HotelChatter

Luckily we can dash to The Chambers at the drop of a hat, and thus we arrived before the rush at 11:15am. Within twenty minutes, there were crowds of suits patiently playing with their blackberries and iPhones while waiting out the now half-hour wait. You see, the main restaurant space isn't ready to open yet, and the lunch today is being served on the lobby mezzanine, a space typically suited to single travelers and couples who sit and read or have brief cocktails.

Several days ago when we glanced at the suspicious menu, we drooled over the availability of grilled cheese and fries—basic, but a great test of a lunch spot. Voila, what we noshed on:

· Goi Calamare $10:
For lunch, this comes with a free choice of Coke, Diet Coke or bottled water. Pairing it with Diet Coke, we settled in for the squid salad's fish sauce, thai basil and greens. By "greens," they mean lots of cilantro. It is also topped with peanuts. Verdict? Loved. So we're already big fans of squid, but it would make an ideal option for a light lunch if you're in no mood for a sandwich. Plenty of squid, and enough leftover tasty fish sauce to drink with a spoon. Yum.

· Grilled cheese (swiss, cheddar and american) with fries $12:
There is no denying the power of grilled cheese. It appeared simple enough, like anything you could order up at a diner, and it turns out that it was simple enough—tasted like nothing special grilled cheese. That said, the bread was very buttery from the grill although not greasy. The fries were good as well, but we wouldn't say great; we could have used more ketchup or even an offering of mayonnaise for The Chambers' Euro clientele.

· Momofuku Milk Bar peanut butter cookie $1.85:
We were full by now, but c'mon...a cookie can't do any harm, right? The waiter noted to us that although it's not mentioned on the menu, the cookie sports bits of peanut brittle. Oh yes, we found those bits of peanut brittle alright—thus the cookie wasn't super moist nor was it overly crunchy. Even if you're not into the rest of the food, you could order the cookie and a glass of milk and still have a smidgeon of the Momofuku experience. In fact, that's what we recommend.

Bon appetit, our fellow hotel lunchers!

[All photos: HotelChatter]