Han Dynasty

As a member of a research lab, I'm used to people constantly joining and departing as they move through their careers. In a few short months, I will be the most "senior" member of my lab, which is quite terrifying. With the impending departure of a few co-workers, someone suggested we all get together for dinner- a good way to spend some time together in a non-science environment. Brainstorming places with a large capacity and affordable (we're all broke researchers) led us to the Chinese Sichuan restaurant Han Dynasty, a favorite of several of the members of our group. A & I enjoyed a collaborative dinner there last year, but as Han himself pointed out "that wasn't [his] food."

 While they do their famous 20-course tasting menu once a month, the great thing about dining at HD with a crowd is the option for a personalized tasting menu no matter the date. After confirming that, of the fourteen diners, no one had any food restrictions, we were offered the choice of a $15 ("mostly chicken and vegetable dishes"), $20 ("other meat/seafood"), or $25 ("way more food than you can eat, you'll take a lot home") menu. We opted for the mid-range option, specified medium levels of spiciness, and elected to get all different entrees instead of duplicates.

Our banquet table in the basement.

 The appetizers came out fast and all at once. It was challenging to snap pics before everyone dug in, especially with the banquet table format. Up first were two bowls of noodles, one a plain bowl of cold sesame noodles and the other the infamous Dan Dan noodles. The sesame noodles were pretty bland- no spice to speak of- which allowed the soft texture of the ramen-like noodles to play a more prominent role. It was surprisingly easy to grasp pillow-y mouthfuls, even with slippery plastic chopsticks. The Dan Dan noodles had a darker sauce, thanks to a more complex sauce- this rendition includes sesame paste, soy sauce, chili peppers, and a little sugar.  Han even took the time to tell us the origin of the name- it references the pole on which street vendors carry their noodle-wares.  Regardless of the nice story, the subtle sweetness, soft texture, and latent heat made these a hit.

Dan Dan Noodles

We also had two other noodle apps- dumplings and wontons both in chili oil.  With the bath of chili oil, the spice level is definitely present, but not over-powering.  The dumplings were a lot softer, with crumbled pork and broth inside, while the wontons had quite a bite- two thick layers of noodles pressed together with a drizzle of oil and a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.  Loved the texture on these.

Dumplings in Chili Oil

Wontons in Chili Oil

Scallion pancakes are another classic Chinese appetizer- this rendition is extremely flaky, almost like the buttery outer layers of a croissant.

 A very popular item at HD are the spicy crispy cucumbers, a cold appetizer of crunchy chunks of cuke swimming in a thin sauce reminiscent of a potent kimchi- salty, gingery with a subtle sourness and a good kick, the kind that sort of catches you in the back of your throat after you think you're safe.

My favorite appetizer was the Fried Taiwanese sausage- two links sliced thinly to enable sharing. Pork meat and fat, a little Sichuan pepper, and a lot of sugar combine to make a terrific sweet and spicy sausage. It's a little greasy on the inside, so the best pieces are the ones on the end, complete with a covering of incredibly crispy skin. I was definitely surprised by the sweetness of the meat- the feature that classifies it as Taiwanese- but amidst all the spice and salt of the other dishes, it was a real palate pleaser.   The sausage is served with raw garlic... I'm not sure why. No one ate any.

We didn't have much of a break after this round of dishes- the sheer number of them and the logistics of passing them around the table lengthened the appetizer course considerably. Of note, we did have two servings of each appetizer for the table- I think we got all the standard, popular dishes- no tripe, beef tendons, or rabbit, which could have been fun. The first main dish I snapped a pic of was the one "super spicy" dish that Han provided for us. Chicken cooked "Dry Pepper Style"- chunks of meat with a crispy outside thanks to three "flash" dips in the fryer. There were also some green onions, whole garlic, and two types of peppers- dried red chilis and big chunks of green long hots. At the very end of the meal I was brave enough to chew a few pieces of the dried chilis- paper-y and a bit hard to eat, but with a manageable burn. Three in a row and I was definitely feeling it, but mixed into a dish I think they had a great flavor. The long hots were apparently much hotter, so together I'm imagining this dish could really get you sweatin'.

