Midtown Lunch

It looks like Burger Joint is the only Midtown Lunch spot having a celebration on Monday.  Go Go Curry (on 38th btw. 7+8th) will celebrate having 55 locations worldwide by offering a single size katsu pork curry plate for just $5.50.  Plus all customers will get free topping coupons every day of the celebration (although you can’t use them on the $5.50 pork katsu curry special.)  The whole thing starts on Monday (October 1st) and goes until the 15th.

Kim’s Aunt Kitchen (or Kim’s Aunt Kitche according to their sign) on 46th and 6th has been well covered by Midtown Lunch over the years. It’s one of those spots I’ve been dying to go, but I was waiting until there was ample time since the last article. Clay stopped by earlier this year, but since it has been several months and my friend really wanted to try it, I thought I would join her and write a post to remind Lunch’ers about the cart.

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After taking a comment walloping in my overuse of “authentic” (which, after hopeful negotiations, I will replace with proper qualifiers of opinion/experience as applicable from here on out) in a review of Taco Bite’s Mexican fare (which is authentic in my opinion – is that better?) I figure I may as well stick to things that by definition defy authenticity to avoid the verbo-sociological pitfalls therein. Hence, when Domo Taco, which I liked but other contributors, not so much, announced on their Twitter feed that they were bringing in kimchi tempura tacos, I could think of no better opportunity to continue down the great altar of Comida Mexicano-japonésa at their latest visit to 38th and Broadway. This time, Taco Bite wasn’t there to cause a block war to break out. Are we looking at a new paradigm of fusion (“Sure, guys, let’s go for four distinct nationalities – Japanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Korean”) or a mad scientist’s cobbled-together nightmare?

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Do you wonder what the ML contributors do when they’re not eating lunch in Midtown? (We’re actually pretty easy to stalk!)

Totally not kosher wonton soup at Ho Yip downtown. Photo by Andrea.

Clay headed up to Harlem to photograph cuchifritos for Edible, Brian’s surrendered on his search for the best local beer, Brownie made funnel cake at home while I ate a roasted pig at Hurricane Club, and I bet you $10 Rachel is wishing she had another plate of roasted chicken right now (keep up the faith, the sun’s almost down!)

Elsewhere in the ML universe…Andrea found out you get a mixed bag of wontons in your soup from Ho Yip downtown, Jamie tried Philly’s Lil Dan’s truck’s new creation: Oreo-crusted chicken, and Zach came out about LA’s lunch shortcomings.

For any Midtown Lunch’ers who happen to a) regularly utilize QR codes to find out information or b) deeply care about restaurant health code violations when selecting your dining establishment, you’ll be pleased to know that Dan Garodnick (D-Manhattan) has championed a bill to require quick response codes posted in New York City restaurants. First reported by the New York Post, it seems the purpose of the recently passed bill is to give consumers the opportunity to quickly pull up information about restaurants (read: specific DOH violations). For now, the codes will be posted inside, but they may be posted on windows in the future.

Sapporo has once again undergone a menu makeover, as we mentioned a couple of weeks ago. And Sapporo regulars from the Yelp community have been complaining that the gyoza are not the same, neither is the miso ramen. Not a good sign. I’ve been by a couple times now for takeout, now, and have had mixed experiences with both new and old dishes.
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Ever since sampling the unique and full-flavored lomo saltado taco from Morocho at the Vendy Awards two weeks ago, I’ve hoped that the Rookie of the Year nominee would bring their Peruvian-fusion food to Midtown one day. Although the cart does not seem to want to venture from their regular Union Square location, the next best thing has happened. Midtown has gotten our very own Peruvian food cart.

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Photo added to the ML Flickr Photo Pool by Phude NYC

It’s hard to believe it, but the once secret now classic Burger Joint (located behind the curtain, under the neon burger sign in the lobby of Le Parker Meridien Hotel) is turning 10 years old this month. They have managed to survive the Midtown burger onslaught that some would say they kicked off, and to celebrate they’ll be offering up the original Burger Joint menu at 2002 prices all day Monday October 1st. That means $4 burgers, $4.50 cheeseburgers, $1.25 french fries, and $2 beer on tap, plus they’re going to be selling and giving away special limited edition 10 year anniversary t-shirts.  See you on line!

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 Jason, an internet guy with some great recs near 9th Ave.

Name: Jason

Age: 30-something

Occupation: Director, Mobile & Social Strategy

Where in Midtown do you work? R/GA

Favorite Kind of Food: Sushi

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything overpriced

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: When I have time to sit down and don’t want to go far, I like Tabata (on 9th btw. 39+40th) Shio Ramen. This is particularly true when it’s cold and wet out and I need something quick yet satisfying. If I have a bit more time and am super hungry, I stop by Peter’s Since 1969 (on 9th btw. 42+43rd), for all the American/Southern comfort food you can imagine. They’ve got everything from roast chicken, turkey brisket, you name it. Plus all the sides you know and love. Working near 9th Avenue, there’s a ton of Thai places to check out. My regulars are Room Service and Pure Thai Cookhouse (on 9th btw. 51+52nd). The latter is really authentic and has flavors you don’t normally get elsewhere. If I’m pressed for time, as in nearly everyday, I’ll often pick up a wrap at Lenny’s. Unimaginative, but reliably solid and quick.

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