Ashley P.
Yelp
I go here a lot. This long review was a long time coming. Let's start with the appetizers.
1. salt baked squid: Lee How Fook is back on top with the #1 best tasting salt baked squid in Philly. There was a moment earlier this year that I thought they lost it, but it may have just been a bad day for the cook. Last night, they cooked it perfectly. It's not listed as an appetizer, but we always order it as one.
2. pork soup dumplings: The have pork soup dumplings now - recently added to the menu. When my partner and I saw it, we knew we needed to try theirs out. The meat part was good and I appreciated that the breading was thin, but they definitely need to ass more soup to it. I feel like I barely had any soup and it was just another regular dumpling. From the little sip of soup that was there, it tasted pretty good. I hope they update it since they are trying new things.
3. shumai (Cantonese): The shumai is always good here. They did update the recipe earlier this year and it tasted like they added mushrooms to it. No complaints here, it still tastes great.
4. BBQ roast pork: The one thing I tried in the past that I really didn't like was the BBQ roast pork. It was suuuuper dry and not very tasty.
5. crispy shrimp roll: Tried the crispy shrimp roll - newly added earlier this year. It is good, but it is a lot of breading. It makes sense for the recipe, so I think it might just be me and my partner who don't like a lot of breading.
6. lettuce wrap chicken: Honestly, if you want a healthy option with no carbs, this is it. It's nothing special, but it tastes good and it's the healthiest you'll get. They give you quite a lot so sometimes I actually just order this to-go for my lunch.
7. You can't go wrong with any of the steamed dumplings - chicken, pork, vegetable, or shrimp. These dumplings were a staple in my home. Don't forget to add the dumpling sauce (it's labeled "special sauce" on the table if you eat there).
Overall Favorite Appetizers:
Shumai
Salt baked squid
******
Main dishes:
1. bean curd with sweet and spicy garlic sauce: Overall, this tastes very good. I love that the bean curd is crispier and not just soft jello in this dish (a personal preference). The sauce has a hint of pineapple to it that I love. I don't get this all the time though because I tend to like things with a more subtle amount of sauce since I don't tend to eat rice and can't wipe some of the sauce away on the rice.
2. general tso's bean curd: This dish is too ridiculously drenched in sauce. Even if you are eating it with rice. And the bean curd breading just turns to jello with all the sauce. I'm not a fan of this dish. I know these dishes aren't going to be healthy for you, but this makes me feel like I'm making my body endure a lot for nothing.
3. Chinese crispy fried chicken: It's exactly how my grandma used to make it with a hint of lemon. Might be the nostalgia, but I can't say anything else about it.
4. peking duck bao buns: I don't usually like duck, but in their bao bun dish with the sauce, it's good. I recommend this dish for those who don't like to eat large portions of duck.
5. jumbo shrimp with walnuts: This is so bad for you with the mayonnaise and breading, but it tastes so good. This is something you order during a "treat yourself" type of night.
6. vegetable dishes: The only ones I ever really care about are Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, sautéed baby bok choy, and sautéed eggplant. You can't go wrong with any of those. These vegetables were also a staple in my home.
7. seafood hotpot with bean curd: This is a great dish to share. There's no noodles, it's just straight up soup and seafood (scallops, shrimp, crawfish, squid) with some bean curd. You definitely want to pair it with more subtle or sweeter tasting dishes because it is pretty salty after eating it for awhile.
8. shrimp fried rice: It's exactly the name. And it's just good.
9. pan fried noodles with mixed seafood and roast pork: Also exactly the name. Also just so good. For those who don't know, "pan fried" is the crispier noodle, but still doused in sauce.
Overall Favorite Dishes:
Shrimp fried rice
Pan fried noodles with mixed seafood and roast pork
Seafood hotpot with bean curd
******
It's so fun coming here and eating family style with friends and family. But it's also just as good of a date night. BYOB.
Big groups: yes, you can make reservations online and, I believe, over the phone. There is even a party room in the back that you can reserve. They also do catering, listed online.
Why do I go here so much? 1. I live in the area. 2. It's been my partner's favorite restaurant in Chinatown since he was a kid.