Chew Man Booed
Posted by Foobooz on January 25th, 2010
Craig LaBan dismantles Chew Man Chu, leaving no question to his contempt for the “’50s-dull Chinese American fare” and contrary to our thought, you can really mess up dumplings.
The house-made dumplings, in general, were big disappointments. The unnaturally green chicken-spinach dumplings were doughy. The crispy pork pot-stickers were filled with errant gristle. And there was also something unexpectedly crunchy inside the rubbery pureed poultry centers of the crispy garlic chicken rolls. The oxtail dumplings were all pink and bouncy inside, with none of the tenderness I’d expect from a slow-braised meat. The deeply steeped dark gravy that pooled around them like deconstructed soup dumplings, meanwhile, was both intensely over-seasoned and jarringly sweet.
No Bells – Poor
Chew Man Chu [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Chew Man Chu [Official Site]
440 S Broad At, Philadelphia, PA
Related Tags: Asian, Avenue-of-the-Arts, Chew Man Chu, Craig-LaBan, Reviewed
January 25th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Damn! That’s a clever title.
January 25th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Wow. I thought it was 1 Bell for sure. I’ve had a few decent meals here, although it’s inconsistent, saucy & generally feels unhealthy going down.
January 25th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
I think he had to deduct at least one star for the stupid name of the place. Chinatown is only a few blocks away.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
A clever title indeed. Art makes good with the snark.
Also acceptable: Chu Man Blew and This Place Is A Dungheap.
January 26th, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Sounds like a vindictive, mean spirited review.
No mention of the chef/partner Tyson Wong OR his outstanding credentials:
“Executive chef Tyson Wong Ophaso has worked for culinary legends including Paul Bocuse and Daniel Boulud. He has even appeared on Iron Chef America and battled Morimoto. With a Thai-Chinese–Indonesian-Laotian-Japanese heritage and a well-stamped passport, Ophaso has cooked and eaten Asian food around the globe.” (Philly Magazine)
Mr. LaBan clearly missed the point. I wonder why…
January 27th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I was really surprised at this review. I ate there a few times recently since I live in Symphony house and it was excellent. Great food, prices and service. This harsh review is so out of line…especially at a time where mom and pop restaurants are struggling to survive. Craig has lost all credibility where I’m concerned.
January 28th, 2010 at 12:22 am
Credentials don’t matter, to quote Ferdinand Pointe “Cuisine is nothing on the stoves in the morning”. Meaning that you have to make it, create it, refine it every day after day after day. And seriously, that is an awful name for a restaurant.