Confession: While we love the noodles at Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House in Chinatown, where you can see the kitchen staff pulling yards upon yards of perfectly imperfect noodles almost out of thin air, the meat options for the soups that serve as the vehicle for said noodles have always freaked us out a little. Too gristly, too gamey, too unpredictable. But those noodles! They’re truly great. Solution: Nan Zhou’s Egg And Vegetable Noodle Soup, on the menu every day, and yours for a paltry $4.50. Boasting a hearty vegetable broth and one fried egg to accompany those noodles, this will make you strong, and clear, and good, and right. There is literally nothing wrong with it. And besides, Homer, one meatless meal won’t kill ya.

Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, 927 Race Street. (215) 923-1550

For the last few weeks, many residents of Center City have come to find the above postcard in their entryways for something known simply as Chinese 10-3, a mysterious renegade delivery joint with no address announced but nonetheless promising delivery of pretty much any standard Chinese takeout dish you’d wish for. Operating exclusively from the hours of 10PM-3AM daily, Chinese 10-3, at the very least, is acting on the knowledge that, even as our cuisine and arts take off, Philly is woefully behind on the lovely thing that is having people bring things to you in the middle of the night. It’s a well-known fact that, in NYC, you can have beer, food, drugs, genitals — whatever you want, really — delivered to you 24-7; and frankly, it’s always bothered us that Philly is so lacking in this department. For that, we applaud Chinese 10-3. But we gotta say: Dialing into the void for Chinese food of undetermined origin at 2:30AM scares the bejesus out of us. (Because, in the “right” frame of mind, we just might do it.) So buyer beware. Real talk, though: We’re mostly just posting this to see if any of you has dared to do it, and if you’ve survived. That’s all we really want to know.

Much well-deserved hype and love has been thrown in the direction of Old City’s Han Dynasty — and for sure, proprietor Han Chiang himself is the kind of soothsayer this publicist-run Philly food scene could use a lot more of. And we could talk fawningly about the menu and the Cult of Han all day, but, perhaps another time, you and I, over drinks. Today, we speak of one of the most simple yet beguiling dishes on the Han menu: Spicy Crispy Cucumber (pictured). We’re on a drug called Spicy Crispy Cucumber, and actually, you can get it legally.

The dish has, quite frankly, driven us to distraction. At Han Dynasty, the dish hides as a cold appetizer amidst a menu known for its heat. And yes, the cold, crispy cucumber does do a great job of clearing the palate to make room for more heat. But we’d be remiss to those of you who’ve never been to not spell out what it is about the food here in the first place: The trick Han Dynasty does so well is, and what has gotten it so much notice, is that the place melds exquisite flavor with mind-bending heat in the most elegant fashion we’ve ever tasted. And as watchers of Man Vs. Food already know, elegance is usually a rare thing indeed to come by in the universe of Heatniks. So the cukes break it up. But they’re also sitting in chili oil, bub. Magically tangy, a little sweet and hotter than it lets on chili oil.

Last week, we tried this recipe for Sichuan spicy cucumber at home. For a stopgap injection of what we now crave weekly, it wasn’t bad. (Pretty fly for a round-eye, even.) But it didn’t do the trick. It only made us want more. So it was back to Han for lunch today. And ‘lo, it was good. “You guys work around here or something?,” said Han. We said yes.

Previously: Handy Nasty: Chinese-izing American Food

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

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

“Hey All — Thursday Dumpling Throwdown ay Kong tonight. Over 15 varieties. 50¢ a piece (three to a plate). Go get ‘em! ”

… we were just like, “Oh snap.” Starts at 5PM, and goes through the night.

Kong, 702 North Second Street. 215-922-5664

- Won Ton Soup made with Chinese Wine
- Homemade Dumplings
- Crispy Chinese Salad with Red Ginger and Plum Dressing
- Ginger Margarita: with Sauza Hornitos Reposado, Fresh Ginger and Lime Juice, and Ginger Salt
- Blood Orange Mojito: with Cruzan Light Rum, Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice and Mint

JS: So, the other night, we were both treated to a once-over of Chef Michael O’Halloran’s Kong, which just opened in NoLibs and boasts, to my mind at least, one of the most dangerous bacon dishes in the city.

CF: On the same tip, Sweens. You hit the high note early. The bacon dish was amazing. Fat as hell, juicy as hell, and quite sizzling. Surrounded in leafy greens as an homage to lettuce wrap, but with a much bigger score to settle.

JS: I figured it was good one to start with, for one, because the dish — Honey-Glazed Chinese Bacon with Spicy Roasted Peanuts — is at the heart of Kong’s “Chinese Street food” menu (in this case, on the dim sum section) and two, because the one thing I kept thinking as we tore through seven plates, is that this stuff is MAN FOOD. Which is not to say it’s not accomplished — so much of it truly is — but it’s certainly not dainty.

CF: Agreed. I liked the heat they started with, too. The first dish was that Stir Fried Egg and Crab, and was my second favorite of the night thanks to the burning sriracha. Man food yes, sloppy, no. I thought the wine list was a complete miss though, as with anything spicy, all you really want is Rieslings, and there was only one or 2.

