Sampan
Pan-Asian restaurant · Washington Square West
124 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Highlights
Pan-Asian small plates, happy hour, and a hidden patio bar
Pan-Asian small plates, happy hour, and a hidden patio bar
"Double Knot, Sampan, and Graffiti Bar have this Goldilocks thing going on. When you want something crowded, lively, and loud, head to Graffiti Bar. For something more upscale, dimly lit, and intimate, check out Double Knot. And when you want the “just right'' mix of both, Sampan is the place. This pan-Asian restaurant also has the lengthiest menu, with small plates like pork potstickers and chicken katsu buns, and larger mains like glazed Chilean sea bass and beef short rib. It’s dimly lit with bright neon walls, while the loud lounge music is perfect for untz-untzing. They also serve massive scorpion bowls that you can split with your friends while mapping out your night (spoiler alert: it’ll end back at Graffiti Bar)." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday, Sampan’s always-hoppin’ bar discounts a bunch of small plates, including satay, dumplings, buns, wraps, and sides, all offered at $7 to $8 each. House wine, a featured beer, and a specialty cocktail go down quickly at just $5 — or grab a group and go for the $25 Scorpion bowl with vodka, rum, or tequila." - Ernest Owens
"This pan-Asian spot should be one of the first places you go when you’re in Center City and want to post up somewhere for Happy Hour. That's because Sampan has a few excellent dishes on the menu like edamame dumplings, cheesesteak bao, kung pao chicken, and shrimp pad Thai that you can bite into while sipping on $25 fish bowls that mix tequila, white wine, green tea, and grapefruit in one gigantic plastic cauldron. This Midtown Village spot, from the same team behind Double Knot, specializes in small plates like buns, rolls, fried rice, and noodle dishes. And when you come for that Happy Hour after a long day at the office, you should focus on dishes like Kobe sliders, a chicken katsu boa with smoked mustard as cabbage, and kimchi fried rice for $6. The outdoor seating is open for every season, plus when you want to just drink and snack, you can just hop on into the alley and hit up Graffiti Bar since they've got the same menu. Food Rundown Edamame Dumpling Just like the bowl you get at Double Knot, this doughy and chewy dumpling is stuffed with edamame, and comes swimming in a light sake broth. The truffle in the blend doesn’t overwhelm it, so when you bite into the warm pouch, all you’ll taste is the earthiness of the pea shoots and the subtle sweetness of the soup. Cheesesteak Bao There’s a growing number of places in the city reworking cheesesteaks into things like fries and pizzas. Here they pack small strips of beef and melted provolone into these small perfect circles. Their baos are tossed in the pan so the bottom has a nice char on it, and each order comes with a cherry pepper relish that’s both oniony and sweet. Korean BBQ Beef Satay They have four satay skewers here, but this is the one you should get. The beef is tender with a gingery glaze and a scoop of peppery kimchi on top to give it a bit of a crunch." - Candis R. McLean
"Crowds flock to this always-buzzing Midtown Village restaurant, known for its score of Pan-Asian cuisine with heavy American influence. Its menu (made for sharing) features a slew of delectable bites like the cheesesteak bao bun (a nod to the infamous Philly sandwich), Vietnamese chicken satay (made with pickled papaya and nuoc cham), and the crab wonton taco (featuring avocado, pickled shallot, and cilantro)." - George Banks-Weston
"Simple, but notable — these outstanding dumplings (flavored with sake, pea shoot, and truffle) are a symbol of happy hour and good times to be had in Philly." - Ernest Owens
