An update to my previous review. I went back here about a month later, to take my sister for her…read morebirthday. All of a sudden the policies had changed! We were there on a Monday at about 4 p.m.. I was very disappointed to find no whole Maine lobsters, the reason for me taking her there. They changed the policy to weekends and holidays only for the whole lobster. Granted they still had lobster, but as a Ginger Scallion Stirfry dish. The lobster was cut into small pieces, which were overcooked and tough and dry. The sauce makes it much messier to eat. I didn't care for it at all. The huge jumbo crabs I'd seen on my previous visit, on this visit were very small. I was rather embarrassed, as I'd talked it up so much to my sister and I promised to take her there for her birthday. I was sorry she did not get to experience the same experience I'd had a month before. Yes, there are still many options to choose from. That was not the issue. When you have expectations of something and are letdown, that's a disappointment. The food was still pretty good.

I came here on a Saturday afternoon with a party of 8. $39 per person with gratuity tacked on as…read morewell (assuming due to our large group) As a value proposition, this place is worth it especially if you're a shellfish lover. Lobsters and crabs were abundant. I learned about this place awhile ago from YouTube of which many gave praises. We frequented many mid level AYCE places like this and we've found that as time goes by, quality degrades with restaurants like this. Now there was a rather long length of time between discovering this place on YouTube and actually visiting this place. I wonder if the praises that were sung about this place were still valid. I would say yes. As previously mentioned, lobsters and crabs were abundant and makes it worth the trip on that alone. As for the other offerings, it was mostly surprisingly good. Don't expect Michelin quality food here. Generally, it's about the quantity BUT the food is pretty good. The sushi/sashimi shocked me a little. AYCE sushi is usually just passable but here, I thought it was pretty good. Everyone in my group loved the quality of the salmon. Other offerings, of which there were many, were pretty good. Standouts were the lamb chops in my opinion. Dessert options wasn't as extensive as the other AYCE places I've frequented but they do the job. Aside from the usual fountain soda options (serves by the restaurant staff) , they had a few fruit drinks and a milk tea option as well as some specialty drinks in a can. Scale 1 to 5. (Keep in mind that this is based on quality you'd expect from a typical AYCE restaurant. Food 5 (large selection of food and that shellfish!) Service 5 (Friendly staff and were pretty efficient in clearing the plates) Cleanliness 4 (Place was well kept. Deducted 1 star due to the stickiness of the floor around our table which reminded me of a movie theater floor... lol) Value 5 One con to point out. The restaurant was rather large yet the bathrooms were small and couldn't accommodate a lot of people at once. Not a huge quibble as the wait wasn't astronomical BUT it did seem odd that the size of the bathroom didn't match the size of the restaurant.

Sampan is probably my favorite spot in Philly for happy hour. The restaurant itself has such a cool…read moreatmosphere, with dimly lit seating, two bars inside, and a back graffiti bar that has a completely different vibe with a more open and lively feel. I come here for happy hour every now and then because the prices are really great, and both the food and drinks are delicious. We started with the specialty cocktail and the Thai Punch, and both were really good. They had fruity undertones, and the alcohol wasn't overpowering at all -- I could easily have a few of these. For food, we got a few orders of the kung pao chicken wings. They were perfectly crispy with a really flavorful glaze. The portion size was also very generous, especially for the happy hour price. These are a great example of Asian-style fried chicken wings done right. I definitely want to come back and try their full dinner menu since I've only been here for happy hour so far. Luckily, it's not too far from where I live in the city, so I'll definitely be back!

Amazing Pan-Asian restaurant in Center City that specializes in small shareable bites. Every time…read moreI'm in Philly, I try something new here. Place is super trendy with an open concept kitchen and dark lighting. I might be getting old because I find myself wanting more lighting lol Service is spectacular and if it's your first time here they'll fully explain their menu and recommendations. This time our server explained the tasting course, but we decided to order a la carte. A refreshing Ming Mule came out first and it was just what I needed after being inside of a stadium on a 100 degree day. We also ordered an order of the pork bao which was so tasty. You can never go wrong with a pork belly appetizer and each order comes with two. The shrimp pad Thai had all the flavors you expect from a classic pad Thai but with their own twist. The Szechuan chicken was crispy and had sweet notes. Definitely two great picks. Opted out from dessert because we were so stuffed but they have a great ice cream cone option if you are in the mood.

