Clash of the Titans: 53rd & 6th vs. Wall & Pearl

I've had the great fortune of knowing true love more than once in my life. The first - my wife Kathryn (aww, love you sweetheart!). A very close second - Lamb and rice from the halal Power Lunch truck on the corner of Wall and Pearl Street. Only Wall Street locals know about the place because they are only open on weekdays between 11 and 3. (I assume they spend the rest of their day swimming in the pile of tax-free dollars they amass in only four hours.) I had the good fortune of stumbling upon it during our first two weeks in New York (prior to my start date at Citi, otherwise known as the two weeks lost to Xbox).

Yin

I was a zealous convert at first taste. I preached the glory of the dish to my co-workers at Citi as I had previously done with Brand X (my now estranged lover due to distance / possible decline in quality) and my classmates at BYU. I organized weekly trips with whomever would come. Sometimes I would make the trek solo - the sign of a true addict. My trips were facilitated by the Citi courtesy shuttle that ran between my building in TriBeCa and Citi's 111 Wall St. building (this also made my commute a 10 minute cinch). Chuck Prince's expense cutting initiative reduced the schedule from hourly trips to six times daily. I haven't been back since.

.

I searched far and wide for a superior lamb and rice platter, but to no avail. I had heard rumors of an all night truck somewhere in midtown, but surmised that nothing could beat my guys downtown. Two days ago Kathryn sent me this link. 53rd and 6th (after 7:30 pm, don't be fooled by the imitator that is there during the day). This had to be the place I had heard about. I figured it was worth a shot.

.

The faithful readers of http://www.mikeandkathryn.blogspot.com/ will recall that I had promised Kathryn a planned date for Friday evening. What more romantic of an evening could I plan than a night wandering around the city, jonesing for a lamb and rice fix?

.

We took the M31 from Yorkville (home) to 57th and 6th, a fairly seamless trip. As we approached the intersection that purported to house the "best meal in the city," we saw two trucks serving up halal fare. Which was the right one, we wondered aloud? The answer was immediately apparent given the horde of 75+ people queuing up on the southwest corner. College slackers and black car chauffeurs, hipsters with horn-rimmed glasses and homeless people, blue-collar chain smokers and young professionals pounding away on BlackBerrys, the young and the old, black, white, Asian, Indian, Arab - the entire spectrum of the human experience, all waiting patiently for a bite of heaven.

The line

The maestros at work

The happy couple, eagerly awaiting an injection of 1500 calories

Yang

After indulging, Kathryn asked, in my opinion, which was the better platter? I'll break my review down in to five categories (I'll refer to 53rd and 6th as "Midtown" for the sake of convenience):

1. Quality of Lamb: Tough call. The Midtown guys dice and fry the lamb after it's turned on a spit. The Wall Street truck dices and fries with onions and tomato, and then lets the meat marinate in a pot prior to serving. ADVANTAGE: Slight nod to Wall Street.

2. Quality of Rice: Both use high quality basmati, both season well with what I believe is harissa and turmeric. The consistency of the Midtown platter was a bit less pasty and more flavorful. ADVANTAGE: Midtown.

3. Quality of White Sauce: For the unbaptized heathens that don't know, "white sauce" is a variation on tzatziki. I detect elements of cucumber, cumin, yogurt, and mayonnaise (added to appeal to the American palate, I believe). Whatever it is, me likey. I honestly can't say which is better, however the Midtown truck has a self serve sauce selection. Very dangerous, but very convenient for liberal indulgence. ADVANTAGE: Midtown.

4. Quality of Hot Sauce: Again, not sure what it consists of, but the Midtown guys have stayed true to their Lebanese (or perhaps more aptly labeled "generic Middle Eastern") roots. Their stuff has the acidity of an alkaline battery. My stomach is still protesting, even after a double shot of Pepto MAX. The downtown guys have toned down the pepper content to appeal to the white man's sensitive palate - plenty of flavor, and just a slight kick. ADVANTAGE: Wall Street.

5. Price versus Satisfaction: Wall Street charges $5 for lamb (or chicken, for those that haven't figure out yet that lamb is nature's sponge for spice and flavor) and your choice of drink. Midtown charges $6 for the platter and includes a pita, but no drink. Drinks are available for an extra dollar, bringing the grand total to $7 (price of Pepto MAX not included). ADVANTAGE: Considering the night time convenience, I'm going to have to give a slight nod to Midtown.

OVERALL WINNER: Midtown. Despite the negative reaction to the hot sauce, I can see significant potential in the Midtown platter. I do concede that Wall Street has the better cut of lamb, however when you drown it in enough white sauce, it all tastes amazing. And given 53rd and 6th's hours (7:30 PM to 4:00 AM), I'll actually be able to go once in a while.