Dear Theophilus Archive: Sept. 2001

Philly Restaurant Guide

By Song Lee

Hello everyone. My name is Song, and I will be your restaurant guide. This will be especially relevant to those who are new to the Philadelphia area, as well as those who are just curious to try some new eateries. By the way, I would like to make clear that I'm not a culinary expert, food critic, or anything of the sort. I just like to eat. I guess that is why Dear Theophilus asked me to write this article.

I must begin by warning the readers that this is not a complete and comprehensive guide of all the restaurants in Philly, but merely a sampling of some that the author has frequented. There is no particular order except that the first one is my favorite restaurant, and the bottom half comprises the more expensive restaurants. Also, this guide is merely the expressed opinion of the author and does not reflect the views of Dear Theophilus or its parent company, Emmanuel Church. Any attempt to dine at any of the below listed restaurants is at the reader’s own risk. With that said, here goes.

Favorite place: Vietnam Restaurant. On 11th St., between Vine and Race.

Vietnam Restaurant serves very simple yet sophisticated food, unpretentious in presentation. Very nice décor. The food is decently priced. The spring rolls, barbecue platter, sweet and sour shrimp soup (ask for it spicy), and the broken rice dishes are all excellent. The coconut ice cream for dessert has literally calmed me down from having a fight with someone.

Indian: Minar Palace. On Sansom St., between 16th and 18th.

Looks like a dive but the food is quite good. Very inexpensive. Favorite dishes here are the shrimp vindaloo (spicy) and the tandoori chicken. Their nan bread is quite good as well. When you first visit, the wait staff seems unfriendly. After coming enough times though, the woman at the counter may flash you a smile and even pour you some water.

Thai: Jow’s Garden. On 47th St. and Spruce (near Church).

This is an odd place because it serves both Thai and Italian food. It is not a fusion of both; the menu has an Italian section and a Thai section. I was a little skeptical at first, but the Thai food is quite good. I recommend the pad thai and whole fish. But for those of you who like it hot, try the crying tiger-this is the hottest dish in Philly and is quite good. Unfortunately, they are closed for lunch on Sundays.

Thai: Thai Singha House. On Chestnut St., between 39th and 40th.

This is an above average Thai place and I only mention it because some people like to go there after first service on Sundays. The lunch special is reasonably priced at $10 and includes drink, soup, appetizer, and entree.

Pizza: Lombardi’s. On 18th between Sansom and Walnut.

Traditional brick oven pizza. Same affiliation as the Lombardi’s in Little Italy of New York, which has been making pizza since 365 BC. Their specialty is the clam pizza, but I did not think it was all that great. Their regular plain cheese pizza is awesome. It is better than Bertucci’s or Pietro’s and even Digiorno’s for that matter.

Cheesesteaks: Pat’s Steaks. On 9th St. and Passyunk (It’s in neon-you can’t miss it!).

This is what Philadelphia is known for. Some people might be upset that I did not name Geno’s, but I think Pat’s is better. For those of you who may want to try Geno’s, it is right across the street from Pat’s. Do not be frightened by the long line of people waiting. The line moves pretty quickly.

Cheesesteaks: Dolce Carini. On Chestnut St., between 19th and 20th.

I include a second cheesesteak place because although Pat’s is really good when I am in the mood for Pat’s, more often than not, I prefer going to Dolce Carini. The overall quality is a little bit better. I believe Dolce Carini means ‘sweet meat’ in Italian. Do not be alarmed by the rudeness of the lady at the register-that is simply her personality.

Korean: Various places on 5th Street

Philly is not known for good Korean food. However, on 5th Street there is a good soon-doo-boo place and a cha-jang-myun place-Jong Ga Jib and Tae Hwa Gwon, respectively. I do not remember the exact location of these places, but I do not recommend that a neophyte traveler visit 5th Street unless accompanied by an adult.

Chinese: Chinatown.

I think Chinese food in Philly is pretty decent. Shao Lan Kung on Race St. and Sang Kee Duck House on 9th St. are pretty good. Everyone has their favorites. The food is very affordable in Chinatown.

Ice Cream: More Than Just Ice Cream. On Locust St., between 11th and 12th.

Huge portions of ice cream. The Belgian waffle with ice cream is excellent. Service may be a little slow because it is jam-packed in the summer time. Caution: this place is in the rainbow district. Not that it bothers me, but if you are uncomfortable with gay couples caressing each other, this place may not be for you.

Sushi: Fuji Mountain. On Chestnut St., between 20th and 22nd.

I am not a sushi person and never will be, but this place is pretty good. For those of you who like all-you-can-eat sushi, there is a place on Walnut between 12th and 13th Streets that has reasonably fresh sushi (sorry, I forgot the name of the other place).

Mexican: Tequila’s. On 16th St., and Locust.

Very, very good Mexican food (and I do not usually like Mexican food!). Note, this is Mexican, not Tex Mex. Try their queso fundido as an appetizer and sabana invierno for the entree. Any of their specials are really good, but a little pricier. Try reading the menu-it is pretty entertaining.

Seafood: Striped Bass. On Walnut between 15th and 17th.

Good food. Highly recommended by many people. I found service to be excellent. For a fancy shmancy place, I did not find the ambiance to be too stuffy (jacket is required, unfortunately). I even got to pretend I was one of the rich and glamorous people around me. This place is expensive-expect to cry afterwards.

Hibachi/Teppanyaki: Meiji En. On Columbus Blvd. (inside the Dave and Buster’s building).

This is the only hibachi place that I know of in Philly unless you go to a Benihana’s in NJ. Meiji En has good food (not extraordinary), and the view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River is very nice. Guys, this is a decent place to take your special someone if you want to impress (note: pricey!).

Steaks: This is in order of preference. All of these are on the expensive side.

Prime Rib. On 16th St. and Locust. Prime Rib probably has the best quality meat out of these places. The atmosphere makes me want to be in my 60’s, super rich, and smoking a cigar. Extremely comfy chairs make up for the fact that jackets are required.

Ruth’s Chris. On Broad St. and Spruce. Ruth Chris is really good because they smother butter over their steaks (yum!). Try their Rib Eye; it is probably the tastiest steak around.

Morton’s of Chicago. On Walnut St., between Broad and 15th. Morton’s is good but not extraordinary. Try their porterhouse. Believe it or not, their burgers are the best burgers I have ever had. Unfortunately, they do not serve them any more. For dessert, the warm chocolate Godiva cake with ice cream on top is my second favorite dessert in this universe. Make sure you order this dessert 30 minutes ahead.

The Palm. On Broad St., and Walnut in the Bellevue Hotel. The Palm is just your average good-steak, good-service place.

Smith and Wollensky. Off Rittenhouse Square, across from Rittenhouse Park. I actually have not been to the Smith and Wollensky in Philly, but from past experience, I have to say it is like The Palm: a good-steak, good-service place to eat. I have shared a 4 lb lobster as an appetizer, and it was really good!