As promised, our meal included a few seafood dishes. At HD, various cooking styles are used to create dishes with your choice of protein. Unfortunately, both of our seafood dishes were fried. The first was a simple pile of fried chunks of a white fish, with a few leeks and a very light sauce (if any). Reviewing the cooking options on the menu, I'm not entirely sure which one this was. The batter on the fish was thick and greasy, causing the fish to have a mushy texture and a flavor overwhelmed by the oily outside. Not my favorite.  

We also had two plates of Salt & Pepper Shrimp- battered and fried on a bed of lettuce and sauteed peppers. The batter on the shrimp was a lot less greasy, but the crustacean meat was overcooked and on the rubbery side. After tasting these two dishes, I would definitely not recommend ordering any fried seafood.

A lot of the dishes started to look the same to me- strips of stir fried meat with various vegetables and sauces. The common theme of salt, spice, and oil had me questioning whether I had tried a dish or not- which also says a lot about the number of plates we were served. I did enjoy the pork "Long Hot Pepper Style"; this time the peppers are de-seeded and shredded, providing a mild heat and the illusion of eating thin slices of green peppers. Unpictured were similarly styled dishes: a cumin crusted lamb dish stir fried with bell peppers and onions- unfortunately, the cumin crust seemed gritty and overwhelmed the flavor of the meat; we also had a double-cooked style beef with leeks, peppers and chili oil that seemed similar to the long hots and pork.

The last entree, and a rather popular one, was the three cup chicken. The name refers to the equal ratio of sesame oil, rice wine, and soy sauce- a winning combination in my book- in which the chicken is cooked. Ginger and garlic play supporting roles. The meat itself is marinated in baking soda, and then sauteed and simmered in the three-cup sauce. This combination ensures that the meat is extremely tender- the meat really seemed to lose all degrees of chewiness and felt a little like mini marshmallows. Texturally this might be a turn-off to some, but I found it to be unique and enjoyable. Sesame oil adds a depth of nutty richness to the chicken, and there's a hint of sweetness in the reduced glaze of the sauce.
 

Although there were a few dishes I wouldn't order again, the overall experience at Han Dynasty was great- loved the traditional apps, the space was great for our huge group, and the personalized service from Han himself seemed special. If you have a hankering for some really flavorful authentic Chinese food, consider heading down to Old City.  It helps if you have a big group- you get to try tons of stuff for cheap!

 Han Dynasty
108 Chestnut Street

Fish 'N Chips

As A mentioned in her previous post, we've been trying to eat fish on a more regular basis. One of the most classic uses of fish is, of course, fish and chips- a pub food typically associated with the UK. Battered and deep-fried fish served alongside french fries... delicious, but not exactly the epitome of health. Many of our meals are inspired by what we get in our CSA, and an enormous unused beet from a long-ago stash inspired the idea of beet chips. If you're following my train of thought, you probably get where I'm going with this- a healthy spin on fish and chips.

Source

 We're pretty much kale chip experts at this point, but we thought it would be fun to expand our horizons and try a range of veggie chips all at once- beets and dumpling squash courtesy of our CSA, kale and parsnips from our neighborhood produce shop.

While kale chips simply required a haphazard tearing procedure to form chip sized pieces, the harder roots and squash demanded the use of a special tool- the mandoline. The simple hand-held device contains a protected blade over which peeled vegetables are run to form uniformly thin slices. The parsnip was the easiest to slice- easy to grip with a small surface area. I wanted to make large slices of beet, but its difficult to apply pressure over the entire area as it runs across the blade. Your best bet is to cut down your veggies to mimic a parsnip- long but with a small cross-section.

