Midtown Lunch

As is customary at Philly Lunch, every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Philadelphia. This week it’s Zach, who likes his sandwiches filled to the brim.

Name: Zach

Age: 33

Occupation: Director of Audio Visuals Operations

Where in Philly do you Work?: Center City

Favorite Kind of Food: Everything Italian. Pho. A good steak. Lobster. Cheese fries

Least Favorite Kind of Food: brussel sprouts, lima beans

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly: Bun Dac Biet – House Special Vermicelli at Vietnam (221 North 11th Street), Any and everything at Dinic’s Roast Pork in Reading Terminal Market, Italian hoagie with everything at Salumeria in the Reading ( I think it’s the best hoagie in the city) Deluxe Pho from Nam Phuong 1110 Washington Ave, any burrito from Tres Jalapenos 901 S 8th S, Dan Dan noodles from Han Dynasty 108 Chestnut St
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While doing some Cambodian food exploring in South Philly, we came across Kavei Express, a month old Cambodian fast foodish restaurant. This should not be confused with the Kavei on Oregon Ave, also a Cambodian restaurant, which has closed.

Fruit smoothies dominated the menu, but more interesting were the combo platter options offering rice and an entree for $4, rice and 2 entrees for $5, etc, etc. A steam table displayed many of those entree possibilities, including fried fish, a pork curry, and other meat with vegetable preparations.   Pictures of 4 different soups with no English explanations would have normally called out to me, but I had just finished an outdoor adventure involving a crazy Cambodian stew with unidentifiable meat products and pickled baby eggplant, so I needed to scale back on the adventurousness level.  Among the few English words on the side dish section of the menu, Kavei Dumplings was the safe choice I was looking for.

Menu and Dumpling pictures, after the jump

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I just received a twitter message from “The MiniTrini” Truck, letting me know they are coming to Love Park next week with food like roti, jerk wings, doubles, and free desserts. Their facebook page says they will be at the park on Monday and Thursday. Their website is not working, so there are no more clues. But if this is happening, yay! I am all about Trinidadian food in Center City. A hearty double has the potential to be an awesome lunch especially in the cooler weather. Who is going to investigate on Monday?

Photo Courtesy of Philly Phoodie

• Pure Fare is starting up a similarly healthy themed lunch truck in UCity [Meal Ticket]
• And UCity folk are even more lucky, an international food ruck is coming there way too [Foobooz]
• Philly Phoodie enjoys the meat sandwiches at Cherry Street Tavern (not to be confused with the scary one in Chinatown) [Philly Phoodie]
• Criag Laban also approves of our discovery– El Pueblo for Mexican Ice Cream in the Italian Market [The Inquirer]

I am always, always searching for great jajangmyeon, the Korean dish of fermented bean paste, zucchini, onions (and often pork), over fat noodles. There is something about it that makes me go through great lengths to get some. (Coincidentally, Meal Ticket just posted a recipe for the Chinese version, but I’d rather leave it to the pros) Previously, I could begrudgingly get my fix at Pastoral, weird service and all, but they’ve closed. So now I have to travel a little farther from home to seek it out. I found some at Nagwon Garden in West Philly.

But first, their banchan. I enjoyed the kimchee and potatoes, but I would advise to steer clear of the mushy looking cucumbers, they taste like a fish died in them.

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You know its restaurant week again, right? This week and next week, excluding weekends, the 3 or 4 course $20 lunch and $35 dinner is back. There is a twist this year though, a twist I am all about. Philly Homegrown (part of Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation) has worked with Center City District and participating restaurants to get at least one option on each RW menu to include locally sourced ingredients. Philly Homegrown is all about promoting both tourists and locals alike to appreciate our locally sourced food, and why shouldn’t we? We grow nice stuff around here. At Garces Trading Company, many of the lunch options have that red tractor next to them- meaning, this dish uses some local goodness. Lucky for me, I got to try those tractor approved dishes.

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As is customary at Philly Lunch, every Tuesday we turn over the site to a different lunch’er for his or her recommendations for the best lunch in Philadelphia. This week it’s Brian, who you may know as Khyber’s number one fan, or Bridgesburgersbeer. Photo taken by Luncher Mikey.

Name: Brian

Occupation: Bridge Inspector/Engineer

Where in Philly do you Work?: All over Philadelphia

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything, though I’m a sucker for things involving lamb, duck, chicken thighs, or bacon.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Filipino Food. Maybe it’s a childhood phobia of some sort. I do enjoy some dishes, but an embarrassingly little amount. Sorry Mom, Dad, family!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch in Philly:
Oyster & Vegan Fried Chix Po Boys, Fried Green Tomato BLT, and Gumbo at Khyber Pass Pub, Dan Dan Mian from Han Dynasty, 10 Arts Cheeseburger from 10 Arts, Peking Duck Rolls from Sangkee at RTM (Thanks Collin Flatt), Cheesesteak w/ sharp provolone from John’s Roast Pork, Lamb Skewers from Solo Skewer Bar in Chinatown, and Salted Caramel Macarons from the Sugar Philly truck.

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