These 12 restaurants capture the spirit and resilience of Chinatown

Updating my list of Chinatown favorites has always been a joyful undertaking. That’s because few Philadelphia neighborhoods are as deliciously dynamic as this one. It’s rooted in 150 years of history, but also reliably pulsing with fresh projects, newly represented regional cuisines, and entrepreneurial sparks that tell us how this city is evolving at any particular moment.

The Chinatown story at this moment, however, feels different — and concerning. Its restaurants have weathered a brutal year of pandemic, singed by anti-Asian hate and violence that have only accelerated after a year of racist political rhetoric.

“Chinatown has suffered a lot, at least two months longer than the mainstream communities,” says Dan Tsao, the owner of EMei restaurant and the Metro Chinese Weekly. “The impact will be longer, too.”

If that sounds like an existential threat, it is. But not just for Chinatown or Asian Americans. It’s a threat to the soul of all Philadelphians who know this neighborhood often represents the best of us, a culinary crossroads for many communities to gather, shop, and celebrate together, whether it’s Chinese New Year, Jewish Christmas Eve, after-school bubble tea, or early-morning dumplings and congee after a late night out.

“Chinatown is hanging on tough,” says Tsao, whose new delivery business, RiceVan, brings food from 25-plus neighborhood restaurants and grocers to the suburbs.

» READ MORE: RiceVan, a new delivery service brings Chinatown food and grocers to Philly’s suburbs

Diminished revenue — down 40% on average, according to Tsao’s conversations with colleagues — can be helped with the new wave of government stimulus, just as more vaccinations will relieve Chinatown’s lingering labor shortage.

But it should sadden you that Rangoon co-owner Christine Gyaw, 63, a law school graduate who 31 years ago brought her daughter Mya to Philadelphia from Myanmar to escape oppression against women, now gets calls from her daughter warning her not to leave the restaurant for fear of violence.

It should infuriate you that TT Skewer chef Dongtian “Eddie” Xia, 35, saw most of his non-Asian and American-born Chinese customers (about 30% of his business) abandon the restaurant he owns with wife, Yanting Sun, at the beginning of the pandemic. Then, after finally reopening after a months-long closure in July, he’d have to field a prank call from someone asking for skewers of dog and cat meat: “I try to be nice to all my customers but ... there was nothing I could say.”

And now physical confrontations have descended upon this normally peaceful part of Philadelphia with two separate assaults on people of Asian descent in the past week alone.

Enough! Even if you missed one of the recent marches against anti-Asian hate, you can still make a meaningful impact by heading to 10th and Arch Streets to support Chinatown’s restaurants with an open heart and a big appetite. Because as much as this year has been a struggle, this Chinatown moment is also about resilience and innovation as restaurants helped each other, redefined their businesses, and even opened new ones.

“We’re going to make Rangoon great again!” says Gyaw, despite the fact that she, with her staff cut dramatically, is back to helping her 61-year-old partner and chef, Chiu Sin Mee, in the kitchen. “Our bodies cannot take this anymore. But we built this restaurant. And it’s our legacy.”

Chef Dongtian “Eddie” Xia and his wife Yanting Sun moved their tiny Shenyang-style grill house to a bright new space on North 11th Street — only to shut that dining room down months later due to the pandemic. That has not dimmed the bold and spicy magic of their Northeast Chinese flavors one bit; even Xia expanded his menu with takeout in mind. The skewers are still fantastically flavorful, from the tender lamb and chicken to seafood and vegetables, including a sheet of enoki mushrooms and a whole eggplant that soak in Xia’s cuminy pepper blend. Also not to miss: the handmade dumplings and spice-forward wok dishes, highlighted by lamb with scallions, sweet and sour pork cutlets, and organic cauliflower lit with chilies. TT Skewer, 225 N. 11th St., 267-928-2646

