#56 Golden Empress Garden - Sandy's synopsis

The Golden Empress Garden is in our opinion the best Chinese food we have had so far on South Street. Also, for you meat loving carnivores, do not be mis-lead by the sign, like we were. They also have vegetarian specialties - not only have vegetarian specialties. It'll make the menu less confusing when you realize this. For the vegetarians and vegans, they have a large selection of mock meat dishes. 

We decided to start with some hot tea which came in a quaint little tea pot. You definitely want to let the tea steap a little as they do give you a fresh leaves, not pre-steaped tea. 

We also ordered a couple of appetizers which were the stars of the meal for me. Erin always orders the chinese pancakes. The fried dough with scallions came with a soy sauce based dipping sauce and were so so good. So simple and so good. 

We also ordered the pan fried wontons, with pork as the filling, I believe.

Also very delicious.

With all the excitement about the vegetarian specialties I decided to try one of the mock meat dishes. Something I do at Chinese restaurants is order the mock General Tso's chicken if they have it. I do this to see if any place in Philly can come close to the version of this dish that Square on Square, on 19th and chestnut, makes. Unfortunately this did not, but it wasn't bad. 

The sauce was a little too sweet for my likes and not enough garlic. The mock meat though was light balls of seitan that were quite delicious. I had enough for leftovers that evening that I snarfed down real quick. 

Ergo, if you are in this part of town and are craving chinese, I recommend Golden Empress Garden. They have a large selection of food for vegetarians and meat lovers alike and the quality of the food is higher than other Chinese places on South Street that we've encountered. 

Golden Empress Garden

618 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

215-625-6688

#55 Evil Eye Cafe - Sandy's synopsis

Evil Eye cafe is a Turkish themed coffee shop with a great selection of salads and desserts. They also have a great selection of evil eye art on the wall, none of which I took a photo off apparently. It's a small, clean, cozy place with about 5 tables and a very sweet lady behind the counter to take your order. 

Before placing your order, however, make sure you have cash on you as the establishment is cash only. There is a conveniently located ATM opposite the cafe. 

To start, I went with this puff pastry stuffed with potatoes.

It looked delicious but was a little too bland for my tastes. 

For my main course, I decided to go with one of their salads.  I tend to hate salads unless they are the non-traditional kind where the base is not lettuce. Here I had a choice between cous-cous and bulgur. Since I couldn't decide which, I was told that I could get a plate with both on it. Perfect.

The cous-cous salad (white one on the right) was extremely delicious and refreshing. Light, with an occasional burst of sweetness from maybe ricotta and some honeyed nuts all mixed in with some savoury herbs. Just typing this out is making me crave it. 

The bulgur salad was heavy on the cucumber and tomatoes and tasted slightly sour. It wasn't my favourite but it wasn't bad. 

We also ordered dessert. I had the chocolate cheesecake, which was pretty standard - heavy dense cheese cake with a crumb crust.

We were at a cafe and I couldn't leave without ordering their Turkish coffee.

It was a very strong, delicious coffee that came in a very pretty cup and saucer. I do want to give a shout out to the Turkish coffee we had at Saqqara cafe though - still the best one in my books.

In summary, it was a pleasant experience. The cous-cous salad was out of this world and I will definitely go back for that. I would also like to try their milkshakes sometime. So, until then, I encourage YOU to go enjoy some great cous-cous salad at Evil Eye Cafe.

Evil Eye Cafe

628 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

267-872-7560

#55 Evil Eye Café - Sam's synopsis

Well, we ended up dining at Evil Eye Café on a bit of a whim, since the original plan was to check out Hot Diggity. We arrived at Hot Diggity only to find that it was completely dark, with all the chairs stacked up on the tables. There was no sign on the door/window indicating why they were closed (since their hours indicated they should have been open), nothing on social media about the reason they were closed, etc. It was pretty frustrating, but then a few days later I saw this, which explained everything. The curse continues, as we've now seen at least 4 places close while partaking in our saunter. Although 4 out of 55 is only about 7%, so we could be doing a lot worse.

With our stomachs and hearts empty, we made the executive decision to stop at Evil Eye Café. Ben and Jo were pretty excited to be joining us for Hot Diggity, but due to some poor timing of phone exchanges/driving and Sandya needing to get some work done, we had to scramble and get our food as soon as possible. Sorry Ben and Jo! 

