764 S 9th St

I don't know where to start. This place is deserves a food inspired Grammy. Everything my wife and I ate was an EXPERIENCE. The beef soup was delicious, the broth was extremely flavorful! I personally preferred the Khao Soi. The creaminess of that curry broth is something I will dream about. The grilled saht koh was special, one bite and you instantly get tickled by the hints of lemongrass. The Thai crab fried rice was delicious and paired nicely with the steak and prohok. The steak was on the medium rare side. I usually go for medium well, but the chimichurri compensated for the soft texture of the meat. We finished the meal with rice pudding as a desert. It was light enough to finish considering all that we ate! 5 stars!!

My favorite new restaurant find of 2024! I absolutely love dining at Mawn and especially getting their beef noodle katiew. Even when I was in my first trimester and often felt naseous, I really enjoyed their beef noodle soups. I only wish it were easier to get reservations! Atmosphere: The ambiance is on the darker side (hence, all my pictures here generally came out blurry since I didn't turn on flash), but the environment is on the nicer side. That said, there were people dressed casually here too. The service is incredible - all the staff are very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Food: Again - I highly recommend trying the beef noodle katiew. It is slightly spicy with the chili jam, but the most flavorful noodle soup I have ever tasted. I also really enjoy the soft shell shrimp, which is very flavorful and on the sweeter side. We almost always get the prohok dip too. We have tried the crab fried rice and a few other of their plates before, but I always come back to their noodles - those are definitely my favorite. Overall: 5+/5 - Truly my new favorite find of 2024. If you haven't been here yet, you definitely should try at least once!

Walked in right as they opened for lunch on a Saturday at 11AM and was able to get a table for two. We ordered the papaya salad, spicy red miso peanut noodles with tofu, the whole fish, and an anise thai tea to split (We were SUPER hungry). The salad was fresh and had a mouth-watering amount of spicy tamarind sauce and the noodles were bouncy and fulfilled my week-long noodle craving. The whole fish was flaky and tasted insane dipped in that scallion oil and seafood sauce--it reminded me a lot of how my Asian mom makes whole fish and I felt happy eating it. I'm glad to say that we both left full and satisfied, and plan on coming back another time to try more items!

We went on a Friday night with a reservation at 5:15p and the place was already packed. We were warmly welcomed by our amazing server, who was incredibly knowledgeable and described the menu with enthusiasm. I decided to try the Khao Soi, while my partner ordered the Mawn Noodle Soup. The dishes arrived quickly. The Mawn Noodle Soup, which was similar to Pho, was light and flavorful. The Khao Soi, however, was the start of the show. It was sooo flavor and every bite was delicious. I still think about it! The restaurant has a nice and warm ambiance, I can't wait to return!

It was definitely a small space and very busy, but the service and staff were fantastic. Unfortunately I had very high hopes and the food did not blow me away at all. The presentation was good but the flavors weren't totally there. The oxtail broth was solid and comforting but nothing standout. I much prefer the khao soi from Soothr in nyc in terms of flavor and texture. The sauce for the scallops was delicious but didn't stick onto the scallops much and there was otherwise nothing to help soak it up or act as a vehicle for the sauce. I also prefer the viet crepe at Nam Phuong in South Philly.

10/10! Just, YES! Mawn is one of those coveted, hard to get reservations in Philly with new restaurant accolades from NY Times and Philly Mag and I totally see why! It's all earned, and no hype at all! Everything was good! But in case you get overwhelmed by the menu, go for the $65 pp tasting menu (Puck & See) where the kitchen chooses for you! Everything is served family sized with shareable plates and the value to portion ratio is perfect. You can still add on to your dining experience with the a la Carte menu options, if there is something on your must have list. Some of my favorites: Whole fish (Dorado) Short rib Ginger and melon salad The only thing I didn't have that I really wanted was the funnel cake, but it's enough of a reason to return.

I'm generally not one to go to trendy hard to get in places. But I came here about a year ago and had a great meal including the night market noodles. And honestly - I had never tasted anything like the lime/herb flavor in this meal before. So now Mawn is a place we try to come to whenever we can get a reservation. When we snagged a hard to get Saturday 7pm res we had to go last night. My boyfriend was pushing for the tasting menu - which I was almost talked into- as long as we could request to have the night market noodles. Then the people at the table next to us said they wanted to give us advice - which included us needing to order the Banh Chow salad - which is not something stood out on the menu to me. So we just decided to order a bunch of things including that salad. And that salad was unbelievably good - I will now order that every time I come. We also got the prohak dip (so good!), the special of the night - short ribs, and the wagu oxtail soup. I loved everything except I prob wouldn't order the soup again - it was good but nothing overly special. We left stuffed with food to go and will be back again sometime soon!!

One of my favorite restaurants in Philly, Mawn is a small restaurant with creative yet comforting dishes. Overall The apps here are absolutely amazing. I have loved every noodle dish especially the ramen two ways. Loved the dorade as the whole fish-but beware of bones! Desserts are not special but not what i come to Mawn for. Will be back soon and often!

