Midtown Lunch

Eater’s burger week has gotten me pretty excited (though, admittedly, that doesn’t take much effort when burgers are involved.) The list of participating restaurants is decidedly fancy and pricey for the cheapos we champion here at Midtown Lunch, but when I read that Ma Peche would be joining in on the burger fun, I wasn’t going to let a couple extra bucks stop me.

At $16, the burger is definitely a splurge from my typical budget, but here’s what you get for it: a decently thick 8oz patty on a bed of cabbage-jalapeño slaw, topped with lemongrass chili butter and served up on a brioche bun. Brioche isn’t usually my first choice for burgers, they tend to be thicker and cakier and get in the way of the burger inside- but that wasn’t the case here.

The bun was soft and cross-grilled, and absorbed enough of the juices to stay moist without drying out the burger. The chili butter and the slaw competed for the slow burn. Initially, the spice wasn’t particularly noticeable, but about half way through, I was very glad I didn’t douse it with the house hot sauce.

The shrimp chips on the side didn’t really do a lot for me. I didn’t really notice much of a flavor to them, just the distinct crunch when biting into them. I considered putting one on the burger to add another texture to the whole deal, but decided it wasn’t really necessary.

So, yes, it’s more than we’d usually spend on a burger for lunch, but it was pretty great and brought some flavors together to boot. I was satisfied, that’s for certain.

The only negative of the whole experience is now I’m jonesing for more. Thankfully, none of the rest of the burger week options are quite as close as Ma Peche. Still, with the great weather yesterday, I may find myself making a special trip.

Ma Peche, 15 West 56th Street (btw 5+6th), 212-757-5878