Made dinner ressys here as I was visiting Philly for the first time and heard so many good things…read moreabout the famous edamame dumplings. Parking was easy to find outside, and I was welcomed and greeted nicely upon entering. They provided me with a veggie menu upon seating me, which I really appreciated. I also had the pleasure of being waited on by the very handsome Vinny. He checked in on me often and made sure I was enjoying my meal. The edamame dumplings were pretty good! I had imagined whole edamame beans, but they were mashed inside, which was definitely a surprise. Also had the wasabi mashed potatoes, which had a very unique flavor that I hadn't had before. Overall my dining experience went very well. I accidentally dropped one of my chopsticks, and a gentleman picked it up immediately and got me a new one. Inside the ambiance was relaxing and the lights were dim, but I was still able to take nice pics of my meal. Highly recommend if you're in the area :)

We used to go to Buddakan in Atlantic City, but it was permanently closed during COVID, so I was…read morereally happy to see they have a location in Philly. We made a reservation for 5:30 tonight and were seated toward the back near the bar. Service: 5 stars. Our server, Ryan F., was excellent. He was very personable, attentive, and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. He had the entire menu memorized and was able to explain the ingredients and dishes in detail. His level of service definitely added to the experience. Drinks: We started with the Honor cocktail, which was citrusy, refreshing, and a nice way to start the evening. Later, I ordered the lychee martini, one of my favorites, and it was just as good as I remembered. Food: For appetizers, we shared the tuna tartare spring rolls, yellowtail sashimi, and shrimp dumplings. The tuna tartare spring rolls and yellowtail were both very good and flavorful. The shrimp dumplings, however, were just okay and didn't really stand out. We've had better elsewhere. For our mains, I ordered the miso cod and crab fried rice, and both were absolutely delicious. The miso cod was flavorful and satisfying, and the crab fried rice was one of the highlights of the meal. Both brought back the flavors I remembered from our past visits. Hubby ordered the wok cashew chicken, which he found just okay and not particularly memorable. Overall: A very good dining experience, but not everything was a home run. The service was outstanding, and the miso cod, crab fried rice, and lychee martini were the highlights for me. A couple of the dishes were less impressive, especially considering the prices. Still, it was great to revisit Buddakan in Philly. There are several other dishes I'd like to try, so I'm looking forward to another dinner here.

They give miso soup with lunch specials as an option or as a stand alone. For an Asian takeout,…read morethis miso soup aint bad! It has the seaweed and tofu and a miso flavor. If it's made from powder or the miso pouches, I wouldn't be surprised, but I wouldn't mind getting it next time with a combo or meal! The fried Szechuan wontons were okay. It was a lot of chewy/tough dough, which wasn't fun with only bits of meat. The sauce was pretty oily so I think it was a lot of chili oil. Eh it was okay, I wouldn't get this again though.

Great food every item we ordered was outstanding, very clean and fast delivery. Would highly…read morerecommend and clear soup as good as any hibachi

The best Thai food in Philly, hands down!!! Came here on a Friday and luckily was able to be seated…read morewithout a reservation. We tried the Nam Tok salad, the green curry with chicken, and the pad see ew with tofu. The flavors were out of this world, and the portions are super generous. The interior is cozy and comfortable (but the tables are a bit close together). I'm a big fan of Thai food in general and have tried many places in Boston, NYC, and Philly, and this has been my favorite!

They had a table without a reservation on a Saturday night, which was nice. I'm a big fan of duck…read moreand rarely have it, so I was excited for the Crispy Duck with Tamarind Sauce (crispy half duck, fried sweet potatoes and Chinese eggplant, kiwi, glazed tamarind sauce). The duck itself was fine. The problem is that everything on the plate is sweet. The tamarind sauce is sweet, and the sweet potatoes and eggplant are buried under the duck in the same sauce, so the whole thing lands one note. Midway through I'm like, wait, where are the sweet potatoes and eggplant? Then, oh. They're under the duck, same color, same consistency, because of the sauce. The rice was perfect and cut some of the sweetness. The kiwis were thankfully sour, so they cut it too, though I forgot they were there until the end. Service is good. The duck was very mid.

Took my friend who was visiting from out of town here and we all loved it! The downstairs space is…read moreintimate, moody, and beautiful--I'd definitely return for a date night. We did the chef's tasting menu, which I highly recommend. It was so much fun (and a little overwhelming) choosing 10 dishes, but everything we ordered was delicious. Our favorites were the ice cream, miso eggplant robatayaki, spicy tuna roll, and salmon sashimi. Great service and an overall wonderful experience. Definitely a place I'd recommend!

