Sang Kee Noodle House

Every time a new restaurant opens on Penn's campus, I cry a little inside. It seems completely unfair that we couldn't have all of these culinary delights during the four years that we were stuck there. Brattiness aside, University City is really developing it's restaurant scene; one of the more recent additions is Sang Kee Noodle House. Located within the Sheraton Hotel, Sang Kee is actually one of a number of restaurants owned by the same group, including one in Chinatown and one in Wynnewood. These restaurants have been recipients of a number of awards, leaving us curious about the newest addition to the family.

The start of University City Dining Days gave us just the impetus we needed to check it out. Much like the oh-so-popular Center City Restaurant Week (which we blogged about here), participating restaurants offer three course dinners for a set price for two weeks- conveniently coinciding with the deadest days of summer. Unlike Restaurant Week, Dining Days has three price points, $15, $25, and $30 (all less than RW's $35 cost). Additionally, Restaurant Week does not include any restaurants west of the Schuylkill (they aren't considered "Center City"), so Dining Days helps make up for this fault. Basically, Dining Days >> Restaurant Week.

Sang Kee falls on the cheapest end of the spectrum, allowing us each three courses for just $15- perfect for our very rare mid-week meals out. Arriving right after work (ie quite early), we were surprised that the space was so full. However, we were seated quickly in the light, bright, open dining room. The service throughout the meal was typical of many Asian restaurants- simple and efficient without a lot of personality (really, a smile wouldn't hurt you!). The real restaurant menu is extensive, offering dozens of popular Chinese dishes, as well as big noodle bowls, soups, rice bowls, etc. The Dining Days menu was much more limited- giving us the option of four appetizers, five main dishes, and two desserts.

I started with the Peking Duck roll. Sang Kee's restaurant in Chinatown is named "Sang Kee Peking Duck House," so I assumed that these people knew what they were doing here. While it wasn't the most gourmet start to my meal, it was quite enjoyable. An Asian "pancake" (you know, that thing they serve with Moo Shu that is nothing like a pancake, and absolutely identical to a tortilla?) was expertly wrapped tightly around a filling of shredded duck and a light, tangy sauce (almost barbecue-like). The duck was both crispy and a little greasy, but it IS dark meat. The roll didn't seem to be cooked in any way, unlike an egg roll or a spring roll, and was served with a little dish of oyster sauce- not very original, but a good accompaniment. The tortilla was thick and chewy and not simply an afterthought to the duck flavor and texture.





J rolled with the scallion pancake. A generous serving of multiple wedges was served with a thin, sweet sauce, completely unnecessary but a bit addicting. Scallion pancakes are essentially flour, small bits of green onion, and some sort of fat, rolled and smashed together to incorporate the scallions throughout the dough. These are then pan fried, and end up with multiple crispy pastry layers, somewhat like a puff pastry. I may or may not have exchanged several of these wedges for a single bite of my duck roll.



For the entree, I chose the Beef with Pineapple in Black Bean Sauce. In my days at Beijing (the original Chinese eatery on campus), I always chose a dish with rice, vegetables, and meat- no need for anything fancy. This dish seemed to be my closest option. I've never had black bean sauce, so I wasn't sure what to expect- beans to me aren't necessarily an Asian specialty. Beef bits (J compared them to cheesesteak meat) were tossed with a variety of vegetables and pineapple chunks in a dark sauce which contained a few black beans here and there. The sauce was not very flavorful- I would have preferred upping the amperage in both the garlic and heat categories. However, the beef somewhat made up for it- tender and a bit fatty, somewhat like ribeye. The mushrooms were also a hit- whole, soft, but with a little bite left. The chunks of bell pepper weren't quite as good- they were completely raw. I like vegetables, but I would rather the peppers have spent a little time in the pan. The pineapple almost seemed like the odd man out. I liked the sweet addition, and was happy to see that it wasn't canned (at least to my knowledge), but still a little strange. The side of brown rice was hardly mentionable (plus I have a really hard time with rice and chopsticks).



