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NYC - Best of Midtown Lunch
Where my Midtown foodie friends & I congregate during our lunch hour.
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38 Places
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Hideki’s 5-star review: I paid another visit to Totto Ramen and was glad to see the place now has a functioning A/C unit and proper ventilation. I chose Totto Ramen for a carbo loading session. First course: For starters, I ordered the Paitan Ramen (their house specialty chicken + soy sauce broth ramen). I'm usually not a huge fan of chicken broth ramen and usually do not like shoyu ramen, but the Paitan ramen here is very nice and creamy! I wish they included an egg though. Their blow torch seared Charsiu is hands down the best in the city. Second course: Upon a friend's suggestion, I tried the Pork Chasiu with Spicy Yuzu Mayonnaise and Scallions. Oh man, this was good. Totto Ramen is levels beyond better than Hide-Chan (even though they're under the Totto umbrella) and Ippudo. It's now one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Great news: Totto Ramen now serves lunch! FYI, it's cash only. -
Hideki’s 5-star review: Back when only the original 5 Napkin Burger existed (in January 2009, since then another 5 Napkin opened up on W 84th & Broadway), at the recommendation of a friend named Cliff, I convinced my volleyball team to check out this gourmet hamburger establishment after a match of ours. It had been a while since I felt this feeling, but I had a serious foodgasm while chomping on my 5 Napkin burger. The juicy ground chuck, caramelized onions, deliciously melty gruyere cheese, with rosemary aioli that's addictive, blew me away. Despite it's huge size, I finished the burger without once putting it down and ignoring all conversation, man vs. burger style. Their Nut Brown Lager house brew was good too. Two friends went after I recommended 5 Napkin to them and tried the Burger for Two. The result was the same, they foodgasmed as well. They serve sushi here, but I would stay away from it. Why bother with it when you can have NYC's best burger on your plate? -
Hideki’s 5-star review: FoodParc is not a buffet. Hot dang, the burger at FoodParc was good!!! I went yesterday, for my first time, and customized my own Pat LaFrieda 7oz burger at the kiosk by the 3Bs counter. My rating is just based on the burger only. FoodParc has so many offerings, it'll take a really long time for anyone to try them all. Among the many fixings I added were the 3B Special Sauce, sauteed mushrooms (+$0.50), grilled onions (+$0.50), bleu cheese (+0.75), crispy onions, and English back (loin) bacon (+1.50). With everything, my burger came out to just shy of $10. Not cheap, but it was worth it. Thoughts: Crispy Onions FTW! The English Loin Bacon wasn't worth the extra $1.50. Cooked medium, the burger was great. The tasty toppings made it even better. I also ordered the stuffed hash browns (stuffed w/ cheddar and potato with a smoked flavor). Yum! Def worth the extra $2.95. FoodParc menu: http://www.foodparc.com/downloads/FoodParc_Menu.pdf I really like how there are multiple counters with varied offerings and lots of kiosks to pay using plastic. The text messaging notification service didn't work for me (to notify you that your order is complete). They do have a board that lists your order #, but in the end, you end up relying on the workers yelling out your order #. They need a mic b/c it's hard to hear them.