The inside of Evil Eye reminded me very much of coffee shops in Rochester for some reason - I think it was the overall vibe and the brightly colored paintings. The theme of all the paintings was not unsurprisingly, the evil eye charm, which is used to ward off misfortune and bad luck. I am a big fan of this motif - I have one in my car that has kept me safe for years and I definitely purchased a few as gifts while I was in Greece. I never knew the name for theses - nazars - and I just learned the difference between an amulet and a talisman (a talisman provides good fortune or luck in addition to offering protection), so this blog continues to educate me in many ways other than food. There also is an art gallery upstairs, but the café was closing in the next 45 minutes so we didn't get a chance to go check it out.

I went ahead and ordered my food, but turns out the place is cash only, so I had to run across the street to an ATM. It was a chilly night, so I ordered lentil soup and something referred to as a sort of Turkish quesadilla. The lentil soup was served first, with a lemon on the side. I knew this was a good sign, because growing up my uncle would always take us to this Lebanese restaurant outside Boston, and they had the best lentil soup I have ever tasted and it was always served with lemon. The soup was delicious! The lemon adds a nice tanginess that works well with the lentils, and the broth was very savory without being overly salty. Next was the Turkish quesadilla, which was a thin, flat bread with cheese and spices, including dill. I freaking love dill. It's one of my favorite spices, so I had to order this. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite. You can't really mess up bread/cheese/spices, and it was certainly very tasty, but I feel like it could have been a little more flavorful. 

I really wanted dessert, and I was in the mood for chocolate so I went with the chocolate cheesecake. Sandya had also ordered this so the woman running the counter (who was very friendly) tried to get me to order something else, but I was stuck in my ways. Honestly, I would have gone for the tiramisu, but it looked a little too soggy at the end of the day and not very appetizing. The chocolate cheesecake was meh - it was kind of bland and heavy, and not very creamy as I was hoping. I'm hoping the other desserts are better.

All in all, while I was not expecting to be dining at Evil Eye this particular night, I really enjoyed the food and experience. I am a big fan of evil eye decor in general, so I liked the ambiance of the place. I also noticed that there are a large number of outlets by tables here, which makes this a great place to come by, have a good meal and get some work done. I'll also note that they serve ice cream, which still continues to be a slightly rare commodity in Philadelphia for some reason, but I suppose I am spoiled having grown up in a summer vacation locale. 

Evil Eye Café

628 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(267) 872-7560

#54 Latin Flavor - Sandy's synopsis

So, Latin Flavor was this little restaurant that popped up sometime at the end of last year that almost slipped under our radar. I didn't even have it up on a map. It was so new, there were only three reviews on Yelp - all positive. It is also what made this a little more exciting. Clearly almost nobody had been here so we didn't really have any past prejudices or opinions to influence our decision.

When we first entered, almost an hour and a half after they had opened, we were told that they were cleaning and weren't seating people. Which was weird, as it was empty and it looked very clean. Anyway, after a couple of exchanges we were told we could take a seat.

From glancing at the menu it seemed predominantly cuban cuisine. As we continued to peruse the menu in more detail, we were given some pressed garlic bread to start. It was alright and seemed a little stale.

Sam and I decided to order the yucca fries as an appetizer. These were pretty delicious. Since Yucca is rather uncommon in Philly restaurants is was a pleasant change from the usual potato fries (freedom fries?). It also came with a delicious dipping mayo sauce.

I had also ordered a coffee, which I really should've done after my meal instead of during. It was delicious either way.

So for the main course they had many versions of meat cooked in various ways, from stews, to curries to sandwiches. Each entree comes with a side of Rice (brown rice or white rice with red beans) and two fried plantains.

Before I get to the main course I would like to tell you  how awesome this was. The rice was robust and flavorful and the plaintains were just... heaven in your mouth. The BEST part - Sam hates plantains, so I got hers. Always go to Latin restaurants with Sam.

The entree that came with these delicious sides, was clearly less fantastic to me. It was pepper chicken which in my head I was thinking this pepper:

Source: Wikipedia

and a dish that looked something like this:

Source: Google images

Not this pepper:

Source: Wikipedia

and a dish that looked like this:

Source: My Android phone at Latin Flavor

So it looks like a case of incredibly wrong expectations on my part and I really should stop assuming and start asking the wait staff if the dish is going to be what I expect. Speaking of which the wait staff here is extremely friendly.

Suffice to say I was a little disappointed by the entree as I found it to be a little bland. The rice and beans and plantains though more than made up for it.

All in all, Latin Flavor is a solid choice for Latin food in the area. I do think Caribbean delight is close enough that if you were craving something much spicier and more Jamaican I would go there.

If you are craving red beans and rice however - this is the place people.

