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    Sampan

    4.1 (2.4k reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    SAMPAN ATMOSPHERE

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    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Dumplings and chicken satay
    Victor S.

    Sat outside in the back w a roof, fresh air, yummy alcoholic bowls, and delicious happy hour appetizers. Service was fast, efficient, and effective. Coming back very sooooon!

    Crispy Spicy Shrimp
    Lizzy O.

    Our experience at Sampan was ok but not worth the price. The crispy shrimp, short rib dumplings and strawberry lemonade were outstanding! The char siu salmon and crab wonton tacos were good. There was a great amount of shrimp in the kimchi fried rice but the dish did not taste like kimchi. The branzino main was flavorless and the sauce was on the plate under the fish, so it didn't soak into the fish and you really had to scrape the plate to get any sauce in your bite. We did not have condiments on our table (which we felt the tuna rice cracker needed) even though other tables had little sriracha and soy sauce bottles. The waitress told us to order the kimchi fried rice with our mains so we did - but our mains came out 10 minutes after the rice and by then it was no longer warm. They require you to swipe your card before your meal, which she explained was because of dine and dashers. That was understandable but I've never been to a restaurant that does this and it sets an awkward tone. Bathrooms were dirty, however, overall ambiance was nice.

    General Tso's soup dumpling
    Kelli M.

    We decided to do the tasting menu where you get 7 selections. 1.We started our tasting with the crab wontons which was filled with crab but I was hoping for an Asian inspired sauce with it but it was a bit bland. 2. Cheesesteak bao buns- our second favorite of the night, it was accompanied by a pepper relish that was really good too. 3. General tso's soup dumpling- our absolute favorite. It's an explosion of flavor when you bite into the dumpling. We both loved these. 4. Salmon skewers- my husband loved , I don't love salmon. The sauce underneath was pretty good. I let him pick this course 5. Walnut shrimp - disappointing. We both expected it to be sweet since it mentions honey but it wasn't, it was boring. 6.brussel sprouts- I would have liked them cooked a tiny bit more but they had great flavor. 7. Short rib with noodles- the short rib is sooooo tender, I was so full by this course and only had a bite. Our dinner was finished with min ice cream cone with a sparkler to celebrate our anniversary.

    Mini cones
    Denaya H.

    Always a good time when visiting here. The food comes out fast, but is always fresh. The servers are always knowledgeable (especially for how much to order because you never want too much that you can't finish). It was pretty packed this evening, but they were able to accommodate our reservation earlier than planned, which was perfect. We were celebrating a friend's birthday and they gave us the mini cones with cute sparklers! A nice touch. The kimchi fried rice and the Korean bbq satay are always my favorites here. Must have those on every visit. Tried the general tso soup dumplings for the first time and they were delicious! Can't really go wrong with the options the offer here.

    Tuna Rice Cracker Kim Chee Fried Rice Kobe Beef
    Brianna G.

    Food: The Kobe beef was delicious, well balanced and perfectly cooked. The tuna was my favorite though, wonderful texture and flavor, slightly spicy but not too much. The Kim chee rice wasn't very good unfortunately. It lacked depth, umami, complexity and the heat was overpowering. Service: excellent, my waitress was attentive but not excessively. She paced everything perfectly! Ambiance: really cool and chic. It was a little loud but I was dining solo so I put in my headphones and that was perfect. The pricing was fairly reasonable and overall I enjoyed it. I'd visit again :)

    Cantonese Spring Roll
    Renee B.

    Sampan has been around a while and it's easy to see why. We dined early and it was already starting to fill up on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant is dimly lit and intimate without feeling cramped like some city establishments. Service was attentive and professional. The kitchen turns out the food quickly. We tried several plates and all were really tasty. Favorites include the tempura cauliflower, mushroom shumai and the edamame dumplings.

    Tarun B.

    This place is one of the more popular restaurants in the Center City area. It is always busy and crowded here no matter when you visit. I came here for happy hour and had a short wait to sit at the bar. The inside has these great designs which light up during your stay. It seems like a fun trendy place to visit and bring clients over. There is an open kitchen where you can watch the cooks make the food which is great to see. They are constantly making high class meals and bringing them out as fast as possible. The waitress was very friendly and guided me through the happy hour menu. I decided to order the Kimchi Fried Rice, Kobe Sliders, and the Thai Punch. These items are listed as sides on the menu but there is a decent amount of food. I was filled with the Kobe Sliders alone. The sliders were the highlight of the meal. They were delicious and packed with wonderful flavor. I would love to eat these every day if I could. The Thai Punch was delicious and washed down the meal. I had a great time here and would highly recommend it to anyone for a great meal at any time of day.