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Hideki’s 5-star review: KATI ROLLS!!! I finally had a chance to try Biriyani Cart's infamous Kati Rolls thanks to a generous friend who suggested the idea and went to pick some up for us before the lunch time herd attacked. I tried the lamb roll and a sweet chicken roll. I was truly blown away from both. Neither was uber greasey and both were tender and flavorful and just the right amount of spiciness. This cart has become an instant favorite. I must return to try more of their Kati Rolls and their Biriyani rice dishes. -
Hideki’s 5-star review: To All You "Sri Pra Phai Lovers", Try Wondee Siam! Not only is it easier to reach, it's located in Manhattan, so there's no need to leave the island. Wondee Siam is simply the best Thai restaurant in NYC (yes, that includes Queens too). Sri Pra Phai is great too, but Wondee serves dishes that are tastier. When you go, ask for the "secret Thai menu". They don't bring it out unless you ask for it. It's a little stand up card. There's also a version that's in Thai. I like the Crispy Pork, Duck Salad, curries, and most things there. I've never been to Thailand, so I can't comment on the authenticity of their dishes (my Thai friend loves it too though), but they can definitely make their dishes "Thai hot" if you are so adventurous. I have heard that the dishes have a Chinese-Thai influence to them. This is evidenced by their use of certain Chinese veggies like Chinese Broccoli. Seating is very limited, it can be considered a hole in the wall, so you'll have to wait for a spot. If you can't aford to wait, there's always Wondee Siam II across the street (good, but not Wondee great), or Pam Real Thai down on 49th, bet 9th & 10th (near the SW corner). The restaurant does not have a liquor license, so it's BYOB. It's normal for people to bring in a bottle of wine for their meal. If you go to Wondee Siam, ask for waiter Nom, and tell him Nobu sent you, he'll be happy to hear that, LOL. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: ROAST PIG with rice. I made it out to Hing Won today for lunch. One friend had the open buffet food ($5.80/lb, good price). I tried the Roast Pig w/ White Rice ($6.50 after tax, Brown Rice is an option), the featured dish on the MLB a few days ago. It had a nice crispy skin to it, and was decent. The Banh Mi is supposed to be good too. It gets packed for lunch, especially the open buffet line (the line for the non-buffet dishes is shorter and faster). To avoid the rush or the walk over, you can opt for delivery (only a $6 minimum)! Online Menu: http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/hing-won/menu Note that you can't order the open buffet food if you call in your order. The Menu Pages menu is missing a lot of items like the Roast Pig. Phone Numbers: Tel1: 212-719-1451 Tel2: 212-719-1467 Fax: 212-719-0560 I would definitely return to try their Roast Duck, Banh Mi, and Noodle Soups.
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Hideki’s 5-star review: BSB FTW! Shake Shack who? I'll opt for Black Shack's burgers now. There's practically no wait, and the burgers here are delicious! I can easily see myself frequenting Black Shack Burger (BSB) now. Thanks to a tip from Kain V., my Midtown Lunch friends and I ventured to BSB. We arrived there right before the 12:45pm rush. Most of us had the BSB ($5.75), but I opted for the Western Burger ($5.25) with its fried onions and BBQ sauce (added cheese; they only carry American cheese) and was duly rewarded. The BBQ was nice and vinegary and the fried onions were a perfect match. The sweet potato fries ($3) were good. I hear the black and white shake is good, but didn't try that. I saw they have a chocolate soda, which I will try one day. They also have Pork Slap beer, which I will definitely try. How could I not? I'm a Pork Chop. -
Hideki’s 5-star review: Crisp Parisian FTW! Goat cheese with sundried tomatoes and falafel. Wow, I could not believe how well they all went together. Glad I have my Crisp point card, because I'll keep returning to rack up them points. The Crisp Athenian with Feta Cheese and Kalmata Olives is solid, as well. The Crisp Fries are a generous portion of thick cut steak fries. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Madangsui is now my favorite K-Town BBQ place! After hearing from many of my Midtown Lunch friends about how good Madangsui is, I knew I was missing out. The only problem is that after its 1-star review in the NY Times (http://events.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/dining/reviews/09rest.html), business has exploded, and dining here for dinner now requires a wait. Last night, 8 of us were lucky enough to be seated before closing. Though the grill is gas and not coal, the quality of the beef more than makes up for it. The thick pieces of the boneless kalbi was quality and not tough at all! I was enlightened to their Kalbi Jim (# 37 on the menu) and its tasty sweetness. Wow, Madangsui's Kalbi Jim is one of my favorite dishes now. Their thinly sliced pork and beef were good, but not as great as their kalbi. I liked their Kimchi Pajeon too. There was a good amount of banchan, though I didn't feel as bombarded as what the New York Times article suggests. Their makkori (unfiltered rice wine, similar to nigori sake) was quite good too. Their Bundae Jjigae had a lighter broth than Pocha's and also with less fillings. I still liked the broth though. Whenever friends ask me for a K-Town BBQ rec, I'll direct them to Madangsui.