P tried on multiple SHEIN tops to go with her high-waisted Levi's before dinner. This was a Monday…read morehappy hour and she didn't want to overdress. She wore heels anyway. Left 25 minutes later than planned. [Fast forward: the guy next to us was wearing a full suit.] We arrived at 5:30 and were told the wait for a walk-in was 20 minutes, so we went to Graffiti Bar next door. P wanted a marg, which was not on the cocktail menu, so the bartender asked what kind of tequila. P said Patrón. We started our happy hour evening with $45 cocktails. The wait was actually only 10 minutes, but they give you a 10-minute grace period once they text you, so we had to chug nevertheless. There is a pipe that says "warm" as you walk in. Touch at your own risk. Now at Double Knot. We ordered the tuna roll and salmon rolls. Good, but not that good. J wanted the yaki soba and liked it. P liked the pork potstickers. J ordered a Sapporo and an argument ensued about how to pronounce "a" in Japanese and/or other Asian languages. A professional woman once scolded J for mispronouncing Wang. We then played odds to determine whether J would turn his Sapporo into a sake bomb using P's sake. Both guessed 5. The sake did in fact "bomb," erupting all over the table and causing a scene. The wait staff did not notice because the ambiance, while "lit," is actually pretty dark. Coast clear. For revenge, we played odds again. P lost and was forced to put soy sauce in her sake and chug it. She took it like a champ. The waitress complimented P's top as we left. Margs at the pourover bar next door: $45. Rolls at Double Knot happy hour: $8. A compliment on a $3.69 top after arriving 36 minutes later than planned: priceless. 7/10.

Excellent service and food was served promptly and of very good quality . I asked for extra spicy…read moreand the kitchen delivered as asked. The restaurant gets very busy and has a lively atmosphere .

Yeah, so I forgot to take any pictures, but I was here twice this week with colleagues when we had…read morean offsite meeting nearby. Everything was delicious, from the apps to the dishes, and definitely very healthy portions! Service was pretty good as well, with attentive staff despite there not being a whole lot of them. The food is Korean-inspired with some fusion elements, and all of it was nicely executed. Fried chicken bites were a pretty big hit, and the pork buns were good as well - crispier than usual, but still really good. Toppoki was nice too, and have to say that calling it rice gnocchi is pretty smart to make it easier to understand outside the Asian POV. Kimchi paella was essentially kimchi fried rice, but tasty and filling, and the scrape off parts at the bottom, that's rice gold right there. I don't always eat rice, but when I do, I prefer slightly burnt at the bottom of a stone pot. Second visit, I went with fire chicken, which is tasty and has some kick. I did notice that my not Asian colleague was asked if he was sure about the three fire symbols, but I was not :P Space is pretty nice inside too, a nice combination of old and new; the bathroom was nice and clean, and the general feel inside is casual but elegant. I wouldn't be opposed to returning, but would need to know much more about allergy protocols and awareness, which admittedly isn't always a strong point in Asian cuisine.

Some of the best food I've had in my life. The sausage based salad and prawns were amazing dishes…read more The sausage salad was similar to a lettuce wrap base, minimal "salad" fillers.