As the restaurant is called Sang Kee NOODLE HOUSE, J ordered the Shrimp Phat Thai in order to experience what this place should really be known for- the noodles. Apparently "Pad" in Chinese is "Phat"- way to totally steal the most well-known Thai dish. After one bite of these noodles though, we couldn't care less. The plate was huge- "more noodles than I eat in a year" according to J, intermixed with a few veggies, some pressed tofu and shrimp, and topped with crumbled peanuts. This appeared to be one of those dishes that you could easily grow tired of after just a few bites, but thankfully, this wasn't the case here. Both the flavor of the sauce and the texture of the noodles were more than we could have asked for- creamy, peanutty, and spicy all at once, with no sign of gumminess or dryness from the noodle base. I was glad she couldn't finish the plate and offered me the leftovers for a later lunch (I think it was almost better the next day!).



Our dessert options were a bit meager, so obviously we each chose one of the two options and (sort of) split them. The ice cream bowl contained three scoops of ice cream, each of a different flavor- coconut, green tea, and vanilla. The coconut was the stand out, as it was very rich and flavorful and contained shreds of sweetened coconut. The green tea was pretty bland- it took me a few bites to even get a hint of tea flavor, while the vanilla was just a classic. It reminded me of the sundae we shared at Doma, but a very weak version of it.



The other dessert option was the Red Bean Coconut Pudding- somewhat more "authentic." Since I have a thing for red beans, I probably enjoyed this more than the average person. The pudding was somewhere between the textures of Jello, pudding, and custard- creamy but also a bit jiggly. It didn't seem to have as much coconut flavor or texture as the coconut ice cream, but was still enjoyable as a sweet end to the meal. The red beans were gathered at the bottom of the cup, and still held a considerable bite- more so than expected. I liked the fact that you could scoop the beans away from the pudding and eat them alone, but again, I'm not sure what the average person would think.



Lots of other diners around us were not sticking to the Dining Days menu, and offered me lots of reasons to come back- everything looked delicious. The portions are huge and the prices are low, something I can certainly appreciate. I'm not sure I would go running back, but I am sure that if it had been established on campus when I was an undergrad, I would have been a frequent diner. But, for $15, we definitely received our money's worth (including leftovers!). For those of you close to campus, definitely give Dining Days a shot- it runs until July 29th and offers a huge number of restaurant options.

Sang Kee Noodle House
3549 Chestnut Street

Adsum

Although we're still not totally sure how to pronounce the name of this place, we've had our eye on Matthew Levin's new creation for quite some time now. When it finally opened this week, a good friend of ours sent out a fortuitous email asking if we'd like to check it out during it's opening week. We didn't exactly need to be asked twice...

We headed down to 5th and Bainbridge to find a rather busy restaurant at 7 PM. Since they don't take reservations for parties smaller than 6, we were lucky that they squeezed an extra chair onto an open four top to fit our group. The place is adorable- falling into the self-described "neighborhood bistro" category in terms of size and atmosphere. Lots of windows- the lighting was fantastic even as the sun started to set- and a very open feel to the whole place, even if the tables were rather close together. It's decorated with books, chalkboards, test tubes, and terrariums, and with the tables coming from an old science classroom, it definitely has a 7th grade biology class feel to it... in a good way. Apparently a few of the tables even have authentic inscriptions such as "This class sucks!"

The service was a tiny bit on the slow side, but we'll let it slide as the staff is still trying to get the hang of things. Also, it seemed like Levin was personally checking the quality of each dish coming out of the kitchen. A & I had been perusing the menu ahead of time, and with a fantastic review of her first visit, our dining mate helped us make our decisions. We decided that ordering, and sharing, the majority of our dishes from the small plates category would allow us to try out a bit more of the menu.