Really really good. This place is small and intimate and we had to try for weeks trying to get a reservation! When we walked in, we were greeted right away and was sat few minutes later. The server was very friendly and answered all the questions we had when it came to dietary restrictions. One of my friend has a celiacs and it's a great feeling when the server is super knowledgeable on what we can order and also the restaurant offers tons of gluten free options! Every single dish we had was delicious and filling. Can't wait to come back here again!!

Made a MAWN reservation with high anticipation and excitement. Decided to try some items on the menu I hadn't a year ago. The service and food is perfection. Sad I missed the window of opportunity to make a reservation for December but will surely set my alarm for January 2025. head on soft shell shrimp - is super flavorful and not oily at all, the huge pieces of thai basil cut through the crispiness mahope samut - the red curry mole transported me back to the mole I had in Mexico years ago, the scallops themselves were pretty big and cooked perfectly, they were not rubbery at all and the peanuts hidden in the mole provided great texture yellow curry noodle soup - was some of the best yellow curry dish I have ever had, I got it with tofu and would like to get it again with lump crab, huge portions, I ended up having leftovers and the dish was even better the next day, I also love the crunch from the long beans funnel cake - this funnel cake isn't your ordinary funnel cake you get at a carnival, it has miso caramel and macaroon coconut in it, I am not a huge fan of miso, HOWEVER, thought this well amazing and a great concept. I also appreciated that the funnel cake wasn't drenching in oil and it wasn't overly crispy Love MAWN, can't wait to come back! Also Dustin was great, he talked to us after our meal about his favorite restaurants in the area and reminded us when the reservation window opened again. He was super attentive!

love love love! mawn reigns as my favorite restaurant in philly, and i can't rave enough about how obsessed i am with this place. last night was my FIFTH time back at mawn (and dare i say, i already have a reservation booked for a sixth visit later this month?) every single dish here is truly spectacular and packed with flavor. i have nothing but good things to say, my only complaint would be how hard it is to get a reservation. (make sure to snag one when reservations open the first of every month at noon!)

Wonderful food. The seafood fried rice is so well done (and I know how hard to make this simple dish so perfectly as I make fried rice occasionally myself). The fried chicken skin and wild boar prohok dip are both so tasty. We also ordered khao soi which is also solid. So many other dishes I want to try and definitely coming back.

We had a reservation and we were late because of work and traffic. They don't have a listed phone number, so we couldn't alert them. We were still seated - they just let us know the next reservation time they had to accommodate at that table. We otherwise never felt rushed. Our waiter had such great energy and knew the menu well. The restaurant is small and offers an intimate setting. This was my second time here and my friend's first time, so I'll talk about the food from both visits. The service was great both times. We ordered the soft shell shrimp, which were so flavorful. The shrimp themselves were seasoned well and cooked perfectly (not too chewy) and they had a balanced sweet and savory taste. One of my favorite items on the menu. We got the cabbage, which was cooked tender and also really flavorful. I got the chicken skins on my last visit, which were fried to perfection and had nice seasoning. The pieces were a bit large for me, but still tasty. I also got the banh chow salad on my last visit, which was similar to the papaya salads I had in Northern Thailand in taste except there was like a breaded dumpling that you mixed in, which was delicious. We got the whole fish. They cut it for you, but do not filet it. The fish was tender and mild. The marinade was muy rica with a little tanginess. It is served with white rice, which we didn't even touch. Lol. We got the crab fried rice, which had PLENTY of crab and was well seasoned. My friend used the hot sauce it came with - which he liked. He almost ate the entire bowl of fried rice himself, and he kept commenting on how good it was. On my first visit, I got the Khai soi. I have to be honest that my introduction to this stew/noodle dish was in Northern Thailand at a "restaurant" that was only outside with wooden tables and paper as placemats where they cook on a burner and there is no menu - the only thing you can order is khao soi. With that context, this khao soi was just okay to me and lacked a little flavor, especially compared to everything else I ate. And I got the beef katiew this time, which was SO tasty that I wanted to just drink the broth. The ox tail was tender and well seasoned. The soup was minimally spicy despite the chili jam and pickled jalapenos. Finally, we got the funnel cake for dessert and oh my goodness - a nice crunch and still somehow soft. The miso caramel at the bottom was soooo good and soaked into the funnel cake. Just an overall amazing meal! **If it was easier to get reservations, I'd come back every 1-2 months, lol. Definitely a must try!

We've been wanting to try Mawn for so long but always hard to get a table. Finally made it and it didn't disappoint! The server was very nice to introduce the menu and gave recommendations. It's a small place so no wonder it's impossible to get a reservation. We tried the crepe, which is similar to the Thai crepe, but with extra texture and flavors. The whole fish was highly recommended and definitely worth it - very fresh, crispy skin, meaty texture, paired with nice sauce and lots of herbs. Be careful with small bones though even after they help debone the main part. Crab fried rice came in a good portion with lump crabs and fried eggs, absolutely flavorful. We ended up with quite some leftover rice and still good the second day. Will definitely come back to try their noodles and other dishes - if we can get a reservation!

