W 39th St

"The Asian-ish grab-and-go chain from the founder of Pret A Manger just landed in NYC. UK-based company Itsu — which, like Pret, has prepared foods to-go — has opened the doors on its first stateside location in Midtown, at 530 Seventh Ave. at West 39th Street. The restaurant comes from Julian Metcalfe, the man behind the insane number of Prets across lunch hotspots in NYC, and offers items like sushi rolls, udon noodles, rice bowls, salads, and wraps. Options include standards like a salmon and avocado roll, a poached miso salmon salad, and a pork teriyaki udon bowl. The idea is that it’s a healthy, “good for you” lunch, with flavors inspired by various Asian cuisines, Metcalfe has said. Metcalfe opened the first outpost of Itsu in London in 1997, and now, more than 70 locations the restaurant are scattered across the U.K. This is the first one in the United States. But if the more than 50 Prets in NYC is any signal, the Midtown Itsu may just be the first of many. Metcalfe has said that he plans to expand this restaurant here, as well." - Serena Dai