I started with the poutine ($15). This is something I've definitely never seen on a menu in Philly. A Canadian dish (who knew Canada actually had something to offer besides maple syrup and Celine Dion)(I kid..), it typically consists of a bowl of french fries topped with a thin brown gravy and dollops of cheese curds. As this would never qualify as a $15 dish in our book, Levin also topped this decadent treat with foie gras, and lots of it. As my first taste of Adsum, I was totally blown away. The fries themselves were perfectly cooked and salted, somehow providing a delicious potato flavor while maintaining a great outer crispiness, inner softness, all at the perfect temperature for eating. The gravy was also rich but not overly so. The cheese curds gave a smooth, cool texture, though I can't put my finger on exactly what the taste was- very subtle. Definitely a delicious combination to begin with, but with the addition of melt-in-your-mouth foie gras, this dish was over the top. In order to keep it from really becoming overwhelming, we cut the foie gras up into tiny pieces to accompany a gravy soaked fry. I'm so glad I finally got to try this dish, and I'm looking forward to having "real Canadian" poutine in Toronto in October!



A started out with the fried oysters ($12). Fried oysters are definitely on our "obsession" list, and these hit the spot. The oysters themselves were quite large, ensconced in a thick peppery batter that was spot on. Not greasy at all, though the oysters themselves dripped a salty oystery juice upon eating. Underneath the oysters was a thin relish of mild pickles and onions in a thin juice that was easily soaked up by the batter giving another dimension of flavor. The crispy outside with the chewier oyster inside made for a little texture sandwich that was incredibly satisfying.



I ordered the skate ($17) as our only "main", and it sadly was the only disappointment of the meal. The skate itself was on the thin side and the texture was incredibly stringy, to the point of making it slightly difficult to cut. It was also a little bland, and there wasn't quite enough of the apricot sauce to make me happy. The apricots themselves were delicious- stewed in a white wine reduction, they were soft and sweet. However, the few pieces of fried broccoli were underwhelming and didn't really mesh well with the rest of the meal. A is more of a skate fan than I am and she seemed to enjoy it a bit more but I was definitely left wishing I had ordered something else.




A had another "first course" for her entree- a huge Bibb lettuce salad ($10), complete with huge chunks of creamy blue cheese and thin slices of crispy pears. The dressing was heavy on the sesame oil giving it somewhat of an Asian inspired taste and, though a little on the unexpected side, somehow worked. The lettuce was definitely the star of the show- some of the freshest and most flavorful Bibb I've ever had. It certainly would make for a good starting dish, but with the extravagance of our own starting dishes, it was a good balancer.



The other diners at our table enjoyed the Kool-Aid pickled watermelon (think Kool-Aid in a solid form), the Gouda cheese plate, and the Adsum burger. I think I would order this in the future because it was the best burger EVER. Not that I'm a burger connoisseur in any way, shape, or form, but this burger got our table discussing the best burger in Philly, for which this was a clear contender. The meat itself was incredibly thick, providing an amazing medium-rare temperature throughout. With the slightly sweet bun and a side of those perfectly cut fries, this is also the most economical choice on the menu, at $12. Plus, it's certainly big enough to share.

Although there were a few options on the dessert menu, we opted to save room, as we were invited to our newly married friends' place for an amazing dessert spread. As fellow bloggers (and also following the A&J initial trend) and foodies, our host and hostess baked up a totally delicious peach pie complete with lattice crust. This was served up with a homemade apricot sorbet which we will definitely be making in the future, as well as an enormous fruit salad and brownies (chocolate has to make an appearance somewhere!). Many thanks to our friends for a perfectly sweet ending to a great meal!

We came home very satisfied after some great food with great friends. Adsum is a solid restaurant and is definitely on our "we want to return!" list. We were a little disappointed to see that the menu was a condensed version of the originally posted one on Meal Ticket, but we also realize that you can't be overly ambitious, particularly in your first week of business. The concept is fabulous and we were definitely impressed, coming away with an overall very positive feeling about the food.

Adsum
700 S. 5th Street

A(nother) Weekend in Nashville

We've just returned from summer vacation #1, another weekend trip to Nashville, Tennessee. We had so much fun on our last trip that we almost immediately began making plans for another visit. There are too many great things about "Nashvegas" to count, but one of the things we love the most is exploring the city through food. Our friends there have really done an excellent job of visiting the huge variety of restaurants in and around the city, and keeping tabs on which ones we would love. On our last visit, we sampled the Pancake Pantry and Suzy Wong's House of Yum- both restaurants unique to Nashville. For our second visit, our friends asked if we had any requests of our own, and combined those with their own "must eats."

