Chicken Rice

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After coming out of MOMA's Mike Nichols tribute last Saturday night, I came upon a long line of people at the corner of 53rd and 6th Avenue. 40 or 50, at least, waiting to buy $5 plates of chicken and rice from a food truck. I asked one of the guys in line what the big deal was. "It's really delicious, man," he answered. "You've gotta try it." Can't be that good, I said. "It is," he said.

I didn't want to be a lemming so I passed. Everyone in line looked youngish. I can't think of any other place in Manhattan where can you get a good meal for five bills. A Depression 2.0 special.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 21, 2009 at 6:08 PM

comment #1

mutinyco says ...

Those guys are famous. They marketed themselves years ago. Even sell T-shirts.

There's chicken and rice guys all over the city though.

Posted by mutinyco at April 21, 2009 6:21 PM

comment #2

BurmaShave says ...

Great dumpling place somewhere downtown Manhattan, sort of off the beaten Chinatown path, has the best dumplings I've ever had 5 for $1. Of course I can't remember its name at the moment.

Posted by BurmaShave at April 21, 2009 6:24 PM

comment #3

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

I sometimes get the chicken, lamb and rice from this street vendor on about 18th and Park, I think. It's a surefire way to clear your guts if you're constipated. Like colonic irrigation in a box. Stinks out the office, though. Co-workers don't appreciate it.The food, I mean.

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 21, 2009 6:49 PM

comment #4

Jeffrey Wells says ...

I could have done without the association of rice, chicken, lamb and your fucking colon, thanks very much. Why ever would you eat stinky food in an office with co-workers who don't appreciate the stink of it? What are you, just off the boat?

Posted by Jeffrey Wells at April 21, 2009 6:52 PM

comment #5

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

hahahaha

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at April 21, 2009 6:54 PM

comment #6

slutsky says ...

This is the first time I've seen somebody blog about NOT eating something delicious they've discovered.

Posted by slutsky at April 21, 2009 7:02 PM

comment #7

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Nice to see that LA has something you guys don't yet - the Kogi Korean Taco Truck.

http://kogibbq.com/

So far, the only good use of Twitter I've come across - they let you know where one of the trucks is parked.

NPR already has done a segment on them for The World (home of the tune that will stay in your head all day - the Geo Quiz music)

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at April 21, 2009 7:10 PM

comment #8

rr3333 says ...

Jeff: I dont know if you've ever tried Shwarma, but damn, its good.

NY has tons of Middle Eastern Restaurants. For an extra clean experience, go to a kosher place.

Mr. Broadway on 36th and Broadway has Kosher Shwarma. Give it a shot.

Posted by rr3333 at April 21, 2009 7:23 PM

comment #9

Wrecktem says ...

Kogi...combining the two great food imports to L.A.: taco trucks and Korean BBQ. Recommended highly, but NOT good enough to wait an hour in line for.

Posted by Wrecktem at April 21, 2009 7:25 PM

comment #10

ZayTonday says ...

Ahh I saw the Kogi BBQ truck outside of this event at the Geffen MOCA spot downtown. My buddy got some but I didn't. :(

Posted by ZayTonday at April 21, 2009 7:29 PM

comment #11

ZayTonday says ...

Oh and GOD DAMN that GeoQuiz music!!!!!!

Posted by ZayTonday at April 21, 2009 7:29 PM

comment #12

mccool says ...

halal trucks are usually a safe bet. and as rr said, kosher shwarma is a always a good deal...

if you look hard enough in manhattan you can eat very good food for very little money. Of course nothing is cheaper than carrying around your own free leftover desserts, but still, $5 will get you plenty if you're trying...

Street vendors can really rake in the dough and many of them work very aattractive hours (setting up for lunch outside of a medical center, say...a few hours of prep in the morning, two hours of work during the day, and you can net over a grand). The problem is getting ahold of a license and fending off the mafia (that's not a joke; the mafia actually exists outside of Martin Scorsese movies)

Posted by mccool at April 21, 2009 7:46 PM

comment #13

Ben Marklein says ...

GeoQuiz music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l5KZVte6iY

Posted by Ben Marklein at April 21, 2009 7:49 PM

comment #14

Ben Marklein says ...

The GeoQuiz thing reminds me of this:

http://www.throwdownyourheart.com/

Excellent documentary by Bela Fleck showing him traveling through Africa playing his banjo with various musicians. Playing this week at the IFC Center in NY and I think Bela will be there in person at some showings.

Posted by Ben Marklein at April 21, 2009 7:54 PM

comment #15

anonymous2 says ...

That chicken and rice stand is that good. I go there before every screening at MoMa and eat it in the plaza where you took the picture of the tulips. I go there before all Ziegfeld screenings too. One of the only cheap places to eat in the area that's open around the clock. They have a second stand across the street from that stand and one of them always has a short line.

