Midtown Lunch

Not all street meat carts serve a seafood option, and even if they do it’s usually an afterthought and not offered every day. One of the best versions in the Financial District can be found at the $5.50 Lunch Truck on Ann St., with a spicy Eritrean spin on white fish. Among the meat-heavy menu at the Halal Gyro Express cart there is the option of “fish over rice” and that is where the description ends. Everything else I’ve had at this cart featuring Afghan food has been good so I had faith in the seafood. 

I was told it would be a few minutes because like a lot of the other items on offer here, they cook the fish ($6) to order. It was marinating in a bright red solution and then quickly cooked on the flat top so parts were crisped. You get a large filet that’s cut into a few pieces and laid over some basmati rice, with a side of lettuce, tomato, cilantro and a random clump of thin-cut french fries. I got their green and hot sauces, per usual, and was warned it would be a spicy. The heat wasn’t bad at all, and the fish itself wasn’t as spicy as it might look, so don’t worry.

You don’t get quite as much food as at the $5.50 Lunch Truck, but I really liked Halal Gyro Express’ fish, and the price is right. If you’re looking for something a little lighter than the cart’s chicken kofta or lamb dishes, this will likely please you. And hey, bonus french fries.

Halal Gyro Express Cart, William St. btw. Maiden Lane & John St.