It’s a good thing badminton builds an appetite. That’s why Clement Ho and girlfriend, Tantaree “Lily” Treeratanakuljarut, a decorated racket pro who opened their Club28 badminton facility in Port Richmond, got into the Thai fried chicken business (“Cily” is a combination of their names). Ho’s a former pharmacist from Flushing, Queens, so the menu is inspired by Treeratanakuljarut’s cravings for the street food of her native Bangkok. That means chicken platters from chef Krit Tanakitsombattwo served in two fantastic ways — thighs fried shatteringly crisp with a chili dip that’s just as spicy and sour as it is sweet; or moistly poached Hainanese-style. Both are served with soup and irresistible ginger rice infused with chicken stock, Thai herbs, and schmaltz. The funky tom yum soup and zippy fish cakes are also notable standouts. Cily Chicken Rice, 933 Race St., 215-982-1113; cilychickenrice.com

Chef-owners are rare in Chinatown, where most kitchen help is hired, which is why a small family operation like Lau Kee is special. Owner Chuien Liu spent two decades mastering the art of duck at Sang Kee before starting his business. And these mahogany beauties are among Philly’s finest birds. Their tender meat is redolent of ginger-five spice marinade, and their glossy dark skins snap from the elaborate preparation (the bird is blown up with an air pump then dipped into sweet vinegar before roasting). Anything with duck, obviously, is a win, including the string beans with shredded duck in X.O. But don’t miss the other Cantonese-style meats (crispy pig), or noodle soups with wontons and shrimp dumplings made by Liu’s wife, Fannie Qiu. Insiders also head for Fujianese specialties like the “Drunk” spareribs. Lau Kee, 934 Race St., 215-201-3511

After 28 years, this beloved restaurant started by Christine Gyaw, Jenny Louie, and Chiu Sin Mee remains one of the region’s only destinations for excellent Burmese cooking. The pandemic and imminent retirement of one partner have challenged Rangoon’s future. But Gyaw says she and Mee are determined to carry on their legacy of buttery thousand-layer breads topped with grilled meat skewers, distinctive cold salads of shredded young ginger and tea leaves, chile-flecked lentil fritters, noodle soups, curries, and stews that one simply cannot taste anywhere else around here. The string beans with ground chicken in a prim khing curry vivid with lime leaves, galangal and cardamom is a new personal favorite. Rangoon, 112 N. Ninth St, 215-829-8939; rangoonrestaurant.com

An impressive contemporary makeover for the dining room in late 2019 brought this Szechuan standby owned by Tingting Wan and her husband, Dan Tsao, back near the top of my Chinatown list. And that dining room is now open again. But EMei’s boldly flavored dishes also travel well through takeout, including one of the best mapo tofus anywhere, lip-numbing fu qi fei pian, cumin-flared lamb, fresh flounder bathed in hot chili oil, shredded beef with long hot peppers, Chongqing spicy chicken, and the cooling balm of cold sesame noodles. Tsao’s new company, RiceVan, can deliver EMei’s food (and that of 20-plus other Chinatown restaurants and grocers) up to 60 miles away. Those dishes, though, must be reheated. EMei, 915 Arch St., 215-627-2500; emeiphilly.com

You know there’s a staffing shortage when there’s no one to make the bubble tea at Bubblefish. But this charming restaurant from married co-owners Ping Lin and chef Edison Wang has always had many distinctive draws — the best sushi in Chinatown (including the trendy-but-tasty sushi “hamburger”), crisp takoyaki, and coveted specialties like TFC (Taiwanese fried chicken) and Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The couple’s stylish new all-day brunch spot More Sugar opened just months before the pandemic, so I haven’t yet had a chance to sample the wildly diverse savory menu ranging from avocado toast to chicken spaghetti, a single grilled large clam, and lamb chops. But the desserts, including the best-selling tofu cheesecake (tangy!), striking charcoal-strawberry layer cake, and cheesecake flavored with burnt durian, were good enough to convince me to someday return for a proper meal and pot of pu-erh tea. Bubblefish, 909 Arch St., 267-930-7634; bubblefishpa.com; More Sugar, 125 N 11th St., 215-220-3368; moresugar125.com