    Kim Chee Fried Rice
    Carson M.

    Arguably one of the best, if not the best, happy hours in the city. I have been going here for years! They have happy hour every day from 4 PM to 7 PM and you get some of the best food for very great prices! The ambience is always nice, energetic, and very lively! Definitely recommend getting there early since you are not able to do reservations ahead of time for the happy hour. I have always had a great experience with the staff and service here. Highly recommend!

    Thai punch and Ming mule
    Karen T.

    We came for happy hour and the food here was amazing! We tried a lot of different things and liked a lot of the items. For small dishes, we got the edamame dumplings and the dan dan dumplings. The presentation of the edamame dumplings was very pretty and we enjoyed this dish. The dan dan dumplings were on the spicy side and were just ok. I would just get the edamame ones and skip the dan dan one next time. We got a lot of the bun and wrap items. Of the items we tried, we really liked the pork bao, pork banh mi, and the kobe sliders. The pork bao was the favorite and I also really liked the pork banh mi. We also tried the kobe hot dog and crispy chicken bao - those were both not very flavorful and I'd skip those items. We also had the korean bbq beef satay. Each order is one skewer. This was very good. For the crispy items, we ordered the kung pao chicken wings but the kitchen missed it and we were so full that we just cancelled them. They look delicious though and I'd want to get them next time. For sides, I got the crispy brussels sprout. They were ok but the flavors just didn't go well together for me and I'd probably skip this next time. For drinks, we tried the ming mule and thai punch. Both were good. We went on a Monday and it was still very busy and a long wait for a table. I recommend making a reservation (if you can) when you want to come out here. Service is great and our server was spot on with recommendations - the items he recommended were good and the items we ordered without his recommendations are the items I'd pass on.

    PEPPER STEAK
    Payal P.

    This place is absolutely delicious. Came here on a random Friday night. The place was packed even for outdoor seating (with drizzling rainy weather outside). We sat outside since my friend had her dog, but the chairs are kind of uncomfortable since they are made of metal. Also some of the seats are too close to other parties and you can't move them since it is permanent fixtures. The waitress was prompt and really friendly. We got the Dan Dan dumplings, general tso soup dumplings, shrimp fried rice. The general tso soup dumplings and the shrimp fried rice are a must get. There is a lot of shrimp in the fried rice and I really like when they mix the egg in. There is this hot sauce bottle you can get that mixes perfectly in. The tso soup dumplings are so warm inside. There is a little bit of chicken mixed in with a delicious burst of soup. The Dan Dan dumplings are average. The peanuts were whole and roasted. The dumplings seemed like they were pan fried and contained pork. The tahini on it was an interesting twist.

    tuna rice cracker
    Alice L.

    i'm already a big fan of sampan's happy hour, but my first time for dinner did not disappoint! i came here for a first date, and this is a very solid date spot. it's dark, vibey, and the food is always solid. we shared the tuna rice cracker, the edamame dumpling, the pork bao, and the korean bbq beef. i was most excited to try the edamame dumpling -- i know it's a sampan classic, but i've never had it before. definitely a unique dish, i don't know if the edamame filling is my favorite, but a fun item to try. the pork baos (which are also on the happy hour menu) are a safe bet and delicious. my personal favorite was the korean bbq beef satay which was super flavorful and tender. looking back on it now, it seems like most of the items we ordered were available for happy hour as well... maybe i'm just a happy hour fan. i'm sure the other food is solid as well, sampan is always a reliable choice. our waitress was attentive and service was fast. we were impressed by how quickly the food came out. overall, a great spot!

    Mehaa S.

    Modern Asian fusion place in center city Went here for happy hour with some friends and it was pretty busy. Service was pretty fast despite being seated outside. We ordered some of their happy hour apps which were ok not great but a decent snack for happy hour

    Kung Pao Chicken Wing
    Chris G.

    From pork belly bao to crispy duck and delicate branzino, Sampan's tasting menu delivers big flavors without the big price tag. At $56, it's a great way to sample a variety of dishes in one sitting. The pork belly bao and Kung Pao chicken wings were highlights, while the crispy duck and branzino really stood out. The wagyu beef was just okay, but the overall value, service, and lively atmosphere made it a memorable night out. Definitely worth trying!

    Kim Chee Fried Rice

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    6 months ago

    I love Sampan happy hour!! Plenty of vegetarian options, great cocktails and it's highly enjoyable! The service and food is quick!!

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    Ask the Community - Sampan

    Are the prices on the menu per person? or is that the price for your group?

    The menu is priced per plate. The restaurant encourages sharing of the majority of the plates, especially the smaller plates and sides. Similar to a tapas style dining. They generally offer a chef's tasting menu as well, which I believe is priced… Read more

    Does anyone know if there is meat in their XO sauce? I know most XO sauces are seafood based but some also include cured ham. I'm pescatarian and want to know if I can eat their XO sauce. Thanks!

