Archive for 'Nuchas'

Nuchas and Rhong-Tiam Collaborate on Thai Empanadas

After enjoying their Thanksgiving empanada special during the holiday season last year, I was excited to see Nuchas tweet that they’re offering Thai special empanadas at both their Times Square kiosk and the truck. Nuchas collaborated with chef Andy Yang of Rhong-Tiam to bring two Thai-inspired fillings (which are already on Rhong-Tiam’s menu) to their empanadas: lemongrass chicken and basil beef. Normally I’m skeptical of things that seem like Asian confusion, but I was very interested in checking these out. So, how’d they fare?

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Nuchas Now Offering Limited Edition Thanksgiving Empanadas

Recently, to celebrate the holidays, Nuchas launched a Thanksgiving-themed empanada special that features the best of Thanksgiving leftovers … but before the holiday has even begun. As a super-fan of the Thanksgiving meal, I made sure to check out what sounded like a little pocket of heaven from the kiosk in Times Square.
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How do the Veggie Empanadas at Nuchas Stack Up?

I have been skeptical of the Nuchas signature empanadas truck ever since I went to the kiosk and felt they were so disappointingly small that I couldn’t bring myself to spend the nearly $3 per empanada. But I was having one of those rough days at work. My task list was long, and the copy machine wasn’t working, so I had to go the Staples on 40th and 6th. In a rush to get back, I thought I was going to have to go to Hale & Hearty or something equally boring. But on my way out I looked around the corner, and the Nuchas truck was parked right there. Since Rachel has covered most of the other empanadas, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to test out the veggie empanadas.

I smirked and rolled my eyes as I looked through the window at these tiny things. They reminded me of a comment Midtown Lunch’er CheeeeEEEEse (who must also be watching some Jim Gaffigan comedy clips) shared on Rachel’s last post:

Hooooot pocket.

Hilarious. As apprehensive as I was, I knew if today wasn’t the day, I would probably never try them. So I got the $10 special which is three empanadas and a drink (nothing fancy: soda, tea or bottled water). At $2.76 (plus tax) per empanada, I figured the special was equivalent to a free drink I wouldn’t have otherwise had. (There have also been sightings of 2 for $5.00 specials at the Nuchas kiosk in Times Square.) The three vegetarian empanadas are: Portobello with spinach, herbs, mozzarella, and spinach dough; spicy cheese with assorted cheeses and parmesan dough; and shiitake curry with shiitake mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, onion, peppers, and coconut milk with turmeric dough.

When I brought the empanadas back to the office and lined them up with my metro card, I was still under the impression the empanadas were small for the price. I know I’m spoiled in the arena of empanadas since I live in Queens, but the empanadas around my neighborhood are bigger, taste delicious, and only cost between $1.50 and $2.00. I was still experiencing the mental pain of paying so much for so little. (Note that this picture shows the shiitake curry empanada but they are uniformly sized.)

Overall, I thought the empanadas were decent, especially considering they were meat-free. Although I’ll admit it’s not necessarily authentic, I really liked the Nuchas empanada dough. They’ve made the dough soft and flaky without being overly greasy, and I’m a big fan.

How do the veggie empanadas stack up? I know everyone has different preferences and tastes, but here’s my take on the three.

Like Rachel, I enjoyed the spicy cheese, but the onion flavor was overpowering. The cheese was sloppy, runny, and pungent, and this was the only empanada where I could taste any real spiciness.

The shiitake curry empanadas, and the only vegan option on the menu, were satisfying but lacked salt and spices. I thought that it was interesting to combine what I think of as Italian vegetables like zucchini and eggplant with Indian flavors. I could feel the tongue-numbing turmeric, which is advertised as being in the dough, but I suspect it was also in the filling.

To me, the portobello and spinach had the best flavor. Densely stuffed with spinach, It reminded me of a spanakopita. You couldn’t actually see the mozzarella because it was melted and stirred into the filling, but you could taste the saltiness.

