Han Dynasty in Royersford - A Feast for 15

We were thrilled to hear that Han Dynasty in Royersford was being reviewed in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which should garner it some well-deserved attention. A few devotees, myself included, have been spreading the word about this restaurant (and its original outpost in Exton) as much as possible, but even with the reach of the internet, we could never hope to compare to the impact of a review by Craig Laban. His reviews in The Inquirer are very widely read and respected, and introduce many people to new places every week. We're really happy that he liked Han Dynasty enough to want to write about it, and very gratified to learn that at least one element in encouraging him to check it out in the first place was our crowd's discussion of it on the food discussion board eGullet.

I wrote about my first visit to this second outpost of Han Dynasty in this earlier post, but just realized that I had failed to update this blog with documentation of a rather extravagant group dinner we threw there back around Chinese New Year's. That holiday was an excuse to get people together, but it wasn't a traditional New Years banquet, it was more just a big group of friends sharing a lot of food!

We put ourselves in the hands of Han, which is always a good plan. Just let him know what you like and don't, and let him bring you what he thinks you should have. You might be surprised, but we've found that those surprises are almost always happy ones.

Most of these dishes are available regularly at the restaurant, but a few were specials, so don't be too surprised if any given item isn't available when you go. And do check the specials menu, there are always a few new interesting things on there.

The short review of this dinner is that we liked everything. That sounds like a cop-out, like we're being undiscriminating, but I just think Han made strong selections for us that worked very well. If we had any complaints, they were circumstantial: we had a couple of vegetarians in our group and so the kitchen kindly left meat out of the green beans and the Ma Po Tofu, which made them accessible to all. This was a compromise we were willing to make, but the omnivores missed the ground pork that usually perks-up both of those dishes. And although some of the dishes packed a serious chili kick, a few of them were clearly toned down for the sake of wider appeal, again a compromise that we're willing to make when sharing among 15 people! If you go with a smaller group, it's easier to customize things to your preferences.

We started with a Fish and Pickled Vegetable Soup



Sweet Potato Cakes



Dumplings in Chile Oil


Sliced Beef and Tripe in Hot Sauce (cold)



Spicy Rabbit with Peanuts (cold)


Chengdu Style Green Bean Noodles (cold)



Shredded Chicken in Spicy Sesame Sauce (cold)



Spicy Hot Pot (with fish, shrimp, scallops, beef, noodles, tofu, vegetables, probably more treasures that I didn't manage to find...)



Sweet and Sour Fish Filet

(no, it's not always served with the carved carrot sculpture!)



Smoked Bacon with Leeks


Tea Smoked Duck in Beer Sauce



Szechuan Style Sea Bass



Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp



Three Cup Chicken



Fish in Dry Pot



Stir-Fried String Beans


Chicken with Dry Hot Pepper



Ma Po Tofu (missing photo)

Taiwanese Sausage with Snow Peas



Deep Fried Shredded Beef



Bok Choy with Black Mushroom



Lamb with Cumin


Braised Bacon



Sesame Dumplings

As you might guess, even though there were 15 of us, we left stuffed, and carrying a decent portion of the food home with us. Even with a smaller group, you wight want to use this model: just ask Han to select a balanced array of good dishes and see what you get. If you're bringing a large group, or would like something special, call ahead, and you might find even more rare delights being presented. You certainly can ask for certain things if something catches your fancy, but you'll do much better here if you keep an open mind.

One warning though: some of these dishes are seriously hot, and others have that unique Sichuan blend of heat and tingling, numbing sensation called "Ma La." It's very attractive to many people, even addictive, but can be a bit too much for others, or at least an acquired taste. So be sure to let your server know if you want your food full-on-traditionally spicy, or if you'd like to venture in more gradually.

Personally, I've become addicted to the spice. A few dishes, like the deep-fried shredded beef pictured above have a cumulative spice level that I can barely tolerate, but I can't stop eating them, and I find myself drawn back to the restaurant specifically for those dishes. A good beer makes a pleasing companion, one with a little sweetness seems even better.

