Pakiza Halal Food Cart

Not very fresh and not very good; very greasy and very over-​seasoned… There are a lot of halal carts in the area, and this one is all the way down on the bottom of my list.

HOLLA FOR YOUR HALAL AND PACK UP SOME PAKIZA!
Maybe you spent your day protesting the evils of Wall Street from the bowels of the Deutsche Bank atrium and can’t wait until 6:00 PM for when the sponsors of Occupy Wall Street bring some grub to help fuel the fight for another day. Sure, there may be food vendors INSIDE the atrium, but your twisted mind seems to think that putting money in their pockets would some how benefit the bank from which they rent their humble space. It sure ain’t easy finding food without the 1% getting their piece of the action. If anybody is part of the 99% it would have to be the Pakiza Halal guys!
There is usually one guy manning the cart and you can find him out there pretty early as he’s chopping up the chicken and lamb on his grill to serve for lunch. If you don’t believe that he’s prepping it fresh, you can sit there and watch as he seasons it with pickled veggies as the food gently awakens those special spices that seem to be activated by the heat. And just like clockwork, this guy is ready to serve lunch right on time for you everyday. A typical plate will consist of a few shreds of lettuce, a generous amount of seasoned yellow rice, and your choice of lamb, chicken, or both. Get a few squeezes of white sauce (creamy and cool) and red sauce (hotter than hell) and get ready for some flavor. Grab yourself a soda and you’ve got yourself a $ 5.00 lunch that will satisfy the budget savvy.
Not enough food for you? Don’t fear them to be capitalist 1% pigs, but these guys want to make sure that you don’t feel faint before they ring that dinner bell. Tell the guy that you want an extra dollar of meat and he will make sure that your carton is filled to the top with a hell of a lot of halal meat. Still not enough food for you? This is a full service cart, so this guy can always throw a knish or hot dog in the bag as you pace yourself through your multi-​course meal. Now that should be enough food for the 1% and the 99% alike. I guess you can say that no matter which side of the fight you’re on that we can all agree on that.
Don’t go fighting the power without powering up yourself first! Who knows when the fight will be over, but at least we know that this guy will be out there everyday to supply your team with a satisfying meal.

My favorite Halal cart in the city!
The chicken and rice is a great deal and everythign is perfectly cooked. The service is fast (especially for it usually being one guy). And I was there when they were inspected by the health department a few weeks ago and everything passed (which is always a nice sign!)
A go to if you need a quick lunch downtown and are craving something spicy and delicious!

After Zak’s Halal Cart in front of the Brown Brothers Harriman building on Broadway stopped including a can of soda, I was on my quest to see if any other food cart in Lower Manhattan would offer such a deal. You’re in luck! Located in front of the Public Space Area on the Wall St. side is Pakiza Halal Food Cart, one of the few food carts that still offer a platter and can of soda for $ 5. This cart is manned by one person so I’m guessing it can get a bit slow during lunch hours.
For starters, I ordered Chicken over Rice. Salad and three scoops of rice were thrown in the typical white styrofoam platter, topped with small square pieces of chicken. Standard-​fare halal food, but portions slightly smaller than the norm. The man will not mention the soda, but it is clear that a soda is included if you look at the menu on the side of his cart. After paying for your meal or as you wait, just grab a can of soda on the left side of the cart.
On to the food:
— The salad, probably the cheapest ingredient, was scarce in portion. The lettuce was browning on the sides though still crisp.
— The small chicken bits were tender and complemented with the usual spices. Decent though nothing extraordinary.
— Onions and peppers were grilled so in all the oily goodness, though it was slightly softer than to my liking.
— The white sauce was thinner in consistency than the usual, though still tasted the same.
— The hot sauce was slightly tangy but had some nice heat.
— The yellow rice was probably the only distinguishing thing from this Halal cart, as it was long-​grain rice, though flavors were a bit plain without much seasoning.
A decent meal, though it probably tasted a bit better since I was able to nab a can of soda along with my platter for $ 5. Being tight on cash, I’ll probably come back to Pakiza as the food was decent.