Craig LaBan discovers not all of East Passyunk is Italian and that Izumi provides a great new sushi destination for the neighborhood.

The sushi kitchen is clearly Izumi’s strength, with a focus on standards presented with attention to detail, quality, and value rather than anything especially innovative. And sushi chef Agus Lukito, an Indonesian-born chef trained at Teikoku and most recently at Mikado, does an excellent job.

His fish is superbly fresh, cut with precision, and wrapped around good rice – toothsomely firm and nicely seasoned with kombu-flavored vinegar. This is on full display in the platters, which, at 32 pieces for $50 (and half as many for $25), is a solid quality-value. It featured some less common additions – the sea-savory tang of horse mackerel, the tender snap of rouge-tipped surf clam, sweet white albacore, and a nearly translucent, delicate fluke – to the usual tuna-salmon-yellowtail mainstays.

Izumi [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Izumi [Official Site]

Rick Nichols visits Jose Garces’ Chifa and tries to put his finger on just what Peruvian-Chinese cuisine is.

Expect the unexpected at Chifa [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Trey Popp checks heads out to Manayunk to check out the new MangoMoon from Moon Krapugthong who brought us Chabaa Thai. He likes what he finds but it’s the Thai sausage that blows him away.

Have kaffir lime leaves ever sung so clear a note from within a tube of pork? Have lemongrass and galangal ever joined so seamlessly in harmonic complement? If so, I want to know about it. This homemade beauty at MangoMoon — charred at the edges, yet impeccably moist inside — was the best sausage I have ever eaten. Of any kind.

Moonstruck [City Paper]
MangoMoon [Official Site]

Chifa is certainly making news today, first it was photos and now it’s the menu.

MenuPages got their hands on the initial menu for the Peruvian and Cantonese amalgamation and here are some of the highlights:

• The cheapest item on the menu is the $5 white cabbage leaves with sweet chile vinaigrette and sesame brittle.
• The most expensive item is the $55 salt baked fish, a salt crusted bronzino with hot ginger oil and caldon sea salt.
• The 20 oz grilled Adobo New York Strip goes for $52.
• There are also plenty of dishes under $15 including duck ceviche, braise lamb empanadas, lobster noodles and conchitas (scallops, parsnip-parmesan cream and caviar).
• There is a chef’s tasting menu available for $65.
• The scallion pancake that made our knees buckle is just $8.

Update: Here’s are all the menus as PDFs. Dinner Menu | Drink Menu | Desserts Menu

Chifa Madness [MenuPages]
Chifa [Official Site]

Meal Ticket and Phoodie were both over at Chifa earlier today and they have the photographic evidence to prove it.

An inside look at Jose Garces’ Chifa [Meal Ticket]
First Look: Chifa Sneak Peek [Phoodie.info]

Felicia D’Ambrosio got to try out Jose Garces’ Chifa on Thursday night and highlights some dishes you’ll be sure to drool over.

House-made sriracha sauce, served with the signature Chifa Chicken, an air-chilled organic bird from Giannone in Canada. Impossibly crisp, glassine skin over tender meat. This will be a must-have.

First Bite: Chifa [Meal Ticket]
Chifa [Official Site]

Jose Garces’ latest creation, Chifa, a Cantonese and Peruvian restaurant is set to open Tuesday at 707 Chestnut Street.

The Space

• Design by Jun Aizaki of Creme Design Collective, the same firm behind all of Garces’ Philadelphia restaurants.
• Three dining rooms:
  • Main Dining room and bar area – banquettes and earthy shades of terra cotta, ochre and brown leather. Handcrafted shutters, ceiling fans and custom made blue and white tiles and floral fabric accents.
  • Second dining room – Center stage ceviche bar sits atop a Chinese apothecary cabinet. Room is a vibrant red and accented with wood screens carved in Chinese inspired patterns.
  • Lower level – clandestine feel inspired by an opium den with its own bar, lush fabrics, red and black laquered tables, hanging lanterns and purple couches and ottomans for lounging.
• There’s also a 16-seat gold resin communal table.

The Menu

• Chef de Cuisine Chad Williams
• Menu items will range from $10 to $28
  • Arroz Chaufa con Mariscos – Fried rice with Chinese ham, egg and scallion, topped with soy- and ginger-glazed shellfish
  • Aji Gallina – slow-poached chicken in a spicy sauce of aji amarillo, walnuts and queso fresco, served over confit purple potatoes and garnished with purple Peruvian olives
  • Lomo Saltado con Conchitas – beef tenderloin marinated in ginger and soy and stir-fried with peppers, tomatoes and bay scallops, then tossed with fried yellow mountain potatoes and cilantro
  • Roast Duck Buns – steamed Chinese buns filled with crispy roast duck over foie gras mousse, garnished with plum sauce, pickled scallions and five-spice sea salt.
• Ceviche Bar with 10 kinds of fresh daily ceviche preparations. Prices range from $14 to $24
  • Oyster – leche de tigre, avocado, calamari and pisco, served as a shooter
  • Tuna - rocoto emulsion, soy, sweet potatoes, red onion and cilantro
  • Ecuadorian Ceviche – orange, fresh tomato and avocado

The Drinks

• Signature cocktails from $8 to $12
  • Asian Five-Spice Rye Manhattan
  • Classic Pisco Sour
  • Mint and Lima Bean Gin Fizz
  • Burnt Orange and Sesame Martini
• Selection of wine and beer
• A daily Fresh Tropical Fruit Pisco Sour Pitcher will be also be available
• Chifa will also offer a selection of Chinese teas.

Chifa [Official Site]

Adam Erace heads out in search of truly good Thai food in Philadelphia, is Thai Chef & Noodle Fusion what he’s looking for?

Is this curry aquarium the Promised Land devotees have been purporting it to be? The cure to our burning hunger for authentic, amazing Thai food? Thai Chef, when we ask you to ignite our meal with the fire of a thousand suns, will you bow to our wishes no matter how white our faces?

The answer, fleshed out of over the course of my meal, was yes—and no. Thai Chef, you are the wishy-washy object of my affection, stringing me along with fresh, greaseless spring rolls, then letting me down with a clump of mee krob (fried rice noodles) with the taste and texture of a Rice Krispie Treat.

Desperately Seeking Spicy [Philadelphia Weekly]

Lari Robling has a starter course in Indonesian cuisine at Indonesia Restaurant deep in the heart of South Philadelphia and then goes more authentic with a trip to Hardena.

Two Forks – Good, worth the trip

Go south for 2 different tastes of Indonesia [Philadelphia Daily News]

Thanks to a Foobooz tipster we’ve learned there are big doings at the base of Commerce Square at 20th and Market. The old 2021 and if you’re older, Cutters is being turned into an Asian Fusion restaurant by noted interior design firm, Jeffrey Beers International.

Also announced today is that the third DuJour Market is going to be opening in the complex where the Saladworks was previously.

This is all in addition to the Pagano’s Market that is going into the former Marathon Grill location.