Apparently the price of chicken wings skyrockets in December, so the NYC Cravings Truck can’t afford to serve their new chicken wing special right now.  They’re hoping to start serving them again in January, when the prices go back down.  In the meantime we’ll just have to make due with their Taiwanese fried chicken and pork chops.

Related:
Cravings Truck Adds Chicken Wings; Says Thanks This Week With $5 Platters

Every Tuesday I turn over the site to a different Midtown Lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Midtown. This week it’s Geetika Khanna, a well known chef (formerly at Raga & Masala Cafe) who now operates the catering company “All Things Food”. She is also a cooking teacher and founder of the Indian Culinary Center, which offers Indian cooking classes on West 23rd Street. Oh, and she’s a bonafied Midtown Lunch’er who’s looking for some good fried chicken (and Korean food!)

Name: Geetika Khanna

Age: 40

Occupation: Chef/Instructor (and founder of the Indian Culinary Center)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: I live in midtown, in the East 50s.

Favorite Kind of Food: Mediterranean

Least Favorite Kind of Food: There’s no food I don’t like! I think I have eaten almost everything. I went on an African safari and ate every kind of animal they offered me — including snake. Though, there was one embarrassing moment. The Masai make a drink of milk and blood that they offer to you as a gesture of respect. It was pink and frothy and warm and I just couldn’t bring myself to drink it. I just couldn’t!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: For Indian I like Kati Roll (on 39th btw. 5+6th). I had been going to the one downtown so I was really excited when they opened a branch in midtown. And, Apna Taj (on 55th btw. Lex+3rd) has cheap take out lunch boxes — they are $8 for the vegetable and $9 for the meat. Lately I have been all about fried chicken. A friend took me to Chicken House on 36th between Seventh and Eighth — it was amazing fried chicken. And then we tried the chicken at The Bastard Son on Eighth at 39th. The line was crazy but they had great fried chicken. That is something I am not going to cook at home. I’ve also been into Korean food lately — I love all the stuff they give you in the beginning — and the hot pots! I go to Taam Tov on West 47th for the tamarind and noodle soup they make. And, though it is out of the Midtown Lunch price range, when I want a splurge I go to Anthos on West 52nd. It is fancy without being too expensive. Midtown has a ton of chi chi places — but I don’t like to spend a ton of money to eat well.

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