We arrived early Friday morning (thank you one hour time difference!), and our first meal was lunch. J & I both read a number of "healthy eating" blogs, and one such blogger is based in Nashville. She wrote about one of her lunchtime favorites, and the title of the post itself ("The BEST Fish Tacos") made me need to check out Baja Burrito. Our friends had never been, but said they've been wanting to, so I didn't feel bad forcing the issue.

The restaurant is really cute with funky decorations and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. At first glance the menu seems fairly typical- tacos, burritos, taco salads, chips and salsa, etc. However, the options are actually fairly extensive- lots of free toppings, tons of different salsa options (all homemade, as are all of their salad dressings), a variety of meat options including brisket and barbacoa (most of which are locally sourced), and unique drinks and desserts such as horchata and Las Paletas popsicles, respectively. Whew!

I had to get a fish taco ($2.45), of course, but decided to sample their veggie taco as well ($2.20). I chose a corn tortilla base, which comes doubled up to prevent tortilla splittage/spillage. The tortillas are filled with beans, rice, and grilled onions and peppers, and then topped with pica de gallo, shredded cheese, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, and cucumbers. Amazing flavor and texture combination. I would have been perfectly content with six more... if I hadn't also tried the fish taco. They really ARE the best fish tacos- perfectly battered and fried white fish cut into generous chunks, mixed with some white cabbage, a white creamy sauce, and some cilantro and raw onion sprinkled on top. Amazing.





J chose the taco salad ($6.25), topped with barbacoa- a Mexican version of pulled pork. Very finely shredded and tossed in a spicy tomato-based sauce, it was a good addition to the pile of greens, tortilla chips, beans, rice, and other assorted veggie toppings. The chips and salsa were also superb- their thick corn tortillas freshly fried and served with a "salsa bar" where you can pick and choose from a bunch of flavors. The spicy pineapple salsa was one of my favorites- sweet and smoky. We also helped ourselves to a free sample of horchata on our way out (we hope they didn't mind!). It is kind of like cinnamon-y melted rice ice cream... hard to describe. While Baja Burrito is a "one of a kind" independent restaurant, they do have a mini version at the airport- and even though our flight out was relatively early on Monday morning, you know we hit that up.



On our last visit, our friends made the most amazingly delicious pulled pork, and as "payback" for coming to visit them again (just kidding- we owe them bigtime!) we nicely asked pretty much ordered them to make it again. For the record, I tried replicating this dish awhile back, and it sadly came out nothing like their version (I'm blaming the CrockPot). The recipe is actually fairly easy- a 3-6 lb bone-in pork shoulder/butt, a bottle of barbecue sauce (preferably Sonny's), and a white onion. Layer half of the white onion, chopped, at the bottom of a slow cooker, and cover it with sauce. Place the pork butt fat-side-up on top, and again cover with sauce. Sprinkle the remainder of the onion onto the pork, and let it simmer away for 6-7 hours (first 1-2 hours on high, and then adjusted to low). The sauce should be boiling for most of this time, and basting is optional. When you're ready to eat, simply remove the meat from the sauce and "pull it", removing any fatty regions if necessary. The meat literally just falls apart, and is extremely moist- perfect atop a buttered, toasted piece of fresh bread. Bonus points for having lovely house smells all day as it cooks!



The following day we were joined by our other favorite couple, and we celebrated our reunion at a "Nashville Original." This is a group of restaurants "dedicated to sustaining the independent restaurant as a fixture of Nashville's culture and community." It is quite a varied list, ranging from dive bars to 5 star spots. We picked something in the middle- we were aiming for fun atmosphere, a large variety of food (to suit everyone's tastes), with relatively moderate prices. After much debate and lots of menu perusing, we settled on rumba (no, it is not capitalized). The restaurant describes itself as a "rum bar and satay grill", but I'm not sure that's quite an accurate description. The satays themselves aren't heavily emphasized, and the menu strays from its somewhat Latin roots frequently.

