On Wednesday evening, kitchen lights stayed on later than usual in many Lower Manhattan apartments. Spicy chicken lettuce wraps, a riff on larb, have quietly replaced instant noodles as the preferred late-night meal among restaurant staff and food media workers. The dish calls for ground chicken, chili, lime, and crisp lettuce leaves. It can be made in under 20 minutes, according to cooks at several Soho restaurants.
This week, the price for a pound of ground chicken at Essex Market hovered around $6. Romaine, now at its seasonal peak from upstate farms, is selling for under $2 a head at most grocers. The low cost and minimal prep have contributed to the dish’s appeal during September’s demanding service weeks, when staff often eat after midnight.
Unlike traditional larb, which uses fish sauce and toasted rice powder, the version circulating in staff meals uses soy sauce and skips specialty ingredients. "It’s whatever you have in the fridge—chicken, some greens, chilis if you’re lucky," said a sous chef at a Bowery bar on Tuesday night.
Lettuce wraps have also started appearing on late-night menus at two East Village cocktail bars this month. Bartenders say customers order them to share after last call. The move may reflect a broader shift toward lighter, protein-forward snacks as the city heads into fall.
For now, the dish’s main following remains among those working behind the scenes. On Sunday at 2 a.m., a pastry chef finishing a shift at Union Square described the wraps as "cheap, filling, and easy to eat with one hand."