There is no shortage of buzz around the newly sprung Philadelphia outpost of Han Dynasty. His menu is legendary among the heat-seeking foodies, displaying an unflinching use of tingle and searing spice that push even the boldest folks to places they weren’t ready to go.

The food is amazing. But what about the man?

“People think I’m a lunatic. They really do.”

Follow us after the jump for a glimpse into the madness.

“Why mess with classics? They’ve been perfecting this food for hundreds of years. So, I give it to you straight.”, says Han Chiang, owner/rockstar of his eponymous eatery. He shoots from the hip at all times and tells you like it is.

We’re talking about the recent LaBan takedown of Chew Man Chu, when he points out the faults in the cuisine. Don’t get him started on the decor, either.

“I drove by and saw a big black and white photo of a man in a suit. I thought it was a funeral home. Where I’m from, a somber man in a black and white portrait wearing a suit is all about death.”

So, by that you mean it didn’t real-

“And it’s Manchurian food! The Manchurians are not Sichuan. They came in and conquered us and assimilated our cuisine into their menu. Not really Sichuan at all. Why sell it that way?”

He stopped my thought process about 6 times before I could ask any more questions, shooting down myths and telling secrets about Chinese chefs and the food they serve us.

“Here, you have to trust me. I work a lot, and I do everything but the cooking.”, says Chiang. “But all of the recipes are classics and I make sure the chefs make it exactly as I like it. I’m a picky eater. If it’s not right, I get another chef. Someone who will do it right. So, I go through a lot of chefs.”

He’s the Chinese Restaurateur version of George Steinbrenner.

Before he could finish his next thought, he was seating the next group to come in the door. At Han Dynasty, Han does it all. He will most likely be your server, your host, and your chatty confidant. His slender frame allows him to weave through all the nooks and crannies of his space, and he never leaves a table unattended for more than a few minutes.

“I like to help people at the store to buy the right stuff, too. I often see Americans at the big Asian markets and I love to lend a hand. I won’t steer you wrong. But I won’t tell you everything is good either. There are some not-so-great dishes on the menu, and if you order one, I’ll suggest a better one.”

Sounds like a helpful guy.

“But don’t ask other people’s waitstaffs. They’ll tell you everything is good. Ask the chef. I have often asked servers what their favorite was, and they’ll say everything is good. Really? Every dish on this menu is right for every person in this restaurant? Come on!”

Chiang has been known to trash the concept of Americanized Chinese food. Does he have a General Tso’s chicken? The Whiteboy Special?

“Yeah I make one, but it’s not the Americanized version. Mine is like the traditional Pork Chop over Rice, but with chicken instead. And I drop a sauce on the side. That’s my version of it. My chef’s have looked at me like I’m crazy. They think I’m a lunatic, they really do. They say no one wants it that way. I WANT IT THAT WAY. Make it that way or I’ll get someone to do it.”, he says.

“I’m not Americanizing Chinese food. I’m Chinese-izing American food.”

Word-wrangler and spice pusher. Never a case of heat for heat’s sake. He builds layers of flavor and the burn comes along with the taste. But what’s the secret?

“We cook with a lot of chili oils, which is traditional and brings the spice. We also use spicy bean sauce, which is heavy on heat, and adds a lot of salt naturally. So we don’t add any salt.  We buy that in a more liquid form and use it by the bucket. We hand cut all of the peppers instead of using them whole, which enhances the spice tenfold. Also, we’re still working on the fire.”

Huh?

“The height of the fire and cooking heat determines how much flavor is in your food. When you work with dishes heavy in sauces you want low and slow to infuse the spices. But when you’re doing stir fry style, you need big heat because the longer it sits in the pan, it loses flavor. All that steam you see above the pan? Flavor and spice going away into the air. What a waste. The less time it spends in the pan, the better.”

Duly noted.

“But, it’s also important that your dish has steam coming off of it when it hits the table. If it doesn’t, I’m sending it back. Let me know if my dishes don’t have that steam. Flavor, man. Flavor. I love pushing people’s ideas of how hot it should be. People in Philadelphia will eat this food the right way. I had to convince folks in the suburbs.”

Han’s first 2 restaurants were in Exton and Royersford and developed a cult following. The people out there took more time to warm up to the idea of non-traditional-non-American Chinese food. But word of mouth started getting cityward that there was a reason to hike 45 minutes out of the 215, besides cheap-ass growler fills at Sly Fox Brewery. Han Dynasty was for real. Is for real. But, no longer must we take pilgrimage to the ‘burbs for real chinese food.

Executive Chef Sam Jacobson of Sycamore BYOB is in the house and discusses the extent of his Han addiction. “I live in Chinatown and I used to drive to Royersford for Chinese food.”

That’s a serious statement. And it’s serious food. Han is a character (he didn’t realize that his Twitter name, @handynasty was actually Handy Nasty, but he loved it), and a great host. I had bottles of Troeg’s Nugget Nectar with me as he picked up a couple and looked at them. I told him I brought sweeter, higher alcohol beers because of the heavy spice. Riesling or champagne would work as well, but no other wine. It would make the food way too hot.

“Right on, man. People bring the wrong stuff. You need sweetness. Or high alcohol, which increases sweetness. I like (Victory) Golden Monkey. But I get three of those in me and I black out, so I don’t like to drink when I’m working. Well I like to, but it wouldn’t be a good idea.”, he cracks.

Han will talk honestly with any of his customers, too.

“Well not the first time. But if you’re a return customer, I’ll mess with you. And if you show up drunk, I’ll slam the check down at the end of the meal and scream ‘Pay me!’ Half the time, they get the joke. I also remember people by the complaints they bring. One customer on her first visit told me the water didn’t get hot enough in the bathroom. I explained that it was an old building and it needed to run a little. The next time she showed up, on her way to the bathroom I reminded her to turn on the water before she went, so it would be ready when she was done.”

He’s making a joke of the situation, but having someone that attentive to people’s needs or requests is important for a restaurant to succeed. He also understands that all the good noise about his restaurant isn’t enough to get new people in the front door.

“We’re doing much larger portions for the same price right now because we’re new. I want people to get value for their dollar here. I want us to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. I also am doing a tasting the first Monday of every month at 7:00 PM. I’m gonna do it family style at a big table. Some nights I’ll throw out 20 different dishes to anyone who shows.”

Sounds great to us. If you’re in the need of more detail about specific dishes, there ain’t no better place to go than Philadining who food porn-ed the crap out of his first stop at the Old City spot. 

But if the food isn’t enough, there’s no better reason to go than The Han Chiang One-Man Show. There’s no one else like him in the city, and he has the tightest ship/loosest lip of all.

Han Dynasty, 108 Chestnut St., (215) 922-1888