Even if you're not a fan of spicy food, there are many things on this menu for you, just ask your server. Just be a little daring and try some traditional dishes, not the same old stuff that you can find at the Americanized places everywhere. Instead of General Tso's Chicken, try the Triple Delight Chicken (AKA Three Cup Chicken). Sure, it has bones in it, but it also has tons of flavor. The Tea-Smoked Duck has deeply complex flavor and an incredible texture, whether served plain or in a beer-based sauce. The Smoked Bacon and Leek has no chili heat, and isn't quite as decadent as it seems. OK, maybe it is pretty decadent, but it's also delicious, so skip the bacon for breakfast next time and get your diet back on track.

If your group is not feeling confident enough to dive into the deep end, go ahead and order some familiar things, but get at least one or two dishes you've never had, but that sound good. But another warning: your local strip-mall Chinese take-out place might start seeming pretty blah...

Han Dynasty (2)
70 Buckwalter RD
Royersford, PA 19468
610-792-9600

and the original:

Han Dynasty
260 N. Pottstown Pike
Exton, PA 19341
610-524-4002

www.handynasty.net

Sakura - Regional Chinese, and Sushi too

Sakura is a restaurant with multiple personalities. One might think from their name that they're a Japanese restaurant, but although they serve sushi, their main focus is on Chinese food. To add another layer of complexity, they serve Chinese food that draws from many parts of China. There are dishes that are typical of Shanghai, some from Sichuan, northern dishes, and the broad selection of Mandarin style typically seen in Beijing.

We chose to concentrate on the Chinese side of the menu, we're still a little unsure about the combination of Chinese food and sushi, we tend to want one or the other, not both at the same time. There's plenty to choose from on either side of the menu, so that was no hardship.

Even though we were concentrating on Chinese, they wanted us to try the special "Wasabi Roll" and kindly sent one out for us to try. It was filled with tempura shrimp and dressed with four sauces. My tablemates all said this was not the kind of sushi they normally order, but admitted that it was tasty!

We started the main meal with Shong Shao Fish Soup, which had a nice thick texture, tender fish, and a bright, complex herbal flavor.

The Scallion Pancake showed no evidence of scallions, but we didn't care, it was a wonderful version, very light and flaky, with many layers, the top adorned with sesame seeds.


House Shrimp were well-liked at the table.

Diced Chicken with Hot Pepper had some serious spiciness.

As did the Baby Shrimp Sautéed with House Spicy Sauce

The Braised Pork Shoulder is a favorite from Shanghai, with a deep, sweet glaze over the luxuriously fatty meat.


Lion's Head is another popular dish from Shanghai, and these baseball-sized meatballs were a flavorful version, despite being just a touch dry. The delicious sauce and braised bok choy compensated nicely.

Sautéed Water Spinach was bright and tender, the hollow stems of the vegetable soaking up the garlicky sauce.

Shanghai Pan-Fried Udon had a great texture from the large, firm noodles.
Steamed Fish with Ginger and Soy was very nicely done, featuring delicate fish, just barely cooked, flavored with a thin but flavorful sauce.
Chicken in Rice Wine Sauce was a favorite around the table. The cold chicken had picked up a pleasingly boozy, sweet flavor from the marinade, and its time in the wine had tenderized it perfectly.
Shanghai Marinated Duck was another cold dish with vivid flavors from a complex dark marinade.

We'd asked if they had any pickles, and these preverved vegetables had a bright sour kick that went well with many of these dushes,

For dessert, they sent a delicious sweet soup with tender tapioca and a touch of wine.

And finally, Banana Tempura. Warm, crunchy, sweet... what could be wrong with that?


Overall we thought the food was very good, and we're thrilled to see more regional Chinese on menus here. It's a big country, with many different traditions. Shanghai-style is represented well here, in fact we recognize some staff from Dim Sum Garden which also serves excellent dishes from Shanghai.