I think both J and I stared at the menu for at least fifteen minutes, agonizing over what to order. We wanted to try a variety of small plates, but the sandwiches and entrees kept calling our names as well. I probably put together three or four different combinations of dishes in my mind, before finally settling on my order. To start, I tried the "Montaditos"- which were essentially tapas built on a bread base. rumba's take on this included three small bites: shrimp ceviche on a tortilla chip, a chorizo mole, and a vegetarian tomato-succotash slice ($4). They were good, a well proportioned start to the meal with a variety of flavors. Worth the $4, but not a highlight of the meal.



Then, I moved onto the Barros Luco sandwich ($10), apparently a popular Chilean dish consisting of thinly sliced steak, Monterey Jack cheese, sliced avocado, and a spicy bean-like sauce. It was also served with pico de gallo and mixed greens, which I attempted to shove into the already full sandwich. The steak reminded me of cheesesteak meat (in a good way), and the cheese and avocado were perfect accompaniments. The highlights were definitely the bun- thick, dense, Brioche-y type bread, not something I would imagine making a meat sandwich with, but it worked well- and the sauce- thick and spicy, with chunks of hot peppers. The sandwich typically comes with fries, but I traded them out for the couve, a Latin kale dish made by quickly sauteeing the greens with tomato, garlic, onions and lemon juice. Perfectly chopped and cooked, the kale was much more interesting and enjoyable then a pile of fried potatoes.



J started with the stuffed peppadews ($4), highly recommended by our waiter, and as it involved goat cheese, she was all over it. Two skewers of peppadews (some sort of small red African pepper) are stuffed with goat cheese and then grilled, with a final dash of chorizo bits (kind of like bacon bits?) sprinkled on top. The peppers were on the spicy side, but this was mellowed out by the cheese. The soft goatiness was heated close to its melting point, maximizing the creaminess. She also couldn't turn down the sandwich options, choosing the Ahi tuna, a thick cut of tuna marinated in jerk spices, topped with an avocado tomato relish. Thankfully, she had the same bun that I did (yum), but the tuna was a little on the bland side- although it was cooked super rare as requested. She ate it openfaced, to prevent the thick bread from detracting from the sandwich innards. She also made a veggie substitution, switching out the fries for the chile-seared broccoli. A huge stem of broccoli was panfried in what must have been chile infused oil, cooked to a soft bite, and then topped with sriracha and crushed peanuts. The double hit of peppers definitely made it quite spicy- again, a quality side substitution.







The rest of our dining mates also liked their dishes, and it was impressive to see so much variety on the menu all done well. J and I commented that the atmosphere of the restaurant was a little off- half of it is booths/tables while the other half is more lounge-ish, with couches and low tables. Our waiter, while very helpful and enthusiastic, loved to pop out of nowhere which was a little creepy- I prefer more subtle service. For a somewhat demanding party of 6 though, we were glad to have him.

The following day, our hosts took us to the Loveless Cafe, another famous Nashville tradition. At this point, I remembered that I was in the South- and took full advantage. Nowhere in or near Philly can you find food like this- real, down-home, ridiculously artery-clogging, dripping with oil and butter and lots of love, delicious treats. The Cafe has quite a history, and has turned into somewhat of a production. However, the food remains the same. The menu is full of classic Southern dishes- fried catfish, fried okra, fried chicken livers, barbeque, country ham, creamed corn, mac n' cheese, grits, you name it. Our table started with a couple of baskets of biscuits- small and squarish, and quite notorious. The recipe has been kept secret over the years, and the biscuits have been featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay. They are denser than the average biscuit, but super fresh and perfect with a little smear of butter and some honey, or one of their homemade jams (I only tried strawberry but it was delish)(Editor's note: the blackberry was also solid). I probably could have had four, but it's a good thing I didn't- my fried chicken lunch was enough food to feed at least two hungry people.



