Midtown Lunch

I wasn’t sure what to expect when walking into Maid Cafe NY on Centre St. (at Walker) in Chinatown. Would I be accosted by ladies dressed as maids? Would the food be terrible? Neither of these turned out to be entirely true, although the cafe is probably better used as the source of Japanese sweets than a solid lunch. 

You walk in, and will be greeted in Japanese by the ladies clad in maid outfits standing behind the front counter where you order. There are rice balls, a beef bowl and Japanese curry along with sweets and self-serve frozen yogurt. You can also buy your very own maid outfit for $65 and then buy yourself with some accessories.

But you’re here to read about the food I ate there for lunch. I opted for the large chicken curry ($7.95) with a fried chicken cutlet added ($2). You can also get an egg or other toppings for an additional charge, Go Go Curry style.

The curry here is kind of like what McDonald’s is to Shake Shack – not bad but not great either. There were small pieces of white meat chicken in the curry that was very gravy-like in consistency and looks, and then there was also a chicken cutlet alongside that was actually good. You also get a fair amount of rice in in three different heart shapes, ironic because the curry is likely going to clog that very organ.

I noticed a fair number of office workers coming in to get lunch as it’s close to the government buildings nearby on Centre St. and I suppose sometimes you need a break from Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants in the area. The food is affordable here, and if you can get past the Japanese pop music and maid outfits it’s not a bad place to get lunch.

Maid Cafe NY, 150 Centre St. (at Walker), (775) 386-2692, on the Web