Opera House absolutely delivered. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt lively and authentic without trying too hard. The menu had some incredible choices, but the Peking Zhajiang Noodles stole the show rich, savory, perfectly balanced, and packed with flavor in every bite. You can tell real care goes into the food here. Service was fast, friendly, and patient while we explored the menu, and the entire experience felt like finding one of those hidden city gems you immediately want to come back to. If you're in Philly and craving authentic Chinese food with a fun modern vibe, Opera House is worth the trip. 112 N 9th St, Philadelphia, PA #PhiladelphiaFood #PhillyEats #ChineseFood #OperaHousePhilly #Foodie #Noodles #CenterCityPhilly #HiddenGem #FoodReview #PhillyRestaurants read more

See all

The staff treated our occasionally rowdy bunchof adults and kids very kindly. They set up a very festive lunar new year table for us. Kid-Friendly Picks: Scallion pancakes (duh) Pork & cabbage dumplings Chicken lettuce cups (we ordered the "party" size so everyone got one) Braised pork balls Tofu skin salad (the baby of the group was all over this) Zhajiang noodles (piled high with meat sauce + carrots, cucumbers and peanuts on the side) Seasonal veg (I love snow pea leaves, but the bok choy that night got the job done) Condensed milk buns (ask for these last = dessert) For the adults: Pork & pickled cabbage dumplings (homemade and highly recommended, Dongbei is famous for saurkraut) **Lapi noodles** (cold, wide, homemade sweet potato noodles with vegetables, ribbons of egg, shrimp, & a wasabi-sesame sauce. Like a cousin of Xi'anese liang pi) They also have cocktails, beer, and wine. When Opera House first opened they did not serve dinner and had a smaller menu BUT they served Chinese crepes (Jianbing). These are tricky to find in Philly. Chef Alex, who won a Chinese Culinary Competition in New York, told me we could special request them! read more

Nice spot over on 9th St in Chinatown. The ambiance and decor inside is so inviting and relaxing. Many nice sized tables: standard 4 person, larger circle family sized (with middle rotating shelf tray), and higher stool area. Very welcoming staff can help choose good options for your guests too. They close at 8pm! Tried a few things here: scallion pancakes, pork & leek dumplings, and Peking Zhajiang noodles. Dumplings were homemade and nicely filled, good flavor. Scallion pancakes standard and tasty with 8 triangle slice total. The noodle portion is huge with nice thick noodles and the savory sauce is great. All good to share. Thanks! read more

See all

Great service with delicious and authentic Chinese. The staff at the restaurant are very friendly and took the time to explain the menu. We went with their recommendations and got the freshly made noodle dishes. We'll be back for more and try other dishes on the menu. read more

Opera House - Zhajiang Noodles. Must have! - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

We have passed this restaurant a few times and looked up their website and saw quite a few Chinese dishes and appetizers that we like, finally visited today. Well, when the menu come up, none of the things we want were there and they said they changed menus a while ago. Well ended up ordered some noodles and one appetizer and all of them tasted pretty good. There weren't many people there so the service is pretty fast as well. read more

Opera House - Zha Jiang noodle - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Place is very clean . Out side is old but inside is very modern . server is nice. Also tea is very nice. ( some kind of flower tastes a little) but food ... I looked menu not many choice. usually Chinese restaurant has a lot of choice. But here is more like old cafe at Hong Kong... . I said to my partner may be just leave but got tea it was good decide to stay. Order ja ja noodle and bao and wonton noodle. Jana is recommend but ok taste. Wonton is very fresh but for the price I think another place better. Bao is also ok. I'm not recommend to my friend but tourist who like neat place to eat at Chinatown may be her is place... read more

Opera House - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Continue my review from my take out. I tried the dumpling, I like the Chinese Sauerkraut version, but I think some people cannot take it with the strong flavor. Fresh, Juicy. I don't think the ground pork in the dumpling is the same quality as Lion head. I tasted couple soft bone in the dumpling. Dumpling is hard to improve, everyone has their own preference. I like fish dumpling from Flushing. I also like more meat than vegy ratio, it make the filling more solid. I did improved your Lion head by adding some glass noodle, and cabbage to accommodate your sauce. As your know, there are normally 2 versions of Lion head. With you sauce, I think it is perfect for casserole version with glass noodle and cabbage. Braised Lion's Head dish, I would like the sauce similar in braised pork belly. --John read more

We split a lemon tea drink and was given some steamed edemame on the house since the dishes could take a little long to prepare. The crispy fish with ground pork was cooked to perfection, crispy and tasty without being overwhelming (side bowls of rice helped tremendously with that) The sautéed eggplant with potato and bell peppers was quite good, all very authentic, I hear since I haven't been to northeast china but we've been to places that serve north east Chinese dishes. It was a bit rainy early autumn weather on a Thursday evening so it wasn't too busy so service was great. Nice northern Chinese murals with the opera masks, a very good vibe to eat. Can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu including the dim sum! read more

Opera House - C1.Crispy Fish Fillet with ground pork - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