The "supper" meal ($11.50) consisted of a quarter of a chicken (breast and leg) and two sides- I chose coleslaw and macaroni and cheese. J ended up ordering the same thing, with green beans instead of coleslaw. Oh man. I probably gained two pounds from this meal, but it was overwhelmingly worth it. The chicken was steaming hot, fresh out of the deep fryer. The coating wasn't too thick or crunchy, just a thin casing to the meat beneath. Crispy, greasy, and the right way to start a lazy Sunday. The macaroni and cheese was super soft and creamy, but I couldn't make it beyond more than a few bites. The coleslaw, on the other hand, was completely dominated- just the right amount of mayo and tang, chopped to fine bits, making it easy to grab large bites. The green beans were cooked down with a bit of bacon and ham, just as Southern beans should be. I also sampled a hush puppy- I swore I just wanted a bite, but then ended up stealing an entire ball of fried cornmeal dough from my very generous friend across the table. They were super dense and moist- most hush puppies end up a little dry. Overall, the most satisfactory Southern brunch I could have asked for- totally worth the short wait.



Our first trip to Nashville in March was so much fun I thought we surely couldn't beat it- but I think this weekend may have. Many, many thanks to our wonderful friends and hosts, and we are already looking forward to our next visit.

Southern Cookin'

The title of this post is a little misleading because the food we made involved very little actual cooking. After perusing the Saturday morning Rittenhouse farmer's market a few weekends ago, we saw a few items that inspired us: green tomatoes and cucumber pickles. Fried green tomatoes are considered somewhat of a "Southern delicacy" and it's relatively hard to find them in this city- our best success with them was actually in DC.

As you know, when A & I were growing up, our Dad was the cook in the family. However, there were certain times of the year when he would get home late and making dinner would fall into the hands of our Mom. She also worked late into the day, so she would sometimes pick up "dinner" at a produce stand near the interstate. But this wasn't just any produce stand... they also sold boiled peanuts, another purely Southern treat. A giant Styrofoam cup full of the salty, softened peanuts (still in the shell) paired with perfectly ripened red tomatoes and a banana, and we were happy campers.

Another kind of food we (OK, mostly me...) are obsessed with is pickles. I've loved pickles ever since I was a little kid and have a lot of memories associated with them from my childhood. And it's not just pickled cucumbers- pickled okra? Pickled beets? Pickled banana peppers? That last one has my mouth watering... Unfortunately, pickles are a little on the expensive side, and as a non-necessity, we rarely buy them. But seeing a quart of pickled cucumbers at the market for $3 got us thinking... why can't we try to make our own?

The long holiday weekend gave us a little extra time to spend in the kitchen, so we decided to tackle all three of these items at once. The farmer's market had perfect green tomatoes (picked that morning!) for $2.50/lb, and I was instructed to store them in the fridge to keep them from ripening- a helpful hint considering you should NEVER refrigerate ripened tomatoes. I also picked up a pound of raw peanuts in the shell ($1.50 at Nuts to You on 13th and Walnut) and an oversize quart of the cukes- lots of food for less than $10.

A took charge of the peanuts: Place peanuts in pot. Add 1/2 cup kosher salt and enough water to cover the peanuts. Turn on the heat until the water begins to boil, then let them simmer/slight boil for a long time. Not hard. Keep an eye on the level of the water as it can boil off pretty quickly- keep adding water as necessary. The recipe A used suggested boiling for three hours, but we probably would have liked them to go for longer- this really depends on your softness preference. We're more on the mushy side of the spectrum, while these turned out firm (but still delicious!). They are definitely on the salty side so perhaps next time we'll tone that down a bit. These are a great summertime snack and can be eaten either hot or cold. Add some spices to the water to make a Cajun version (a crab boil spice packet would work well). You can store them in the refrigerator for a few days as well (a pound of in-the-shell-peanuts is more than you might think...).







Eat the peanuts just like you would a roasted one at a ball game. Crack open the shell (though this is more of a mushing/prying type maneuver), and pluck out the nuts. They have a consistency similar to that of a cooked bean.

