The Most Delicious Soup in Philadelphia

Tang's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (20)

"The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Tangs's: Fresh. The second? Super friendly.I came across Tang's during my usual stake out of food trucks during lunch hour and decided to order a beef and broccoli over brown rice. What I was expecting was the run of the mill Chinese take out version of beef and broccoli: semi tough beef and overcooked broccoli swimming in grease and a large quantity of brown sauce. To my great delight what I got was the complete opposite - the beef was tender and the broccoli was a lively green and incredibly fresh. There was a light and just right amount of sauce and great helping of chili oil. The lady running the truck is so friendly, welcoming & nice (a stark contrast to the lady at Yue Kee). The wait is short and the prices are impressively cheap. Looking forward to coming back and trying the other items on their expansive menu!"

Taste of India

★★★★★ 4.5 (20)

"Really kind, c carrying service and absolutely delicious food! Would love to return. Ordered tea, very tender & juicy chicken malai kebab, saag paneer, she fresh garlic naan. I wish I were closer to here!"

Pho Ever Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (145) • $$

"The bbq spare ribs were incredible! So good, had a nice little bit of char, delicious depth of flavor and I could sit there any eat it all day!The house special pho was okay not great. In my opinion, it didn't have very good depth of broth. I would say it's not bad, but not great either.Ambiance is nice, clean and friendly. Prices are reasonable as well. It's in a nice mall that seems very up and coming. Overall if you are craving pho, this spot is not bad. If you want barbecue ribs, this spot is amazing!"

White Jasmin Thai Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (75)

"Some of the best Thai food available. The chef and her husband make a great team. The chicken and curry, red curry, and papaya salads are crazy good"

Seafood Unlimited

★★★★☆ 3.5 (164)

"I decided to celebrate national fried shrimp day 2022 at Seafood Unlimited. I hadn't been there in probably 15 years. It turns out I made the best choice I could have possibly made. I stopped by during happy hour and they have a great happy hour. Good discounted drink specials and plenty of discounted snacks. There is shrimp on the happy hour menu, but I went for the Jumbo friend shrimp entrée from the regular menu. The shrimp were actually jumbo, juicy, and perfectly fried. The best friend shrimp I've had in Philly since the days of Bookbinders. If you like fried shrimp, this is the place to get them! The entree comes with a generous portion of crispy fries and tasty cole slaw. I wanted to sample more of the menu so I also tried the New England clam chowder. A hot bowl of soup almost as good as what you get in New England. I ended my meal with the carrot cake dessert. It was a bit cold and would have been better served at room temperature. But all the expected carrot cake deliciousness was there in that slice.I ended up staying at Seafood Unlimited longer than I anticipated. The people at the bar were nice and the bartender, Morgan, is awesome. The fried shrimp were to die for! I'll be back to try more of the menu!"

White House Tajine

★★★★☆ 4.3 (176) • $$$

"This restaurant is, quite frankly, the epitome of charming. The decor is clearly done by hand, the painted stenciling slightly askew, the front window a darling mishmash of brocade and little sparkling candle-lamps and the odd hookah. A large mirror on the far wall stands like some magic portal in the back of a slightly chintzy bazaar, lending an airiness to the room along with the natural light from the wide front window.We were greeted by the proprietor, who learned all of his cooking from his mother and now shares the kitchen with his wife. Determined to ensure every visitor is treated to a flawless experience, he brought bottles of water and then proceeded to tour us through the menu, giving sound advice indeed on where to begin (and to end) the meal. Chatty and teasing, he is wonderful to talk to, but also knows when to vanish again and let you enjoy your food.And you Will.Sweet heaven.The caliber of the food brought to our table is far higher than a glance at the tables on the patio or the slightly drippy geometric patterns on the wall prepares you for. The plating was frankly lovely, and the flavours were absolutely to die for, from the lemony, garlicky eggplant to the sizzling, olive-studded chicken tagine. I came looking specifically for the pastilla, and the cinnamon-and-sugar-dusted, chicken and almond-stuffed pastry did not disappoint. Ultimately, the three of us could not finish everything, so a few scraps of leftovers, and a significant amount of baklava got packaged to go home. I recommend it, honestly, let the experience last as long as you can.So- We live hours south of this precious little place with its long couches and little round bolster pillows, but we Will be back. I'm sure I can find some sort of excuse in the area to make my way back up again, and bring friends. A significant portion of the menu is vegetarian, even, including nearly all of the appetizers (just get the mezze platter), and several other options including a tagine and a falafel gyro. There are also fish options for those who are pescatarian. And for full inclusiveness, it's wheelchair accessible as well."