Go right when they open to minimize waiting waiting time. My party and I arrived 15 minutes after they opened and the restaurant was full. For a party of 4, we waited about 40 mins before we were seated. Once inside, the food came out fresh and surprisingly quick after we ordered. The restaurant itself is very homey and non-pretentious, but quite small with about 10 tables catered mainly to seat parties of 2-6; so if you have a large event, call ahead to see if they could group a few tables together for you. The staff here is very friendly and attentive, but I could tell their main concern was turnover, which I didn't mind since the food here was quite delicious. Pro-tip: Angelo's pizza is right down the street - go place your order while waiting for a table at Mawn (if you have to wait for a table) and pick up your pizza when you're done eating at Mawn (pies and sandwiches take about 45 mins or so to make given the demand) & they keep the food in a warmed chamber

This place is soooo good. Authentic, unique food that's big in flavor. Friendly service and a cute atmosphere. Highly recommend!

The place was cozy and quite intimate. Attention is given to you as soon as you walk in. The food presentation is very good and appreciated.Plus the food is delicious. And the prices is quite reasonable for what you get. I recommend the Puck and See. All in all great experience.

I remember this location back when the old Kalaya was here, so when I heard Mawn took its place, it had big shoes to fill. That was a couple years ago. Fast forward to today, Mawn is one of the hardest reservations to come by in Philly (make sure to get your reservations 2 months in advance). Mawn is a rather smaller, yet comfy venue. Low lighting and an intimate feel makes this the perfect date spot. Staff are very friendly, accommodating, attentive, and actually, familiar. I came back when they opened and again a week ago and I recognized a few faces. To me, that means they enjoy working here which is definitely a plus. Now food. The food I would say is Cambodian / Thai and the restaurant is filled with an authentic aroma from the kitchen. My partner and I had shared the following: Scallops in yuzu (special for the night) (4.5/5): The yuzu dressing was the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness to complement the fresh scallops. A very well balanced dish. For me, I wish there was just a touch of salt. Steamed clams (4.5/5): This was a table favorite the first time I came and the second time I came. The lemongrass and basil broth is super comforting and warm. Definitely a dish to be enjoyed with a side of bread. I would get this again and again. I will say, the second time I got it, it was actually a little on the salty side. Banh Chow Salad (4/5): I really liked the crepe covered in salad. Savory and sweet paired very nicely. To enhance the dish, my partner actually used the yuzu dressing from the scallops and that made this dish even better. Cabbage (4.5/5): Bravo. Coming from an Asian background, I yearn for the "wok fire" in dishes using a wok. It's basically the "char" you get from a wok and it's super flavorful. This dish did not disappoint with that flavor. It hit the spot! Perfect crunch and fry. Also, slightly on the salty side. All star seafood fried rice (5/5): Yes, I know, $52 for fried rice?? Was it worth it? Kind of a toss up. This dish was my favorite because of the umami of the seafood and the rice had that perfect "wok fire" I mentioned for the cabbage. Nice sear on the scallops, crab was super fresh, and all the ingredients complemented each other very well. Excellent! Uni wasn't my favorite and I wouldn't recommend the sauce given because it overpowers the seafood, but every bite was well balanced and bursting with flavor. I would definitely reorder this for a special occasion. Still kind of hurts to pay $52 for fried rice haha I can definitely see why Mawn is a Philly favorite and difficult to snag a reservation, but from my experience, it is well worth it. With its authentic flavors, humble staff, and intimate venue, Mawn is among my favorites in Philly~

Never would I expect my favorite meal in Philly to be a Southeast Asian restaurant. My wife and I found out about this restaurant a week before our trip, and dinner reservations were completely booked by then. We were lucky to do a walk-in for lunch and ended up waiting for about 40 minutes. I highly recommend booking your reservation far in advance through Tock, reservation dates come out a month prior. Mawn is a very cozy restaurant with some tables only a foot away from each other. The staff are very welcoming and attentive, chatting with us about our visit and answering all our questions about the menu. Yellow Curry Noodle Soup w/ Chicken: 5/5 - On a cold 30-degree day, this warmed the soul. Bold curry notes carried through the light yet creamy broth with the perfect amount of heat. Tender pieces of chicken and soft, chewy noodles soaked up all that delicious curry broth. All-Star Seafood Fried Rice: 4.5/5 - Crab. Shrimp. Scallop. Trout Roe. Uni. All on top of effing crab fat butter fried freaking rice. Ohh heck yeah brotha! You best believe this was amazing! Flavor bomb of sweet, salty, and umami. Tender seafood, soft and fluffy rice with those bits and pieces of crispiness. I only wish I had some heat component on the side to add, like pickled chilies in fish sauce. But OMG... AHH-MAZINGG. We also ordered a Thai tea that matched our taste so well. Most Thai teas are overly sweet and milky, but not at Mawn. Mawn's had a strong tea flavor with the perfect balance of sweetness. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 We wanted to try so many other dishes, so we would come back to Philly just for this!

Great restaurant. Amazing food. Exceptional service. Very unique menu. We were lucky to get rezzies for dinner. We were seated quickly. The food came at a great pace. The pork appetizer and crab fried rice were the favorites. Highly recommend. The soup was good but will prob try another one next time. The cold noodle dish looked popular. The funnel cake was amazing. Cant wait to return. Definitely one of the best places in the city.

