Philadelphia - The Hungry Nomad

Amada- Old City/Society Hill (Philadelphia, USA)

September 18, 2012 1 Comment

It was a Friday night. With no dinner reservations and empty stomachs we found ourselves in Old City searching for a new restaurant to discover. Walking through the old cobblestone streets behind Independence Hall we arrived at Chestnut passing Amada. Amada has been on the list of restaurants I have been wanting to try, so with no hesitation we walked in hoping to find a table. The hostess was nice enough and told us that all the empty tables in the dining room were reserved but offered us to wait in the bar area until a high top became available. And so we did. The place was buzzing with tables of young and old drinking wine and mouthfuls of small Spanish tapas.

The bar area was dark with a variety of Spanish Jambon hanging from the ceilings.

…And more cheese and cured meats on display.

The bar was full and so we stood around watching others eat while the bartenders sliced the leg of ham and prepared drinks. A high top became available and we were quickly seated. At this point, we were both too hungry to speak so we sat quietly staring down at our menu ordering everything that sounded good in my head. Not too long after, we were served bread chips with a side of tuna. The side itself was so delicious I wanted to order more…if only it was offered on the menu.

After watching the men slice up the jambon we couldn’t resist ordering a plate of the Serano ham from the Cured meat selection. If you are familiar with Italian Proscuitto and like it then you will enjoy the Serano ham. It is very mild in flavor and melts in your mouth. We also ordered a cheese plate with the aged Manchego, La Peral and Ermesenda. One goat, one blue and one hard. Each were served with a side which added to the taste and flavor.

The Garlic Prawns were next. Served in a hot dish of sizzling butter and garlic the prawns floated so delicately in the mix. It’s hard to dislike anything that is cooked in garlic butter but neither of us found this dish to be exciting or necessarily good. It seemed the prawns were a tad bit undercooked.

The Amada Empanada was next. It is hard to go to a Spanish restaurant without ordering an empanada. Amada has three different varieties on the menu but we chose to go with the vegetarian version filled with spinach, manchego cheese and artichokes. The presentation was beautiful. One empanada was sliced in half presented over an artichoke mix. The Empanada was slightly empty on the inside with a layer of spinach and cheese mix barely visible. I assumed that we were left with the task of filling it up with the artichoke filling. This we did and the result was fantastic. The mix of flavors were great- unlike anything I have ever tasted before (at least in an empanada).

The next dish that was brought out was the Patatas Bravas. Again, this is typically offered on most Spanish menus and can vary in shape, flavour and presentation. At Amada the potatoes were cut into little round cylinders with a spicy mayo mix on top. Presentation was beautiful and flavors were great.

The next dish was the Count’s choice: a bowl of chickpeas served in a tomato base sauce with spinach. First spoonful of chickpeas were undercooked and too hard (you know what beans can do to your stomach). So we had to send it back. The waiter informed us that the chickpeas are made to taste this way. Perhaps undercooked chickpeas is a thing in Spain but neither of us were a big fan. Without hesitation they took the dish of our bill.

The next dish was my favorite: a baked goat cheese served in a hot tomato sauce with a side of toasted garlic butter bread.

At this point we were both full after initially filling up on all the bread and cheese servings. But we had one last dish coming: the arroz temporado. A creamy rich rice dish mixed with wild mushrooms, peas and manchego. The Count refused to have more. But I took one bite. I am not sure what the herb in the rice was but it was very strong. I had envisioned a risotto dish filled with mushrooms however, I think I spotted one or two mushrooms in the entire plate. Overall, this was my least favorite dish.

Our dinner was Amada was exciting and flavorful. The bill came to just over $100 for the two of us. A bit expensive seeing that between the two of us we had two drinks and 7 small plates. However, the experience, service and ambiance was well worth it.

Website: http://amadarestaurant.com/index.html

Menu: Click here

Type of food: Spanish Tapas

Ambiance: 5/5

Food: 3/5

Service: 4/5

Fast Food, Food Truck, Philadelphia

Food Truck Review from the Vendy Awards (Philadelphia, USA)

September 14, 2012 No Comments

This summer I attended the 8th Annual Vendy Food Truck Awards in University City. The event had the best street food vendors in Philadelphia going head to head for the title of best Philly food truck while raising money for the Food Trust.