Pho 75

★★★★☆ 4.4 (647) • $$

"Legit Philly Pho! Simply delicious! Clean broth and less MSG than NYC options. The parking in the plaza is chaotic but the fo water od was worth it"

EMei

★★★★☆ 4.3 (722) • $$

"If you know me on Yelp then you've probably dined on tantalizing spicy Sichuan cuisine with me at a spot like Han Dynasty and know how much I enjoy dining with a group at spots like it. So when a friend suggested getting a group together to meet in Chinatown for a meal at EMei it was something that didn't take me long to say hell yes to. And when I read about it being among Philly Mag's top 50 restaurants of 2024, and Yelp's top places to eat of 2023 list, I was even more sold on this decision!As soon as I walked in it didn't take long to understand why it was so well received as soon as I made note of perfect dining spots for all-size parties, a well-stocked bar that served Asian & US beers, wines, and tantalizing-sounding cocktails, exceptional service, and then some. They even had a robot that delivered takeout orders from the back to the front of the house!While having take-out food delivered to you by a robot is a perk, going with a group of four or more so you can share as much food as you can family style is definitely the way to go! And our group enjoyed the following:Dan Dan Noodles w/ Pork - not as good as the ones that you'd find at Han Dynasty or DanDan, but still a satisfyingly spicy dish!Cucumbers in Garlic Sauce - the perfect cold vegetable dish in a pungent sauce to counterbalance all the incoming heat with!Homemade Dumplings in Hot Chili Oil - perfect spicy pillows filled with pork.Beef & Vegetable Chow Fun Noodles - HUGE sauced noodles with shreds of beef and vegetables. So good!Hot & Spicy Flounder Filet Bowl - Flounder perfectly cooked in a double chili and peppercorn broth with napa cabbage, Chinese leeks, garlic, scallions, and cilantro!Stir-Fried Steak Slivers with Long Hot Peppers - Finely sauteed slivers of beef cooked with long hots to provide just the right tinge of spice.Smoked Pork Belly Slices with Chinese Leeks - perfectly cooked smoky fatty slivers of sweet pork belly cooked with leeks for just the right bit of succulent funk.With a great first impression like that, I'll definitely be back for more!"

Cameron's Seafood

★★★★☆ 4.4 (11)

"Shoutout out the management here!I walked in near closing, the staff on hands first words were "never turn away a customer." That statement alone will bring me back to visit! The food shrimp was cooked fresh and decently priced for a half pound. Definitely look forward to trying Cameron's again."

China Gourmet

★★★★☆ 3.8 (179)

"I'm so glad there's an authentic dim sum and Cantonese restaurant in the Northeast and with a parking lot. Saves a trip all the way to Chinatown! We've had their dim sum and dinner several times and it always hits the spot. The service isn't bad either - it's usually easy to flag someone if you need something and they follow through pretty quickly. During dim sum service if there's a dish you haven't seen on the carts, you can ask the servers about it and they usually put an order in. My favorites are the shrimp rice rolls, shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, egg custard buns, and snow mountain baked buns with roast pork filling. During dinner service you order family style, meaning the dishes are all shared between the table vs ordering individually. The photos in this review are what we typically order."

Luscious Dumplings

★★★★☆ 4.1 (33)

"Spontaneously stumbled upon the newest soup dumpling place in Chinatown after getting bubble tea from my favorite place - chi San. I read an inquirer article saying how this was a Michelin recommended restaurant and would be open soon! I think it's been opened only a couple weeks when we stopped in! No wait when we got there, no reservations needed but it filled up quickly. Ambience is nice, clean and spacious. Waitstaff were super friendly and spoke English. We ended up at a table where the HVAC had water condensation dripping on us but they were quick to offer us a different table, we declined and just kept the food away from the water drops lol. Since it was just 2 of us, couldn't order as much as we would have me wanted but we tried! The piggy custard buns were delish - maybe a little more custard and it would have been perfect. The scallion pancakes were meh. Interesting they tasted like a mix between scallion pancakes and naan - I prefer the super crispy version and this one was softer. The soup dumplings were the star of the show! We sadly only got one order and chose the snow crab and pork ones, sooooooo good! The dough is lighter, the broth and filling were well seasoned and tasty - would have liked just a bit more broth and it would also have been perfect. I am a soup dumpling aficionado, from dim sum garden all the way to cherry hill's nan Xiang and a whole bunch in between - luscious dumplings has the BEST overall pork soup dumpling."

