Midtown Lunch

A few weeks ago Dave Cook from Eating in Translation posted about a meal he had at Gan Eden by Jacob, a (kind of) new Glatt Kosher restaurant on 47th btw. 5+6th. He actually discovered that the restaurant isn’t exactly new… it used to be run by Jacob’s father, before closing about 4 years ago. It reopened a month ago, and we hit the place up together (two guys can eat more than one) to sample the menu.  I don’t actually know much about Bukharian food- my experience is limited to Taam Tov (also on 47th btw. 5+6th) and some manty I had at the Choice Eats last year.  But I was eager to stuff my face learn, and Dave proved to be a great tour guide.

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Mindful of the fact that nobody likes standing out in the freezing cold waiting for their lunch, the NYC Cravings Truck has told customers that if you want tianbula you can come up to the window and let them know before you get on line. Unlike the chicken and pork chops, which are made in a steady stream, the fishcakes are made to order. So letting them know before you get on line means a shorter wait when you get to the front. Thanks Cravings! The truck will be in Midtown today on 53rd btw. Park+Lex.

Related:
NYC Cravings Truck is Not Just Taiwanese Fried Chicken Anymore

Well, it looks like the Chicken House’s title as “only Vietnamese food in Midtown West” is going to be short lived. Boi, the upscale Vietnamese restaurant on 44th St. btw. 1+2nd that owns Boi to Go and Boi Sandwich, has plans to expand to the west side for the first time- opening Boi Noodles on 40th St. btw. 7+8th in the old Sophie’s Cuban space across from the New York Times Building. Presumably the place will focus on pho and bun, but there’s no official word yet except for this notice on their website. If they end up serving banh mi as well, I’ll stick with the Chicken House version, which is better than Boi Sandwich (the secret ingredient is the bread!) As for the pho, it should be fairly simple for Boi to win that battle. No word on when the place will open up, but the scaffolding on that street is gone so maybe they’ll have an easier time. Thanks to Lunch’er Kim for the tip.

Related:
Chicken House’s Vietnamese Food is Just Ok… But At Least Their Bread is From Paris Bakery!
Scaffolding & NYT to Blame For Sophie’s Closing

I know it’s freaking cold out there these days, but don’t let that deter you from the street meat!  Street Vendor business always drops off in the winter, and this year is no different.  I’ve already heard from a number of vendors that business has dropped as much as 60%, and it’s not just the cold… it’s the wind too.  So as tempting as it is to eat at whatever crappy chain is at the bottom of your building, get out there and help your favorite street vendor make it through the winter.

And just to show that I practice what I preach, I dragged Hagan (the 93 plates dude) to the 53rd & 6th St. cart today, which we proceeded to eat on the street in the freezing cold!  And from what I hear, we just missed the DOH…

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It looks like Wednesday afternoons are going to be a wild-card for the Treats Truck.  From their weekly newsletter: “Starting this week, each late Wednesday afternoon, we will pop up in new spots people have requested! This week, the UES. Next week, somewhere near 26th St and 11th Avenue. After that, hmmm….any suggestions?” Don’t worry though, this new afternoon thing won’t effect their lunch schedule. The Treats Truck will still be parked on 45th and 6th every Wednesday from Noon to 3pm.

I was beyond excited when Chicken House (the dirty fried chicken joint on 36th btw. 7+8th) reopened post renovation with a whole new Vietnamese section of their menu.  The ownership, which is Vietnamese (natch), hasn’t changed… they just decided to take advantage of our complete lack of decent Vietnamese options in Midtown by adding pho, bun, and banh mi to their menu of fried everything.  I finally made it over there a few days ago to sample the menu… and while I wish I could say everything was amazing (it most certainly wasn’t) there was some worthwhile goodness.

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