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Biryani cart and ticker watching
My friends... let me tell you how an AARP member and social security recipient would eat lunch in midtown Manhattan. Wait no, I'm not sure you're all my friends and the chicken tikka masala is certainly too hot for the geriatric candidate currently in the U.S. Presidential race. Can't be too sure though, maybe if CindyMac can turn it into her very own recipe, then it would all be okay. If you are like me, and have been caught up in the crazy economic news, then you know it's time to scale back. Packing lunch would be the best option but the next best thing is to eat from a street cart. A biryani street cart.
Midtown Lunch uncovered this gem and now it's even up for a Vendy Award! Besides chicken over rice, the Biryani Cart also specializes in Kati rolls. They used to be a single cart operation and since business has picked up, they are now up to two carts. Check out Blondie and Brownie for more coverage of that. It looks like they might be training someone to take over the second cart. More Biryani Cart = more joy in the world. No, it's not quite like shooting wolves from a helicopter, but this is close enough. Right? You betcha.
You're probably asking, "When are you going to talk about the food?" Well, I'm not here to answer your questions. I'm here to talk straight about... shit, I don't know... but for $6 you can get the chicken tikka masala from the Biryani Cart.
If you're familiar with chicken tikka masala, this variation is probably not as saucy as what you're used to. The chicken chunks were probably marinated in spices and then cooked over a griddle. Then he puts some hot sauce on top of the chicken. I think this is a huge upgrade over traditional chicken over rice dishes where the chicken often lacks seasoning. Yes, it's true the rice is not out-of-this-world, but it's serviceable and the spotlight is on the chicken in this dish. The hot sauce gives it a really nice kick to round off the spices used for the chicken.
The Biryani Cart is located on 6th ave and 46th St on the southwest corner. If you walk over to 45th street or Truck Alley and get some cookies or mousse for dessert.
Biryani cart
Address: 46th St and 6th Avenue. New York, NY 10036
Map
Like what you've read today? Subscribe to my RSS and never miss a post!Posted by Danny on October 8 2008 at 12:03 pm
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I just found your blog and now I wish that Sydney had such an array of street food vendors (actually thats a lie, I have wished for this ever since I first set foot in Asia).
Great photos, too!
-lili
lili on October 8 2008 at 4:25 pm
wow, that looks great. wish I could get kati rolls near my work.
Ang on October 8 2008 at 8:04 pm
Hi dan,
I'm jealous of your photos! Can I have your camera? :)
I've never eaten at the Biryani cart. Nor the Halal cart on 53rd and 6th, RIGHT near my office.
I'm afraid of street meat. Do you think that these fears are unwarranted? Is it really that good?
ambitious on October 9 2008 at 10:17 am
Not you, too. *sigh* Wish all the food blogs I read would stop parading their politics out...
But back to the food: if I'm spending $6 on lunch, can I afford to buy a $3 cupcake? (Not sure how much the Treats Trucks or whatever are, but that seems about right?) That's increasing my lunch-cost by 50%!
Yvo on October 9 2008 at 11:14 am
lili,
New York may be on its way to an array of street food vendors but we're not quite there yet! If only we could be more like Asia...
Ang,
you can! subway!
ambitious,
Haha, I'm glad you like the photos. Might have to keep the camera for myself though ;) I think there are different levels of streetmeat. If you just go to an unassuming cart, who knows what you might get. The one on 53rd and 6th that's covered on Midtown Lunch is pretty legit. And it's only $5 so it's worth a try, right?
Yvo,
I actually like talking about politics in my uninformed kind of way. It's also a way for me to weed off people who may or may not like what goes in the blog. At the end of the day, I prefer to have a blog that's heavily about food instead of just a food blog. And my assumption is that the blog posts will be filled with MORE political musings in the coming weeks, not less.
And increasing food cost by 50% is a lot! Just eat two cupcakes for lunch :)
Danny on October 9 2008 at 11:53 am
Nice pictures but food from the Biryani Cart really isn't that great, mediocre at best imho. I reviewed it on my blog.
FoodinNY on October 10 2008 at 4:46 pm
Biriyani cart all dishes really yummy'''' better then expensive restaurant around midtown
Martin on October 12 2008 at 8:17 pm