The Asian Fusion Restaurant Scene in Philadelphia
Savoring diversity is incredibly important, especially with ethnic cuisine. I admire Philadelphia not only for their variety of food sectors, but the fusion restaurants with such interesting and unique twists. Even though we’ve tried only a few Asian fusion restaurants in Philly, I’d like to highlight the city’s remarkable efforts of integrating cultures. Below is our honest review of some of Philly’s best Asian fusion restaurants, as well as others we would like to check out next.
📍La Chinesca
1036 Spring Garden St
From a gas station to a Chinese-Mexican fusion restaurant, La Chinesca offers exceptional and unique dining. Located in the Spring Arts neighborhood, they are Philly’s first MexiCali dining experience. This restaurant does fusion in a fantastic way, with inspiration from Northern Mexico and Chinese American flavors. The ambiance feels retro, but also tropical. The blend of sweet Chinese flavor with pungent Mexican spices is a combination I never thought would be so good. Happy hour is Sunday through Friday from 4-6 pm, serving $3 tacos and drinks that are $7-9. Each time we go, we get the Pork Belly Bao buns and Fried Wonton chips; they will change your life. The Bao buns have the perfect ratio of crispiness on the pork to the soft bun. For drinks, we love the On Empty margarita and the Spiked Pomegranate Lemonade. Our favorite tacos on the menu are the Quesabirria, Peking Duck, Pumpkin, and Carnitas tacos. The Peking Duck tacos are the most unique tacos we’ve had, as there’s a balance of sweet and savory. We’ve posted about this place many times, we cannot get enough! I truly could rave about it all day long; highly recommend to anyone looking for an affordable happy hour with niche food options and cool ambiance 🌮🍹✨
🔗:https://www.lachinescaphl.com/
📍Sampan
124 S 13th St
Located in the heart of Center City, Sampan has a contemporary approach to Pan-Asian cuisine. The menu offers a mix of Asian plates, but with a modern twist like the Cheesesteak Bao, Shortrib Dumpling, Hamachi Ceviche, Crab Wonton Taco and much more. The atmosphere is “clubby” and lively, but also slick. This is a great spot for sitting at a bar for a drink and small plates. Their happy hour is everyday from 4-7 pm, with an interesting drink menu featuring a list of different sake. We’ve tried the General Tso Soup Dumpling made with chicken, ginger, and garlic and it was some of the best soup dumplings we’ve tasted. We also ordered the Pork Bao, Crispy Shrimp, and Crispy Brussel Sprouts for starters. Then for our entree, we had the Crispy Duck, Korean BBQ Beef, and Wagyu Beef, which were crazy good. The duck came with Bao buns which paired really well with the crispiness of the meat. Sampan is the ideal Asian fusion restaurant to go to for drinks and sharing plates with a group of people, that way you can try a variety of fun dishes 🥟🥂
🔗: https://www.sampanphilly.com/
📍Bing Bing Dim Sum
1648 E Passyunk Ave
When you think of Asian fusion, would you ever think to combine Chinese with Jewish-American cuisine? Bing Bing Dim Sum serves Chinese plates with Jewish-American influence, such as the Matzo Turnip cake, Jewish Chicken Wonton Noodle soup, Caramel Pork Shank, and Jasie’s Carrot Cake. The restaurant is lit up with lights and Chinese lanterns, placed in Passyunk, one of our favorite neighborhoods in Philly. We had the Pork Soup dumplings, Coconut Rice Tamale and Caramel Pork Shank, which all had interesting flavor. Although it’s more expensive than standard Dim Sum, it’s apparent that the food is high quality. I’d like to go back and try more of the Jewish-American inspired dishes, so I can give a more comprehensive review. For anyone looking to try an intriguing twist on Dim Sum, Bing Bing Dim Sum is worth trying at least once 🥡🥢
🔗: https://www.bingbingdimsum.com/
Highly ranked Asian-Fusion restaurants to try next…
Buddakan
Cheu Fishtown
Mei Mei
Bao Nine
Spice 28
⭐️ The more Asian fusion restaurants we try, the more that will be added to this list :)
🔗📸:
https://www.timeout.com/philadelphia/restaurants/bing-bing-dim-sum
https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2016/12/08/bing-bing-dim-sum-adds-brunch-dishes/
https://www.bingbingdimsum.com/