All the soups had little to no flavor i'd say water soup basically and the general tsos chicken taste like sweet and sour and was were light in taste. presentation of food looked good but i was disappointed in the flavor of everything only thing that was good was the shrimp spring roll. read more

Opera House - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This restaurant is a true treasure for anyone craving authentic Chinese food. Every dish we tried was bursting with rich, traditional flavors and made with fresh, high-quality ingredients--you can truly taste the difference. The portions were generous, perfect for sharing family-style, and beautifully presented. The restaurant itself is spacious and immaculately clean. The ambience is calm and inviting--an ideal place to enjoy an unrushed meal with family or friends. You feel welcomed the moment you step in, and even more so when the owner personally comes out to greet you with warmth and sincerity. To our surprise, we discovered that the owner, Chef Alex Zhong, is no ordinary chef--he's the winner of the International Chinese Culinary Competition in New York! Watch Chef Zhong's stunning performance in the competition here: https://tinyurl.com/mw7j96cc No wonder the dishes were so masterfully crafted--his passion and expertise shine through in every bite. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a real taste of China and a dining experience that feels both thoughtful and generous. We'll definitely be back! read more

See all

Claimed to be authentic Chinese food from the Northeastern region but even the classic dishes are far from that. 地三鲜 (eggplant, Potao, green pepper) is quite deviant from what the look and taste should be, especially the eggplant. 锅包肉（sweet and sour pork) is too sweet and the color is too red than yellow which it is supposed to be like. As a restaurant located in Chinatown, if it primarily wants to attract non Chinese eaters, it should not claim itself offering authentic Chinese cuisine. It is a good way to fool non-Chinese eaters. Don't say there are variant ways to cook the classic. For those who know what authentic is, it is just disgrace. read more

Opera House - 地三鲜， 锅包肉 - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The soup came out lukewarm. We needed to add lots of chili oil. Staff was attentive. read more

Amazing service and great food. All the portions are huge and priced well for that portion. All the servers are very kind and friendly! read more

Opera House - Fish fillet and king oyster. - Chinese Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food was okay, the restaurant was empty when I got there. I've had better chinese food and portions were relatively small. read more

See all

We had a very disappointing experience here on Valentine's night. My friend and I were enjoying a girls' night out and had just finished our meal. After paying the bill and leaving a 20% tip, we planned to finish our water before leaving. Suddenly, a staff member approached us abruptly and said, "ARE YOU DONE?!" That was exactly how it was said. We were shocked by the tone. To make sure we hadn't misunderstood, I asked if she was asking us to leave. She then explained that it was Valentine's night and other guests were waiting, and that she could "kindly" offer us a chair instead. If there was a time limit for tables, that should have been communicated clearly and politely upfront. Instead, we were rushed out immediately after paying -- and after leaving a 20% tip -- which felt incredibly disrespectful. We completely understand that restaurants are busy on holidays. However, there is a professional and courteous way to manage table turnover. Unfortunately, the rude and confrontational approach completely ruined what was supposed to be a special evening. Very disappointed with the service. read more

Still great, this is becoming a regular spot for me. A couple of weeks ago we got the cold chicken noodles, they were delicious and the texture was so Q (springy bite). The chicken wings were also on point!! So tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned. Couldn't stop myself from getting the osmanthus rice wine drink again, might have to make that a regular thing. Today we got the chili oil wontons and beef noodle soup, with two orders of the osmanthus. The wontons were good, and had chunks of pork with a fresh texture instead of the paste-like consistency of most places that just use ground pork. The beef noodle soup was DELICIOUS. The beef was incredibly tender and marbled, and the seasoning on that and the broth were absolutely perfect. The noodles weren't as Q as the egg noodles in the cold chicken noodle dish, but still good. Service is still super quick and friendly, and they now have an iPad to order if you'd prefer (not my favorite choice but I'm sure some will appreciate it). read more

See all

This restaurant is amazing. If you want to experience authentic northeastern Chinese cuisine, look no further. We have been there many times and the food and service is consistently excellent! read more

Excellent food and service . This was our second visit and we were very pleased. Excellent The large restaurant is light & bright with high tops & tables spaced well. The spring rolls are fresh & flavorable. The sauted greens were outstanding as was the chicken with cashews ....we'll back soon ! read more

[Opera House] Recommended Dishes: * Salt & Pepper Prawns: Crispy and flavorful, perfectly balanced with the aroma of scallions and garlic. * Fish Fillet with King Oyster Mushrooms: Tender fish slices paired with mushrooms that soak up all the rich broth, creating a wonderfully layered taste. * Braised Lion's Head Meatballs: This deserves special praise! Soft and juicy, never dry, with a rich, savory sauce that's perfect over rice. Comes with three generous meatballs--great value! read more

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars. Much of the food is "authentic" whatever that means coming from a non Chinese-speaking Anglo. But the service falls short. This isn't the servers specifically or that they are rude. It's everything else: the menu is really limited and difficult to interpret. It doesn't identify Northern Chinese dishes and the servers are no help (mine told me the restaurant was "Cantonese"). The space was really cold and uncomfortable. There is a lot of competition in Chinatown. I won't be back. read more