Arrange the slices on a baking sheet, preferably on a raised rack to allow airflow around and under the veggies while they're in the oven. The goal is to remove the water from the chips completely. Adding a mist of cooking spray gives the chips a crispiness instead of a more dehydrated feel. Of course, a good sprinkling of salt is a must as well. Into the oven at 425, and your work is done.

While the chips were crisping up, we went to work on the fish aspect of the meal. As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, we got another fun free sample to test out in the kitchen- Kikkoman's Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix. Kara-age is a Japanese style of deep-frying similar to tempura, but involves a lengthy marinade, a potato starch coating, and a swim in the fryer. This Kikkoman product intends to give chicken or fish the flavor and texture of this process, but without the work- or the oil.

A picked up a thick piece of frozen cod at Trader Joe's, which made some perfect 1 & 1/2 inch cubes.

While a couple tablespoons of canola oil heated in a large pan, the fish cubes were dipped in water and dunked in a bag of the seasoning. The box contains two four-serving bags, and one of these packages was perfect to coat a little over a pound of the fish. The potato starch in the seasoning stuck in a even, thin layer which browned up well in the oil. I rolled the fish over after two minutes, and the pieces were cooked through in four.

Kale chips cook quickly (cook time is relative to thickness), so we pulled them out after 15 minutes. Because we had three pans of vegetables in the oven all at once, the others took a bit longer- we ran low on patience after another ten minutes. Look for curling, slightly browned edges and a drier appearance to the slices. Since the surface area of the beet chips was pretty large, they probably could have gone for another ten minutes or so, but it seems like beets always take longer than you'd like.

The fish turned out great- crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, with a hint of ginger- nothing over-powering, quite subtle. No doubt, cod is a fantastic choice for fried fish.

Although the chips weren't perfectly crispy, the thin salty slices were fun to eat, and a great way to use up (and consume!) some vegetables. Choose things that have a lower water content- which is why roots and squashes work well. Our meal came together well- definitely a fun twist on the usual fish and chips!

Meme

One of the many, many things I love about my fiance is his family- not as big and sprawling as ours seems to be, and with the added bonus of being local, they've made it almost effortless for me to get to know and love them. Long before our engagement, I felt like part of the family, but since we've made it "official," I feel even more connected. Recently, we made plans to have dinner with one of his second cousins- in my family, I have no idea who my second cousins are, but in his, they practically grew up together.  As one of the few family members I've never met, and a frequent blog reader, meeting over dinner seemed necessary.  We decided on dinner at Meme, as I'm still excited about any restaurant that is part of the Savored system.

Source 

Even though Meme is only a few blocks from us, I've never been in- the menu is pretty tiny and never really piqued my interest. However, its convenience, blogability (yeah, it's a word), and 30% off status made it easy for me to recommend the spot- plus, the chef, David Katz, has a great reputation.  We met for a midweek meal, which I always consider such a treat.  The outdoor sidewalk seating was full, but the small yet spacious interior left us picking our table of choice.  The simple, succinct menu made it easier to make a few choices for starters, and allowed us to sample half of the entree choices.

The pace of the meal was slow, giving us plenty of time to catch up, as well as enough time to really enjoy each dish.  Bread service arrived right after ordering- boring, but adequate.

 

I'm always interested in a restaurant's "signature dish," and I've heard time and time again about Meme's Sizzling Mussels ($13).  The most interesting part of this dish is its presentation- the mussels are removed from their shells and cooked in a screaming hot cast iron pan.  As the dish is brought to the table, you can hear it coming- each little mussel literally sizzling and steaming as it arrives.  The pan looks rather small, but if each mussel was tucked into its shell, it would be an impressive pile of shellfish.  Each one made a great little bite- just a hint of lemon and herbs, not drowned in sauce as you usually find them.