So glad to have visited this place. I went during the late lunch hours, so the wait was not too long for me (still like 15 minutes). Mawn is a famous Cambodian restaurant known as a noodle house with no rules. The noodles did not disappoint, and the softshell shrimp was so delicious. You actually eat the shrimp with the show, and it quite an experience. The ambience is cozy and exquisite. You can see them preparing the noodles.

Mawn was so good and not too overly priced! This place is so hard to get a reserevation, but it is BYOB. The resturant itself is very small inside so I can see why its so difficult to get a reservation. We had a reservation for 4 almost 2 months in advance. There are not too many Cambodian resturants around the area so I was super excited to try. We ordered the fried chicken skin & prahok dip for apps. We ordered night market noodles, the fish, the fried chicken, khao soi noodles, and market vegables they had at the time. My all time favorite is the prahok dip, it is a must get! The khao soi is also very different from the typical khao soi. I will defintely be back to try other things on the menu!

Cute ambiance, good attentive and welcoming service, great food! Do not miss out if you can get a reservation! We were able to snag a reservation on a Saturday at 5pm. We were seated immediately in a small but cozy dining area, right against the front window so we could people-watch while we ate. The place is BYOB but they also have some teas and other drinks you can order. I got the house lemonade. It was not too sweet and was minty. It was refreshing. All food is served as it becomes ready but for an appetizer, we got the prohok dip. I really enjoyed adding the pork dip to the crunchy refreshing cabbage leaves. The dip was savory and flavorful! We ordered the khao soi and the beef noodle katiew as the main dishes with the market vegetable with egg as a side. For just cabbage with seasoning and a runny egg, the market veggie was so delicious! Perfectly salty and tasty with the egg adding a bit of butteriness. It was one of my favorite dishes. Khao soi was rich, the chicken was tender. Great dish! My husband ordered the beef noodle katiew which was also a flavorful noodle soup. We finished with the funnel cake which was perfectly crispy and crunchy on top and then light, fluffy, spongy moist on the bottom. It had a wonderful caramel sauce on it as well! Overall, this was a stellar restaurant. The reservation process is a little difficult but if you can get one, it is well worth the wait!

A lot of hype and definitely worth it! I happened to check their reservations app on a Thursday evening and snagged one for the next day. My only con that it's so so dark inside and it's hard to see the details of their wonderful food. Our server Emmanuel was very friendly. For 2 people, we ordered the scallop crudo, beef noodle katiew, khao soi, the Thai crab fried fried, and funnel cake. All flavors were balanced perfectly and we cleaned our plates. And their cantaloupe agua Fresca was a good palate cleanser! MUST try when in Philly!

The best crab fried rice we've ever had!! We came here around 12 on a weekday, and it was already pretty packed. It's a small cozy space, so prepare to wait if you come at peak time. We ordered the crab fried rice and fried chicken and we didn't realize the portion was pretty generous, so it was too much food between two people. The fried chicken was crispy and the side of pickled vegetables paired extremely well with it. But the highlight was definitely the crab fried rice. You can taste the freshness of the crab and it came with a sour spicy Cambodian chili, which totally elevated the dish. Will recommend a visit if you're in Philly.

Visiting New Yorker here Mawn was *excellent* If you're looking for food that's new but also comforting, this is the place to go. If you're a fan of Thai food, Mawn has Cambodian food that is somewhat similar but also refreshingly different. You'll find some dishes that may seem the same, but you'll come to realize that the nuances make it such a differing experience. My friend and I ordered the papaya salad, beef noodle katiew, and night market noodle. I recommend all three of these dishes. They complemented each other perfectly. It hits all the umami spots without making you feel heavy. I think I was lucky with my experience -- we lined up early on a weekend right before they opened and were able to snag a table pretty quickly. So if you don't have a reservation, I would recommend lining up 15 min before, as there was quickly a line that formed after us. Otherwise, service was excellent. Our waiter was kind and extremely attentive. He was also helpful with what options to choose from.

I think I'm not the intended audience here. I grew up eating some Cambodian food, and the food here is delicious and well done but it wasn't what I was expecting, especially upon walking in and hearing the Cambodian music that I grew up listening to. This is fusion food. The menu suggests Lao, Burmese, Thai and Viet influences. I ordered the prahok, which wasn't nearly as fermented as I'd thought it should be. It tasted more like an Americanized-Thai-influence dip. Was it tasty? Yes! But not like the prahok I know. Also got the $52 seafood fried rice, which I didn't love. It was good but not great, and it really didn't need that mix of seafood. The seafood itself was very fresh and perfectly cooked, though. The fried whole fish was the closest to legit. Super tender and crisp, great flavor on the sauce. I picked it to the bone, even ate the eyeballs lol. For dessert, we got the banana rice pudding with mango mousse. My husband really enjoyed it, but I thought it was just good. Wish there'd been more diversity in texture on it. Service was great! Fast, friendly, and attentive. It's a cute, intimate spot that could be a lil classy, a lil casual. Again, I think I'm the wrong audience for this. It's hard to impress someone who's grown up eating this kind of food for a fraction of the cost. I might be back for lunch to try the noodles, but I don't think I'd try for dinner again. Last I checked, though, it's completely booked up for the next three months! I'm also sure this restaurant has the potential to grow into something greater. Glad they're trying what they're trying!