Latin Flavor

627 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

267-519-2027

#54 Latin Flavor - Sam's synopsis

We arrived at Latin Flavor on a cold and icy evening, so the warmth inside was a welcome respite. The front of the restaurant looks like you can order many different items from the menu to go as a cafeteria-style restaurant, but when we arrived they were in the process of cleaning everything so it came off like the place was closed. I think the staff was happy to have some customers though, and there is a seated area, so we grabbed a table and perused the menu. The inside of the restaurant is bright and cheery, with a few pieces of art and sculpture decorating the walls. The staff was friendly and attentive, although we were pretty much the only people there so not much competition for attention.

Sandya and I were both pretty hungry, so we ordered fried yucca as an appetizer as a somewhat "healthier" option. It was very tasty - a hint of sweetness but a great consistency that was somehow both crispier and chewier than normal french fries. The dipping sauce was garlic aioli and was a nice flavor complement to the yucca. We were also treated to complimentary garlic bread slices, which were crispy and had a lot of delicious melted parmesan cheese on them. For my main dish, I went with stew chicken, which was chicken in a thick brown savory gravy-like sauce. The perfect dish for a cold winter's night, and boy was it tasty. The carrots and potatoes were nice and soft, and I also had a side of brown rice with red beans that I could mix to soak up the sauce. If I hadn't eaten so many yucca fries, I probably would have finished my meal, but at that point I was pretty full so I took the rest home. The leftovers held up and were just as good the next day - in some ways they might have been a little better, because they had a night to "stew" in their own flavors (LULZ), which really enhanced the next-day dining experience.

The dishes here are similar to Jamaican Jerk Hut and Caribbean Delight, and I've ordered very similar dishes at all three establishments. While I enjoyed all three meals, I think Latin Flavor has the best price-to-taste ratio, and even without that edge I found this the tastiest of the three. But that's not a dig on the other two restaurants, because they were still plenty delicious. Latin Flavor is a new establishment, having only opened in late November, but here's to hoping it sticks around for a long time - the food is great and the ambiance is very welcoming.

Latin Flavor

627 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 298-9627

#53 La Fuorno - Sandy's synopsis

La Fuorno is that place on the eastern half of South Street that has the speakers on the outside that always seems to be playing Frank Sinatra. Sometimes they have music battles with the store next door, that is playing death metal on their speakers outside. Sometimes there are also carolers singing "I saw Mama kissing Santa Claus" to add to the cacophony that is this part of South Street. As the different noises fight to find a spot in your brain, it distills back down to Frank Sinatra as you enter La Fuorno to find a spot to sit.

Thankfully for us, this isn't the most popular lunch spot during the holiday season so we had the pick of the litter for tables... does that idiom make sense here? Our waiter was kind enough to suggest the warmest table in the restaurant that was furthest from the vents.

As we perused the menu this drink caught our collective eye: Whiskey Sour! In a mason jar.

It was as delicious as that mis-placed* exclamation point suggests. (I'm not being sarcastic, it actually was a really good drink)

* I would think the exclamation would be after the "mason jar" because, isn't that what the kids these days get excited about?

The menu was filled with all the Italian classics you'd expect and so for an appetizer we ordered a dish that I've never seen on a menu before, farinata bread. According to Wikipedia, farinata is a unleavened bread made from chickpea flour. According to my taste buds, it was delicious. It came with a small bean and pepper salad and what I think is Muenster and Provolone cheeses. The bread was a little dry by itself. However, the peppers, beans and cheese balanced out the moisture very well.

It was time to order our entrees and this is where I started to make mistakes. I started to let nostalgia guide my decisions. Let me explain - when I was a kid in Bangalore, India, we used to occasionally eat at this place called La Casa, the local Italian joint. My favorite dish to order from there was the spaghetti Bolognese. So when I saw a bolognese on the menu at La Fuorno, I wanted to re-live this memory.

To no fault of La Fuorno's, this was not successful. The inherent flaw in my plan is that when India gets it's hands on a cuisine, be it Chinese, Italian or McDonald's, we "indian-ify" it. This usually involves adding a lot more spices and flavour to it.

I'm sure what is pictured above is a perfectly satisfying plate of Bolognese but unfortunately for me, it seemed a little bland. I do know that everyone else absolutely loved their entree. I definitely should've based my order on what Italian food I'd like not what Indian memory I wanted to experience again.

After that disappointment, it was time for dessert, which quickly changed my disappointment to contentment. I ordered the self titled La Fuorno! (pictured below).

It was a puff pastry filled with fruits and hazelnut and chocolate cream.  In other words, yummy. I even had leftovers. 