We're still not sure they need to serve sushi here, the menu is already very diverse, but I'm sure they'll find out whether there's a demand for it in this context. We'll be back to explore more of the menu, we barely scratched the surface, and who knows, maybe we'll even feel like some maki too...

---

Sakura
1038 Race Street (on the corner of 11th Street)
215-873-8338

(website under construction)

Awesomeness Alert - Cocktails and Charcuterie at James

Update: sadly James has closed, and the chef has moved to NYC... 

The restaurant James has gotten its share of recognition as a destination restaurant for modern Italian food, a place to go for creative pastas like duck ragu with bitter chocolate and orange, Dover Sole with an egg on top, or perhaps to indulge in a tasting menu. We never think of it as a place to drop in and have a drink, maybe have a bite at the bar.

It turns out we should.

First: the cocktails are delicious. There's not a long list of them, but the specialty cocktails on the menu are quite interesting. The bottles at the back of the bar are high-quality, but not especially numerous, so the options may be more limited than at other cocktalian destinations around town, but the drinks they make are worth a trip. The Cava Cocktail '88' seems like it might be sweet and innocuous, but after an initial hit of fruit, the dryness of the sparkling wine rolls back in, the complex overtones from peach bitters lingering on the palate. Unexpectedly deep for something so pretty.

The Tommy Gunn mixes Tub Gin and absinthe with a touch of lime for a drink that's resiny, piney, herbal, and unexpectedly refreshing. This might just be the summer drink to beat. Served in a big old fashioned glass, it's one of those concoctions that evolves slowly over time, as the temperature changes and the slow dilution from melting ice alters the balance of power.

Despite the comfortable bar and inviting lounge area, James is a restaurant, and it would be a shame to ignore the talents of chef James Burke. There's a smallish bar/lounge menu, but they seem happy to serve selections from the main menu as well, even if you're sitting at the bar. This is one of those bars that's comfortable to eat at, and our bartender was every bit as informed and helpful about the food as the regular waitstaff, so there's little downside to eating at the bar, especially if you're a party of one or two.

The first thing that caught our eyes on the bar menu was the house-made charcuterie platter. It's becoming increasingly common to find interesting charcuterie or salumi in Philly, and in more and more places, some or all of the meats have been cured in-house. We're big fans of the salumi at Osteria, and we recently had a very nice selection of homemade charcuterie at Fork, so it's only after careful consideration when I say that this might be our favorite plate of preserved meats. I'm sure which specific items are included will vary over time, but we got two terrines, one made from rabbit, the other from pork. Duck prosciutto has become almost mundane around here, but this version was especially intense and tender. Porchetta, Sopressata and Rillettes filled out the plate, which was also adorned with two homemade mustards and a fennel mostarda. Accompanying was a dish of three pickles: ramps, radish and tiny cucumber, each marinated in a different brine. Each element was very good, but taken as a whole, it became our favorite charcuterie platter in Philly.

It could be all about the pickles...


James
824 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147
www.jameson8th.com

Awesomeness Alert - Cochon's Burger

I'm not sure what it is about this burger that is so ...well... awesome. It could be the Neuske bacon, or the good cheddar, or the caramelized leeks lurking beneath it, or the light, toasted bun slathered with sherry-spiked mayo. But it's more likely the meat itself, moist and not over-handled, well-charred on the grill, still dripping juices.

The only downside is that it's only on the menu during Sunday Brunch (11am-3pm) and it's hard to resist the more traditional breakfast-oriented options. But it's worth skipping the glazed ham and eggs, the gargantuan pancake, the berry-covered french toast. Get the burger.

Cochon
801 E Passyunk Ave
(near 6th and Catherine Streets)
(215) 923-7675

www.cochonbyob.com

Dante's Barbecue - Wood Smoke in West Philly

Update: Tragically, Dante's has closed... 

The first thing we noticed when we opened the take-out container from Dante's Barbecue in West Philly was how perfect the ribs looked. My friend exclaimed "wow - competition barbecue.." and that's exactly right: these ribs looked like they were being presented to a judge at a contest.