One of the best dinners we've had in Philly this year and well worth the 3 month wait for our reservation! We had heard so many accolades for Mawn, and since it's only 2 blocks from home, we knew we had to make a trip. We visited on a Saturday evening, and we waited for a few mins as they got our table together. Mawn is in the former Kalaya spot in the Italian Market, so it's a small rowhome with limited seating (hence the long wait for reservations). But the vibe is on point - loved all the mirrors on the wall and the view into the kitchen from the dining room. Everyone working was incredibly friendly and kind, offering suggestions for dishes as we requested. Having never experienced Cambodian cuisine before, these recommendations were highly appreciated! Mawn does offer a tasting menu for the indecisive folks, but we decided to just order a la carte. We started with the head-on soft shrimp which was honestly one of the best dishes I have ever had. The fish sauce caramel was so delightful and unique, and it paired so well with the Thai basil. The fish itself was nicely crispy and just a standout bite all around. Per our server's rec, we also got their veggie of the day (cabbage) with a Thai-style fried egg on top. I would have never otherwise thought to put an egg on top of a veggie dish like this, but the creaminess of the egg nicely balanced the crunch from the cabbage. We rounded out our starters with a daily special - scallops crudo, which was so fresh and balanced with crispy bits, basil, and chili crisp on top. For our main dishes, we decided on the whole fish, which was so fresh and with excellent flavors. Having the bone-in is always a challenge, but makes for a more fun experience. We also went for the khao soi, featuring chili jam, chicken, and both crunchy and soft ramen. The Thai curry flavors on this were outstanding, and the various unique ingredients just meshed so well to provide so much complexity but excellence to the dish. Mawn is BYOB, so we shared a bottle of white wine with our meal, which was a solid pairing. We were too stuffed by the end of our meal to indulge in dessert, but their funnel cake with miso caramel was certainly intriguing. Overall, we had a 10/10 experience at Mawn, and I could not recommend it more for anyone wanting the best of the Philly food scene. The pricing is incredibly fair, and especially considering you save $$ with it being BYOB, it's a great deal for city dining. Next time, I would definitely go for the tasting menu to reduce the number of decisions. Can't wait to return! Thanks for such a wonderful and memorable dinner, Mawn (and welcome to the neighborhood)!

I've heard only great things since this place opened. We finally made a reservation for 4 so we can order and share all the dishes. This place is BYOB! The waiter reminded us that here is also a liquor store not too far down the street so if you forgot to bring something definitely stop by before coming in. We ordered: 1. Fried chicken skin 2. Head on soft shell shrimp 3. Banh chow salad 4. Fried chicken 5. Oxtail and wagyu katiew 6. Khao Soi Everything was amazing but if I have to pick fewer dishes for two people only I would highly recommend the head on soft shell shrimp, banh chow salad, Khao soi, and the oxtail and wagyu katiew. For the crispy soft shell shrimp - eat it whole, including the face! It's part of the experience. Definitely make this your next night out either for a date or with your friend and family. The dishes are meant to be shared so you can try all the different flavors.

Food: very unique and flavorful. We were incredibly impressed with all of the dishes we tried. We asked our waiter for recommendations and he did not lead us astray. The beef skewer was especially amazing, it essentially melted in your mouth. A fair warning: the night market noodles is described as cold but they mean cold - if you add protein it is also cold, which made it feel like I was eating a plate directly out of the fridge. Didn't love that. Service: nice, no complaints. Ambiance: BYOB!! Love byobs. There is also a close fine wine nearby on south so you could easily grab a bottle or two before dinner. Overall: would recommend for a unique food experience.

amazing lunch at mawn, can't wait to return for dinner. The service was friendly, food arrived quickly, everything was delicious. The peanut noodles with prohok were delicious - springy thick egg noodles coated in a delicious sauce with pork. The soft shell fried shrimp were also amazing - perfectly cooked, nice little fish sauce caramel on them. lunch is walk in only, it's a small space

#1 tell that this restaurant is good: THEIR KHAO SOI ISN'T SWEET Like cloyingly overly sweet like most restaurants, even critically acclaimed restaurants known for their Khao soi. I almost never order it because chances are, it's like drinking candy soup. But I took a chance here because it is my ultimate benchmark. And it was amazing! Perfectly balanced. And everything else is very delicious too. We ordered waaaaay too much food, our leftovers were like 3 meals. And it was all delicious, zero misses whatsoever. In general it's not overly fussy food but very precisely made and also very bold in flavor. No sweeting up their Khao soi or milding down their chili dips for the white ppl masses here, and it's amazing to see Philly fully welcome and embrace that. The seafood fried rice is probably the most memorable thing I'll eat in a long while. The crab butter permeates throughout, there's a good amount of wok hei, a TON of seafood and the portion is massive. Huge bargain for what you get, and every bite is heavenly. Uncle Roger would be proud. The only thing I would not get again is the mawn Noodle soup, it's kind of similar to most Hu tieu / Cambodian rice Noodle you can get in Vietnamese / Cambodian restaurants. It's a little more aromatic but when you're here, you should go for their more special takes. Fried chicken, Pra hok, steak, etc... Servers are trained to guide you through if it's your first time eating this kind of food, so it's very approachable - try something new here, it'll be good!

