Midtown Lunch

It’s been awhile since we’ve mentioned Washoku Cafe, the Japanese quick lunch spot on 37th btw Mad+5th. They’ve actually made some adjustments to their menu recently. In addition to the selection of bento boxes, sushi and rice bowls, they are now serving ramen as well. I’ll definitely be stopping by soon to give it a try. With the weather bouncing from warm and sunny to damp and dreary, it’s just a matter of time before a nice bowl of soup is in order.

If any early adopters have checked out the ramen at Washoku, let us know how it is in the comments.

• A little rain wont stop tonight’s ML happy hour at Stag’s Head [Midtown Connections]
• Non-tourist spot near Times Square for Mother’s Day? [Midtown Eating]
• Florida recommendations needed for a luncher’s trip next week [Miscellaneous]
• Korean Tacos are coming to Union Square this weekend [Other NYC Eating]
• A 24 hour Grimaldi’s in opening in Manhattan?! [Midtown Eating]

Photo uploaded to the ML Flickr Pool by Phude-NYC

You know what would make these two deliciously fried cutlets even better? Bacon! And Cheese! Maybe the Schnitzel & Things Truck will take a cue from KFC and introduce a Schnitzel Down: Two crispy slabs of veal with cheese and salty bacon in between. I say if they are going to be accused of being a terrorist threat, they might as well go all the way!

Every Tuesday we 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 Jennie, the lunch’er who tipped us off to Bann Next Door a few weeks ago.  (Thanks again!)

Name: Jennie

Age: Sometimes I have the food habits of a 13 year old boy who plays a lot of video games (pizza and coca-cola with flamin’ hot cheetos as a side dish, and a snickers bar for dessert).

Occupation: Advertising Operations Manager

Where in Midtown do you Work?: Parade in Midtown East (near Grand Central/United Nations)

Favorite Kind of Food: Tuna sashimi, fancy sandwiches, a good burger, pepperoni pizza with a lot of Tabasco, spam and eggs on rice with nori and kimchee, lobster rolls, fish tacos/burritos, donkatsu, soon doo boo, arepas, pho…I can keep going.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Licorice

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: Crisp Africa wrap (I’d eat there more often if it was cheaper), Roast Duck Noodle Soup at Mee Noodles (2nd Ave. btw. 48+49th), Any of the noodle dishes at Menchanko-tei (on 45th btw. Lex+3rd), fish burritos at Pampano Taqueria (on 3rd btw. 49+50th), the cold buffet at Amish market (on 45th btw. 2+3rd) has a good selection of prepared salads that uses unusual vegetables (like jicama, different types of mushrooms), The Health Nut on 2nd Ave. btw. 44+45th (I like their curries but they also have a nice buffet of vegetarian options), and Oms/b (on 45th btw. Lex+3rd).

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From Lunch’er Steve: “Just walked by Spoon City (on 33rd btw. Mad+5th), the ice cream/soup place across from the Empire State Building. It was all cleaned out. Looks like Shake Shack wins.” Well, we didn’t think there was any chance that Shake Shack would *lose* but it is kind of surprising that more people didn’t get excited about this place. I guess people only like concretes when they have to wait in line for them.

Related:
Spoon City Brings Shake Shack’ish Custard to Midtown

Walking by the old Wilshire State Bank (on 32nd btw. 5+B’way) the other day, I found myself surrounded by a cloud of plaster and debris. The doors were open to the site of the upcoming Koreatown food court, so I peeked in for a moment to get a photo of the space. It looks like there’s a lot more work to be done demolishing the interior, but you can sort of see how the space is going to come together on the first floor, at least. It looks like most of vendors will be on the left, underneath the mezzanine. The stairs in the back look a little rickety, so there’s a chance they might do some crazy Kyochon-style stairway to get to the upper floors. I don’t know the first thing about construction or design, so I can’t really speculate beyond that.

The big news, though, is the rumors about who might be moving in.

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If you’re near Pizza by Cer Te (on 56th btw. Lex+Park), but not exactly craving a slice, Hello Pasta (on Lex btw. 54+55th) will soon cover that other carb craving we always have.  Early reports say this location will be the first of ten for this new fast food pasta company, and they’re not shy about wanting to be “the Starbucks or Pinkberry of pasta”. Honestly, I don’t know whether to celebrate or cringe, but you know we’ll be there when they open in June to see if they should bother with the other nine locations!