Han Dynasty in Philadelphia is Han Chiang's Sichuan room on Chestnut in Old City, the kitchen that ranked the city's spice scale 1 to 10 and made the dan dan noodles famous.
Signature dishes: Dan dan noodles, Dry pot
Must order: Dan dan noodles, dry-pot rabbit at heat 7, three-pepper chicken, mapo tofu.
Tip: Order one dish below the heat level you think you can handle. The 10-spice scale is honest.
Address: 110 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Forsythia in Philadelphia is Christopher Kearse's modern French bistro on Chestnut Street in Old City, a 2025 Michelin Guide selection with rabbit porchetta and bouillabaisse.
Signature: Escargot, Duck a l'orange
Order: The escargot with parsley and shallots; the duck if it appears on that night's tasting menu.
Tip: Happy hour from 16:30 weekdays runs half-price oysters and a French 75. Walk in for it.
Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia is Joe Beddia's Fishtown reincarnation of the Bon Appetit America's Best Pizza of 2015, with a hoagie room behind the dining room.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Hoagie
Order: The margherita with sungold cherry tomatoes; a salad of every herb in the kitchen.
Tip: The hoagie room books separately. Reserve it for groups of four to six who want lunch sandwiches.
Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia is chef Shizhou Da's Shanghai dumpling room, reopened January 2025 on Race Street in Chinatown with a doubled soup-dumpling operation.
Signature: Xiao long bao, Hand-pulled noodles
Order: Xiao long bao by the basket; hand-pulled scallion-pancake noodles; the XL straw soup dumpling.
Tip: Sit at the front window seats to watch the pleating. Cash works but cards land too.
Barbuzzo in Philadelphia is Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran's 13th Street Mediterranean kitchen, open since 2010, anchored by wood-fired pizzas and the salted caramel budino.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Salted caramel budino
Order: The wood-fired pizza of the week; salted caramel budino for dessert, the dish that built its reputation.
Tip: The bar counter overlooking the open kitchen takes walk-ups. It is the room's quietest table on a Friday.
Forsythia in Philadelphia is Christopher Kearse's modern French bistro on Chestnut Street in Old City, a 2025 Michelin Guide selection with rabbit porchetta and bouillabaisse.
Signature: Escargot, Duck a l'orange
Order: The escargot with parsley and shallots; the duck if it appears on that night's tasting menu.
Tip: Happy hour from 16:30 weekdays runs half-price oysters and a French 75. Walk in for it.
Ambra in Philadelphia is Chris D'Ambro and Marina de Oliveira's 16-seat Italian tasting menu on South 4th in Queen Village, the city's most personal multi-course room.
Signature: Tasting menu pasta, Counter-side antipasti
Order: The full nine-course tasting; the four-seat kitchen counter rather than the main table when available.
Tip: Book at exactly 30 days out at 10am on the venue's site. Saturday seatings fill in the first 90 seconds.
Nam Phuong in Philadelphia is the 20-year Vietnamese banquet hall on Washington Avenue, with a 200-item menu running pho, clay pots, banh xeo and bun rieu.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Banh xeo
Order: Pho dac biet (the everything bowl); banh xeo crepe; sugarcane shrimp paste with rice paper rolls.
Tip: The clay-pot section at the back of the menu is the room's quiet best. Order the catfish or the chicken with ginger.