Had to make a reservation about a month in advance to eat here. This is an awesome restaurant and certainly worth the wait. Everything I had was expertly done, plated well, and absolutely delicious. Our server was an expert and made our dining experience seem like a Michelin star experience (Emmanuel I think). I really didn't know what to expect with any of these dishes as I didn't look at the Yelp photos beforehand, but I was pleasantly surprised by each one -- each one creative and executed very well. Prohok Dip - The crisp and large cabbage pieces really made this dish -- each piece firm, holding the dip well and providing a refreshing element to the dish. The dip itself was flavorful -- very savory. At times, this was a little messy as the sauce really didn't have much to latch onto, but the textures and flavors worked really nicely together. Market Vegetables - Another round of crisp cabbage in this dish. Here, the seasoning was the star of the show, which coated the veggies and the egg. Very good. The seasoning was really everything. I probably would swap this for another dish next time, but worth trying. Beef Noodle Soup - The oxtail was the star of this dish -- so tender. The beef was good too, but I could've eaten the oxtail all day. The dish in general is very similar to pho, so if you like pho, you'll love this. This was a fairly large dish, but still best as a single person item -- hard to share this one. Khao Soi - This one was a little difficult to share too -- but we did it. This was probably my favorite of the night. So delicious and savory. So many flavors melding together to make this dish absolutely excellent. Plated well too. Highly recommend this one. The crispy noodles were fun too and helped to break up the texture. Funnel Cake - At the end of our meal, I really thought this would be too much since we were stuffed, but it seemed much lighter than other funnel cakes I've had. We shared this dish, and it was the perfect size. The caramel sauce was light and abundant. The actual cake was fluffy and mildly sweet. The coconut wasn't very prominent, but I really liked this one. Value: 4/5 Quality: 5/5 Quantity: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: 4/5

Came here with a friend when visiting Philly. It was one of the restaurants on her list. It was packed and we had to wait over an hour... Had appetizer shrimp, crab fried rice, and Chinese style steamed whole fish. The fish was expensive and underwhelming (I could do better than that myself), but the crab fried rice was really good. There was a good portion of lump crab meat in there and the dish was filling and tasty.

I love Mawn! This was my second time here and each time I'm there I'm so excited to dig into the food that I forget to take pictures of the beautiful dishes that come out! It's a cute spot that took over Kalaya's spot in the Italian market. It's a tiny restaurant but it's not too loud and the service is always impecable. I've had the following dishes: Saht koh 4/5 Crispy chicken skin 5/5 Special hummus with shaking beef 5/5 Burmese ginger and melon salad 4.5/5 Thai crab fried rice 4.5/5 without the hot sauce 5/5 with the hot sauce oxtail and wagyu katiew 4/5 khao soi 5/5 The crispy chicken skin is light and airy with an extremely palatable crunch and the dipping sauce to go with it is a perfect balance of flavor. The most recent time we went they were testing a new dish, hummus with beef, and I loved the different spin on hummus! It was served with cabbage and thinly sliced beets. I really enjoyed this. My partner, who doesn't like hummus, was raving about it all night. I think what made it all work was that it was served warm. Really you can't go wrong with anything you order here. I've left happy and with plenty of left overs each time. I 10/10 recommend this place.

Wow! Been meaning to try this place but it can be difficult to get a reservation. We were finally able to snag one, and it definitely lives up to the hype and worth the wait!! Service was impeccable, wait staff were very attentive and knew and explained the menu well. We ordered the prohok dip (must get!!!), crispy chicken skin, market vegetables, whole fish, fried chicken, khao soi, and night market noodles for 4 people. We were stuffed. It's also BYOB as well. This was great way to taste the different dishes and we loved all of them. However the prohok dip, vegetables, whole fish, and night market noodles definitely stood out. I can't wait to come back to try other dishes!

Another amazing meal at Mawn. I waited a little over three months for a reservation but I needed a table for 4. Everything was just as great as it was the first time I was here but this time, I got to share the evening with my 3 daughters. They too loved every bite. Order anything. Truly. Then sit back and enjoy the depth of flavor in every dish (don't skip the branzino !) Not to mention amazing staff. What a delight!

Cambodian restaurant located in the Bella vista neighborhood of south Philly. The food was so amazing. The clams in the lemongrass broth, delicious! The uni topped off with the roe over the seafood fried rice was so good, you definitely taste the southeast asian flavors. Plus it's a byob so bring your own

Third time is a charm, but so were the first and second times. We've been wanting to come back here since our first 2 visits. Each time leaving way too full, and very satisfied. There's nothing ordinary about Mawn, but they are able to elevate simple Cambodian comfort dishes to this sophisticated level of balanced deliciousness I haven't experienced elsewhere. Today we tried chicken skin, some kind of random salad, and garlicky cabbage that were all fantastic. Not to judge a book by it's cover, but we weren't expecting to be THAT impressed by those menu items -but we were! Such unique flavors! All my preconceptions instantly erased with the first bite (learned to trust the staff suggestions, thanks Isaac, after my first visits). Wonderful service from Chelsea, Rachel, Emmanuel (ask him about the wall art) and someone I didn't catch the name of, but to be honest, I wouldn't care if they treated me poorly with food THIS good. Three phenomenal experiences in a row from my #1 favorite restaurant in Philly!

