Yakisoba Sandwich at Panya – NYC
After ten days of eating giant Hawaiian lunch plates consisting of lau lau, kālua pig, Portuguese sausage, ham, and bacon, I’ve been eating light since I got back. (Why everyone in Hawaii isn’t obese is beyond me.) Yesterday, lunch was a Yakisoba Sandwich ($3.25) from Panya.
Noodles in a sandwich may seem wrong on every level, but when you want something light, but still tasty, it gets the job done. Especially at Panya where the yakisoba sandwich is practically meat-free, and isn’t drenched in mayonnaise and yakisoba sauce. Composed of stir-fried noodles, crunchy cabbage, carrots, and topped with shredded pickled ginger, seaweed sprinkles, and bonito flakes (meat!) in a soft slightly-sweet roll, it’s more of a snack than a meal, but after more than a week of pork stuffage, this was just right for me. A few tips though, first, redistribute the ginger and bonito flakes before eating. The ginger is always clumped on top or at the end, and the bonito flakes always at the end. Second, eat a big fat steak for dinner. Devoid of much nutritional value, your body will probably need and/or crave it.
Panya
8 Stuyvesant Street (b/n 9th St & 3rd Ave; map)
NY, NY 10003
212-777-1930
i like eat a bunch of carbs like that and then lying to my body by saying “the cabbage and carrots are all the fiber you’ll ever need. now stfu and eat the carbs”
but maybe that’s just me…
That is def a weird combo, noodle sandwich. Big fat steak dinner, now that’s what I’m talkin about…
No Danny, you’re not alone.
“Noodles in a sandwich may seem wrong on every level”
DISAGREE. The only thing that would make this sandwich any better would be more carbs. I’m kind of disappointed by the lack of mayo, but how’s this compare to Zaiya’s?
@Danny – Maybe just you! Haha, I save the STFU comments for others.
@someguy – There’s room for both in my stomach!
@Nicholas – Haven’t tried Cafe Zaiya’s yet, but will for you! Not sure when though, my appetite is returning. OMG, so hungry now.
I didn’t like Zaiya’s yakisoba bread that much because
1. It was cold
2. It had massive pieces of pickled ginger and an odd taste (maybe I wasn’t accustomed to it)
3. It was a bit soggy
Maybe I should have gotten there earlier in the day…
What do you mean by “eating light”? This is one of the unhealthiest non-fast food lunches I can imagine.
Whoa, that’s awesome. I’m glad there are people brave enough to sell something like this here and people willing to eat it. I always thought spaghetti sandwiches are awesome. Spaghetti on garlic bread!
@ksny82 – It’s definitely not healthy. As I said, it’s probably devoid of any nutritional content.
@Jason – Garlic bread is so much better than those ice cream cones with spaghetti. Did you ever see those? Ugh.
Hey, great snack suggestion! I’m always looking for new quick bites in the EV, for times when you just don’t want a full meal or a slice of pizza.
@Diana – Yeah, this makes the perfect snack. Panya’s buns are good too. I like their green tea custard buns too when I want something sweet. A little too much custard, but you can always take some out. It’s like a pineapple bun, but green tea flavored.