Because pickles are more my forte, I was responsible for making them. Wash the cukes well and place them in a large jar or sealable container. Add a few pinches of dill, some sliced garlic, and a white vinegar to water ratio of 3:2 until the pickles are covered. For each 1.5 cups of vinegar, add 2 T of sugar and 1.5 T of salt (I know that requires some math... sorry...). Seal the jar and shake everything well. Pop them in the fridge for at least 24 hours, though again, I think they require more time. We're going on two days now and the pickles are at "half-sour" status. Very crunchy, totally fresh, garlic-y and dill-y.. and homemade! Again, a super easy snack that can keep in your fridge for awhile, I think a couple of weeks, but only time will tell. Until then, you know what they say: A pickle a day keeps.. me very happy!





The fried green tomatoes took a little more effort. We like the slices to be super thick to get some good crunch action- green tomatoes have a totally different texture than ripened tomatoes (duh). We rubbed our tomato slices in a little whole-wheat flour then dredged them in egg-whites and a cornmeal/panko mixture. Heat a good bit of canola oil in a frying pan (enough to cover the pan well) and cook the slices for about 5 minutes on each side. A made an accompanying "dip" made from plain Greek Yogurt and some red pepper spread from Trader Joe's. The tomatoes were unbelievably good- crispy, crunchy, cornmealy, a little bit of fried flavor yet still maintaining the tangy, almost-sour taste of the tomato. The cool and creamy yogurt spread was the perfect addition.









With a big bowl of fresh fruit salad, these made a rather eclectic yet delicious Southern meal- a good way to celebrate the 4th of July. Although some of it took awhile, none of it was difficult- and we certainly have enough peanuts and pickles to last us awhile.

Sampan

A decade ago, Philly's renowned "Restaurant Row" was situated on Walnut Street, not far from where we currently live. Hugely successful restaurants with famous chefs at their helms lined the street- Le Bec Fin, Brasserie Perrier, and Susanna Foo's among the highlights. In the past few years, the restaurant scene here has begun to shift. Brasserie Perrier closed, Susanna Foo moved out to the suburbs, and Le Bec Fin has become a much more casual spot. Restaurants no longer require jackets; you can get away with jeans practically everywhere. This shift has been accompanied by a location shift for "Restaurant Row"- the city now sports several areas where critically acclaimed restaurants take precedence over retail stores.

One of these is 13th street- an area we've discussed before in our post about Zavino. There are literally too many good restaurants here to list, so I won't. A relative newcomer, Sampan, has been on our "list" for a few months, and the return of one of our fellow foodie friends sparked our desire to try it out. We're not sure why we waited quite so long.

Sampan (pronounced literally how it looks: SAM-pan, not SAM-pon as we jokingly called it) is touted as specializing in "Asian street flavors," offering a good variety of small plates that span a number of different Asian cultures. The chef and owner, Michael Schulson, is a fantastic young chef- he headed the kitchen at Pod when it first opened, and had been around the block prior to opening Izakaya in Atlantic City (in the Borgata, not an easy feat) and now Sampan. The Sampan website claims that it "cater(s) to a new generation of diners who go for lusty flavors in relaxed surroundings," again emphasizing the shift in the dining culture here in Philly. We want great food, but we don't want to be all uptight about it.

The restaurant space has been put together in an extremely interesting way- the exterior is one of the most eye catching designs in the city (I wish I had taken a picture!). Table centerpieces are created by filling metallic boxes with chopsticks ("real" silverware also provided) which is all fun and games until someone knocks over the box... This happened at the table behind us, and the quick congregation of waitstaff on the spilled sticks made me think it may have happened a few times before. It was surprisingly extremely busy for a mid-week summer dinner, but this speaks for the quality of the food served. The general service was quick, efficient, and fairly personable; our waitress helped us navigate the menu and was always somewhere nearby.



The menu is broken down into several categories: hot and cold "small plates", salads, satays (meats on a stick), wok dishes, and meats and fish (priced more as entrees). The price points average $11 for everything except the entrees, which are all in the $20's. The plates are made to share, but we decided not to do this, as three people attacking a plate can get a little awkward. Two to four dishes per person is a good range, although some of them are quite large.

