Borough Vegetarian

Joy Curry and Tandoor - the Midtown Lunch Combo that Lasts for Days

The search for affordable Midtown lunches continues with Joy Curry and Tandoor, a largely take-out Indian spot recommended by a former co-worker.  The one thing I can confidently say about Joy Curry - you will not leave hungry.  In fact, if you eat one-quarter to one-third of your meal, you will probably have consumed enough calories for an entire day.  

When I visited Joy Curry for lunch a few months back, I went through the relatively efficient lunch line and selected the vegetarian platter, which consists of rice, naan, and two choices from 4 - 5 vegetarian daily options.  

Surprisingly, the curries (one chickpea, the other mixed vegetables) were not overly spiced or oily, which certainly makes Joy Curry stand out from many Indian take-out spots.  So while the portions were a bit overwhelming, and the naan was just ok (too soft for my taste), it is a great place to pick up a quick, $8 - 10 vegetarian meal that can last for days.

Joy Curry and Tandoor

148 E. 46th Street

Midtown East, Manhattan

A few short blocks from the 4, 5, 6, 7 and Metro North trains at Grand Central

Souvlaki GR - Great Affordable Midtown Lunch Option

Finding an affordable, sit down lunch spot in the heart of Midtown is an extremely different task.  And if you want quality and flavor too...well, you are probably out of luck.  Enter a new winner on the Midtown lunch scene - Souvlaki GR, the food truck turned sit down restaurant on West 56th Street.  

I met a friend at Souvlaki GR at 12pm on a weekday, and the reservations I made in advance were clearly not needed at that early hour.  We were among the only people seated when we arrived, though by the time we left (around 1pm), the place definitely had filled up - so as the word continues to get out, would recommend reservations.  

The menu is simple and very reasonable - combined, our check for two with tax and tip was maybe $20?  I "splurged" and ordered the $7.5 SGR veggie pita, which was packed full of lightly roasted and spiced vegetables, cheese and fries.  

Yum!  It was also a hearty portion of food, such that I felt like I had eaten two lunches when I had left - but unlike many Midtown takeout places, it wasn't greasy at all.  

I will definitely be returning to eat fresh, simple and affordable Greek food in Midtown!

Souvlaki GR

162 W. 56th Street

Midtown West, Manhattan

Half a black from the N/Q/R trains at 7th Avenue and the F train at 57th Street, and a few blocks from the B/D/E trains at 7th Avenue

Hillstone - Chain Restaurant with a Great Veggie Burger

When you read a description of the chain restaurant Hillstone, whose website boasts sushi and steaks, a great veggie burger is definitely what would NOT come to mind.  Like too many chain restaurants, I would have imagined that Hillstone would treat vegetarians as either an anomaly or an annoyance.  

Hillstone rises above its chain competitors by serving one of the most complex (and massive) veggie burgers I have ever had - not only in NYC, but around the country.  Their veggie burger combines savory and sweet with black beans, rice, beets, and a "soy glaze" to really nail a well-rounded meal (or three, based on my leftovers).  

They also don't skimp on the burger add-ons like many places can do with veggies burgers, with a good amount of jack cheese, ripe and vibrant tomatoes, onions, pickles, and shoestring fries complementing each order.  And even better for someone who suffers from nut allergies, the Hillstone veggie burger is nut-free!

They also have a number of other vegetarian options on their menu, but why bother?  The veggie burger is that good!

There are two Hillstone locations in NYC:

Hillstone - Midtown East

153 E. 53rd St. (entrance at corner of 54th / 3rd Avenue though)

1 block from the E/M at 53rd/Lexington and 2-3 blocks from the 6 train at 51st

Hillstone - Flatiron

378 Park Avenue South (at 27th)

1 block from the 6 train at 28th Street

Darbar Grill in Midtown East - Finally, a Good Midtown Indian Lunch Buffet!

Until this summer, I had written off the Indian lunch buffet in Midtown Manhattan.  Yes, I had just written off the many, many Indian restaurants, from Midtown West to Midtown East, because my uniform lunchtime experience was too much oil, limited vegetarian options, over-fried appetizers, and poor service. 

Enter Darbar Grill (55th Street).  I am not sure why I decided to give Darbar a try after really swearing off Midtown Indian restaurants - maybe that feeling that sometimes creeps up called hope?  

In any case, I've probably gone there 5 times over the past 10 weeks because of how great their buffet is.  It is clean, well-stocked with a range of vegetarian and meat options, and is not oily or overcooked.  Rather, the food is actually well-seasoned and relies on flavor instead of oil for taste!  

