Eating In Translation

Junior's

The "famous No. 1 original cheesecake" ($5.95). Well named.

Junior's
1515 Broadway (at 45th St.)
(one of several locations)
212-302-2000

Soba Nippon

If the name didn't do it, the oversized photo of buckwheat fields would clue you in: noodles are the thing at Soba Nippon. In truth, I'm partial to their udon, slippery smooth noodles with an al dente bite, served cold or in a hot bonito-and-kelp broth. Shown at top are the simplest, Sanuki-style version ($11).

On another occasion, I ordered the soba, a housemade blend of 20 percent wheat and 80 percent buckwheat, with tororo, or grated yam ($15). The noodles themselves were thin, delicate, and darker-hued than the udon; the yam, which looked like a puddle of grated Parmesan in the center of the bowl, had a slippery yet grainy texture and not much flavor. That broth, on the other hand, I drained to the last few drops.

On another, brutally hot summer day, a cold beef soba salad (bottom photo; $19.80) filled a large plate with noodles, lettuce, carrots, onions (on request), plus a little seaweed, topped with two tender, thin slices of lightly cooked beef, sesame seeds, and a nice, somewhat vinegary dressing. An expensive lunchtime salad, but big and satisfying without being overwhelming.

Soba Nippon
19 West 52nd St. (Fifth-Sixth Aves.)
212-489-2525

Margon

This Cuban-Dominican luncheonette isn't much on looks, but the friendly folks behind the counter serve great, filling food.

M2M

(This location of the mini-chain is closed.) This "morning to midnight" market serves up pastrami sandwiches, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and sushi combos as well as ready-to-eat food and groceries, largely from Japan and Korea. Some seats upstairs.

Ika sansai salad (middle photo; $3.60 for about a quarter-pound), was a tangy blend of squid (ika) and "mountain vegetables" (sansai) with ginger and soy sauce.

On previous occasions:

Jinga pickled radish (4 oz.; $1.99) was bright yellow with flecks of red (pepper) and green (scallion). Very vinegary.

Daifuku mochi kuro goma (110 g.; $1). Moist, sweet rice cake with a red bean filling; blackened sesame seed coating had little flavor.

Paldo brand vilac soo jeong gwa (sweet cinnamon punch; 8.04 fl. oz; 99 cents), from Korea, also included traces of persimmon and ginger. Cinnamon flavor without the heat; nice, if short.

M2M
2935 Broadway (114th-115th Sts.)
212-280-4600

Oldcastle Pub Restaurant

(This venue is closed.) Irish breakfast ($12.95) with two over easy, Irish sausage, rashers of bacon, a slice each of black and white "pudding" (that is, sausage cooked with and without pig's blood), and chunky home fries. On a previous occasion, the Castle mixed grill ($14.95) swapped in a pork chop and mashed potatoes for the eggs and home fries. Workmanlike fare, worthy of the rugby, soccer, and other sports on 14 screens.

Oldcastle Pub Restaurant
160 West 54th St. (Sixth-Seventh Aves.)
212-471-4860

Voza

(This venue is closed.) The brunchtime fare is typical Columbus Ave., but at dinner this homey Albanian-owned hideaway features pan-continental cooking like this chicken breast ($12.95) stuffed with goat cheese, herbs, and apples, and sided with still-crunchy green beans and crispy-topped mashed potatoes. Preceded by a complementary demitasse of chicken-chipotle soup and an appetizer of broiled eggplant ($6.95), tame even though topped with garlic, mint, and yogurt. Followed by roasted plums ($5.95) with yogurt, baked walnuts, and honey; would be well-served by denser yogurt or additional crunch, but engaging nonetheless.

Voza
949 Columbus Ave. (107th-108th Sts.)br />212-666-8602

Epices du Traiteur

Athwart a lemon-juice-drenched Granny Smith, this brik ($8.75) tucks tuna, potato, and a runny egg in a crispy phyllo pocket, but jaunty looks don't compensate for a small payload. (Compare the sedate but full-to-bursting version at Nomad.) A deep bowlful of Tunisian rice ($19.95), with chopped spinach, chickpeas, lamb, and mint, amply filled out the meal.

Epices du Traiteur
103 West 70th St. (Columbus-Amsterdam Aves.)
212-579-5904

Beard Papa's

A regular puff ($1.45) had a delicate vanilla flavor, though the custard was less dense than the Choux Factory version.

Beard Papa's
2167 Broadway (76th-77th Sts.)
212-799-3770

Giovanni Esposito & Sons

The "Esposito Pork Store" has been a full-spectrum butcher for many years; even so, I walked away from a recent visit with a porcine sampler of pancetta, sorpressata, and capricola. As for this provolone and parsley sausage ($3.29 per pound), it was too cheesy, mild, and soft for my taste. Plenty others to choose from another time.

Giovanni Esposito & Sons
500 Ninth Ave. (at 38th St.)
212-279-3298
Closed Sunday

Starbuck's

Large latte (20 fl. oz.; about $4). Contained requisite caffeine.

Starbuck's
(many locations)