J and I both selected two dishes and then chose a "side" to share between us. The waitress coursed out our meals, allowing us plenty of time between our first and second dishes. J's starter was among my favorite: the crispy calamari salad ($12). I completely overlooked this on the menu because the name makes me want to yawn. How many calamari salads have I had in my life? None of which are memorable. However, I think this is the wrong way to think about the food at Sampan- Schulson has taken a range of well-known Asian dishes and made them spectacular. The calamari salad was extremely heavy handed with the calamari- no complaints here (although J kept dishing out pieces to us as she claimed it was too much). The octopus was thick, sliced into inch long pieces, and then given a good tempura-type coating and lightly fried. It was like a juicy, chewy, fried calamari pillow. I have never experienced fried calamari in this way, and might never enjoy it again elsewhere after being spoiled by these. The calamari was accompanied by a pile of frisee- a light lettuce that perfectly complimented the large heavy calamari bites- and thin slices of fresh apple, all tossed in a spicy citrus dressing. It was all generously portioned and overall a great start to the meal.



My first course consisted of one of the satay options- the Korean BBQ Beef ($9). My few encounters with Korean barbeque leave me with memories of juicy, tender steak, and Sampan did not let me down. Two skewers of beef were accompanied by a small pile of kimchi, a great accompaniment that provides another taste of Korea. The meat tasted slightly of soy sauce and smoke, and all but melted in my mouth. The price seemed a little high for what arrived on my plate, but each skewer had 3-4 generous pieces on it, allowing for many savory bites- a perfect amount, even when giving my dining mates a taste.



My second course was even more substantial- the Korean Rice Cakes (yep, I was on a Korean kick) ($11). Again, rice cakes. I can't turn them down. Round squishy discs of rice substance (looks, feels, and tastes nothing like rice), probably devoid of any nutritional value, but so amazingly fun to eat. These came tossed with sausage, chili sauce, and yu choy- an Asian vegetable that is something like broccoli rabe but smaller. The sausage was on the greasy side, but forgivable as that is the nature of sausage. A good portion of meat, crumbled throughout the patties- I tried to grab a bit of meat in each rice cake, mini-taco-style. The sauce gave a good spicy kick, although the green onions sprinkled on top were a bit on the sharp side (not a good compliment to spice). Overall, delicious, although not something I would put on my "must-order-again" list.



J's main course option was the Pork Bahn Mi ($9). Perhaps the most ridiculous deal on the menu- you could literally order this alone and call it a night. A bahn mi is a popular Vietnamese sandwich, which has taken over Philly in recent months (years?). It is basically a hoagie, with an Asian twist- usually topped with pickled onions and carrot, daikon, cilantro and mint, and filled with a variety of different meats. Sampan's version is stuffed with thin threads of pork belly- sliced so fine that you don't feel your mouth gush with fat in each bite (as pork belly tends to do). The sandwich fillings were numerous, but not voluminous- each bite of the sandwich flattened the bread and made it easy to eat (but perhaps not as filling as it appeared). The bread seemed like a classic, crusty Italian loaf, carbs much appreciated. The flavors stuffed inside- vinegary, sweet, spicy, herby- all held their own. The meat almost seemed like an afterthought.



On the side we ordered the crispy brussel sprouts ($7), trying to sneak some veggies into our meal. While I'm glad we ordered them, I wouldn't count them in the healthy column for my day's eats. Fried in the wok until they were almost black, the brussels took on an entirely different character. They tasted nothing like brussel sprouts, but instead like crispy, salty chips- somewhat reminiscent of a very decadent kale chip. Tossed with chili sauce and topped with fish sauce and crunchy puffed rice, they were extremely addicting.



We also sampled a number of other dishes ordered by the third member of our party, all of which brought rave reviews across the board. Some may criticize Schulson for being uninspired, unoriginal, etc, etc, but honestly, that type of criticism comes from a lack of any other negative aspects. The food is great- I left the restaurant almost relieved that Sampan exists. I honestly have not been so impressed and excited by a meal in quite some time. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone, and will probably be raving about it for quite awhile.

Sampan
124 S. 13th Street