Little Dan’s Gourmet Truck

Our first stop was Little Dan’s Gourmet Truck. They were serving mini baguettes- one filled with parmesan breaded eggplant topped with spinach.

And another sandwich filled with a balsamic glazed chargrilled chicken in a baguette. Both sandwiches were great and very filling. The truck focuses on American and Italian food.

Little Baby’s Ice Cream

Next stop was Little Baby’s Ice Cream stand. I only tried the Earl Gray ice cream which I can’t say I loved. The taste was too strong for my liking. But given that there were other flavors I’m sure most are great.

Little Baby's Ice Cream (Morgan's Pier) on Urbanspoon

King of Falafel

Next was the King of Falafel. A wonderful Middle Eastern food truck serving falafels, hummus, tabbouli and a long list of other Middle Eastern delicacies. The couple- both electrical engineers in Syria serve up some of the most authentic dishes on a platter.

I really enjoyed my plate of falafel which was served hot and fresh.

Vernalicious

Vernalicious was next on the list. On the menu were two varieties of toasted grilled cheese: one vegetarian filled with mozzerella, pesto and tomatoes, and another, a pulled pork grilled cheese.

Sugar Philly

Then there was Sugar Philly- a food truck dedicated to Macarons. Amazing right?

Foo Truck

Foo Truck was my favorite stand. Foo truck serves asian inspired hand held creations called ‘foowiches’. They were serving grilled wraps filled with green curry quinoa and another filled with teriyake meatballs. The Count and I thoroughly enjoyed both wraps. Even if we were drained wet from the torrential downpour. Of course we were quick to vote for this truck as being our favorite.

Yumtown

Yumtown was next. A food truck dedicated to locally sourced ingredients.

I tried the Panzanella- a tuscan bread and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

Delicias

The Venezualan team behind Delicias specializes in… you guessed it: Venezualan food. What exactly is Venezualan food? The sample they served consisted of a corn flour patty split and filled with spicy chorizo, sweet plantains and caramelized onions. I loved this dish and was very close to choosing it as my favorite.

The Smoke Truck

The Smoke Truck serves traditional southern comfort food. They served up a pulled pork mac and cheese dish. It was really good and extremely filling.

Tacos Don Memo

If its tacos and burritos you crave then you will love Tacos Don Memo food truck. They serve mexican and tex-mex inspired burritos.

Unfortunately, by the time I finished my burrito the rain got heavier and I did not have a chance to take photos of some of the other contestants. One that is particularly worth mentioning was Little Pop Shop- a lovely little stand selling really amazing popsicles. I tried the goat cheese and fig popsicles which was very original and unlike anything else I have ever tried.

And there you have it folks a quick photo journey of some of the best food trucks in Philadelphia.

Farmer's Market, Italian food, Philadelphia

Claudio King of Cheese- Italian Market (Philadelphia, USA)

September 12, 2012 No Comments

Our first trip to the Italian Market was extremely cheesy. Walking down Ninth street it was hard to ignore all the delectable food shops and stands. First stop were several pizza/hoagie storefronts where the steam from the meat permeated the streets.

Italian Market runs on Ninth from Christian to Federal Street. Don’t expect to come here looking for clean streets and scenes from Rocky. But do expect to see more than 100 food stands selling fresh and cheap vegetables, butcher shops wrapping fresh cuts, fish lying in ice stands and poultry (there is even a live poultry shop…it’s Chinese)…and best of all the Cheese shops.

We were told to check out the famous D’Angelo Brothers Products shop. And although it was special this post is dedicated to the wonderful cheese shop right next door: Claudio King of Cheese. This is where we went on our first trip and have gone back weekly for our cheese and cured meat needs. I love the smell of the shop which reminds me of my motherland and trips through quaint shops spread over all corners of Italy.

Several isles of Italian products including pasta, olive oils, balsamic vinaigrette and other delicacies line the walls of the shop.

Tomato sauce, spices, candy, polenta….everything you could ever need can be found in this shop.

On the left side of the store is where the real action happens. Cured meats hanging from the ceilings with friendly staff behind the glass counter providing customers with all their cheesy needs.

They are a very friendly team and give you samples and information on each cheese, its location, history and taste.

