Biryani Revisited

So, I'm leaving my job in two weeks (surprise!). I'm not going to talk about work or the reasons, but I mention that solely to introduce my new project - what to eat for lunch in Midtown before I go. 

Coming up with a list was more challenging than I thought it would be. I wanted to skip anywhere that I could easily visit on weekends or elsewhere in the city (so that eliminates chains I commonly visit like Hale & Hearty, Just Salad, Chop't, Maoz and Potbelly, and even smaller or independent places like Margon and Xi'an). Some of my favorites have closed recently (Karam, Indus, etc). Even the food trucks that set up in Midtown during lunch are often roaming the streets on the weekends or at night. I didn't come up with a full list until last night, and I think even now that's in flux.

But yesterday for lunch when the idea for the project surfaced, one place popped into my head as the first place I must go - the Trini-Paki Boys cart at 43rd and 6th.

Packed container of biryani and extras

A wrote a post a few years ago about their biryani and how much we love it. We could have sworn that we've written about their chicken and rice, doubles, samosas, and more... but since I can't find it, I'm guessing that we planned to but never got around to it.

This cart was one of the first places I visited when I first came to Midtown many, many years ago, prior to all the food blogs that introduced me to new and exciting places, and it has remained my favorite street meat cart. For awhile I was just getting the chicken over rice, but once the biryani arrived, I started getting that instead. I just love all the spices. I wish I could cook like this!

White and hot sauces mixed together over the food

The biryani is topped with curried vegetables, curried chickpeas and a fresh salad, along with white sauce and hot sauce. Yesterday she also added some extra chicken to the top. The chicken was a little more well done than usual but that could be because I was having a very late lunch and it had been on the heat longer. I still recommend the biryani and am considering a second trip during my "revisiting" period to get the chicken over rice as well. And a samosa. Maybe doubles if A has time to come with me.

Underneath the salad and vegetables - biryani!

This family-owned cart is truly one of Midtown's treasures. The line has been longer during the past few years than I remember from when I first started going, and while that makes my wait time longer, I love that they seem to be doing good business. But since they are only out for lunch on the weekdays, I needed to make sure I went there before I go. Love this place!