I followed that up with a cappuccino.

Also great, with a nice strong coffee flavor.

So all in all, my exerperience here was good and could have been better if I came in with different expectations. The company was awesome so than you Sam, Erin and Sen for putting up with my grumpiness about the Christmas songs being played. So, I reached home to settle into a food coma feeling very satisfied, my contentment quickly changed back to disappointment when I realized I'd forgotten my delicious dessert leftovers back at the restaurant. Oh Sandy.

La Fuorno

636 South Street

Philadelphia PA 19147

215-627-9000

#53 La Fourno - Sam's synopsis

La Fourno was the perfect way to cap off the year before heading out for the holidays. Sandya and I were joined by Erin and Senthil, and it was a very relaxed setting with friendly staff, lots of laughs and tasty food.

We arrived and were initially the only table in the restaurant. We sat in the back, at the supposedly warmest spot in the restaurant. It was very cozy and the ambiance was very fitting for both the holidays and an Italian eatery, but it's possible other tables were equally warm. The other thing I noticed about our table was the large print of a photograph hanging above us entitled "American Woman in Italy" which apparently is pretty famous. I personally found it a little unnerving, because it's a young woman walking the streets with 10 men ogling her and her looking a little frightened, but apparently the subject of the photograph didn't feel that way. I'll save my social commentary for anyone who wants to have an offline discussion about it, but at least there were other decorations to distract me - like the fact that our table had a small name plaque stating it was Dennis & James' Table. Who are Dennis and James? I'm not sure, but it made me happy to know they have their own special table at what I can imagine is a favorite local haunt.

the farinatta bread

As it was only a few days before Christmas, we were treated to lots of old timey Christmas tunes. Maybe treated isn't the best choice of word, because holiday songs can get pretty grating after awhile - but we did learn that Sandya has some interesting ideas about how Santa can help you trim a Christmas tree. And while we only heard older holiday songs (or newer artists covering them, like Celine Dion), I think we all came to the agreement that the best "new" holiday song is, and always will be, "All I Want For Christmas is You" by everyone's favorite diva Mariah Carey. I don't care if that song is 20 years old now, it's still new and it's still the best goddamnit.

Okay, onto the food and drink. They had a nice selection of beverages, and I went for a whiskey sour in a mason jar. Sure it was lunch time, but I can't say no to things in mason jars (that's totally a lie. I don't really care about mason jars. Maybe if someone puts a bird on it I'll be more inclined to like it though). It was a nice whiskey sour, a nice balance of alcohol and sour mix. I hate it when there's an unbalance and your stomach basically turns at the flavor, but this was not the case. We were given bread (YES) and we ordered the farinatta bread, which is a thin bread made with garbanzo beans and olive oil. I liked the flavor a lot, but the bread itself was a bit too dry. It was served with roasted peppers and cheese, which helped with the dryness but not quite enough. 

All our meals came with antipasto salad, so we were given a big helping to share. Lettuce, carrots, beans and balsamic dressing. Simple yet the flavors melded together very nicely. Their menu is quite extensive - pasta, pizza, paninis, calzones (Ben Wyatt would be proud), basically anything you would expect to see at an Italian restaurant. It was hard to choose as there were lots of appetizing options (I almost went for the special ravioli of the day with spinach, kale and cheese), but I went for cappellini with olive oil, garlic and chicken. The portion was perfect, and the sauce was light and nicely balanced - not too garlicky or oily. The chicken was cooked to a nice tenderness, and tasted fresh. My only suggestion is that I think the dish would have been better if there were some chunks of roasted garlic mixed in with the pasta - I think that would have really elevated the flavor profile.

mmm... cake....

After finishing our meals, we couldn't resist dessert (and our waiter was pretty good at convincing us to order things) so I went with the dark side of the moon - basically all forms of chocolate in a small, rich cake. It was very good - not the best chocolate dessert I've ever had but certainly hit the spot - but as I mentioned, rather rich. I had about half before I called it quits, but it was a great way to end the afternoon. I also enjoyed a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot with my dessert, as it is my favorite tea. 

whatcha gonna do when
they come for you?

I would be remiss if I did not mention that La Fourno has a private room for pretty much any kind of party you want, and advertises Bad Boys in Bow Ties. I would be curious to see what this experience is like, if anyone wants to throw a birthday party here in the future. For the time however, I think I can settle with enjoying good food and company during a quiet holiday afternoon. La Fourno was delicious and I would most certainly go back to try one of the myriad other options on the menu. 

La Fourno

636 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

(215) 627-9000