    Im trying to get my daughter to explore more foods. Is this a kid friendly place, Like 9 years old kid?

    There's table seating, but the atmosphere, in my opinion, is more of a classy bar. The food is delicious and has a complexity of flavors. Hope that helps

    Is happy hour throughout the restaurant from 4-7 PM or just the bar area?

    Just he bar - which is quite small. You can also get it at the bar around the kitchen, but make sure you ask the hostess for one of those seats, as they're not first come first served. HH there is great, if you can get a seat!

    Do you have thai iced tea?

    No, but I did have the lemonade, it was good, I think it was made from scratch

    View All 6 Questions

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    Royal Buffet and Grill

    3.7(177 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    I came here on a Saturday afternoon with a party of 8. $39 per person with gratuity tacked on as…read morewell (assuming due to our large group) As a value proposition, this place is worth it especially if you're a shellfish lover. Lobsters and crabs were abundant. I learned about this place awhile ago from YouTube of which many gave praises. We frequented many mid level AYCE places like this and we've found that as time goes by, quality degrades with restaurants like this. Now there was a rather long length of time between discovering this place on YouTube and actually visiting this place. I wonder if the praises that were sung about this place were still valid. I would say yes. As previously mentioned, lobsters and crabs were abundant and makes it worth the trip on that alone. As for the other offerings, it was mostly surprisingly good. Don't expect Michelin quality food here. Generally, it's about the quantity BUT the food is pretty good. The sushi/sashimi shocked me a little. AYCE sushi is usually just passable but here, I thought it was pretty good. Everyone in my group loved the quality of the salmon. Other offerings, of which there were many, were pretty good. Standouts were the lamb chops in my opinion. Dessert options wasn't as extensive as the other AYCE places I've frequented but they do the job. Aside from the usual fountain soda options (serves by the restaurant staff) , they had a few fruit drinks and a milk tea option as well as some specialty drinks in a can. Scale 1 to 5. (Keep in mind that this is based on quality you'd expect from a typical AYCE restaurant. Food 5 (large selection of food and that shellfish!) Service 5 (Friendly staff and were pretty efficient in clearing the plates) Cleanliness 4 (Place was well kept. Deducted 1 star due to the stickiness of the floor around our table which reminded me of a movie theater floor... lol) Value 5 One con to point out. The restaurant was rather large yet the bathrooms were small and couldn't accommodate a lot of people at once. Not a huge quibble as the wait wasn't astronomical BUT it did seem odd that the size of the bathroom didn't match the size of the restaurant.

    I LOVED it here! Such a large variety of food for a decent price. Everything I tried was delicious,…read moreme and my boyfriend had such a good time! Their Dim Sum was my favorite, but I also enjoy their soft-shell crab, sushi, fresh fruit, and so much more! The service was delightful, we paid before we ate and did not feel rushed at all! The restaurant was very clean and well kept. The building is very large and definitely got a little loud and crowded towards the end of our stay, but if you get there a tad earlier you'll be fine!

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    Royal Buffet and Grill - Whole lobster and shrimp cocktail

    Whole lobster and shrimp cocktail

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    Buk Chon Korean Cuisine - Spicy Pork Bun Japchae

    Buk Chon Korean Cuisine

    4.4(376 reviews)
    1.0 miOld City
    $$

    One beautiful phlidelphia day, my daughter and I were famished looking for some delicious food to…read moresatisfy our hunger. Alas! We found Buk Chon a cozy korean resturant with warm vibes and even better food. I dare say...the best korean food I have eaten! We went three times in the over the span of 2 days. Yes! 3 times. And obviously we loved it everytime. I insist that you order the spicy pork buns...absolutely delicious and my personal favorite is the kimchi paellla but i digress because every single dish at this establishment is wonderful to say the least

    Yeah, so I forgot to take any pictures, but I was here twice this week with colleagues when we had…read morean offsite meeting nearby. Everything was delicious, from the apps to the dishes, and definitely very healthy portions! Service was pretty good as well, with attentive staff despite there not being a whole lot of them. The food is Korean-inspired with some fusion elements, and all of it was nicely executed. Fried chicken bites were a pretty big hit, and the pork buns were good as well - crispier than usual, but still really good. Toppoki was nice too, and have to say that calling it rice gnocchi is pretty smart to make it easier to understand outside the Asian POV. Kimchi paella was essentially kimchi fried rice, but tasty and filling, and the scrape off parts at the bottom, that's rice gold right there. I don't always eat rice, but when I do, I prefer slightly burnt at the bottom of a stone pot. Second visit, I went with fire chicken, which is tasty and has some kick. I did notice that my not Asian colleague was asked if he was sure about the three fire symbols, but I was not :P Space is pretty nice inside too, a nice combination of old and new; the bathroom was nice and clean, and the general feel inside is casual but elegant. I wouldn't be opposed to returning, but would need to know much more about allergy protocols and awareness, which admittedly isn't always a strong point in Asian cuisine.

