Gloria H.
Yelp
I used the Yelp reservation for a party of 4 on a weekend - we were all excited to try this spot. However upon arrival, we were told, loudly, that they don't take reservations. We've had issues getting a table in Philly for Friday and Saturday dinner, even for a party of 4, so we wouldn't have tried this place if we knew they didn't honor their Yelp reservation. They really need to remove that.
The dining room is small, with tables on one side and a counter on the other. It was well lit and there was plenty of space to walk around. I appreciated not feeling cramped.
The biggest issue was that it was 31 degrees F outside, with wind gusts of 21mph and there was no barrier between the tables and the door. This made for an extremely uncomfortable dinner as our food (rice, soup) went very cold, very quickly; and anytime someone would walk in and out of the restaurant, there would be a painful gust of wind. At one point, a large party (6 adults + 1 stroller) came to order take out, but they held the door open for several minutes. I was very disappointed that the staff didn't say anything to them about keeping the door closed. In a town that gets as cold as Philly, I'm really surprised they don't do more to keep the cold out.
We ordered several Hainanese chicken sets along with the veggie medley dish. We got 3 boiled and 1 fried chicken set. To quote someone in my party, the fried chicken set tasted like a "better version of KFC, less oily." We wouldn't get it again. The boiled chicken tasted ok, but it really didn't stand out from actual Malaysian restaurants that served a full menu. They asked if we wanted chicken innards with the boiled chicken, and we confirmed and it turned out that it only came with 1 piece per set. The soup that came with the chicken set was pretty good, as was the ginger rice. The veggie medley was bland and either arrived cold, or the gusts of wind from the door cooled it down as it was set on our table.
The service was friendly enough, but I don't think the staff really paid much attention to the floor. I understand it's a more take-out environment, but we did have to go up to the counter more than once to request things.
Overall, it was a disappointing experience. The food was decent, but I've definitely had better in Philly. Add that to the limited menu, I'd definitely go elsewhere for my Hainanese chicken.