On my latest trip, I may or may not have asked to work there. Really, what is better than working in a cheese shop learning all about the different varieties of cheese and other delicacies (of course it can’t beat the practice of law…or can it?).

I was hired on the spot… or was I? I don’t think they took me seriously. Can’t a cheese-lover get a break around here?

Ok. So I went back to taking photos and ordering more cheese and parma.

Later on that evening, the Count and I feasted on plates of blue and goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and basil, fresh baguettes and wine. Understandably, we have been back on several occasions to replenish our stock of cheese at home.

If Mr. Claudio Junior reads this…I was very serious about becoming a cheese apprentice!

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Photo Series- Part I

September 8, 2012 1 Comment

We were welcomed to our new city by the Fourth of July Celebrations. Here are a few photos of Philadelphia, its people and American patriotism from the Celebrations on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Philadelphia, Vietnamese

Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich-Chinatown (Philadelphia, USA)

September 6, 2012 No Comments

After Bubble tea at Tea Talk we headed over to a small Vietnamese sandwich shop serving varieties of Bahn Mi. Apparently, this place has the best Bahn Mi in town. What’s a Bahn Mi? It is an amazing Vietnamese sub sandwich served in a crispy baguette with an accompaniment of vegetables and your choice of meat.

The Bahn Mi dates back to Vietnam’s French colonial era where the baguette was introduced to Vietnamese cuisine. The bread differs from a traditional baguette in the sense that rice flour is also added to a Bahn Mi making it thinner and crispier. Bahn Mi can include seasoned pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork patties, pork liver pate, grilled chicken, fried eggs, tofu or cold cuts. The vegetable toppings include cucumber slices, carrots, cilantro and shredded daikon. All of this topped with condiments including spicy chili sauce or mayonnaise. Sounds good right?

We ordered the traditional Bahn Mi and waited in the small area while the older lady prepared it for us.

They were both so nice and friendly and just had to be featured in the post. You know it is authentic when you are served by a friendly Vietnamese mother and/or grandmother.

Unfortunately, I did not have time to take a photo of our Bahn Mi as our group was waiting outside ready to move forward to the next destination. We ate the Bahn Mi while walking through Chinatown. I can say this: it was really good. Perhaps they could be more generous with the fillings but overall it was one great Bahn Mi.

Besides Bahn Mi, QT offers appetizers, rice platters, rice noodle platters and soups. But they are best known for their sublime Bahn Mi.

Bubble Tea, Philadelphia

Tea Talk- Chinatown (Philadelphia, USA)

September 5, 2012 No Comments

After making several bakery stops on our Free Tours by Foot- Chinatown Food Tour we replenished ourselves with some bubble tea at Tea Talk.

Tea talk is a bright and colorful place in Chinatown that serves a variety of teas and bubble teas and smoothies. No food. Just drinks.

Unlike other spots in Chinatown, this place was very clean and tidy. It offers wifi making a nice option for people to linger around with their laptops.

Besides tapioca, there is also option of jelly and popping boba. There is both hot and cold bubble tea. Our food guide told us the avocado smoothie was the best on the menu. I always like to order the taro wherever I go especially if they use real taro roots.

The tapioca balls were chewy but consistent. However, I’ve realized as time goes by that I am no longer a fan of tapioca balls and prefer the jelly in my bubble tea. But it was as good as any.

Our group was happy with their drinks and with bubble tea in hand we moved on to the next stop: QT Vietnamese Sandwich shop.

Chinese Food, Dim Sum, Philadelphia

Dim Sum Garden- Chinatown (Philadelphia, USA)

September 4, 2012 2 Comments

Several weeks ago the Count and I along with a few friends went on the Free Tours by Foot Chinatown Food Tour. We walked through Philadelphia’s small yet historic Chinatown stopping by at the best spots for quick eats. The tour ended with a sit down lunch at Dim Sum Garden.

I have walked by this spot without bothering to look twice only because it is under the convention center overpass and I wrongfully must have assumed that it could not be good given it’s dark location. Wrong!

Best handmade dumplings I have had…and I am from Vancouver which is known for its mainland Chinese and Hong Kong delicacies. In fact, given that my best friend is Chinese doing Sunday ‘Dim Sum’ brunch was kind of our thing. This spot is not your typical sit down full service dim sum restaurant where they come around with their carts and you can pick and choose what you’d like to eat next. Here you order your dim sum at the counter and pay at the counter.