This Shanghainese dumpling powerhouse rode out the pandemic year better than some due to initiatives taken by owners Sally Song and her mother, chef Shizhou Da. They launched an extensive line of frozen steam-at-home dumplings, then created their own home-delivery service for a less expensive alternative to third-party delivery apps (with whom they still participate), even delivering once a week to the King of Prussia and Cherry Hill Malls. Both hot and frozen items are available. Aside from the famous soup dumplings (those are best purchased frozen), I love DSG’s flaky baked pork moon cakes, sticky rice shao mai, Shanghai-style wonton soup, and chicken skewers. Dim Sum Garden, 1020 Race St., 215-873-0258; dimsumgardenphilly.com

The Philly branch of New York City’s oldest dim sum parlor remains my top choice for Cantonese-style dumplings in Chinatown, with perfect sui mei, open-top dumplings with shrimp and snow pea leaves, stuffed bean curd skins, silken rice noodle rolls, and crispy turnip cake squares with X.O. sauce. Short staffing due to the pandemic put a pause on Nom Wah’s signature throwback egg roll wrapped inside a crispy egg crepe. But with more employees returning, they are back along with the full menu. One pandemic bonus: half-a-dozen frozen dumplings can now be ordered through DoorDash to steam at home. Nom Wah Philadelphia, 218 N. 13th St., 267-519-2889; nomwah.com/philadelphia/

Grace Chen’s 32-year-old cafe is rightly known as a pioneering coffee destination for siphon-brews of Jamaican and Japanese beans (plus exceptional Kyoto cold brew). But Ray’s also sells high-quality teas Chen imports from her native Taiwan, the island that also informs the best items on the concise menu cooked by her son, Randy Ray. Don’t miss the colorful dumpling sampler — especially the curried chicken variety. I’m also fond of the cold sesame noodles, shrimp with walnuts in honeyed mayo sauce, and, especially, the soulful bowl of hearty Taiwanese beef noodle soup cooked from a family recipe whose dark brew is aromatic of cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and other spices. Gift baskets and a new breakfast menu built around house-baked brioche also helped boost Ray’s during the pandemic. Ray’s Café & Tea House, 141 N. Ninth St., 215-922-5122; rayscafe.com

One of Philadelphia’s original Malaysian restaurants, 15-year-old Banana Leaf consistently remains one of the city’s best examples of Peranakan cuisine, descended from Chinese migrants who intermarried with Malay and Indonesian communities. That means flavorful saté skewers cooked over an open grill, but also gossamer thin roti canai with curried coconut milk chicken dip, fish head casseroles, and myriad stir fries. Among the best are the Indian mee goreng noodles with chile sauce, the wide Captain rice noodles glazed in dark sweet soy, and tender shrimp sauteed in a sambal vivid with the sweet funk of shrimp paste. The kari ayam chicken in lemongrass coconut curry and richly flavored beef rendang are also memorable. Banana Leaf, 1009 Arch St., 215-592-8288; bananaleafphilly.com

The Lai family’s 37-year-old restaurant is one of Chinatown’s ultimate landmarks. And for good reason: The handsomely converted tri-level rowhouse remains one of our most consistent destinations for a broad range of Vietnamese classics. Their shatteringly crisp spring rolls remain my standard, ideal over the B.B.Q. platter or the house vermicelli with lemongrass-grilled chicken, pork, and meatballs. The beef carpaccio and grilled grape leaves are also favorites, as well as the caramelized pork hot pot and rice noodles rolled around ground chicken and mushrooms. I have other preferred places for banh mi and pho, but Vietnam’s spicy beef lemongrass soup is a keeper, as well as a distinctive wonton soup I often crave. Vietnam Restaurant, 221 N. 11th St., 215-592-1163; www.eatatvietnam.com/