Midtown Lunch

It looks like my hope of having knock off “kogi tacos” come to Baja Fresh here in New York is not just a pipe dream.  One of the reps from the NYC Baja Fresh location responded to our Tuesday story with this info:  “[The Kogi Menu is] currently being tested in one corporate location in Irvine, CA. However, this location is actually our prototype, same menu style, etc… So it is possible that we could be serving them soon, but I cannot confirm. I am looking into a more definite time frame, etc. Also, I highly doubt the word kogi is trademarked, just as Long John Silver’s is now selling Baja Tacos…”  Yeah, but Baja Fresh didn’t invent the baja style taco.  The Kogi BBQ Truck did invent this.  Either way, I hope it happens.  KOREAN TACOS IN MIDTOWN OR BUST!!!

Related:
Is Baja Fresh Ripping Off Kogi? (And More Importantly How Soon Will The Midtown Branch be on Board?)

It’s been awhile since we mentioned Kushi-Q, the Japanese fast food yakitori place on 3rd Ave btw. 45+46th. Apparently they are doing well enough to expand… the plan is to open this 2nd location inside the Citigroup Building food court on 53rd btw. Lex+3rd sometime in September.

Related:
Kushi Q… A Proper Review (with some tech porn for the Nerds)

One of the cooler parts of this morning’s New York Times article on feuding street vendors was the amazing cartoon by Elwood Smith.  The battle scene is not meant to depict any actual carts, but most of the Midtown bases are covered.  There’s a “Burgers” truck (La Cense, Carnegie John’s, Steak Truck), “Baked Taters” (Baked Potato King), “Waffles” (Wafels and Dinges), “Spicy Sausage” (Le Gamin), “Shakes & Cones” (Mr. Softee), and the requisite pretzel and hot dog vendors.  But there were a few weird ones- like the “Clam Rolls” cart, which led Lunch’er “Wayne” to ask this question:

“What intrigued me was the inclusion of a cartoon “clam roll” cart. Is there actually a clam roll cart in NY?!?”

I haven’t heard of one, but that would pretty awesome!  The full cartoon is on the front page of today’s dining section, but you can see most it online, here.

Related:
New York Times Turns Giant Eye Towards the Street Vendor Issue

I’ve always been a huge fan of the roast pork over rice at Hing Won (on 48th btw. 5+6th.) Beautiful strips of Chinatown style red roast pork, laid over rice and bok choy, and topped with their sweet soy sauce, it’s probably one of the most popular dishes served from the right hand side of the counter. (Hing Won has two sides, the left is a steam table of Americanized Chinese food, the right, a bilingual menu of Chinatown style specialities that are made to order.)

But last Friday I noticed a new sign hanging on their already jam packed wall of signs.  I don’t know what it said in Chinese, but the English surely got my attention:  “Roast Pig over Rice”.  Wha!?!  Isn’t it funny how changing one word from pork to pig can have such a big impact.  Some would probably consider pork and pig the same thing, but those familiar with pork in all its forms know the subtle menu nuances.  Deep down in my heart (which is already dangerously clogged with pork fat, I’m sure) I innately knew this was something completely different than the standard roast pork over rice. (And I was hoping it would involve something crispy.)

Despite my hopes and dreams for the dish, I didn’t actually know what the distinction between pork and pig was going to be, but there was only one way to find out.

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Nick Solares, from A Hamburger Today, joins Josh “Mr. Cutlets” Ozersky as the latest blogger to bestow praise on the 4 month old HB Burger (on 43rd btw. B’way+ 6th).  I was pretty quick to write off this sit down restaurant/burger joint owned by Heartland Brewery simply because of their prices (everything might be “under $9”, but order anything but a burger and you are going to be spending well over $10.)  But now that the two most esteemed burger bloggers in the city have weighed in with nothing but praise, I’m starting to reconsider my stance.  I mean, hell, if I can spend $7 on this burger, I suppose spending $7.50 is not that much more of a splurge. I still think that at its core HB Burger is not what anybody would consider a real “Midtown Lunch”, but whatever.  Good food is good food, right?  Anybody else been?  What do you guys think?

A Fantastic New York City-Style Burger from HB Burger [A Hamburger Today]

Related:
Heartland Brewery’s New HB Burger is Now Open

Once again, you’ve got to give credit to Yushi (on 47th btw. Park+Lex) for trying.  After introducing their new conveyor belt, soliciting advice from Midtown Lunchers, and then sadly turning the conveyor belt into a “for display only” situation, they’ve now changed things up again.  Today Yushi is replacing their “Spruce Goose” with the very first fully refrigerated sushi conveyor belt.

I have no idea what that means, or the technology involved, but apparently the genesis of the idea came from Yushi’s desire to have a conveyor belt you could actually take food from, while answering the customer concern that food on conveyor belts is not always fresh.  I always thought the best way to do that was by making sure your restaurant is always packed with customers constantly eating the food… but sure, crazy refrigerated conveyor belt is a good option too!  Any kaiten early adopters out there?  Feel free to report back. The conveyor belt is open daily from 11:30am to 2:30pm starting today.

Related:
Yushi Wants To Give You Free Conveyor Belt Sushi
First Look at Yushi’s Conveyor Belt, Which Opens on Monday
Airing of Grievances: Yushi’s New Conveyor Belt is For Display Only!?!

I’ve been wanting somebody to write this article ever since the Treats Truck was first intimidated by the Mister Softee truck on 45th & 6th back in 2007.  It took almost two years, but it was well worth the wait. The New York Times has devoted a huge article in today’s food section to all the craziness happening in the street food scene these days, and it’s all in there- from the threats received by the Treats Truck and the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, to the trials and tribulations of the Street Sweets Truck.  The piece also mentions the NYC Cravings Truck and Wafels and Dinges, and touches on how the bad economy has created a glut of new street vendors (and the problems this could end up causing as more continue to pop up.)  Even the Steak Truck (on 47th & Park) gets mentioned- surprisingly they are not bothered at all by the new La Cense Burger Truck parked just one block away.

But the best part is the shout out that the Midtown Lunchers got!

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Here what lunchers are talking about right now in the forums

• Negative story about Sarge’s is a lie! They make the best pastrami sandwich in Midtown [Midtown Eating]
• The Malibu Diner is a great early morning breakfast spot [Eating Outside Midtown]
• The Downtown Veronica’s Kitchen cart is better than the Jamaican Dutchy (!?!) [Midtown Eating]
• Midtown Luncher come out against the Hong Kong outdoor dining ban [Miscellanous]
• Where’s a good quick place for sushi in Midtown? [Midtown Eating]