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Hideki’s 4-star review: Szechuan Gourmet is very good. In terms of heat and numbing index, this place can sure bring it. So be very prepared to experience some serious Sichuan-style heat! What you might not know is that they serve hot pot on Mon-Thu until 8pm. The portions are generous, though the meats aren't 5-star tasty. The DDM (dandanmian) here isn't a specialty and neither is the Suizhiyu. You wouldn't guess it, but the Kungpao Chicken (the chicken dish with peanuts) is surprisingly good. Szechuan Gourmet is also a great place for lunch. If it's too crowded, you can opt for Lan Sheng which is on the other side of the block. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: So much better than the Little Italy on E 43rd & 5th! Maybe once upon a time, all of the Little Italy Pizza's were affiliated? Well, now they're not. Prior to last night, I had only tried the Little Italy on E 43rd and did not like it that much, so when I came in to this Little Italy on W 45th St & 6th, I had low expectations. I noticed right away that their Grandma's Slice ($3.50) looked different. The chunks of tomato (not tomato sauce) was piled high, with two strips of cheese forming a cross pattern. I ordered this and a Calamari slice ($4.95). The Bacon slice looked good too, but I only had stomach space for 1.5 slices (Grandma's is practically 1/2 a slice). The Grandma's Slice was delicious! So, maybe this is how it's supposed to taste? I can see what all the fuss is about now. The Grandma's at the other Little Italy failed to impress, so I didn't see what people were raving about. The Calamari pizza was good too. It sounds and looks weird, but I would order it again. -
Hideki’s 5-star review: I returned to Bella Vita to try their pizza on Sunday. I had a slice of the White Pizza (Pizza Bianca), and for $3, it was a great deal. It was a nice hearty slice with good quality cheese. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Vegetarian can taste this good? I had a Maoz falafel ($4.95) with hummus (+$1) and fried eggplant (two pieces for +$0.75) for lunch today and it was oh so yum. The eggplant add-on isn't necessary b/c at the fixings bar you can top off your falafel with all sorts of good toppings (tabbouleh, pickled eggplant, cilantro sauce, spicy sauce, tahini sauce, ...). The cilantro sauce was good. They have good lunch combos and the fresh squeezed OJ and lemonade looked good. Thanks for the great quite bite suggestion Kenji H.! It was perfect for a "RAINNNN!!!" (shaking fist) day like today. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Enjoyed Lan Sheng in Bryant Park for their Monday Night Summer Movie series. It's a lot better than pizza. Our group saw so many people with pizza boxes in hand at the park. John H. did a great job of ordering a bunch of dishes (spicy dumplings, dan dan mian, guizhou chicken, huiguo rou, la zhi niu, and spicy sesame chicken). It's funny how the green pepper dishes here destroy me while I'm fairly okay with the spicier looking red chillies + Sichuan peppercorns. Lan Sheng is very affordable and a good pick for those looking to get their butt kicked by Sichuan spices. -
Hideki’s 3-star review: Ginger's can be good if you know what to order. I've only been here for lunch, but have tried it over 5 times. It's a popular lunch destination for those working in the area. The Huiguorou (double cooked pork) is disgusting. It was pure pork belly (bacon) fat. I couldn't even finish my leftovers of it. I do, however, like their Sichuan pork dumplings that are a bit spicy and come in a nice peanut sauce. Their curried pineapple fried rice, which has cashews, is also a favorite of mine.