Xi'an Sizzling Woks

★★★★☆ 3.7 (233) • $$

"Xi'an Sizzling Woks is an unexpected love of mine. I came here after my friend told me that they have the best spicy beef noodles in Philly Chinatown.Their noodles are really great!!! The noodles taste and look like they're made in-house or at the very least, locally. They have a great chewy, smooth, and yummy texture and taste. The soup broth was teeming with flavor. I loved the little bits of vegetables, meat, and other ingredients. It was like a bowl of delicious, homemade noodle soup. The portion was enormous! My friend and I shared it with two appetizers and it was more than enough. We also ordered the Xi'an Liang Pi and the Tea Smoked Duck. The Liang Pi was not something we were familiar with and when it came, it wasn't what we expected at all. However, it was quite good once we passed the initial impression. The duck was delicious and smokey. It had a great deal of meat, unlike many of the other tea smoked ducks we've tried. Definitely going back for more one day! The staff was nice and more than willing to answer any questions we had. However, we did not appreciate that they began to mop the floor while we were still eating. The smell itself overpowered our food and we quickly left after that. All and all, the food is really good and worth trying if you're in the area."

El Fuego

★★★★☆ 3.6 (291)

"I am rarely in center city, but always make a point to stop in after a visit to the Dr's office across the street.The food here is always fresh and service is quick and friendly! I highly recommend the spicy beef as your protein choice."

Pattaya

★★★★☆ 3.5 (370) • $$

"Needing a break from the typical campus eats, I suggested a business lunch at Pattaya. I really enjoyed the ambiance, proximity to Penn's campus, and the varied menu items at Pattaya. I was a little bummed that there were no lunch specials, and I was super sad that the only beverages they offered were canned or bottled - I was seeking a fresh Thai iced tea! However, the Panang Curry was to die for - I had no issue slurping the entirety of my meal. My colleagues ordered different noodle dishes, and the portions were huge! We shared an order of the Golden Triangles, which were okay - unremarkable, but tofu often is (sorry!!) We were all very happy with our main entrees, and I was the only one who didn't have an entire meal's worth of leftovers...a good value! Service was friendly and quick making for a nice dine-in experience."

NAM Vietnamese Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.7 (73)

"Great little spot!! Awesome vibe, good food, and relatively on point for Vietnamese food. Once we had some questionable texture but I think that's more personal taste so I won't hold it against them. Tofu mushroom egg rolls are delicious and I'm not vegan or vegetarian!"

Golden Bowl

★★★★☆ 3.8 (157) • $$

"This place is not usually crowded when I visit but you can then it's a hidden gem for the people in the area. The food is fresh and delicious. The portions are large enough and the service is always very friendly. Restaurant is clean, and well kept."

China King

★★★★☆ 3.5 (33)

"Extra star for the Shrimp Fried Rice I had today. I thought the best I'd had was from Sushiman last week (review to come) but this one drew major comparisons. I hate to order this dish and get barely there shrimp or small and dry shrimp but worse yet, shrimp that aren't deveined. China King delivers just what I want. Perfectly fried rice with clean, plumb shrimp and lots of them. You could damn near finish the meal with a shrimp in every forkful of rice. I also appreciated that the onions did not overrun the dish. I have a weird relationship with eating onions and these were big enough for me to pick out. My only wish is for them to add egg."

Kelly's Seafood

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (119) • $$

"Food is always delicious! Kathy, Lori & Jeanine are amazing, their service is always on point. Not sure why the low stars but it def is a hidden gem!"

Mr Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (216)

"Consistent and delicious rolls. My favs: Dynamite, Godzilla, Valentine, and NE Viking. While a lot has shifted to takeout post-COVID, dining in here is also a good choice: still solidly great service, and also remember this is a BYOB."

