Continental Express Halal Food - Feeding Wall Street $7 at a Time
Photo by Melinda Huspen
The opinions reflected in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.
The first time I ordered from a food truck in New York, I got a bottle of Poland Spring water near Central Park South.
It was $8. Ouch.
“Well, I’m never doing that again,” I thought to myself.
Fast forward to Spring 2021: I’m studying Macroeconomics and working two jobs. I’m stressed, hungry and miserly. My friend invites me to lunch.
“Halal?” he asks.
“Sure,” I reply, half awake.
“Coffee?”
“Absolutely not,” I retort with a smirk. “I won’t be complicit in your addiction.”
“Fair enough.”
We walk together from Fulton Center. The air is crisp. We pass the beautiful Trinity Church. To our right are the picturesque Bowling Green park and the iconic Charging Bull statue. A crowd of onlookers stand in a queue to fondle the brass testicles of a symbolic capitalist shrine. (A few people are touching the statue as well).
“Where’s the halal restaurant?” I ask.
“Right here,” my friend replies, pointing to a food truck.
I sigh in exasperation. “Oh. Dude, come on. I don’t have $20 for gross takeaway food.”
“Just try it,” he assures me.
Photo by Melinda Huspen
That’s when I notice the line of at least a dozen people wrapped around the corner of the block. Almost every kind of New Yorker could be seen here: men in suits from the Stock Exchange, construction workers, a model, two students and a pigeon all waiting patiently in a row.
We reach the end of the line and my friend orders for me: lamb over rice. The two gentlemen in the truck are smiling, both working together with what seems to be one mind. My friend strikes up a conversation with them, something he apparently does often.
“How are you, my friend?” asks one of the men.
My friend (who is still single, by the way) then proceeds to converse in Arabic with the gentlemen cooking our lunch.
Our meals are served in roughly 45 seconds.
“All good, my friend?” the first gentleman asks.
“All good, mashallah!” my companion cheerfully replies.
When we sit down and eat, the first thing I notice about my lunch is the sheer amount: lettuce, cucumber, a blanket of fragrant shredded lamb and a few small pieces of naan bread all sit on a bed of yellow rice topped with white sauce and hot sauce.
As of March 2023, this meal is $7. How is that even possible? Better to not question miracles.
The lamb, combined with the sauce and rice, tastes warm and delicate yet also rich and vibrant. The flavor is savory and nutty, the texture is soothing to taste. The naan is soft and spongy, the lettuce is crisp. I finish my meal with a smile and a full stomach.
I’ve eaten sandwiches at Subway that were more expensive and tasted worse than my lunch that day.
It tasted as if the world were at my feet. At this humble food cart, I seemingly discovered a whole new universe of deliciously cheap lunches. A few weeks later, while walking in Hudson Yards, I saw another halal truck and ordered the exact same thing: lamb over rice.
$15. Ouch.
My meager serving of lamb was drowning in dry, undercooked rice. The sauce was burning and overpowering. I needed water… which was another $7. Technically, it was still cheaper than the last time I swore to never buy water from a food truck.
Apparently, this one specific food truck near Bowling Green offers something special. Officially, this establishment is called “Continental Express Halal Food” and they set up on Beaver Street by Bowling Green every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. When approaching from the Charging Bull, hang left. If it’s lunchtime, you’ll see the line. You can’t miss it.
“We've been in this business for about 10 years now,” one of the owners said.
“And how long have you been here?” I asked.
“The whole time, my friend, the whole time.”
Ali Jawetz on Restaurantji said that “The two men who serve halal at this cart are among my top 10 favorite people in New York. I’ve been coming to them for weekday lunch for 5 years and they always ask how I am and remember my order. The food is delicious and cheap, the best chicken & lamb over rice around town. They are so kind and dedicated - they know most of their regulars’ orders despite a long line every day, people are loyal to them and they adhere to that responsibility … I could not recommend it more highly.”
I asked a couple of patrons on-site about their experience.
“This place is a steal, man,” said one of the construction workers. “We’re so happy to give them business. Five, ten guys, once or twice a day? I get the lamb gyro… it’s 6 bucks man, it’s great.”
“The first time I ate at this place I was an intern,” explained one man in a tailored suit. “I’m a broker full-time now, but I keep coming here.”
New York has a reputation for being an intimidating, isolating, lonely city. However, many natives will tell you about the endearing pockets of community you can find all over town. Continental Express Halal Food is a hidden gem in the crown of Wall Street, and I hope they keep serving this community for many years to come.
Evan Louey-Dacus is a senior studying Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. He attended Oxford as a summer student and currently works in research and business strategy. Evan is the President of the King's Debate Society and the Opinion Editor and Food Columnist at the Empire State Tribune.