Really incredible flavors and all around delicious food. Service is prompt and they are definitely trying to get tables turned.

I'm late to this review but really did love my meal at Mawn. The head-on soft-shell shrimp ($16) was one of the first items that arrived at our table and was one of the highlights. Served with a savory-sweet fish sauce caramel and little accents of birds eye chili and Thai basil, each bite was perfect. We also ordered the Cambodian papaya salad ($15), the beef noodle soup ($18), and the night market noodles ($21). We really enjoyed the beef noodle soup. The broth was super flavorful and the mix of herbs, accented by dill, added to the complexity of the dish. The night market noodles were good, but we'd likely opt for something else next time. Mawn stepped into some big shoes, taking over Kalaya's old spot, and they've more than met the challenge. They were out of prohok dip the night we went, so we're definitely looking forward to trying that soon!

Hit up Mawn to celebrate a friends birthday! We went during brunch on a Sunday and had about a 30 minute wait. Their check-in process wasn't very smooth though, there was no real order and just random employees asking people how many. I've never had Cambodian before so I was a little nervous to try something out of my comfort zone but boy was everything incredible! The salad was super tasty and the noodles were even better! Very small restaurant so you're definitely going to be on top of each other but an enjoyable experience nonetheless!

Finally checked out Mawn two weeks ago, and it exceeded expectations. I was worried Mawn may have been overhyped, but we were not disappointed. The only thing we ordered that I did not enjoy was the beef ribeye on stick (Saht koh). I did not like the doneness of it and felt that it should have been cooked longer. The crispy chicken skin with hull sauce was a great starter. The hull sauce was no joke spicy, but I quickly learned to love it. Also, it paired so well with the chicken skin. We also got the crab fried rice. The crab fried rice on the menu goes for $34, but the crab fried rice on the Specials menu, which included one softshell crab and a couple of scallops, was $55. Upon hearing the words "softshell crab" and "scallops," we were sold. $20 for softshell crab and scallops was not unreasonable. The math made sense. You can't even be mad. My husband and I took turns taking big bites of fried rice. It was so good. Next was the Khao soi. We've never had Khao Soi before and were very excited to try the dish. Of course, that tasted amazing as well. Everything was so good, we didn't even care to leave room for dessert. Still, there are things on the menu I want to try! The service was great from start to finish. Even though the restaurant was very busy, we never once felt neglected. Our server was super friendly and made sure we were enjoying ourselves at all times.

My partner and I heard about this place from seeing many glowing reviews online and wanted to give it a try. Their reservations were all booked up for the next 2 months, but we lucked out and saw a random opening one day and decided to grab it. We ordered their: (1) beef noodle soup (rating 5.0/5) -- They don't call it pho, but for all intents and purposes, it's essentially pho... and quite a phenomenal bowl of pho it is. Let me tell you, I've had probably over 100+ bowls of pho in my life from many different places (including many of the top pho spots in Philly), and this was honestly was one of my favorite bowls of pho ever. The oxtail was tender, the sliced wagyu beef was fatty in the best way, and the broth was super flavorful. They don't skimp on the portion either. (2) steak & prohok (rating 2.5/5) -- This was a 20 oz ribeye that my partner and I were really excited for, but unfortunately the dish was relatively disappointing. There was quite a bit of chewy gristle and silver skin that we ended up needing to spit out. The steak also had a fairly uneven cook, with some slices coming out medium rare (what we wanted) while other slices were well-done. It's hard to cook a large steak perfectly evenly because the edges will be cooked more, but the amount of well-done pieces were quite significant. However, the traditional Cambodian flavors came through nicely, and the pieces that were tender and medium rare were very enjoyable. Maybe Mawn had an off-night with the steak though, since everything else was delicious. (3) crab fried rice (rating 5.0/5) -- This was an fantastic dish, and the portion was generous. They didn't skimp on the crab either, so we got some crab with every bite. I thought the overall flavor of everything combined was excellent, although one slight negative might be it was a tad bit on the salty side. (4) funnel cake (rating 4.5/5) -- This was one of the better desserts we've had in a restaurant and possibly the best funnel cake we've ever had (although to be fair, most of the other ones we've had were at carnivals or theme parks). This was light, fluffy, and not overly sweet - overall just delicious. The only thing that would have made this better would be a scoop of ice cream or maybe a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Service Notes: The workers seemed friendly and were attentive. When we asked for things, like an extra spoon or to-go box, they got it for us right away instead of keeping us waiting. TLDR: This place is very good and I would have given it 5 stars if the steak was a little better. Again, maybe they had an off-night with the steak because everything else was delicious. I would happily come back to Mawn to see if the next visit earns 5 stars, and if the other dishes we got are an indicator, I think they have a good chance to getting it.

