The tomatoes at Lebanese fast food spot Naya Express taste like tomatoes. The arugula tastes deliciously bitter, and the finely chopped flat leaf parsley, generously doused on, well, everything, has that characteristically crackly texture.
This revelation—vegetables tasting like vegetables—is thanks to Baldor, the fine food purveyor in the Bronx that sources mostly from farms in the Northeast. These delicious vegetables adorn every menu offering.
The halal meats (indicating the animals are fed a vegetarian diet and slaughtered humanely) are from De Bragga and Spitler, a legendary NYC butcher known for quality and naturally raised proteins.
The kitchen produces juicy chicken shawarma, chicken taouk and beef kebabs, falafel, and some incarnation of ground lamb (in an excellent hand-made sausage kebab called sujuk” here) all delivered in a whole-wheat or white pita wrap, vermicelli-adorned rice or salad bowl and finished with whatever toppings and sauces you point to (pickled turnips, garlic whip, tahini, spicy red sauce, and jalapeno are among the myriad of housemade options).
The quality sourcing pays off; the food is really excellent. Hummus is rich and creamy, the baba ganoush smoky and smooth. The chicken and beef kebabs, while sometimes a touch dry (saved easily by a drizzle of the olive oil conveniently placed on the tables), are seasoned perfectly, and the lamb sausage is heady with aromatic flavor and lip-smacking juiciness.
Unfortunately, none of this is a secret. The lines at Naya Express are very long. But the staff moves quickly, so don’t be discouraged just plan accordingly.
Naya Express
688 3rd Ave. (43rd St. & 44th St.)
Hours
Mon-Fri: 11am-10pm,
Sat: 12pm-8pm
212-557-0007
nayaexpress.com
Reviewed by:
Best practices/nutrition: Ashley Spivak
Food critic: Talia Berman
Clean Plates reviews are the only restaurant reviews that combine the expertise of a nutritional consultant and a food writer/critic. In addition to each restaurant being visited, Clean Plates employs a rigorous multistep assessment process including thorough research into ingredient sourcing; quality of cooking oils; preparation techniques; eco-friendly, sustainable practices; and ability to accommodate specific dietary needs.
Visit www.cleanplates.com to get healthy, clean eating tips and recipes—plus, dish with the chefs and pioneers leading the sustainable charge to a table near you.
