Midtown Lunch

When I walked by Danku, the Dutch/Indonesian chain on 57th btw. 5+6th earlier today, there was a guy outside handing out free samples of hot chocolate. He told me he’s out there all day, and also hands out bites of their krokets- so if you’ve been interested, and work in the area it may be worth swinging by. The early reviews of this place have ranged from “excellent” (I only saw that once, and based on my experience is highly suspect) to “just ok” to “bland” to “gross”. I did, however, notice one change from my first visit on the day they opened… the noodles they are serving are completely different from the (terrible) ones I tried, and they now come topped with what looks like fried garlic (an authentic Indonesian touch.) All the combos also now come with shrimp crackers, another welcomed improvement. You have to hand it to them… at least they’re trying. I think I’ve given them enough time to sort things out, so a full +/- might be coming soon.

Is it possible to love something so much, you end up kind of hating it? That might be the way I feel about Cafe Zaiya. Yes, I’m talking about that Cafe Zaiya (on 41st. btw. Mad+5th), the Japanese fast food place that specializes in bento boxes and rice balls and amazing Japanese baked goods. The place that won best Japanese Fast Food in the Midtown Lunch Readers’ poll. That Cafe Zaiya. The simple fact is, I will step foot in that place and not be able to decide what to get. Everything just looks so damn good. In fact, there have been times where I have spent 15 minutes looking, browsing, picking something up, putting it down, picking another thing up, waiting in line for a baked good, get out of line, contemplate the sushi, put the thing I picked up down… and so forth… until I become so crazed, I just leave and eat somewhere else. I have no excuses. Love will sometimes do crazy things to a man.

What I’m saying is, I could never compile a post like this. It would require too many visits… choosing too many things… making too many decisions. I just don’t have that willpower. I would probably just end up buying one of those little fried chicken sandwiches and a rice ball every single time. Damn you Zaiya! Luckily, Kathy YL Chan, author of the blog A Passion for Food, and our resident Hawaiian food expert, doesn’t have my issues. And she was happy enough to put together this massive look at some of the best things Cafe Zaiya has to offer. Sure it’s nothing groundbreakingly new here on Midtown Lunch… but who would complain about looking at a ton of amazing food porn from one of the best lunch places in Midtown.

Of all the places to eat lunch in Midtown, Café Zaiya is my safe haven. Reliable, cheap, and most importantly, very tasty. Most days I veer straight towards the bakery counter and select two baked goods. That fills you up just about right for less than $5. You’d be hard pressed to find a better deal.

The café is divided into five major sections. The bakery area on the left side of the shop, bento and sandwiches in the middle, a hot food station in the back, a cold food area to the right (sushi, salads, and cold sandwiches) and Bead Papa’s upfront. I find the hot food at Zaiya to be simply passable and nothing more. Same goes for the sushi. Divert your attention to the bakery.

Here you’ll find wonders (most priced under $2) of the sweet and savory sort, either baked, steamed, or deep fried. Below are a few of my favorites.

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This comment popped up on our post about the new location of FreeFoods NYC, and as hard as this is going to be to believe, I don’t think it’s a shill:

“I went there yesterday.  I was so busy that I didn’t have time to post.  The food was FANTASTIC!!  Everything was fresh and delicious.  They really know how to use flavors.  I picked from the by-the-pound section.  I had duck breast with some tasty sides, shrimp wrapped in bacon, some brown rice type thing with mushrooms, and filet mignon over some humus type sauce on toast.  I cannot begin to tell you how delicious all of these were besides the shrimp.  The shrimp was average.  The Filet and the rice were absolutely spectacular!”

Then things get ridiculous…

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According to this article, Citigroup employees just have to say the word “Citigroup” to the cashier and their lunch is covered at the Cafe Metro on Lexington and 46th. The author questions whether or not a company that is being bailed out by the Government should be buying lunches for its employees. I’m more interested to know if we could get free lunch by pretending we work for Citigroup.

The blog Rameniac has released their list of the best ramen from coast to coast, and 3 of the top 10 ramens in New York City are Midtown Lunches: Sapporo (6), Men Kui Tei (8), and Menchanko-Tei (10). While the site has some nostalgic words of kindness for Sapporo, they are less than enthusiastic about Men Kui Tei and Menchanko-Tei, which, despite being the lowest on the list, was voted best Ramen in the Midtown Lunch Readers’ poll. I guess there is no accounting for taste… [via Serious Eats: New York]

Just so you don’t think that major chains are recession proof… after 13 years the Ben & Jerry’s on 8th Ave and 43rd St. has closed! It may not be a huge deal today, but the reverberations will be felt throughout Midtown West come the next “free ice cream day” (it’s one of only two real B&J’s locations in Midtown). Thankfully we still have the one in the Rock Center Concourse.

The teary letter is after the jump…

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Every Tuesday I 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 Richard a Marketing dude who boldly admits that he doesn’t like potatoes that have been cubed and deep fried.

Name: Richard

Age: 25

Occupation: Marketing Analyst for SeamlessWeb (and amateur food critic for EatRichly.com)

Where in Midtown do you Work?: 37th and Madison

Favorite Kind of Food: Soba noodles, soft tacos (I only say “soft” because I used to think that hard tacos with ground beef were the only type of Mexican food), pappardelle with any meat ragout, anything over rice

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Home fries (how are these served with every omelette?)

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Midtown: One paneer and one meat (chicken/beef) roll at Kati Roll Company (on 39th btw. 5+6th); Norvegian or Siciliano sandwich with one macaron of the day at Macaron Cafe (36th btw. B’way+7th); Chilorio, Pescado, and Alambre tacos with the warm, salty chips from Pampano Taqueria (3rd Ave. btw. 49+50th); Set A with Lobster Salad and a rotating cast of characters at OMS/b.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Lucky Deli Asian Kobe (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): This spot serves mediocre, yet expensive, wraps, sandwiches, and salads. And no one has ever dared to try anything “Asian” there. But it is directly across the street from the office. Mondello (on 37th btw. Mad+5th): They actually have a pretty good New York slice (and apparently a decent chicken parm?), but it’s really only a spot to go when feeling lazy, cheap, or pressed for time. Au Bon Pain: This place nearly ruined my college experience and now it forces me to uncomfortably refuse lunch outings twice a week.

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