This is not a staged shot, Dante's didn't know we were going to take a picture, this is just how they were presented to two guys who called-in an order for ribs. Of course, meticulous slicing and saucing is not the most important thing about barbecue, but the obvious pride and care put into the presentation, right down to the symmetry of every single rib, seemed like a good sign.

And indeed it was.

These ribs had a pretty impressive-looking smoke ring, and a solid, consistent meatiness, no scraggly, tiny end bones (not that those aren't tasty too... ) These had been cooked to a perfect level - the meat was tender and juicy, yet much of the fat had rendered out. They were at that elusive stage where the meat was just barely hanging onto the bone: it wasn't sliding right off (a sure sign of over-cooking) yet it wasn't too hard to clean these right down to bare bones. Or maybe we were just gnawing them clean because they were so tasty...

The flavor built in an interesting way - the first few bites didn't seem especially smoky, but by the end of a rib, there was no doubt about the cooking technique, the woody flavor was actually quite pronounced, but it was a subtle, cumulative sensation. These are undoubtably among the best barbecue ribs I've had anywhere, and certainly my current favorites in Philadelphia.

For the sake of comparison, we also got a half rack from Tommy Gunn's, but it wasn't even close. Perhaps we're being too fair, but both of us immediately declared that we'd had much better ribs from that place, so we're going to have to try the comparison again. If we can manage the logistics, we'll try to get some from Sweet Lucy's too, to do a side-by-side comparison, but if Dante's can maintain this level of execution, they're going to be hard to beat... [UPDATE: we DID go to Sweet Lucy's and Dante's wins by a wide margin.]

Of course there are a lot of places in Philly selling "barbecue," but there aren't too many doing serious long smoking. That's not to say that the more common par-boiled and grilled ribs aren't tasty, but there's a particular flavor and texture that develops from the long, slow smoking process that elevates that style into a whole other category.

These were their St.Louis style (pork) spare ribs, with a mixed sweet/hot sauce, which was quite good (and not applied too liberally.) They also offer dry-rubbed Memphis-style baby back pork ribs, as well as beef ribs.

There's also pulled pork, brisket, even smoked hot sausages! They even do fried chicken, and we happened to be jonesing for fried chicken, so we tried a few pieces. It was well-made, nicely crispy and juicy. The spicing was not especially noteworthy, so we wouldn't call this destination fried chicken, but it's solidly good. But if the rest of the barbecue is as good as those ribs were, there's no good reason to waste stomach capacity on fried chicken here...

We only tried a couple of sides, but we found the collard greens to be quite excellent. They weren't all tarted-up and disguised, nor were they cooked into a mush. They still had some recognizable leafy structure, yet were tender. The flavor was, well, they tasted like greens, a hint of bitterness, and a pleasingly salty undertow that made us wonder if they had been cooked in broth, or some such hearty liquid. Or maybe it was just salt... In any case, they were very good.


The potato salad was fine, maybe a bit strong on the celery seed. Cornbread - hmmm... cornbread... you know, we had a lot of ribs and chicken to eat, we didn't get a chance to even try the cornbread.

So, again, it's probably premature to start handing out trophies, but this place is definitely a contender, and worth checking out if you're into smoked barbecue. It's take-out only, I think it's cash-only, and it's way out west on a somewhat dismal stretch of Lancaster Avenue, but it's worth the trip. The place itself is clean and seems to be well-run. And it smells great in there...

UPDATE:


We made a second stop at Dante's to check out more of their offerings, and the news is mostly good! We tried the Memphis-style dry-rubbed baby back ribs, and while we didn't like them nearly as much as the larger St Louis-Style spare ribs, these smaller ones had gotten a bit dry and almost over-smoked, the flavor was still quite intense, with strong spicing and deep smoke. We've never really loved baby backs in general, preferring larger, meatier bones, but we might give these another try, just to see if this is the baseline. The texture wasn't nearly as pleasing as the spare ribs, but the flavors were quite nice.

We were happier with the brisket, which at first glance looks a lot like pulled pork, but it tastes like brisket. In a perfect world, I'd prefer Texas-style slices, but I'll be satisfied with shreds and chunks if they're this tasty!


