A heads up to Phoodie readers to check out the new Asian-themed restaurant, Ken Shin Asian Diner at 3rd and Spring Garden in Northern Liberties. The atmosphere? Modern, simple and relaxed. The menu offers popular favorites from Asian cuisines, which is perfect for when you’re in the mood for Korean but your dining partner is craving Japanese. The wide range of items includes sushi, Korean barbeque, Kung Pao chicken, an extensive bubble tea list and much much more.
Aside from meat and seafood, vegetarian options are aplenty on this menu, offering something for everyone. When ordering from the noodles and rice section, you have a choice of meat, seafood, tofu and vegetables; from this option we ordered the Tofu Garlic Noodles, which were tasty and flavorful, served with marinated firm tofu and broccoli. The Mongolian Beef was fresh, tender and cooked with great flavor, the aroma of the beef and onions pointing in the general direction of “comfort.” A popular favorite among our group was the Crab Rangoon, which the menu described as a cream cheese wonton mixed with crab meat, served with sweet and sour sauce. The steamed veggie dumplings also got an all-around thumbs up.
The service was polite, attentive and answered any questions we had. The prices are affordable, and the food is fresh and tasty. Overall, Ken Shin is not upscale but it’s certainly not a diner, don’t let the name fool you. Northern Liberties needed a spot like this and it finally has one. Go check it out.
– Dana Fedeli
Ken Shin Asian Diner, 301 Spring Garden Street. 215-925-8887
Right next door is the new Bubble Tea Club, which was open at 8:30 this morning (!) and serves a $2 Vietnamese hoagie.
It sounds like Pei Wei.
That’s not a complaint.
I’ve been to KenShin twice – once on their opening day, and once again a month or so later, and both times found it to be terrible. It would take pages to describe how much they failed at everything. Don’t take my word for it though – give them a shot, but I think you’ll come to the same conclusion that I did. Nobody in my office even bothers with them now, we just head down to Koi on 2nd street instead.