There aren’t many exotic foods we turn away from but we have to tell you we’re not excited to try fried duck tongues at Ken’s Seafood.
Philadining on the other hand not only tried them but liked them.
As it turns out, we liked them a lot. There’s not a whole lot of meat on a duck tongue, and what there is has a slightly fatty, gelatinous texture, but when it’s encased in perfectly-fried batter, the combo is very pleasing. To be fair, I think our table was evenly split about how good they were, but two of us really loved them. Someone likened them to the very tip of a chicken wing, where there’s just a little bit of meat, more fat and skin and crunchy coating. Whether this is a good or bad thing is a matter of perspective.
There is a weird thing about duck tongues: they have a piece of cartilage going right down the middle that’s inedible, so the crunchy treat needs to be eaten with a little care, and that little boney spine needs to be gingerly extracted from one’s mouth, so this might not be a great food on the occasions that pulling bones from one’s mouth wouldn’t be considered polite.
Philadining gets us so excited about the restaurants that come and go at 925 Race Street we’re beginning to wonder if he’s the landlord. This time it is Zhi Wei Guan, a restaurant specializing in Hangzhou cuisine and all things doughy. So yes, that means lots of noodles and dumplings, including soup dumplings.
It wasn’t long ago that we would bemoan the lack of good Xiao Long Bao in Philly, a few places had them, but they seemed to be pre-made, probably frozen, or even if not, they were lacking the delicacy of the truly great juicy buns. Now we have Dim Sum Garden, making very good ones, and Zhi Wei Guan which might be making my favorites right now. The first time I tried them, back in the spring, I thought the wrappers were too thick, and there wasn’t enough broth inside. I liked the flavor, but the overall texture and balance seemed off. In the intervening months, the chef had intensive training with a master chef visiting from China, and he told us they spent a whole day just on Xiao Long Bao technique. And I think it shows, the ones I had most recently were excellent, with delicate wrappers and a perfect soup-to-dough ratio.
Albert Lee is our tour guide in UWISHUNU’s food tour of Chinatown experiencing everything from traditional tea service, dim sum at landmark restaurants, Malaysian and Burmese hotspots to even where to order a virgin’s downfall.
Craig LaBan visits Dim Sum Garden in Chinatown in search of a worthy replacement to Lakeside Chinese Deli and finds perhaps the best scallion pancakes in city and more importantly to adventure seeking diners, “soup dumplings.”
Nip a hole and slurp the juice, for which our charming waitress finally confided the secret: pork “Jell-O” that becomes molten in the steam. Eyes snap open as the liquid rushes across our tongue, intensely savory, with a twinge of soy sweetness followed by the resonance of garlic. A dip in gingery black vinegar washes the tender meat stuffing and dumpling skin down with a bracingly tart smack. Want another? You bet!
City Paper’s Trey Popp checks out Yakitori Boy, the karaoke lounge and small plates restaurant that has opened in Chinatown.
Yakitori Boy attempts to cater to this vast clientele by way of “japas” — a play on Spanish tapas. Think shortened sushi rolls and small barbecue skewers threaded with everything from chicken to gingko nuts. Food options come by the score, illustrated by garish color photographs on a laminated menu that’s an exercise in visual overload.
Unfortunately, the eye candy wasn’t too sweet on the tongue. Any kitchen that tries to make this many things for this many people has got a challenge on its hands, and Yakitori Boy doesn’t seem up to it. With the exception of the supplemental chef’s daily menu (more on that later), just about every plate that came my way was disappointingly bland. Unsurprisingly, given its sheer volume, much of the food had a faintly industrial character.
Philadining takes a second trip to Yakitori Boy in Chinatown and reports the kitchen is finding its groove.
Bacon and Eggs, well, Quail Eggs Wrapped in Bacon were very tasty. How could they not be? We were very amused when at the end of the meal, as plates were being cleared, one of our servers noticed a lone remaining egg, and jokingly scolded us: “don’t waste bacon!” I’m thinking of getting a tattoo that says that…
Drew Lazor of the City Paper is reporting that Chinatown’s Lakeside Chinese Deli, beloved by dim sum enthusiasts, has closed its doors for good. A sign on the door indicates the owners are retiring.
It’s always odd to hear about a restaurant that shuts down of its own volition, rather than being forced to close by spiraling rents, poor management or misguided concepts in inappropriate locations.
Other options for dim sum in the hood include Imperial Inn (recommended by the Lakeside owners), Ocean Harbor and Joy Tsin Lau.
As usual, the folks over at egullet have loads to say on the subject, plus more recommendations for acceptable dim sum spots.
The PhilaDining Blog rings in the New Year with fireworks and a late night dinner at the brand new Yakitori Boy in Chinatown.
So, even though we were not completely blown-away by the quality of the yakitori on this visit, we’re definitely going back to try more of the menu, and try some of the grilled things over again once they’ve gotten into the groove.
Michael Klein gets a tour of Yakitori Boy, a new karaoke bar in Chinatown.
The owner showed me around, but declined my request to photograph. The first floor has a 90-seat dining room and what appears to be two sushi bars, in addition to a drinkin’ bar. In fact, there’s one sushi bar and a yakitori bar, at which cooks will prepare chicken meat on a stick over grills. The word “japas” on their stationery is a pun on “Japanese tapas.”
Philadining contacts us and wonders why the new Dumpling House in Chinatown isn’t creating more buzz. And with 8 good dumplings for just $2.50, well we’re buzzing.
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