I definitely could have eaten at least one or two more of these fellas, and I was disappointed with the spice factor. Would I eat there again? Maybe in a pinch or perhaps to try the meat empanadas. Would I recommend to someone else? Maybe not to a Midtown Lunch’er who doesn’t like to pay $3.00 for a glamorized hot pocket, but yeah… I would recommend Nuchas to someone who isn’t a stickler for empanada authenticity and who doesn’t know/care about price. They are pretty tasty, and the dough really makes the empanadas worth it.

Nuchas, Broadway btwn 44th-45th Streets in Times Square and truck at 40th and 6th OR 47th and Lex — follow their twitter feed for daily location

Nuchas Truck is Muchas Tasty

Rachel has been loving the empanadas from the Nuchas kiosk in Times Square for the last few months. And with the news that their food truck is now roaming the streets, it was only a matter of time before I devoured a few of these hot pockets.

I spotted the monster truck (it’s one of the biggest I’ve seen in NYC) on 40th and 6th after work on Friday. They said they were closing down around 5:00. I don’t know if this will be their permanent hours, but I was excited to get a snack later in the day. Aside from the halal carts and a handful of dessert trucks, most mobile food vendors are out of the neighborhood by 3. This was a rare treat.

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Nuchas Goes Mobile: Nuchas, the Times Square kiosk selling empanadas on Broadway between 44th and 45th streets, has gone mobile. The new truck's menu seems to mirror that of the kiosk, offering many savory and one sweet option. They've found parking on 47th street between Park & Lex today, but you may want to keep tabs on their twitter account before heading out.

Nuchas Special Offers 2 For $5, Sometimes


When they opened in November, Nuchas was offering empanadas for $3.00 each. So, in order to stay in the Midtown Lunch budget, you could get only three. Lately, you can get four! Nuchas has started offering two empanadas, two breakfast pastries or one of each for $5.00 as a daily special. Since the promotion seems to be working for them, it’s been making a somewhat regular appearance. While we can’t guarantee it’ll always be there, I did see it Monday and they were offering it again yesterday. But wait, there’s more.

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Times Square Kiosks Have Temporarily Moved

Marco? The Salume and Nuchas kiosks are not in their regular spots today due to Thanksgiving goings-on in Times Square. In fact, there’s a massive tent spanning the width of the pedestrian area where Salume usually resides for a Frigidaire event starring chefs Anne Burrell and Jeffrey Zakarian. And, Nuchas was moved out of their spot due to parade prep. You can find both kiosks safe and sound just a few blocks north in the pedestrian area between 47th and 48th, and they will return to their regular locations after the Thanksgiving festivities are over.

Your First Look at Nuchas’ Gourmet Empanadas

Gourmet empanada vendor Nuchas is the latest of the Times Square Alliance kiosks to open, joining Salume and Snack Box in the pedestrian areas of Times Square. The good news for Midtown Lunchers is that every item on the menu is just $3. The bad news is, because of their smaller size, you’ll definitely need at least three empanadas for lunch.

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Nuchas Is Now Open In Times Sq

As we reported earlier this week, Nuchas opened for business today, although you might not be able to tell because of the giant trucks and cranes parked right in front of their window. (They are thrilled, let me tell you.) The gourmet empanada kiosk joins Salume and Snack Box in the Times Square pedestrian walkways.

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Nuchas Opening Friday In Times Sq?

First there was Salume, then there was Snack box. Now, there will be Nuchas! Lunch’er Mike sent us a tip that a kiosk called Nuchas is setting up in Times Square to sell gourmet empanadas. According to the Nuchas Facebook page, we can expect six varieties, including Argentine (ground beef, onions, peppers, scallion), short rib, pulled pork, porto (portobello mushrooms, spinach, mozzarella), spicy cheese and capresse.

They’re definitely not open yet, as they are painting the entire street from 44th to 45th street blue today. But, the nice folks inside the Nuchas box said they’d be opening on Friday. Based on Snack Box’s precedent, I wouldn’t hold my breath, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be stopping by to check out their progress!

Nuchas, Broadway btwn 44th-45th Streets in Times Square