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Hideki’s 4-star review: I returned last Thu to Cer té to try the Softshell Crab sandwich ($8.95). It was decent, but the bread wasn't all that great. The actual softshell crab was a generous helping. Tartar sauce and a spicy sauce were provided on the side. The side slaw and potatoes looked pretty, but weren't good and are worth skiping. As with the Chubby Chinese Girl sandwich, the meat was good, but the sandwich itself needs refinement. I see potential in both sandwiches, but for now I'll just stick with their pizzas (and not the pizzas from "Pizza by Cer té"). -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Katsuhama has NYC's best Tonkatsu (Japanese pork cutlets) Katsuhama is a tonkatsu specialty restaurant. Their entrees are under $20 (they even have a "Lady's Set" that men cannot order from even though ladies can order the "Men's Set"). Their pork cutlets are listed under two categories, tenderlon (hire) = lean with no fat, white meat pork, and pork loin (roase) = fatty. I personally like the pork loin better. I actually like the curry here, and usually just stick to their Curry item #2 (Pork Loin Curry). From the outside of the resto, you can't tell it's a restaurant b/c there's a bento box store in front to serve the Midtown lunch crowd. Katsuhama is behind this. For some reason, many of their wait staff is Indian. Katsuhama is part of the Menchankotei / Ony / Onigashima / Menkuitei chain. I suggest making reservations when going. They are also open on Sundays and Sunday nights, which is a rarity for Japanese places in Midtown East. I'd give Katsuhama a 5 if I've never been to Japan and eaten the tokatsu out there. -
Hideki’s 5-star review: Returned to Udon West last week and tried their non-Udon items. The verdict: they were delicious and even better than their already good udon! The Squab & I ordered a number of dishes and we liked: - Fried Chicken - Saba (Mackerel), I like mackerel a lot - Tontoro (pork belly toro), you cook it yourself - Pork Shabu Shabu (Hot Pot), very good -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Went back to redeem the first of my 5 Cinco de Mayo free topping coupons. Too bad you can't use more than one of them at a time. I ordered a medium GoGo Curry (plain curry) and added the Fried Shrimp topping (2 shrimps, a $2 value). The ebi-fry comes with pretty good tartar sauce. The fried outside shell of the ebi-fry was good and wasn't oily (a good thing). However, there was too much breading and the shrimp was skimpy. The curry was amazing though. If only GoGo's meat toppings were better, I would upgrade them to a 5. For now, it's a 4.5 to me. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: 4-Stars for Speed & Selection @ Zeytinz! It's hard to find a lunchtime place as well run as Zeytinz. They are fully prepared for the midtown lunch bumrush that takes place from 12:30 to 1pm. Their workers are super speedy and have the meals all prepared and ready to hit the grill. The selection here is overwhelming. It's more of a case of "what don't they have" as opposed to "what do they have". There are soups, gyros, deli sandwiches, wraps, salads, a teriyaki station, Mexican foods (taco salads, burritos, & quesadillas), food by the pound, cakes, pastries, and even sushi. I'm sure I forgot something too. The prices are reasonable, and the ingredients are good. There's a nice upstairs seating area that air conditioned with plenty of seats. They even have a TV and music playing softly. The view by the windows is nice, overlooking Bryant Park. I had a Portobello mushroom quesadilla and was satisfied. It came with hot sauce, sour cream, & guacamole on the side. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Great traditional Meat Pies! Stick with the regular Meat Pies ($11), and don't bother with the Curried Meat Pies ($12). The curried variety are drier and don't have the tasty sauce with the slight spicy kick to them. The Australian also serves up an Australian Burger ($14) that comes with a fried egg, a slice of beet, and a pineapple slice. I didn't get to try it, but a few of my friends did. On Australia Day (1/26 of each year), they hold a celebration. They also sometimes carry Kangaroo meat, but make sure to call ahead of time to confirm. Most of the time they do not have the marsupial meat in the fridge. The Australian also has TVs (not in HD though), and is soccer friendly. They carry Cooper's Grain and Cooper's Red drafts for a nice price of $4 each. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: NYCers Sure Love Their Fried Chicken! I went to Hill Country Chicken today with 3 others for lunch. We arrived at 11:45am to beat the rush. Too bad the doors aren't supposed to open until noon. We were second in line, and they probably didn't open until 12:15pm. But upon the doors (with a wishbone door handle) being unlocked and swinging open, we were welcomed by claps from the enthusiast staff. They were very courteous and helpful! The fried chicken was pretty good. We ordered 2 orders of the $27 8-piece (4 of each kind) Chick Pix (one Mama's, one HC flavor). Most of us liked the Mama's recipe (shake & bake style) better than the less bready & darker Hill Country style. The line went by pretty quickly, but they are behind on pumping out the biscuits. We were told it would take 3 hours after opening (~3pm) for them to be ready! It's forgivable since their soft opening was Wed, so today is only Day 3. Instead of biscuits, we had no choice and were given lots of fries, which were fresh cut but not tasty. They have seating downstairs too, where the bathrooms (they need more bathrooms b/c it's a private bathroom for male and female, but only 1 of each type), baking room, and multicade arcade machine are at. I was happy that the fried chicken was not disgustingly greasy like the BBQ fare at the regular HC. For condiments, they have ketchup, hot sauce, chicken bake (sweet paprika?), and honey for the elsusive biscuits. They give samples of the sides if you ask. We sampled their cheesey fried mashed potato. The potato was def fried before it was mashed b/c you can taste the crispy skin. I still like Korean Fried Chicken better and would not trek the 10 blocks to go there, unless I have some intense craving. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Barrrrrrros Luco! Roll those R's baby. A friend pointed out this Chilean sandwich shop in Midtown East. I had noted it, but wasn't motivated to dine there until I noticed their Chacarero Completo made # 97 on Grub Street's 101 Best Sandwiches in NY list (http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/05/the_101_best_sandwiches_in_new.html#photo=97x49467). So in early June, a couple of friends and I picked up the sandwich as a quick bite to eat before a roadtrip. It's a very hearty portion. The steak version of the Chacarero Completo was very tasty. The steak isn't the best quality, but it works with the sandwich. I like pickled veggies and was surprised by the soured string beans. Some people feel that too much string beans are loaded in, but I'm fine with it. The Completo version of the sandwich adds cheese and avocado to it. It's worth the extra $1. Most times I prefer whole wheat items over the white, but here I like the white bread for the sandwich. Here's their menu: http://barrosluco.com/barroslucomenu.pdf I've also tried the Barros Luco Italiano, Baked Chicken Empanada, & the Sweet Potato Fries. I am sticking with the Chacarero Completo. The fries are good too. They have seating upstairs with a TV, so is not a bad place to go to catch sporting events. They do close earlier than a typical sports bar does though. If you have time to relax there, act like a 16 year old and try the Fanchop (orange soda + Coors Light). We were told that it's common for kids in Chile to drink this combo as they sit at sidewalk cafes. The bright orange color throws off the police, so the kids can get away with drinking their beer-infused Fanchops. I tried Estrella Beer, but didn't like it all that much. It's funny how this restaurant is named Barros Luco. It is named after the sandwich, and not the man. Ramón Barros Luco was the president of Chile from 1910 to 1915, but he's more famous for the sandwich that was named after him. That is too funny. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barros_Luco If you go frequently to Barros Luco, ask to join their membership program where you earn points for a $5 credit for every $50 spent, so you can enjoy some more Barrrrrrros Luco! -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Mon & Thu = Tripe & Pig's Feet Day at Margon! My ML friends and I chose Margon for our Monday (yesterday) lunch since they serve their Tripe & Pig's Feet special. For $8 (no tax), you receive a bowl full or delicious pig's feet and a few pieces of tripe. The sauce is tasty and the feet are cooked to the point where they are tender, but not over cooked (a perfect balance). You also get a plate of rice (yellow or white), beans (black or pinto), and platanos. I was so full and satisfied after this meal. On my next trip, I am going to try their famous Cubano Sandwich ($9), served daily! Here's a tip: Go early (before 12:30pm to