Another bonus of the Darbar Grill buffet is that they seem to frequently change the options, so you won't get bored on repeat visits.  In addition, the service is friendly and relatively efficient to serve lunchtime crowds.

If I had to identify one downside of my new favorite destination lunch spot in Midtown, it would be that the naan they bring to your table can vary from good to so-so.  That being said, this is a buffet, so it's not like everything needs to be great, just good, so Darbar more than meets that mark!

Darbar Grill

157 E. 55th Street (btwn. Lexington and 3rd Avenue)

Midtown East, Manhattan

2 blocks from the E/M trains at Lexington/53rd, 4 blocks from the 6 train at Lexington/51st, and 4 blocks from the N/Q/R/4/5/6 trains at Lexington/59th.

Franchia - A Pan-Asian Vegan Delight

I am generally not a fan of vegan or pure vegetarian restaurants, or restaurants that span too many genres. With the former, I generally find that all-veg restaurants can too often focus their menus on meat-like elements or mock meat to be enjoyable for me.  With the latter, I generally have found that if restaurants try to do too much, they end up doing too much poorly instead of well.

As such, I was pleasantly surprised when I made it to Franchia, the more casual, pan-Asian vegan outpost of Hangawi, the excellent albeit pricey Koreatown vegan restaurant.  Although pan-Asian and with a huge menu (featuring Korean, Thai, and Japanese-inspired dishes) with a lot of mock-meat type dishes, I found that the diverse flavors at Franchia were quite good.

A friend and split three items at lunch - a summer roll (standard but good appetizer), the lunch special hot pot, and the spicy okra and eggplant curry stew (my main dish).

(Spicy Okra and Eggplant Curry Stew)

Both of the entrees arrived boiling - literally, as shown in the picture above - and were spicy with a ton of vegetables.  Each item could have easily served two people for lunch, especially because they were both served with rice.  

The service was also efficient and quick - perfect for a mid-week lunch.  I definitely look forward to returning.

Franchia

12 Park Avenue, btwn. 34th and 35th Street

Midtown, Manhattan

Steps from the 6 train at 33rd Street, and 10 - 15 minute walk from the B/D/F/M/N/Q/R at 34th Street/Herald Square

Xi'an Famous Foods and Biang! - Awesome Spicy Vegetarian Option in Multiple Locations

Xi’an Famous Foods - a New York City mini-chain with locations now in Flushing, East Village, Chinatown, Midtown, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, East Williamsburg, and Greenpoint (!) - serves delicious and inexpensive northwestern Chinese cuisine.  AND they clearly state which of there dishes are vegetarian, a major benefit to both this blog writer and readers.  

I love spicy food generally, and the combination of Chinese spices and oils with hand-ripped noodles is a particular treat that Xi’an consistently serves up, no matter the location (well, at least for the 3 locations I have visited to date).  And if you are looking for a sit-down restaurant experience with alcohol (i.e., a cold beer to wash down the spice), I highly recommend going to their Biang! location in Flushing.  

My favorite dishes are the hot oil seared noodles and the spicy tofu.  The portions are pretty generous so if you get two dishes, like I usually do, you’ll have plenty of great leftovers for another meal.

(Hot Oil Seared Noodles)

Multiple locations across NYC (Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn)

Lan Sheng - The “Other” Michelin-Starred Szechuan Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan

We finally made it to Lan Sheng last summer, Cafe China’s competitor in the midtown Manhattan Michelin-starred battle of Szechuan restaurants.  

Given how much I love Cafe China, I had mixed feelings about venturing to Lan Sheng.  Yes, on the one hand, it could be better than Cafe China which would be a major boon.  On the other, it did feel like both a bit of a betrayal to Cafe China and I had an odd feeling of trepidation about what the food would actually be like.

Ultimately, I have to say that Lan Sheng was very good - and our waiter did not flinch at making a few courses vegetarian for me, which of course was sincerely appreciated by this vegetarian food blogger.

I did not stray from my favorites on this first trip to Lan Sheng - Dan Dan noodles (pictured above), MaPo tofu (below), and some other small plates to share like scallion pancakes.

While everything was very good, I think that Cafe China may still be my preference, especially on the ambiance and cocktail fronts.  For the non-vegetarian, Lan Sheng did seem to be more varied and have more “unique” meat options than most other Sichuan restaurants.  That being said, I will almost absolutely return to Lan Sheng for more delicious, spicy vegetarian food in the future!

Lan Sheng

60 W. 39th St.

Midtown, Manhattan

Most easily accessible from the B/D/F/M/7 trains at 42nd Street, but also not a far walk from the 4/5/6/7 trains at Grand Central