Since I chose the mussels, my fiance passed the torch of choosing the second appetizer to his cousin, who picked the Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad ($11).  As I was just saying how much I love watermelon and feta, I was immediately on board.  The salad was small but easily shareable- small stacks of heirloom tomato slices and watermelon chunks, topped with slivers of red onion, salty oil-cured olives, and crumbled feta, all served over a simple base of high-quality olive oil.  The combination of salty and sweet was just right here, with the olives adding a surprising extra dimension of flavor.  Together, the mussels, watermelon, and bread made a perfect starter triumvirate.

J and I are trying to make a conscious effort to eat at least one serving of fish a week, and since I had no plans for creating a fish-based meal at home, I chose the Moroccan Spice Swordfish ($22) as my entree.  Served over a bed of Israeli couscous spiced with a bit of harissa pepper, the swordfish was sliced thin and grilled until soft and juicy.  Swordfish steaks can be notoriously tough, but the thinness of the filet made it fork tender.  A small dollop of lemon preserves went almost unnoticed, but the thin salsa verde added a touch of herby oil.  The grill left a thin layer of crispness on parts of the fish, aided by a coat of salt- almost overwhelming, but since I'm a salt fiend, I loved it.

I usually make it a rule to only photograph/write about dishes that I have a fair share of, but the other entree choices at my table were impossible to ignore.  Up first was the NY Strip Steak ($26), which was an impressive cut of meat.  After sampling it, I have to say it's one of the best, affordable steaks I've had in the city.  Accompanied by roasted fingerling potatoes (which were described as having a memory-inducing, familiar earthy flavor) and fresh corn succotash, this is my idea of a perfect summer meal.

I also sampled the Grilled Pork Chop ($24), which rounded out 3 of 3 perfect proteins on the table.  Another large portion, the meat was almost melt-in-your-mouth-soft and had a sweet ham-like flavor, with a hint of smokiness from the grill.  Served with firm wax beans and a frisee salad (the only off-note of the night- the mustard dressing reminded me of burnt charcoal), the combination of greens and meat were appreciated.

The dessert menu at Meme is tiny- only two options (as well as a list of cheeses).  Since the meal was deemed a belated engagement celebration, ordering both of them to share was a must.  My choice was the Black Plum Tart ($7), which can only be described as a gourmet Toaster Strudel.  A thick layer of fried phyllo dough held up thin slices of tart black plum.  The thick plum reduction had enough sugar to make each bite almost jam-like, and the fresh whipped cream and sprinkles of powdered sugar gave it that extra special touch.

As much as I liked the plum tart, the real dessert winner was the Chocolate Ganache Cake ($8).  The word ganache always makes me think of thick, bitter dark chocolate, but this cake was more like a fluffy, semi-sweet brownie.  The outer edge was slightly crispy, but yielded to a soft, almost gooey inside.  I easily could have eaten the accompanied creamy vanilla gelato all on its own, but the combination of chocolate and vanilla is timeless.  Split among three, the two small desserts were just right to end the meal.

There is nothing negative I can say about our dinner at Meme- the food was classic yet creative, the flavors seasonally appropriate, the portions satisfying, and most dishes well-priced (with 30% off, even better, although our server at first charged us full-price).  With its quiet, casual, neighborhood feel and stellar location, I can certainly see myself returning.  Best of all, the meal was the start to yet another lifelong friendship I am thankful to receive as part of joining a new family.

Meme

22nd Street and Spruce Street

Sagami

Although we whine and complain a lot about not having a car, there are lots of suburban restaurants easily accessed by public transportation. A friend of ours recently moved to Collingswood, so we made plans to take PATCO out to see her. Collingswood is a cute little town, but its proximity to the city ensures a thriving food scene. We decided to check out Sagami, a well-reviewed sushi restaurant. We couldn't recall the last time we'd had sushi and well... Philly doesn't have a whole lot of options in that category.



The unassuming beige building is somewhat inconveniently located on a divided highway- miss it and you're in for a few minutes of rerouting (or just walk from the PATCO stop- about a mile and a half). Parking is at a premium, but we grabbed one of the last spots behind the building. We were seated in a "traditionally" decorated room complete with paper lanterns and Maneki Neko sculptures. Of course, the meal started out with a steaming pot of tea- a pleasant mild green tea that was frequently refreshed. We went through several pots of it throughout our meal.



