There’s a party at work today at 3 pm, welcoming us newcomers to the fold. Some of the gang from the old place are coming as well, and I can’t wait to see them again to compare notes.

Also, I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this morning (all is fine, no worries!), so I’m a bit late. Finally, us newbies got a new door for our room with a window. It was VERY LOUD all morning long.

So…since there’s a party later, and thanks to the things I got to do during the workday today, lunch has to be light and fast. And cheap, since I only have $10 in my pocket. Eating on the Upper East Side nearby my doctor’s is not a great option today. (Plus, it’s 10:30 am when I’m done…)

What to do?

Thanks to my awesome work crew in the nearby room, who took us to Falchi’s on our first day, I remembered the empanadas they had ordered. I tried a bit of the beef ones back then, and was very impressed with the flavor, abit a bit oily , which is normal.

Today, I ordered a chicken empanada for myself = $2.50 at Karu Café. The crust was not as oily as its beef cousin, but it was golden, “strong” (please cut with a knife), making it perfect to eat  with your hands, and it held all its contents in excellently.

The filling: Full of minced white chicken, egg & dry pimentos; spices were very subtle, nicely corresponding to the chicken meat. I was expecting the same spice blend as the beef (it reminded me of  the awesome & cheap tacos I ate every week growing up), but it was also good as well.

Green sauce: spicy, nice heat in back of throat and on the lips. It brought the chicken to life.

Whenever I consider the spice quotient in food, I would imagine what would my parents would handle…they are polar opposites on how hot/spicy they like their food to be. Mom is not a fan of the hot stuff (black pepper is too much for her), while Dad can eat jalapeno peppers fresh of the jar without sweating. So, Mom should stay away from the green sauce, and Dad should order two portions. One portion of the green sauce was enough for me.

Unfortunately, Karu Café does not have iced tea on the menu, so I went to the Doughnut Plant. Fortunately, for $3.50, their home-brewed Maple Almond Iced Black Tea (sounds weird, I know!) was most excellent, and it tasted great with the empanada! Sweet & refreshing.

Total price: $6 + tax. Not bad for a day’s light lunch. (Hopefully the party food at work will be good too…)

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!