Luke's Lobster Rittenhouse

★★★★☆ 4.3 (1238) • $$

"I'm not a lobster fanboy by nature (I never liked meeting my dinner in a tank and having it killed beforehand) but I also know greatness when I taste it. The lobster bisque and lobster roll at Luke's are both fantastic and definitely worthy of your patronage.So, no stay of execution from the governor on my next visit as death row doesn't exist here. It might be interesting trying the same pick 'em, kill 'em and eat 'em protocol at your local steakhouse. Maybe not. Five easy stars."

DaMò Pasta Lab

★★★★★ 4.7 (7)

"Friendly owners, fresh pasta. Delicious homemade tiramisu.Cute restaurant, honey, and welcoming"

Pho Cyclo Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (84)

"This is a great find. Not elegant or fancy inside but this is that hole in the wall that you've been looking for. Been a few times and I've never been disappointed. The atmosphere inside is very casual but does the job. Dine in and takeout are both consistent and I will be going back as long as I live in Philadelphia. Highly recommend!"

Viet Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.8 (30)

"Had to come and viet this place to see if it was legit. There was an old Vietnamese man smoking a cigarette outside so we were pretty sure it was going to bistro good and we were right!I used to go to Huong Tram/Nam Son all the time when I lived here and I love The Breakfast Den but it's so great that there's a traditional Vietnamese place in Grad Hospital again! I recognized one of the waiters from Huong Tram I think and my friend recognized another from another closed Viet restaurant at 11th and Washington so it's so nice to see familiar faces again!Food:Egg rolls (cha gio)- usually call these spring rolls but either way they're delicious, fried and stuffed with pork.Spring rolls- usually call these summer rolls but, again, so delicious we forgot to take a pic. Shrimp and pork Pho Tai- we ordered Tai Nam but they brought the wrong one. Either way, good amount of meat, good broth (not as amazing as Washington Ave, but still good).Banh mi- ordered the BBQ pork and they brought out the wrong one, but brought out this one when we told them- toasty fresh bread, delicious meat, watch out for the jalapenos!Lemongrass beef bun (vermicelli)- great flavor beef and sauceGood size portions, great price, delicious food, quick service, and BYOB! Just double check when you order and get your food that you got the right thing. Hoping all the people who learned to love fusion Viet food from TBD migrate over here and support Viet Bistro too!"

Mister Wok

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (39)

"Maybe I just know what to order because I have nothing but positive things to say. Their Egg Foo Young is amazing, spring rolls are delightful, and my partner likes their shrimp rolls. Tried their lemonade and ice tea for the first time this weekend and mixed them for a delicious beverage."

Pho Saigon

★★★★☆ 3.7 (103)

"Yes, the Pho is pretty good here, but the star of the show is the bun thit nuong.I order delivery from here quite often and everything always arrives fresh, and we'll packaged. With it being summertime, I was not in the mood for a hot soup this time around and ordered the vermicelli with grilled pork. I was surprised to see smaller grilled pieces rather than a pork chop, but oh my gosh, this is so much better. The pork was so flavorful and so tender. I did take off one star because the amount of sauce provided for the dish was not quite enough to cover the amount of food. Please do not pass on this dish!"

Pho Ngon

★★★★☆ 4.2 (22)

"I got the lunch special pho. You get to choose any regular pho and it comes with choice of Tom yum or wonton soup and egg roll or summer roll and 2 dumplings. Thai iced tea was $2. I got the Tom yum soup which I actually thought was the best thing of the meal. It had a really good flavor that I feel like most Thai restaurants lack. The summer roll was fine but missing the peanut sauce. It only had the other sauce that you use for fried dumplings. The dumplings were okay. I got the beef ball pho. I know a lot of places generally don't give many beef balls but this bowl was so sad looking. I think it might have been 2 beef balls cut in half for 4 pieces. The soup flavor was a little off, tasted a little too sweet for me and didn't have the depth that I was looking for. I'll give them another chance and try of the rice dishes next time."

Tastes Of The Caribbean

★★★☆☆ 3 (4)

"Very clean, bright and beautiful restaurant. The food was spectacular. The ladies that work here are so lovely if you're looking for authentic Caribbean food this is the place to be. Love love love the food. Licked all 10 fingers."