Although a variety sashimi and sushi rolls are obvious menu offerings, there are also numerous appetizers and entrees available. We started out with a few cold apps- the Hiyashi Wakame (spicy mixed seaweed, $3.50) was our favorite. A small bowl was heaped with seaweed of varying shades of green, lightly tinted with a chili-flaked dressing that didn't amount to a significant amount of spice. This would be a great "intro to seaweed" dish for a hesitant diner- nothing too exotic.


Source Our pic was a little blurry but.. it looked like this.

Another simple appetizer is the Oshinko (pickles, $2)- a compilation of crunchy, mildly vinegar-y vegetables including daikon, cucumber, and cabbage. Nothing exciting, but a cheap little bowl of munchies.



Keeping with the simple theme, the Zaru Soba (cold buckwheat noodles, $6) came in a pretty pile atop a bamboo tray (this is actually the "zaru"), neatly spinkled with dried seaweed and served with a cup of thin sauce. This was another traditional Japanese component- a mixture of mushroom broth, soy sauce, and sweet rice wine. The sweet and salty soup imparted its flavor onto the firm, nutty soba noodles. We were also offered a small plate of green onions and wasabi as sauce "mix-ins" to personalize it according to your flavor preferences.



Opting for more of an adventurous appetizer, the Nashu Shigiyaki (pan fried eggplant with chicken miso paste, $9) was a fun and delicious choice. A thick slab of eggplant serves as a base to the dish- cooked until soft with a melt-in-your-mouth crispy outer skin. Eggplant itself has a pretty neutral flavor, so here it really acted as a textural component to the chunky (thanks to the ground chicken) sauce- surprisingly sweet and a little on the greasy side, a lethal combination that was incredibly addicting. I could have ordered another of these for dessert.



A & I played it safe in our fish selections, splitting two rolls and 4 pieces of sashimi. A tuna and avocado roll ($6) was served "inside-out", the leaner cut of fish and creamy avocado complementing each other in a combination of textures- nothing fancy but still extremely enjoyable. Cooked salmon complete with crispy skin was packed with crunchy cucumber in another roll ($4.50)- not as fun as raw fish but something a little different. Fried salmon skin is pretty delicious- wrap it up in some rice and dab it with wasabi and you've got a real winner. We recently had a commenter note that sashimi is the real way to judge a sushi restaraunt and we were quite pleased with the quality (and quantity) of our chunks of fish- tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and sea bass (ranging from $2.50 to $3.50 per peice). My favorite was the salmon- firm and silky and just the right amount of butter-y.



Our friend is a lot more experienced in the field of sashimi and had a few pieces of mackerel, octopus, and a bright orange blob of sea urchin roe that looked questionable.



After our little raw fish fest, we placed another order to extend our dinner (we had lots to catch up on). We all split the agedashi dofu ($6), large chunks of extremely smooth, creamy cold tofu smeared with a bit of sweet miso paste and served in another traditional meaty broth complete with tiny button mushrooms. The texture was unlike any other tofu I've ever tasted- like a cool, thick custard. Everything about the dish came together to create something much more extraordinary than tofu soup.




We also tried a few more pieces of sashimi- the eel was a standout in this group, a naturally rich, smoky-sweet meat that lends itself to being eaten alone.



I really enjoyed the more traditional aspect of this restaurant as compared with others "Japanese" places we've patroned. While the latter are usually heavy on the extravagant sushi roll concoctions, Sagami kept it sweet and simple with more of an emphasis on traditional appetizers and flavorful sashimi. We got to try a few things that we'd never been exposed to, which is always a highlight. Although our well-traveled friend didn't think it was the best sushi she'd ever had, even locally, it was certainly an enjoyable meal. Unfortunately, my desire for good sushi was reignited...