FANTASTIC restaurant and I'll definitely be back!! Everything was just so wonderful. The staff are so warm and friendly, the restaurant is quite cute (but definitely a bit tight) and I loved that you could actually have a conversation and hear each other without screaming. They have music playing but it's not overwhelming and the acoustics are good. Now, onto the BEST part....the food! For appetizers, we ordered the Saht Koh and the special which was hummus with beef. The Saht Koh is so soft and tender and the lemongrass flavor is mild but there...just perfectly balanced. The slaw and pickles add some great texture and tang to eat with the beef. But the shining star was the hummus. O-M-G, so, so good!!! We ordered way too much food and I was still contemplating ordering more hummus (should have and taken it home). The hummus is so creamy and silky and the beef is so soft and flavorful. Every bit was a burst of fantastic flavor. I also liked the various veggies that were served with the hummus, the radishes were my favorite. I really hope they add the hummus permanently to the menu because it's just too good to not always be offered. Next up we went to the noodles section of the menu and got the Beef Noodle Soup and the Night Market Noodles. Both very tasty! The hot sauce that comes with the Beef Noodle Soup is a bit sweet and spicy and was really good to add a light kick to the soup. The various herbs in the soup give more depth and make each bite more interesting. I can't comment on the meat in the soup because I didn't eat it...preference only as I prefer no meat sometimes. The Night Market Noodles are flavorful and nice and light. We couldn't finish the noodles so we took the home to our kids who really enjoyed them. Lastly, we ordered the Fried Chicken and Whole Fish. I didn't love the fried chicken. I found it to be the least flavorful and exciting of all the dishes we had so we took that home to our kids too. But that fish...come on! It is too darn good! When we sat down our waiter told us there was one order or fish left so before he could turn to walk away, we made sure to get the fish order in. So glad we did. That fish is so fresh, so delicate and so packed with flavor. It is the best thing I've eaten in a while. The rice that comes with the dish is so fluffy and perfect to soak up some of that wonderful sauce that is on the fish. The fish is 10 out of 10! As I said, I'll for sure go back and if the hummus is still available, I'll be getting that and the fish for sure.

I am in love with this place!!! This small Cambodian restaurant is located in South Philly and it's where you can try dishes you won't be able to find anywhere else in the city! My friend brought me here because she said it was her favorite restaurant in Philly and I can definitely understand why! The service, ambiance, and food exceed the scale!! Emmanuel, our server, was such a joy to talk to and made sure we were treated well during our time at Mawn. The owner also came to our table a few times to ask what we thought of the dishes. I loved how attentive and friendly they were! Everything on the menu sounded delicious! My friend and I opted to try the papaya salad, whole grilled fish, and beef noodle soup. Papaya salad: wow.. This was a great starter!! It's refreshing and packs SO MUCH flavor! It also has quite a spice kick! The various herbs tie in a refreshing aspect while the peanuts, shredded cabbage, and carrots add layers of textures. I absolutely loved this dish! Beef noodle soup: I've never had anything like this before! I was expecting this dish to taste similar to pho based off of the presentation; however, the broth tasted buttery and smooth and the meats were so tender. Whole fish: This fish is huge! Definitely a generous portion of fish compared to other restaurants I've been to in the city. The fish is topped with herbs, ginger scallion hot oil, and a fish sauce vinaigrette. Loved the flavors and it did not leave me feeling heavy or oiled out. I was honestly sad to leave this place. Everyone at Mawn created such a warm and inviting environment and although I was stuffed, the food I tried here left me wanting more.

I came here for a solo dining experience before my plans later that evening. I was so excited to finally try this place after the rave reviews on Yelp! There were so many things I want to get but I chose two items on the menu to try this time. First off the staff was very attentive and nice. My glass of water was always refilled and they were there to answer any questions. I also appreciate a place that take allergens seriously. I got the chicken skins with hull sauce since it was a unique item I haven't seen on my menus. For a simple dish the chicken skin was crispy and seasoned very well. It was elevated by a spicy green hull sauce. Very delicious. I got the whole fish which was omg to die for! Flakey white fish, seasoned beautifully with that sauce! Wow blown away. Only thing I would suggest it to bring more white rice for such a huge fish. Great meal and service! I dined next to a mom and her two year old. They accommodated them very well! As a mom I appreciate a family friendly place that has outstanding food :) I will def. Be back for more :)

My daughters and I came here around 5:45 (without reservations) and we were seated within 5 minutes. The hostess, which I believe to be the owner, greeted us with her big & beautiful smile. Our server, Chelsey, was exceptional and knowledgeable about Khmer cuisine. She gave us water right away and recommendations for food. She also told us the specials for the evening (with prices). They checked on us to make sure everything was good. It wasn't good. It was great. Everything we've ordered was wonderful. Packed with enough heat and savory flavors. My girls were also impressed. One of them was about to shed a tear while indulging each bite. The restaurant is nicely decorated and they also play Khmer oldies music. Very nostalgic. Will definitely be back.

They cook their asses off here. Been here twice, once in the Spring '23 for lunch and then recently. At the time, the lunch menu was limited ish, but was enough to place a seed of "damn we have to get back." The ascent happened rapidly, and the hype is real. The Khao Soi was rich and full of depth. The scallop crudo (special) was unreal (maybe a touch too fish saucy), head on shrimp was excellent, fried chicken delicious and banh chow salad was something I'd eat daily for every meal. That banh chow salad, man. So so good. Service was personable and sincere when there were delays. My only issue was when pacing of plates. Some too quick, some too long. But whatever, I'll come back whenever I can. Inside was very remnant of the previous tenant, but loved the mini sound system.