After selling their flan at Zabar’s, Union Market, and elsewhere in the city for years, chef Claudia Berroa and husband Richard Berroa have opened this brick-and-mortar business in the Bronx. The menu showcases Peruvian specialties like lomo saltado and pollo a la brasa, but best of all are the empanadas. Made to order, and packed with chorizo, chicharon, and other fillings, critic Ryan Sutton found their golden crust to be “as light as a wonton wrapper.”

First launched as a food stall at the Queens Night Market in 2019, chef Amy Pryke is now serving her popular Singaporean noodle dishes from a small restaurant in Washington Heights. New to the brick-and-mortar storefront is the roti john sandwich, a toasted baguette sandwich made from from cumin-spiced beef, caramelized onion, and egg. In Singapore, the dish is often eaten as breakfast, but here it makes for a comforting midday meal.

Arab and Latin flavors combine at the Migrant Kitchen’s first uptown location. Eater NY critic Robert Sietsema recommends chefs Dan Dorado and Nasser Jaber’s lamb torta: a Mexican-style sandwich served with a lamb roast seasoned with sumac and Oaxacan cheese. Elsewhere on the menu, there are bowls, salads, and more that make for a perfect fast causal daytime option.

Before Lum Lum took over this Hell’s Kitchen space, it was the home of Pam Real Thai, an acclaimed restaurant that offered dishes beyond standard takeout pad Thai and curries. The current generation of Thai restaurants, including this one, have taken it a step further with a focus on regional cooking. At Lum Lum, seafood dishes with a northern Thai influence shine the most. Eater critics and editors have been early fans of dishes ranging from grilled cuttlefish to a squid ink soup.

Some of the items on the menu at this Rockefeller Center hotspot from Ignacio Mattos come with eye-popping prices. But with some careful navigation of the menu, Lodi may well be on its way to becoming one of Midtown’s best lunch spots. Items like the porchetta sandwich, a kale-and-egg tart, and a Dune-like ribbed croissant had Eater NY critic Ryan Sutton coming back for more.

From the team behind the hit Dhamaka comes this flavor-packed sandwich spot that Eater critic Ryan Sutton called a “red-hot success.” While the menu is certainly centered on portable, Indian-leaning fried chicken sandwiches (no white meat will be found in the establishment), there’s plenty for those who want a vegetarian option to love as well. Sutton recommends the chile cauliflower and the vada pav, an interpretation of the Indian street snack made up of a potato patty with pao bread.

This just-opened spinoff of the Vietnamese sandwich shop Banh Mi Cô Ût (named after the sandwich impresario) opens 11 a.m. for lunch seven days a week. The menu includes pho, bun, and rolls, fried and fresh — the latter served cold is particularly refreshing dipped in peanut sauce.

At this new Chinatown food court there at least 10 stalls, all under one roof, to choose from during lunch hours. Vendors like 89 Eatery serve up items like congee or roast duck, while Kwan’s Burger highlights unusual pie flavors like lobster pizza. With 100 seats in the venue, you’ll have no problem finding a seat during peak hours.

This newcomer to NYC’s stacked sandwich scene is all about the Dutch crunch bread, a flaky style of loaf popular in the Bay area, but rarely (if ever) highlighted in NYC. Owner Brian Tsao, an alum of Beauty & Essex, uses the his own bread on sandwiches like Peking Turkey served with hoisin sauce. Be warned: these are some of the largest sandwiches in the city, with prices to match (options mostly hover in the $17 to $22 range). Bring a friend or save some for a second meal. Another bonus: each sandwich comes with a Tootsie pop.

Torta ahogada, a staple in Guadalajara, finally get its due at this Prospect Heights establishment. The saucy sandwich, glossed in chile de arbol sauce, makes for a tasty, if not also messy, desk-side lunch where napkins should be handy. Whether a torta is ordered for dine-in or to-go, wash lunch down with a strawberry horchata. Cruz del Sur also has a lovely back patio perfect for an afternoon meeting or as co-working space.

Though Agi’s also has a standout breakfast program filled with pastries and coffee, lunch may well be where this Crown Heights newcomer really thrives. During the week, there’s hearty tuna melts, open face sandwiches with jammy egg mousse, and nosh plates filled with pickles.