Now onto the actual dumplings: our tour guide knew a thing or two about dumplings and ordered a few rounds for the table. I have never had a soup dumpling (xiao long bao) and found it to be such a treat. There is an entire process to having a soup dumpling. You must gently place one in your spoon. Place a hole at the top to allow the hot steam to cool off and place the whole thing in your mouth without spilling the contents on the inside. Essentially it’s soup wrapped up in dough served with their own special dumpling sauce. Okay. That was great. Whats next?

Next was the Shanghai siu mai- sticky rice and minced pork dumplings. These were also a first for me and were a real treat. Sticky rice with small bits of pork all mixed with a delicious sauce and beautifully bundled up into a dumpling.

We also had the prawn dumplings, pork and chive dumplings and many other varieties of dumplings. One was better than the next. Best part is you know its fresh and handmade as you can see through the back counter where all the action is happening. It’s cheap dumpling at its best. Don’t be put off by the neon lights and interior facade. This is a place where you can satisfy your dumpling cravings not to go people watching (unless you enjoy watching suffering panhandlers and other characters on 11th street).

Coffee Shop, Philadelphia, Sandwich Shop

Rybread Cafe- Fairmount/Art Museum (Philadelphia, USA)

August 29, 2012 2 Comments

It all started with two laid off architects. The year: 2009. Ryan (the ‘R’ in RyBread) and his girlfriend found themselves unemployed and headed on a road trip of a lifetime. Over the course of the road trip a business idea would develop. Why not open a gourmet sandwich shop in a really neat space? This is exactly what they did when they returned. Rybread Cafe is in our neighborhood and our favorite gourmet sandwich shop. The choices are endless and all equally delicious.

I’m sure both were great architects but we are selfishly happy that they decided to open a sandwich shop instead. Nothing beats the joy of eating, not even architecture.

The hair salon turned cafe is small and intimate with only a few indoor seats and several on the outside. The wall is covered by a chalkboard listing their sandwiches in detail. I’ve only had occasion to try four on the list but have never been dissapointed.

There is also a variety of bagels, muffins, scones, salads, soups and paninis. Best part: it’s all made to order and exteremely fresh. (See Menu).

On my last trip, I had the Hollywood while the Count ordered the Philadelphia.

My Hollywood sandwich consisted of multi grain toast slabbed with a thick layer of hummus, cucumbers, red onion, shaved carrot, tomatoes and cheese. A great option for vegetarians.

The Philadelphia was packed with genoa salami, hot cappi, prosciutto, provolone, greens, tomatoes, onions and vinaigrette served on ciabatta bread. The Count seemed to enjoy it but we agreed that our favorites are the San Fran and the Napa.

If you enjoy gourmet sandwiches as much as we do you should definitely check out Rybread if you haven’t already done so.

Philadelphia, Vegan, Vegetarian

Hip City Veg-Rittenhouse Square (Philadelphia, USA)

August 28, 2012 1 Comment

You all know by now that I’m far from a vegetarian. But that is not to say that I don’t enjoy a healthy veggie meal here and there. So on one particular day last week while feeling like a vegetable-friendly meal, a friend and I made our way over to HipCityVeg.

It is located a short distance from Rittenhouse Square on 18th Street. The place was small and packed. We managed to make it during their lunch rush so had to wait in line to order. As we were waiting two elderly ladies leaving recommended the Curry Tofu Wrap. Everything looked equally delicious but after the recommendation I had to go with the wrap. My friend ordered the Bistro Bella.

To the left there was a green smoothie machine and I was told that I must try it. So it was added on to our order. A few minutes later our food was ready. It was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to have a small picnic in the park.

The Smoothie officially named the ‘groothie’ was made with spinach, apples, pineapples and bananas. It was very thick filled with a whole day’s worth of fruits and veggies. Who needs vitamin pills when you can get your hands on this?

The cookies and cupcakes were also tempting but I stopped myself at the groothie. Next time, I’ll make sure to try a cookie.