JS: I went with the Halida, a light and tasty Vietnamese beer — something about the menu made me want almost anything but wine. And you’re right about that Stir Fried Egg and Crab — that’ll definitely be one of the dishes Kong will be able to hang its hat on. And it also gets to the heart of O’Hallaran’s concept — the “street food” thing, buzzworthy as it is, doesn’t really convey the homestyle vibe that dishes like egg and crab had. That vibe ran through a lot of the dishes here.

CF: Totally agree…there’s not enough ‘handfood’ like the wraps. I found the Fried Green Beans were almost flavorless, and needed some sodium kick somewhere. Also, the Deep Fried Asparagus has been done better other places, but I liked the hoisin sauce that came along for the ride. Those missteps aside, BIG YUM on the Beef Brisket with Shanghai Noodles. Rusty, smoky, and a bowl full of warm hugs. I could eat that any day. of. the. week.

JS: I’m glad you mentioned that: I DJ next door at 700, and I can tell you right now, that noodle bowl is gonna get me through the winter. It was a perfect dish through and through, and showed something else I liked a lot about Kong: These guys are willing to go the distance. That brisket is not cooked quickly by any stretch of the imagination, and the noodles are made right there in the kitchen.

CF: Gotta say: I am a dumpling FIEND, and the dumplings I had were a little too hefty on the dough to be called sensual. The edges of mine were a little dried out. With a glut of such great dumplings in this town (Sakura, Dim Sum Garden, Sang Kee) I want to see this one get rectified. I like the pork stuffing three ways, it was awesome, just needs a better home. Not a tough thing to fix up. I said ‘dumpling’ like 4 times in this message. Sounds dirty.

JS: I agree about the dumplings, dumpling. I think in recent years, we’ve been treated to a lot of places that do these almost Faberge Egg versions of them, where the emphasis is so much about the lightness and precious nature. By comparison, these were very heavy, by I have a feeling that’s Kong staying on message with the whole homestyle thing. I don’t think little old ladies in China are serving up the Steven Starr version of ultralight steamed veggie dumplings, as good as they are. Still, that’s one concession to the outside would I would have liked to have seen. They weren’t bad, they were just… too much.

CF: Steven Starr version? No way man, I mentioned 3 Chinatown staples. A Starr version would be 2 over-the-top dumplings full of duck rillette and roasted fennel, for $19. I give a high five to the Pork Belly Rice Bowl I had. Nice aromatics with the anise. Quite tasty, too. The rice was done well in all of my dishes, just slightly toothsome. I would like to seemore fire and less sweetness though. Most of my dishes had a lot of sweet.

JS: That’s true, but let’s back up to those Duck Buns. Haha, I said “duck buns.”

CF: Duck Buns were solid. I enjoyed them. The meat was shredded just right, and I thought the bun itself wasn’t too cakey. I think that’s a dish I could get behind any day of the week. I said ‘get behind’. This chat is falling apart at the toilet joke seams.

JS: It’s going to be impossible for me to get through this sentence: Lots of things can go wrong with those Chinese buns. But again, O’Halloran’s cutting out the middleman and making them in=house.

CF: As it should be. Everyone at this stage in the game should be doing in-house. Philly is huge foodwise and there’s so much competition. Lets talk prices. I like the app prices and the dim sum. All do-able. But some of the bowl prices might be slightly steep on a regular basis. I want that Beef Brisket to be $10. But then again, that’s because I want to eat it every day.

JS: But look at it this way: All seven plates plus four drinks rang out at only $100. That is some serious eat-like-a-king action right there, but I think even if you don’t, it’s pretty reasonable. And honestly? I’d pay $20 for that noodle bowl. Actually, I’d empty my pockets. I’m totally sold on Kong. I think this is one of the more unique and well-thought-through new spots to open up in a while. The whole time I was there, I kept thinking about when the next time I went there was gonna be. And it’s soon. Real soon.

CF: Agreed. I like the direction, every issue I had can be rectified. I just WANT to love it more than I do right this second. And I will give it many more chances. There are plenty of reasons to go as I type this. But I want to be evangelical. I want it to be on the tip of my tongue when people come from out of town.

Kong, 702 North Second Street. 215-922-5664

Jose Garces’ latest effort is more than Peruvian and Cantonese fusion. Chifa offers an intimate and relaxed setting delivering comfort food of the highest quality. Collin Flatt took the trip, ate the food, and shares the story after the jump.

When Senor Garces first mentioned the concept of what is now Chifa, I couldn’t visualize how it would all come together. Knowing the talents of the Phoodie Person Of The Year, though, put me at ease believing it would be yet another homerun. After dining at Chifa, Jose’s latest has the potential to compete with Amada as the Garces Restaurant Group’s flagship restaurant when the dust finally settles. And that’s a TALL order.

