Leah McCann Smith | Writer & Editor

ICYMI: Here’s my intro post as to what I’m doing (MealPal) and why I’m doing it (to eat good food in New York City without spending a fortune).

P.S. See you after the holiday!

Day 3: Flavors

Address: 27 Whitehall Street, New York, NY 10005

Day of the week: Wednesday

Order: Asian Chile Chicken Salad

Blackened chicken salad with a sweet and spicy chile sauce and whole wheat thai noodles. Each salad includes a signature dressing and a wedge of hearth-baked bread.

Value: $8.99

I’ll admit, I went into this MealPal order skeptical. I’d had food from Flavors before, but my experience was limited to free sandwiches from company catering lunches (#HydrateTheHustle), so the sandwiches weren’t always fresh because they were sitting out for a couple hours while the meetings ended. Finally. (You do what you gotta do.) But the Flavors salad I ordered was much fresher than I expected. The chicken was hearty, and the chile seasoning and sesame seeds atop it added a nice punch. The chicken was blackened just enough, and the extra lemon squeeze was perfect—I didn’t even use the chile dressing that was provided for the salad. Also that was a big chunk of chicken. Mmm.

Note for those considering this order: the thai noodles and the chicken are cold (or at least they were when I picked them up…), so if you’re looking for a warm salad, like the grain salads/noodle bowls at Chopt, this might not be the prime option for you.

Pickup Process (Wait Time): 

Amount of Food:                    

Food Temperature:                

Taste:                                        

Restaurant/Atmosphere:       

Overall/Value:                         

Okay, so in summary, this salad wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but I’d definitely order it again. It’s a solid choice for all the 10,000 salad options in lower Manhattan. Also, the side of bread is always clutch. #Carbs.