Shing Kee

★★★★☆ 4.2 (103)

"The service is terrible BUT the food is delicious!!I forget where I read or heard it but they said if an Asian restaurant has 3.5 stars, go to it. Any better, it won't be as authentic. Worse, well the it just sucks. I suppose that is very true as I want to give it a 3.5, but there's no half star on here. Go for the food and excuse the bad service."

Michael's Sandwich Shop

★★★★★ 4.5 (154) • $

"Worth the visit! So glad to have met Michael and the family/staff today. Michael was gracious enough to prepare for us one of HIS favorite cheesesteaks HIS way. I really appreciate that!Stop by if you are ever in the neighborhood!"

Yantze Chinese Gourmet

★★★★☆ 4.1 (166) • $$

"The food was delicious when we ordered delivery, but when we went in person we had to walk out after waiting to be seated. There were two people at the front counter and they greeted us, but they didn't offer to seat us and we had to ask. Neither could seat us and we had to wait for the host. After waiting around for the host, we decided to leave. It was a Friday night. Not sure if I want to come back in person again."

Pho Palace

★★★★☆ 3.6 (269) • $

"I've been coming to this gem for years. The food is outstanding. I generally order the same thing, which is shrimp fried rice and Pho. But, they have never let me down. The woman at the front is always very personable and thankful for the business. We really do not have any Pho places in the far NE. But, this is it! If you haven't given them a try, I definitely recommend it."

Bridget Foy's

★★★★☆ 4.1 (59) • $$

"One of those reviews that's been a long time in the making!Long before I ever entered for a bite to eat, I enjoyed stopping by Bridget Foy's for years during South Street Festivals, admired the vibrant outdoor seating it had, and told myself that I would pay it a proper visit one day. But being the slacker that I can be, it never happened, and then a fire made it look like it never would!But this neighborhood institution had its justified community support, so much so that a major fire didn't leave them down and out. And, even though they ended up re-opening during a global pandemic, they somehow managed to come back better than ever and even added a second restaurant destination in Cry Baby Pasta (https://www.yelp.com/biz/cry-baby-pasta-philadelphia)With it literally being reborn from a fire like a phoenix, and still maintaining a strong community following on a street that has had so much influence on my life, I really needed to go. So when I went to my most recent TLA show I saw an opportunity to finally go beforehand, and it proved to be well worth the wait.When I entered the first thing I noticed was the impressive artwork hanging on every wall. The second thing I noticed was how friendly and spot-on the staff were with their suggestions. From letting us know that we could add any protein we wanted to our pasta dish, to making incredible drink and appetizer suggestions, to cracking hilarious jokes at the expense of the 3rd person we were waiting for as they were super attentive during it, they were super helpful throughout.The menu rotates so often and I'm such a slacker to the point that I couldn't even begin to fully identify what I had by looking at it online. But everything was reasonably priced and delicious, and the cocktail menu was filled with plenty of classics that felt modern. The best bet for me entree-wise was definitely the fresh pasta, even more so when I was able to add crab to an amazing vegetable pasta.With a vibrant rotating menu that covers beyond the basics,, a good selection of beers and wine to go with the cocktails, and a great-sounding brunch menu, there's plenty of reasons to pay a visit to this classic!"

Seorabol Center City

★★★★☆ 4.2 (285) • $$

"Absolutely love Seorabol!This is the only traditional good Korean food in center city. I love southgate but most dishes are fusion there. Chinatown has a few places but Seorabol blows them out of the park. Excellent ban Chan! Authentic dduk gook, japchae, and pajun! Have liked everything I've ordered from the menu. (Service could be better but I come here for the food)Will be back often and soon!!"

The Juice Room

★★★★★ 4.5 (90) • $

"Wow! I enjoyed everything! They make a drink called the "Ike" and it's very similar to a food spot in Los Angeles called Le Pain and they make a similar delicious juice.I had the caprese sandwich and it was super yummy! They make their own homemade foccacia bread!They have wheatgrass shots here!!!!!!"

Pak Yue Chinese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (74)

"The family that runs Pak Yue has been fabulous during COVID-19. And they are really nice people. - Extremely reasonable prices for standard Chinese takeout.- Following all the standard guidelines for Covid social distancing.I've tried five or six entrées and a couple of apps since moving to the area and I've been happy with each one. The portion sizes are big enough that I get a dinner and a small lunch the next day.I think you will be pleased if you give them a try"