Lunch Break: Burger Joint, Basta Pasta, Or Sapporo
New York's worst-kept food secret, pasta with an Asian twist, or ramen - it's all in today's New York Lunch Break. By Yvo Sin.
Burger Joint at The Parker Meridien
118 W 57th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-7414
See Also: NYC's Best Burgers | NYC's Best French Fries
New Yorkers like to be 'in the know' when no one else is. Burger Joint plays to this; hidden in a corner of the lobby at the Parker Meridien is a neon sign in the shape of a burger, with an arrow beneath it. Follow the arrow to what could arguably be called New York's worst-kept secret; the lines are long and articles about this burger can be found on all corners of the internet. On a good day, the burgers are cooked perfectly to order and arrive juicy, hot, and delicious, but you could wait in line for an hour or more. Worth it? That's up to the eater.
Basta Pasta
37 W. 17th Street
New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-0888
bastapastanyc.com/
Two-thirds of the Axis Powers join forces here at Basta Pasta, where Italy meets Japan to bring you the best of both worlds. Though the star of the menu is definitely the pasta, there is definitely a strong Japanese influence. Take, for example, the lunch menu - a three course prix fixe priced reasonably at $18 for your choice of soup or salad, pasta main course, and a dessert (with coffee, tea or espresso) - which offers such unique dishes as fettucine with ratatouille, Shiitake mushrooms and mozzarella in a fresh tomato sauce, or spaghetti with shrimp, red onions, fresh tomatoes, jalapenos & cilantro in garlic oil. Yum!
Sapporo
152 W. 49th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 869-8972
You might be thinking right now, "That looks like a big bowl of ramen, which I can get for 10 for $1 at the local grocery store." You'd be half right. Instant ramen at home can't really be compared to ramen at a restaurant like Sapporo: different types of broth from which to choose – shoyu, which is soy sauce based; shio, which is salt based (pictured); or miso, which is, yes, miso based – to name a few, and toppings that include corn, slices of fatty pork, fishcakes, bamboo shoots, scallions and even butter, will transform your ramen experience into something much more wonderful than opening a packet of instant ramen and boiling some water. Sit inside Sapporo and enjoy the quick bustle of the place, and listen to chattering in Japanese around you. Will you feel transported to Japan? Maybe, maybe not – but you will feel happy as you dig into the steaming bowl of ramen in front of you, and go back to work about $10 lighter. Unless you order the gyoza, which you really should, because, as another restaurant critic once said in a review posted proudly on Sapporo's front window: "[gyoza] softer than your lover's thighs" – and for about $5, that's not something you want to miss.
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Yvo Sin is the founder and head writer of The Feisty Foodie.