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    Buk Chon Korean Cuisine - First time and loving the venue and vibe. Waiting for our food

    First time and loving the venue and vibe. Waiting for our food

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    Kalaya - Gong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

    Kalaya

    4.4(608 reviews)
    2.4 miFishtown

    Came for a birthday celebration. One of the few nicer places on my short list of restaurants with…read morereservations available, so I decided to go for it. Service was excellent! Our staff were always looking out for us, and making suggestions and recommendations throughout our entire meal, and even helping us with some tips to better enjoy our meal (they saw me sweating in response to the Thai spice). Definitely made this a top-notch experience. Ambience here is great! Love places with *real* greenery indoors and a lot of natural light, like this place, and seats and tables were spread out sufficiently such that there was a nice background chatter without feel too infringed upon by other conversations. We ordered a good variety to share. The spare ribs and the glass noodles dishes were amazing! Everything came out as ready, but it was on a good cadence such that we were enjoying things as they were ready, hot and fresh. I'm no expert on legitimacy of flavors and dishes, but honestly this feels like the most legit stuff I've had in the Thai wheelhouse in a while. To boot, even though we said no to dessert because we had other plans, they came with a candle on a plate to still share birthday wishes. A nice touch! Definitely a fancy occasion kind of place in my books, but I'd definitely make a return trip on another occasion!

    KenScale: 8.25/10 Visit: April 2026…read more One restaurant in Philadelphia that I had wanted to visit for a long time was Kalaya, which was featured in the Chef's Table documentary on Netflix in 2024. I was moved by the personal story of the chef Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon in the show, and of course my wife Jun and I would never say no to some delicious Thai food. On our recent trip to Philly to celebrate our anniversary, Jun and I finally got to check out Kalaya (which is named for the chef's mother) on a rainy Sunday for lunch before driving back home. We were very pleased with the lunch at Kalaya, which in our mind really showcased the Thai spicy flavor well. The menu at Kalaya features Southern Thai dishes inspired by the chef's family history. The colorful display of the dishes stood out throughout our meal, but more importantly we also really liked the spicy flavor that felt genuine and soulful. The cute flower-shaped Shaw Muang dumplings with ground chicken were highly recommended by our server and the kick from the Thai chili set the right tone right away. We were also fond of the poached shrimp and cabbage salad with coconut cream (Yum Kalum Bplee) for the delightfully crispy texture. For the main dishes, we ordered one stir fry and one curry. If you have to order just one dish at Kalaya, I can't recommend the colossal crab stir fry with egg (Pu Pad Pong Karee) enough. Served with jasmine rice, this dish offered complex flavor of spicy, salty, sour and sweet that was quite unlike anything I had encountered in a while. As Jun and I were savoring this awesomeness, I wished that I could've eaten this every week. The goat and lamb curry (Gaeng Pae), served with pickled cucumbers and coconut turmeric rice, was also impressive, with rustic curry broth that suddenly hit my tongue with spice blend. Despite that powerful impact on my palate, I couldn't stop myself from enjoying the curry, especially with the coconut turmeric rice that neutralized the curry's spicy kick somewhat. We also shared a side dish of stir-fried local mushrooms (Hed Pad Kratiam) that was solid as well. We were running out of room in our stomach after cleaning up the savory dishes, so we settled with ordering a Thai iced coffee to go before hitting the road. Not surprisingly, Kalaya is a very popular restaurant in the Philly dining scene so getting a reservation in advance is essential. I was a bit nervous on our visit as we were running rather late (by around 30 minutes) from picking up our car from the parking lot, yet the restaurant was gracious enough to honor our reservation. The bright and lively dining space offered quite a fitting background to the character of the dishes. There is a full bar with Thai-inspired cocktails and concise wine list designed to complement the Thai spices well. Kalaya definitely lived up its hype as one of the most important restaurants in Philadelphia; Jun and I were glad to have visited and would be more than happy to come back for our next visit to the city.

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    Kalaya - Bar Area

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    Kalaya - Kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

    Kanom jeeb nok (bird-shaped dumplings)

    Kalaya - Goong Ob Woonsen (Shrimp & Glass Noodles w/Bacon & Chinese Celery)

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    Sampan - asianfusion - Updated May 2026

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