Posted by anonymous2 at April 21, 2009 8:04 PM

comment #16

buckzollo says ...

Wells pretend the truck is Natalie Portman and give her a try, live a little!

Posted by buckzollo at April 21, 2009 8:35 PM

comment #17

buckzollo says ...

Kogi trucks story was on Nightline last night. Damn.

Posted by buckzollo at April 21, 2009 8:36 PM

comment #18

Nick X says ...

I've been to that truck before, twice. My ex girlfriend lives two blocks from there. The food tastes exactly like the food at every single other fucking street cart. I will never understand why there's that huge line at that particular cart. Truly bizarre.

If you want great street cart food, a better bet is the taco truck that's across from the IFC theater on whatever it is, west 3rd. I believe there's also one, same folks, at 7th and 14th. The Taco Arabe is $3.50 and insanely delicious.

Posted by Nick X at April 21, 2009 8:41 PM

comment #19

masethan says ...

BurmaShave did you mean Prosperity Dumpling?

Posted by masethan at April 21, 2009 8:52 PM

comment #20

D.J.Z. says ...

Anyone wanna see Joe Dante and James Cameron at the Aero next month? http://www.americancinematheque.com/Aero/aeromastercalendar.htm
Rob Cohen makes some good points.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icbbfbd34476c89900a03909ff959c912
Ali G wins again.
http://reporter.blogs.com/thresq/2009/04/ali-g-girlfriend-joke.html
The real WW2 they don't talk about in Hollywood.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3icbbfbd34476c899078cbdcf771fff9b1
Looks like Cruise is still popular enough to get rewrites.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002702.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
The father's side of the story on Slumdog-Gate.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002653.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
If you buy a ticket for Earth, Disney plants a tree.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002699.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Posted by D.J.Z. at April 21, 2009 9:13 PM

comment #21

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Thanks Daniel!

And for your next act, are you gonna literally fly this thread into the side of a building?

Hijacker.

"Rob Cohen makes some interesting points."

You know, you almost got me to click on one of your worthless links just to witness an "interesting point" from Rob Cohen (it probably goes something like this -- "Vin Diesel is bald").

But then I remembered an interesting point, myself. You're INSANE.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at April 21, 2009 9:35 PM

comment #22

BurmaShave says ...

masethan, yes!

Posted by BurmaShave at April 21, 2009 10:33 PM

comment #23

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

ZayTonday - yep. Go grab your "skirt" and dance a dervish.

Citizen - guess you are this month's designated "D.Z. shut the fuck up" poster. Do us proud, son, do us proud.

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at April 21, 2009 11:35 PM

comment #24

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

Does anyone want to clue the former D.Z. in to the fact that most of us are already users of a certain site that provides the same service...?

http://www.moviecitynews.com/

Posted by Deathtongue_Groupie at April 21, 2009 11:43 PM

comment #25

Pinko Punko says ...

The iPhone truck is a different story.

Posted by Pinko Punko at April 21, 2009 11:58 PM

comment #26

D.J.Z. says ...

Deathtongue: Seems pretty slow to me...

Posted by D.J.Z. at April 22, 2009 12:06 AM

comment #27

btwnproductions says ...

Excellent Dumpling House, on Lafayette just off Canal, has...excellent dumplings. And they're real cheap.

Posted by btwnproductions at April 22, 2009 5:03 AM

comment #28

EDouglasCS says ...

Yeah, I saw this line after some MOMA event I came out of as well... I seem to remember a news story about that food cart and how people do line up for an hour or more to get their food.

(I agree with the recommendation of Excellent Dumpling House... go there all the time)

Posted by EDouglasCS at April 22, 2009 6:12 AM

comment #29

dp4m says ...

Jeff -- it's totally that good. Two of the worst-kept secrets in New York City among restauranteurs is thus: 1) They very frequently throw dinner parties for each other in their own restaurants after they close (a subject of a series my sister shot with Daniel Boulud on HDNet) and 2) the Manhattan restauranteurs, when not doing such things, generally all go to THIS TRUCK after closing down their place at 1-2 am.

Posted by dp4m at April 22, 2009 1:25 PM

comment #30

mccool says ...

jeff, be a lemming. Swallow your pride...and their food. Let us know what you think.

Posted by mccool at April 22, 2009 2:59 PM

comment #31

whoameansyes says ...

Vendor food around the city has become sort of a "thing" in the last handful of years, with a number of foodie blogs egging on the fetish.

The best carts have excellent food for just a few bucks, so I welcome this "movement" with open arms. The biggest pain in the ass, though, is the Jamaican Dutchie in midtown, who can't turn a meal over in anything less than 20 minutes. NOT COOL.

Posted by whoameansyes at April 22, 2009 10:48 PM

comment #32

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comment #33