Owner Nicole Marquis had a vision for fast-food vegan: vegan Burgers, Fries, Salads, Wraps, healthy drinks and snacks. She worked with chef Rich Landau to come up with the innovative menu and the result: Fast-food vegan! From the Chik’n Burger to their buffalo bella- everything on their menu is meat free.

Doesn’t it look pretty?

My friend’s burger looked like a traditional burger just healthier. It was served on a soft whole wheat bun stuffed with herb glazed sliced portobella, dijon, olive tapenade, tomato, artichoke and arugula. Sounds good right? It was! The mixture of flavors was a first for me. Olive tapenade with portobella mushroom? Amazing!

My curry tofu wrap was so good, I’ve been dreaming of it since. It was wet, filled with difference sauces , flavors and soooo juicy.

It seemed the wrap had everything in it: sprouts, spinach, tomato, cilantro-white bean puree and cucumber yogurt dip on the side. I think the photo below shows what a delicious mess it was. Hands oozing with curry juice I had every last bite.

It was so good even the finches (and pigeon) wanted a bite.

Chinese Food, Philadelphia, Szechuan

Han Dynasty-Manayunk (Philadelphia, USA)

August 24, 2012 3 Comments

One month in to our move to Philadelphia and we discovered the Manayunk neighborhood. I love Main street with their charming shops and eclectic range of restaurants. On our first visit to the area we planned on having Persian food but were disappointed to find the restaurant closed on a Sunday. So we wandered the street until we reached Han Dynasty. The Count wasn’t in the mood for Chinese food but after seeing all the award and zagat rated stickers on the door we decided to try it anyway. Note: this review is based on two trips made to the same location.

I’ll start with the service which was horrible. It is a very small restaurant with waiters running around from left to right, yet we stood at the front for what seemed like 15 minutes before someone acknowledged us. There were plenty of open tables so we finally asked one of the staff if we could take a seat. Once we were seated we waited another 10-15 minutes before someone came to our table. Once we expressed our concern with the service they seemed to pick up their pace.

Now onto the food. The menu is true Szechuan (pronounced Zesh-won) and has been rated one of the best in the country. After tasting it I am not surprised. What I loved most is that the menu is one page only not like other Chinese restaurants who present books as menus to flip through. There are your appetizers, entrees and side dishes. Szechuan is a style of Chinese cooking which originated from the Sichuan province of Southwestern China. What makes it so popular are the bold flavours, particularly the pungent and spiciness resulting from the use of mounds and mounds of garlic and chili peppers. You can choose your dishes based on the style of sauce you prefer and the meat or vegetables. Then you can choose the spiciness level ranging from 1 being tolerable to 10 being the spiciest. (See Menu)

We started off with an order of wontons in chili oil. Once I took the first bite I was immediately hooked. I love garlic and am known to use a lot of it at home. What made the dish so special was the garlic chili sauce sprinkled with sesame oil.

Next we tried the wontons in chili oil sauce. The flavors were the same although the wantons come in a larger quantity and seem to have more filling. It was also delicious.

There were four of us on our second trip so we decided to order two main entrees and share. First order was the Dry Pot Style served in a mini wok and cooked in a spicy hot sauce with black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. We ordered the level 7 spice thinking it was a happy medium. It arrived on top of a mini gas stove sizzling hot served with a big bowl of white rice. Again the sauce and the spiciness and the liberal use of garlic made it so good. In fact, the best I’ve ever had.

The cilantro topping added that additional punch of flavor but also worked against the burning spices.

We also ordered a side of bok choy with black mushrooms. It was presented so beautifully like a plate of flowers.

It was the perfect side dish to offset the meat and spice. The bok choy was fresh and crunchy, the mushrooms were so good and the sauce even better.

Our next entree was the prawns in garlic sauce. As if there was not enough garlic in the other dishes this plate was mainly covered in garlic. Did I complain? Of course not, it was truly one of the best sauces I have ever tasted. The prawns were large and generous amounts were presented in the plate. On our first trip we had the garlic sauce with the beef as opposed to the shrimp. I think I preferred the beef to the prawns for this dish. The garlic sauce is my favorite and I know that I’ll be a regular based purely on this sauce. Just thinking of it is making my mouth water.

Was the meal amazing? Yes. Will I be back? Yes. Did the service turn me off? A bit but the food is too good to let the bad service get in the way. Plus there are several different locations and I am determined to try them all.

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