beat the weekday lunch rush). -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Sweet Corn with Your Street Meat! I learned of Little Morocco a couple of days ago by reading the MLB post on its Fish Over Rice. I decided to try it out. In concurrence with the post, it's a good and filling deal for $5. Of course it's nothing gourmet, but it's better than what you would expect from a street cart. I made the mistake of letting them douse my plate with too much spicy hot sauce though. After ordering the said fish over rice, I saw the vendor preparing a Lamb Pita ($3) and it looked so good, so I decided to return for today's lunch. It was tasty, but again they put on too much hot sauce. Little Morocco distinguishes itself by including cilantro and sweet corn in its dishes (along with the usual suspects of tomato and lettuce). The prices are great here, and the dishes taste good. It's a win win situation on the NE corner of W 39th St & 7th Ave. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Surfboard Style Pizzas. Back in Nov 2009, I came to Waldy's with 5 other friends to try their wood-fired pizzas. The pizzas were novel in the fact that they were thin-crusted in the shape of surfboards. I hear the new 57 Napoli Pizza e Vino serves similar pizzas named "metros". We ordered the a large lamb/lemon pie and a large chicken/bacon/pepper pie. The two large pizzas and two pitchers of beer ended up being $12/person. The amount of food wasn't filling though. The pizza was sort of a let down. I'd give it a 3.5, but ended up rounded up since there was a fresh "pick your own herbs" station though by the time we noticed the herbs we had finished our food. Also, space is limited, so it's not idea to go in a group during after-work hours (business was good). Waldy's doesn't take reservations either, complicating meet togethers here. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: PJ Clarke's is mentioned so many times on Mad Men, that I had to pay them another visit last night. PJ's long with Oyster Bar are mentioned a few times as places that the band of merry Sterling Cooper associates frequent. Their burger is quite solid. It comes with a cross sectional slice of white onion and a pickle on the side as default ($8.35). Don't forget to ask for lettuce and tomatoes. I like to add on their sauteed mushrooms. I tried the Bernaise sauce, an egg based Hollandaise-ish sauce with tarragon. It was rather plain, so I'll hold off on it next time. Next time I go, I'm digging into their raw bar. Yes to oysters. There's a good reason why PJ Clarke's was been around since the time of your mother's mother, and her mother. They serve good food and good drinks. -
Hideki’s 4-star review: Toasties Pizza FTW, not their sandwiches. After hearing from friends how Toasties serves up good sandwiches, I decided to finally try them out. I also owed it to them b/c the founder is a friend of a friend's brother from Jersey. For all the hype for the sandwiches, I was quite disappointed. I had the House Combo on rye. It was not anything special at all. I can find way better deli sandwiches where I work in the ghettos of Brick City (aka Newark for you non-Jersey folks). Good thing I read Sandy C.'s review, since I also ordered a slice of pizza (white with fresh tomatoes). The slice was good and better than the pizza at Little Italy (the place famous for Grandma's slices near GCT that is not so good in my opinion). So, my 4-star rating is strictly for their pizza. If they didn't serve pizza, this place would be a 3. Too bad when I went they were out of Grandma's slices. Toasties is a rip off for drinks though. They charged me $2.50 for a Nestle Chocolate Milk.
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Hideki’s 4-star review: Yes to Sakagura's Duck Curry Udon! Too bad this tasty dish is only a weekday lunchtime offering. I waited so long to try this meal. Since I cannot take workday lunches in Manhattan, I had to wait until I used a vacation day. It was well worth the wait!
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Hideki’s 4-star review: I haven't been to the Napa Bouchon Bakery, but the NYC version is pretty good! The eclair was nothing special. The chocolate tart was good. The macarons were very good! I really liked the pistachio flavored one. It's hard to find seats near the bakery, so it's easier to buy your goods and head downstairs to the Whole Foods cafeteria seating area next to Jamba Juice. You could also decide to sit at a waitered table, at the designated area near the escalators. Way to go Thomas Keller.
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