I think the star of this visit was the pulled pork. This was just about perfect, with a bold smoky flavor, and wonderful moist texture. We felt no need to put any kind of sauce or condiment on this, just eating it straight from the container. I suppose it would make a nice sandwich, but I'm reluctant to dilute the intensity of the porkiness with bread...



We sampled a few more sides too, and they were all fine, but none were as outstanding as their collards are. Sweet potatoes look a bit brown and blah, but they're nicely spiced, and not over-sugared. Baked beans taste mostly of barbecue sauce, and are a little soupier than we prefer. Cole slaw is a pretty standard version, it's fine. Green Beans are OK, but are not too far away from what you could get out of a can...

But the sides are just that, side shows for the mainstage of the 'cue, and that feature presentation is pretty impressive. We've still got some more to try, and we're definitely going to revisit both kinds of ribs (they also have beef ribs, but my crowd generally will only eat a beef rib out of desperation, if all the pork ribs are gone!) We're very happy to see that, although there's always going to be some day-to-day, hour-by-hour variation, our results have so far been very strong, this is feeling like a contender for THE spot for serious wood-smoked barbecue in Philly.


Dante's Barbecue
4834 Lancaster Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
215-473-0177

Chifa: Peruvian-Chinese from José Garces

Can I just say that the world needs more scallion pancakes? This much-abused Chinese snack is often served as stiff and dry as cardboard or as soggy and greasy as a bag of old french fries. But properly-made, these savory treats can be a symphony of contrasting textures and flavors. José Garces' new restaurant Chifa not only makes these pancakes well, they even bring some bling to the bing, dressing them with cauliflower, cilantro and a drizzle of salty oyster sauce. The taste and texture reminded us so much of a really good latke that we couldn't help wondering if there might be potato mixed-in with the typical wheat-flour dough. But that's by no means a complaint... Our only quibble with them pertains to the restaurant as a whole: this order of five tiny pancakes, each about 2 inches in diameter, cost $8, at least double the cost for a similar item at a typical Chinese restaurant.

Of course Chifa is aiming for something more sophisticated than the average Chinese dive, serving refined interpretations of Peruvian Chinese dishes in elegant surroundings. Of course the elevated quality of ingredients, service and setting count for something, so it's not unexpected that prices will be higher. But as with most modern takes on traditional cuisines, one often wonders if the extra cost is worth it.

The answer for many customers seems to be that it is, as the ever-expanding José Garces empire (Amada, Tinto, Mercat a la Planxa, Distrito) is based on this formula, this refinement and miniaturization of regional foods has become the Garces signature. This small-plates concept is perfectly natural at Amada and Tinto: Spanish Tapas is probably the most direct inspiration for that entire dining trend. Buffing-up of this rustic tradition draws some criticism from traditionalists who insist that tapas are meant to be cheap and informal, casual snacks to be eaten with a glass of inexpensive wine or Sherry. Regardless of those critiques, Garces has been very successful in elevating these dishes to something more refined, and presenting them in a more upscale context, as witnessed by both the critical acclaim and popular success of his restaurants.

It may be too early to say whether this approach translates well to all cuisines. The food at Distrito is delicious, but I find the whole idea of Mexican small-plates to be disorienting. And that's my initial reaction to Chifa as well. The food we tried was all very good, some of it was excellent, but at first sampling, the portions and pricing feel somewhat in conflict with the nature of the cuisine.

Philadelphia doesn't have a lot of Peruvian restaurants, in fact, since El Sol de Peru in Upper Darby closed a couple of years ago, I can only think on one: El Balconcito, up in the NorthEast. Aside from the beef-and-frenchfry stir-fry called "Lomo Saltado" neither of those places featured the Chinese food served in Peru, a specific cuisine reflecting the surprisingly large ethnically Chinese population of the country. So this is a new fusion to me, and I can't make any comment about how closely Chifa's cooking resembles what one would find in Peru.