Amada and Tinto are beautiful spaces that looked great, but never pushed the conceptuality or painted it on the wall. Distrito, on the other hand, was too pink, too bright, too big, and just plain too. Jun Aizaki, GRG’s restaurant designer, really nailed it this time, turning a previously ugly-ass 707 into the warmest and most inviting space in the Garces empire. Dark wood, dim lighting, and semi-private rooms separated with heavy-beaded doors creates an intimacy between people, food, and each other. Visual representations of Machu Picchu adorn the curved walls inside the private booths, while cabinet doors and vases line the bar area next to a row of two-tops. In the back room is a ceviche bar where The Man Himself slices and dices raw fish and kobe beef, with a communal table leading up the center of the room with 3 lazy susans for family style sharing.

The plushness of the rolls that began our dinner was startling to say the least. The mango butter that came along for the ride was spread generously on the starch and whatever was left was dug out with my finger quite unceremoniously. Any sliver of penache I had earned wearing my favorite shirt and jacket was quickly thrown out the window with that display, but who cared at that point? Taste trumps all.

Since the closing of Pasion a few years back, I missed a ceviche-heavy menu. Sure, my latest favorite version was at Distrito, but with Chifa, Garces has pushed ceviche back into the spotlight. The two versions I sampled came seated upon a frozen glass coaster created by Hudson Beach Glass specifically for ceviche presentation.

The first rawboy arrived in a little shot glass. He was the Oyster Ceviche made from ‘leche de tigre’ conch and topped with a foamy pisco espuma that brought a sweet bite  to the uberfresh oyster. Arriving with a spoon, after my finger-in-the-butter display I figured I would just dump the whole thing down my gullet. That ended up being the absolute best option, and suggest you try the same.

The other ceviche was the Shimaji with rocoto peppers and pickled mangos. Served spread upon the same frozen glass piece, he definitely needed the chopstick treatment. Yet again, I dove in finger-first, using the Striped Jack to soak up the wonderfully fresh elements on the plate. The pickled mango and white soy were a wonderful pairing playing sweet and brine, salt and rust against each other.

The next selection, the Empanada, was from the Bocata section on the menu, a deep golden crust surrounding a sweet cumin-based lamb mixture with warm potato salad. The plating was so beautiful, a chinese character written out in huacatay cream sat next to the perfect little puff of deliciousness. The filling was just the right temperature, even though the crust was thick and needed lots of time to cook through. Dive right in, amigos, it won’t burn.

On a sidenote, I must mention how well Jose deals with heat. Spicy heat. He has perfected the amount of burn to become a layer of complexity and never overpowering in any of his dishes. It was apparent somewhat at Distrito, but most of his plates have some semblance of slight heat at Chifa, and even the most delicate palate will love and embrace Jose’s fire.

Jose’s history of Amazing Pork Belly Dishes is well documented, and I have found my favorite within the walls of Chifa. His Pork Belly Buns were served on fluffy bread made to order with thick and savory belly drizzled with togarashi mayo, hoisin sauce, and pickled daikon. The extreme softness of the bun with the crispy heft of the pork belly is a perfect texture match, and the mayo added a layer of complexity to the traditional hoisin sauce.

The flash-fried Salt-Baked Shrimp were as honest as shrimp can be. Head, tail, salt, quickly fried, and baked through. That’s it. Eat the eyes if you like, no one will stare. One must warn that the fish head is definitely an experience for the adventurous and not everyone. Saddled with house made sriracha, which is a spicy Thai sauce, I didn’t need much to make the dish more perfect than it arrived.

My favorite dish of the night was the Rack Of Lamb, a barbecued piece of perfection. I have not had lamb this tender before in my life. Served on top of ginger quinoa, a South American traditional grain, and a sidecar of pickled cucumber. This dish alone made my trip to Chifa worth the price of admission.

The Chupe fish chowder again contained a whole gulf shrimp, head, legs and all, swimming in a succulent broth with mussels, scallops and purple potatoes. The sweetness of the base was never too much, while the mote added texture to the chowder as a whole.

Vegetables usually get a passing glance on a menu, but never real consideration. Chifa’s veggie offerings are all very unique and very well done. The simplest Stir Fry vegetables are all al dente in the best possible way. Each element of the dish is cooked to order and at the last minute tossed together in a little kettle kissed with garlic sauce and sesame.

The dish with the most entrtainment value is defintely the Aji Mushrooms. Served in a baked shell that your server will poke a hole through and pour the sweet Aji cream that simmers within the shell as you finish your prior courses is really precious. Tofu mingles with the mushrooms inside their golden home.

While Jose’s empire expands beyond the reaches of Philadelphia towards Chicago and into Sin City, a few folks worry about what will happen here at home. The opening of Chifa should assuage some fears and cement the idea that Garces is here to stay. The inviting nature of the space and the high-end comfort foods that are served are nothing short of amazing. Reservations are still relatively easy to come by, and for those who wait awhile for the kinks to be worked out at a new joint, there really aren’t any to speak of. So get in on this now, and begin your intimate relationship with our favorite restaurateur.

Chifa, 707 Chestnut St. (215) 925-5555