Sagami
37 W Crescent Blvd
Collingswood, NJ

Blogger Benefits

Since starting this blog 1.75+ years ago, I keep hoping the constant eating, photography, writing, editing and posting is going to have some sort of pay-off. Ha! Just kidding- we clearly do it because we LOVE the Philly food scene so much, we just want to share it with everyone! But. Free stuff is pretty nice too. Recently, I've received not one but TWO free products, basically just for having a food blog.

First up: a lovely consolation prize from the nice people at Attune Foods. Remember how I blabbed about my version of healthy living in order to enter a contest? Yeah, I didn't win the grand prize- but I did win two free boxes of cereal! It's basically just as good, right?

After running down the UPS truck, I was excited to find a box of Uncle Sam's Strawberry Cereal (and a gluten-free rice cereal that I haven't tried yet). I've seen this around the blog world, but never tried it myself.



It's made from wheat berries that are steamed, rolled, and toasted- super healthy but looks kind of like deeply toasted oatmeal, so not too far "out there" (I'm looking at you, Kashi crunchy fiber twigs). The nutritional stats are pretty insane for cereal- it's difficult to get this much fiber and protein from most other cold, out-of-a-box breakfasts.



However, with the amount of cereal I like to eat (at least a cup?), I was afraid of overloading on fiber, so decided to taste test the new product on one of my favorite summer breakfasts- a smoothie.

In a blender, I mixed:
1/2 frozen banana
1 c. frozen strawberries
1 Tbs. ground flax
1 serving chocolate whey protein
2 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. almond milk
1/2 c. water

Even without a cereal topping, this makes a nutritionally sound and fun to eat meal, but is clearly lacking in the texture department. With a sprinkle of Uncle Sam, every bite had a good amount of crunch with a little added nutty flavor from the toasted wheat.



I've also tried the cereal in a mix with plain Greek yogurt and fresh fruit- it's a great granola substitute with way less sugar and fat. The only thing I didn't like about it was the quantity- only five small "servings" in a box. This certainly wouldn't last me a week, and with two of us in the house, we'd have to buy 2+ boxes in one go.

Our next free item came courtesy of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. As our one and only sponsor, Foodbuzz sends us promotional offers once in awhile, which we are allowed to sign up for. However, just signing up doesn't give you a guaranteed in- so I was excited when I was delivered a fat packet of coupons to try a new Birds Eye product. As much as we love fresh vegetables, sometimes it's impossible to get our favorites year round, and frozen vegetables are our next best bet. Birds Eye is our go-to brand for easy, pop-in-the-microwave kind of eats- usually broccoli or brussels sprouts as a dinner side. They also make complete meals in a bag, which I've never tried- I like to put together my own meals. However, in a pinch, a healthy frozen meal wouldn't be turned down.

We sampled the Chicken Florentine version (flying all the way to Florida to find it!), but there are a variety of flavors including Sweet and Sour Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Parmesan, and Shrimp Alfredo. We picked the Florentine since it looked like a good dose of veggies- it includes penne, grilled chicken strips, zucchini, squash, spinach, and tomatoes, and is coated in a garlic-cheese sauce.



The overall nutritional stats weren't our favorite- tons of sodium, as expected. However, for the most part the long list of ingredients was fairly neutral (although really, why would you add sugar to this at all?).



The directions were so easy- just empty into a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 7 minutes, stirring halfway. The final contents stirred together to look surprisingly homemade. We split the 3 serving bag in two (really, a cup of this isn't a whole lot for an entire serving) and dug in. Salty for sure, but for a frozen meal, quite delicious. The fresh herbs in the sauce really stood out- strong flavors of basil and oregano, and the vegetables weren't mushy or tasteless. Overall, a winner in our book, although I can't see us purchasing the item frequently on our own.



I now have 100 buy-one-get-one-free coupons, so if anyone is interested, shoot us an email! I may look back on this post later and cringe at the fact that I blogged about cereal and a frozen dinner, but currently I'm just enjoying the perks of blogging!