The food I've been served in Peruvian restaurants, or Chinese places for that matter, has generally arrived in generous portions. El Balconcito's ceviche platters are almost comically large, so the fan of five thin slices of fish in Chifa's serving of ceviche, or the five tiny silver-dollar scallion pancakes felt somehow disconnected from their origins. That's not inherently a failure of the concept, patrons may be perfectly happy to survey this cuisine in small bites. Although we found most of those bites to be very tasty, we did find ourselves wondering if they were sufficiently more tasty than the traditional versions of these dishes to justify the expense.

Before we'd even ordered anything, the bread made a positive impression. The light, puffy, cheesey rolls were addictive on their own, completely irresistable spread with the fruity butter that accompanied. The basic pisco sour was perfectly acceptable, if not the most vibrant example of this signature cocktail.


Hiramasa Ceviche, beautifully presented, allowed the high quality of the fish to shine through, the citrus accenting, rather than dominating the dish. While I'm not entirely sure how we were supposed to experience all the flavors, a quick dip of the fish in the marinade seemed to do the trick. Trolling the bowl with a fork yielded some nuggets of charred pineapple, which tasted great alongside the fish. Corn nuts served with the ceviche were an appropriate, and tasty accompaniment. I think this is the first time I've noticed a Philadelphia menu credit the creator of the serving piece, but it was indeed lovely.


An order of Anticuchos consisted of a skewer of (left to right) Adobo Pork Belly, Cilantro Chicken, and Ginger Shrimp. Although the pork and chicken portions are pretty tiny, the cubes of meat were less than an inch on a side, they were intensely flavorful. The pork belly in particular was a favorite, but the four tiny cubes disappeared too quickly. I'm told the shrimp were tasty as well. The garlicky chimichurri sauce was great on everything, but the peanut sauce and sweet chili sauce were each underwhelming. I enjoyed this dish, but at $13, I found myself wanting a bit more.



Barbecue ribs were very good, and we quickly got over the disorienting lack of any bones in most of them. They had a very nice smoky undertone, with a sweet-sticky sauce, studded with crunchy soy nuts. I don't think they displace the Wu Xi Ribs at Four Rivers as my current favorites, but they come close.


One of the larger dishes, listed under "Specialties" was the Chifa Chicken. It looks a bit like the traditional Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, with its burnished skin, and juicy meat, but it's not exactly that. Our food runner described it as their take on Peking Duck, and indeed the crispy skin, especially daubed with the accompanying homemade hoisin sauce, evoked that dish. But then it was also sitting in a soy consommé, which gave another dimension, and a dip into the firey homemade sriracha sauce took the flavors somewhere else entirely. Props to the kitchen for the gutsy move of serving an assertively hot chili sauce, surely too spicy for many diners' palates. I thought it was delicious. The chicken itself tasted very good, and the crispy skin added wonderful flavor along with the crunch. But I wasn't completely happy with the texture - it was almost unnaturally juicy, surely due to brining, to the point of seeming a little rubbery.

The restaurant itself is lovely, although the back area is more inviting than the front. That section features a long communal table, a large round table in the corner, and several booths along each wall. I'm sure it would be a fun setting for a group of friends, and the style of food conforms well to that vibe as well.

I liked what I ate enough to want to go back and try more, but I'm still not settled on the greater question of whether this kind of food benefits from this stylized treatment. What we had was good, but are these versions more enjoyable than those at a Chinese restaurant or a Peruvian one? Does the setting and service add enough to draw me back here rather than going to Chinatown or to drive up to a Peruvian place in the Northeast? I'll have to try more of the menu to decide for myself, and I suspect that there's no absolute correct answer, each person will value each element differently. Four small-plates, one larger one (the Chifa Chicken,) a beer and a Pisco Sour added up to $85 before tip, which will go a lot further at most Chinese restaurants, and certainly at El Balconcito. Chifa's reinterpretations and presentations add value, but how much? You may have to decide for yourself.

Chifa
707 Chestnut Street
215-925-5555
www.chifarestaurant.com