Food Line up: Greek Vs. South-east Asian
DATE: Summer 2014
LOCATION: 111 Fulton St and 350 Hudson
Hello, Hello!
So, I know there's a South Park episode about how Chipotle makes you crap your pants in extremely exaggerated ways. In any case, I have always been a fan of Chipotle, but have laid off of it for a while because I've had too much and now I have moved on to bodega tacos for my Mexican and cilantro fix. However, I have noticed in the past, and am now finally tasting, that other types of cuisine are adopting the Chipotle model of ordering food, (i.e. pick your rice, your meat, your toppings as you go down a line). For my diary entry today, I will be reviewing two different gourmet-to-go restaurants.
The first one was a Hellenic Chipotle, GRK Fresh Greek.
So, as is typical, first you decide if you want it in pita (sandwich form) or on a plate (platter form), then you pick a protein, then a tzatziki (the sauce), and then you pick the side if you order it like a plate. I hate being the person on line who doesn't know what the heck is going on, so i stood quietly back and read the entire menu. Mentally made my selections, then repeated it to myself until it was memorized. Everyone could still tell I had no idea what the floop was going on, but at least I wasn't holding up the line. So, I step up to the plate, and I order!
"okay...." says the cashier wide-eyed and freaked out.
"oh, and also this orange Greek soda, please," I say after I've caught my breathe.
I carry my tray of food to the table, take a photo, and then make two immediate mental notes:
1. this is a lot of food
2. I should've gotten a different side because it automatically comes with salad, and now I have two salads, which is stupid, no one needs two salads ever.
The soda was just soda.
The pita was fair.
The green salad with tomatoes was bitter and I didn't like it.
The Aegean slaw, was coleslaw with out all the mayo that makes it taste good, so it just tasted like fresh cabbage, which is fine, I guess.
The Lamb/beef- amazing! I've had a lot of gyros- good, bad, ugly, and I've had grilled lamb chops, grilled by a real Greek person. This has probably been some of the best lamb I've ever had.
Here are the locations, please go immediately, (or you know, during your next lunch break).
On to food line number 2. As per my last entry, I've been gastronomically exploring the lunch options in Hudson Square, and this is a location my co-worker recommended: Viên.
Jasmine rice, Ginger Beef, Sweet Chili sauce, slaw, cilantro, crispy onions, avocado, salad greens
I love south-east Asian food; it ties for first place with Mexican food in my heart. This food was not overly Asian. Having said that, I basically inhaled this meal. It was delicious. It was amazing. There was a lot of flavors happening in this small brown box, and they were all trying to jump in my mouth as quickly as possible. The slaw was a little acidic, in a good way, the avocado was very mildly seasoned allowing it to serve more of a binding agent for all the little bits and pieces. The beef, which in the food trays looked dried out, was just fine. The rice was a little lack luster because I was expecting something slightly more aromatic, but if you mix it all up it works just great!
Both meals were impressive, especially for lunch and especially for $11 or less.
Viên also has a frequent flyer card, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be getting the heck stamped out of this thing, since it's only 2 blocks away!
Cheerio!
Esther Fiesta
Update 11/2014:
I tried Viên again today. I was trying to cut carbs so I ordered it as a salad without rice. BAD IDEA! With out the blandness of the rice to soak up all the different sauces they use and then add on the whole thing fell part. It was too salty, too vinegar-y and too spicy! ALWAYS GET RICE. The experience has left me wary of going back.
LOCATION: 111 Fulton St and 350 Hudson
Hello, Hello!
So, I know there's a South Park episode about how Chipotle makes you crap your pants in extremely exaggerated ways. In any case, I have always been a fan of Chipotle, but have laid off of it for a while because I've had too much and now I have moved on to bodega tacos for my Mexican and cilantro fix. However, I have noticed in the past, and am now finally tasting, that other types of cuisine are adopting the Chipotle model of ordering food, (i.e. pick your rice, your meat, your toppings as you go down a line). For my diary entry today, I will be reviewing two different gourmet-to-go restaurants.
The first one was a Hellenic Chipotle, GRK Fresh Greek.
So, as is typical, first you decide if you want it in pita (sandwich form) or on a plate (platter form), then you pick a protein, then a tzatziki (the sauce), and then you pick the side if you order it like a plate. I hate being the person on line who doesn't know what the heck is going on, so i stood quietly back and read the entire menu. Mentally made my selections, then repeated it to myself until it was memorized. Everyone could still tell I had no idea what the floop was going on, but at least I wasn't holding up the line. So, I step up to the plate, and I order!
Plate! Lamb & Beef! Kaftero! Aegean Slaw!
"okay...." says the cashier wide-eyed and freaked out.
"oh, and also this orange Greek soda, please," I say after I've caught my breathe.
I carry my tray of food to the table, take a photo, and then make two immediate mental notes:
1. this is a lot of food
2. I should've gotten a different side because it automatically comes with salad, and now I have two salads, which is stupid, no one needs two salads ever.
The soda was just soda.
The pita was fair.
The green salad with tomatoes was bitter and I didn't like it.
The Aegean slaw, was coleslaw with out all the mayo that makes it taste good, so it just tasted like fresh cabbage, which is fine, I guess.
The Lamb/beef- amazing! I've had a lot of gyros- good, bad, ugly, and I've had grilled lamb chops, grilled by a real Greek person. This has probably been some of the best lamb I've ever had.
Here are the locations, please go immediately, (or you know, during your next lunch break).
On to food line number 2. As per my last entry, I've been gastronomically exploring the lunch options in Hudson Square, and this is a location my co-worker recommended: Viên.
So we begin with more or less the same system: Carb, protein, sauce, extras. I studied this menu online a few times so I didn't have to prep myself in a corner of the already small establishment. There was less people at this place so I felt like I could take a look at the food before confirming what I wanted.
Jasmine rice, Ginger Beef, Sweet Chili sauce, slaw, cilantro, crispy onions, avocado, salad greens
I love south-east Asian food; it ties for first place with Mexican food in my heart. This food was not overly Asian. Having said that, I basically inhaled this meal. It was delicious. It was amazing. There was a lot of flavors happening in this small brown box, and they were all trying to jump in my mouth as quickly as possible. The slaw was a little acidic, in a good way, the avocado was very mildly seasoned allowing it to serve more of a binding agent for all the little bits and pieces. The beef, which in the food trays looked dried out, was just fine. The rice was a little lack luster because I was expecting something slightly more aromatic, but if you mix it all up it works just great!
Both meals were impressive, especially for lunch and especially for $11 or less.
Viên also has a frequent flyer card, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be getting the heck stamped out of this thing, since it's only 2 blocks away!
Cheerio!
Esther Fiesta
Update 11/2014:
I tried Viên again today. I was trying to cut carbs so I ordered it as a salad without rice. BAD IDEA! With out the blandness of the rice to soak up all the different sauces they use and then add on the whole thing fell part. It was too salty, too vinegar-y and too spicy! ALWAYS GET RICE. The experience has left me wary of going back.
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