What an absolutely amazing experience. Knowing how popular this restaurant is, I made reservations…read morea few weeks in advance. We arrived early and were quickly shown to our seats. We both saw the 'Taste of Kalaya' which goes for $85 per person. It comes with a few sharable appetizers, an entree and dessert served family style. Starting off with their Shaw Muang which are flower shaped dumplings with ground chicken, cucumber and a Thai chili, these were phenomenal. Simple, but beautifully presented. The fact these bite-sized dumplings were packed full of flavor and texture were extraordinary. Next were the Gui Chai which are crispy garlic chive rice cakes with a spicy sweet soy sauce. These were also tasty, but I would have preferred a thicker accompanying sauce that coats the rice cake after each dip, rather running right off it. We were also able to choose an extra appetizer, which we opted in for Plah Hoy Namg Rom which are grilled oysters with a chili jam, crispy shallot, lemongrass and herbs. These looked beautiful, but I felt the flavours overpowered the natural taste of the oyster. For mains, we opted in for the Goong Thod Kluae which is their wok-fried river prawn in brown butter w. shrimp paste and seafood nam jim, Gaeng Pae which is a goat and lamb curry with their own spice blend and toasted coconut, and Gai Yaang Naa Por (add-on, extra charge) which is charcoal grilled chicken glazed with coconut cream, turmeric, dark soy and fish sauce. The river prawn was phenomenal. The fact this was the size of a lobster was a huge wow-factor. It's served tableside where the head butter is first removed, then the succulent meat, and finally topped with the head butter. Presentation-wise, not that prettiest thing, but the flavours were incredible. Perhaps as the server is dissecting the river prawn, they could move it onto a clean plate with garnishes to make it look more presentable. Nevertheless, this is one of the best dishes I've had anywhere. The goat and lamb curry was slightly disappointing. We found it to be overly spicy where we couldn't taste the goat and/or lamb in the dish. We're not shy when it comes to spicy food, but this set our mouths ablaze and it was difficult to take 2nd and 3rd bites from this particular dish. For the charcoal grilled chicken was decent. I found parts of the dish to be on the dry side and other parts to be tender and juicy. I didn't necessarily taste the coconut cream or turmeric, but it was a decent dish. For sides, we opted in for the Yum Makhua Yao which is marinated eggplant w. mint, galangal, fried shallots and prik nam pla, and the Moo Tod Nam Pla which is crispy pork belly w. fish sauce. The eggplant was a nice side dish to take a break from the main courses and the crispy pork belly was nice as well. Crispy, not overly fatty or oily, and would have preferred that as a main over the goat and lamb curry. For dessert, we saw a couple of our favourites but with a twist. We opted in for their Durian Sticky Rice (Great spin on a traditional mango sticky rice) and their Thai tea tiramisu (a spin on your traditional tiramisu which comes with coffee-soaked ladyfingers). The durian sticky rice was out of this world. Durian in place of mango was brilliant. Perfectly ripe, soft and was a breathtaking dessert. As for the tiramisu, this was fantastic as well. The Thai tea flavour didn't shine through as much as I would have liked, but overall, excellent. It's worth noting, the service at this restaurant is impeccable. Probably one of the best hospitalities I've received anywhere. The servers reset your table in between courses by wiping it off and everyone was professional, knowledgeable and kind. Overall, I can see why this is listed on the top 50 restaurants in the U.S. coming in at #11 according to 'theworlds50best'. The quality of food, the service, atmosphere is top notch.

This place is a go-to for me when I stay in downtown Philly. Flavors are good and the baos are…read morefilling without breaking the bank. Orders turnover quickly, so it's also a good option on the go. Their trios are a good way to try out different baos.

The Brussel sprouts are greasy and acidic and SO good yet mid. I like the crispy rice on top. It's…read moredefinitely a random craving I get (often), but not the best Brussels in the city by any means I never see anyone else eating in the store when I go and there is always a cleaning supply smell. I'll be back for the Brussels though don't you worry

Very large, loud/energetized, bright white modern with handmade noodles and dumplings the feature…read morebut good number of traditional Chinese dishes available. (Note: if you only want smaller serving of their great, thick noodles, order $4 add-on as a side in place of rice with regular dish.) I always have leftovers to enjoy at home. Dumpling orders are large and shareable. (Always 6 or 8 pieces.) My fave when dining in is amazingly delicious and huge Fish Fillet in Hot and Sour Cabbage Broth. (That's best with rice side to help absorb broth.) So good and healthful to balance the dough density of whatever dumplings you might also order -- they're all great. When getting order to go (or delivered) I like Kung Pao Chicken; it travels well. Order added green veggie dish for sharing -- I lean toward Chinese Broccoli; you'll really want the balance with the delicious dumpling and noodle dishes. Large cocktail menu -- Lychee Martini is so refreshing. Important: cash only for dining in. There's an ATM by their front door. Takeout and delivery accepts credit cards. Most reasonably priced parking nearby (if you don't score a limited street spot) is ParkAmerica at 1040 Race St a few doors down. In fact, it was one of the valet guys in that garage who recommended Dim Sum Garden when I was seeking great Chinese option. (Thank you, Ceasar!)

It pains me to write this as I have loved DSG for over 10 years but the taste and quality are just…read morenot there anymore. I just get a feeling that the focus is on pushing alcoholic drinks rather than on the food. The pork buns felt like they were previously frozen and were very sweet. Shrimp dumplings tasted off. Service was never the star but it wasn't so dismissive either. Just a very bad experience and while I won't go back, I also don't want to rate them 1 star as that would be unfair. Their food now is no better than the next guy and that's disappointing. Cash only btw. I write this because they do not post signs and a couple tables had to go grab cash from their ATM machine.