White N' Hot Halal Truck

Halal carts.  They’re all over NYC.  Five dollars can get you a great meal of chicken n’ rice, lamb n’ rice, falafels, gyros, shish kebabs, and even burgers and fries at some of them. 

There are as many of them lingering the sidewalks of NY as there are hot dog carts.  Most people grab a meal at the closest one out of convenience.   Others are worth going out of the way for.  Asking a true New Yorker what the best halal cart/truck is in NY can spark a debate that would never end.  By the way, if you mention “Platters” in midtown you’re clearly labeled as a tourist, or from New Jersey.

Don’t get me wrong, Platters is good, but it’s not worth all the hype and attention it receives.  Also, I don’t see why I should wait upwards of 20 minutes for street food there, as the line is usually down the block.  My favorite halal truck in NY is called White N’ Hot, and it’s parked at the corner of 28^th Street and Madison Ave. 

Platters is the one all the tourists flock to, but White N’ Hot is the one that all the cab drivers come to.  That’s a true sign that you know it’s going to be good.  The truck is parked there all day, from noon to 4am.  If you go late, like I do around midnight or so, you’ll always get friendly service.  The two guys running the truck love what they do, and love feeding the people of the neighborhood.  Even when the bar crowd at Pranna empties out, you’re never waiting more than five minutes for your food. 

I always go for the chicken over yellow rice.  Their chicken has so much flavor, with the right amount of spice.  The yellow rice is also flavorful, and always cooked perfectly.  Covered with a ton of white sauce (tzatziki – strained yogurt sauce), hint of hot sauce (careful is you’re sensitive to spice, their sauce is HOT), and a side salad to cool the spices, is how I love to get it.  They’ll even throw in some french fries for you if you request them.  Huge container of food for $5, and if you get a soda or water, you pay $6.  Perfect for the end of a good drinking night, or even lunch/dinner on the go. 

By the way, I know the pic isn't the prettiest thing to look at.  But come on, it's after midnight, you're buzzed, and you just paid $5 for a meal, so lets be honest, you don't care. 

Halal Chicken n' Rice

White N' Hot

Parked on corner of 28th Street and Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10010