We have been met with perfection. I can leave this planet…read moreone day happy in knowing I have had The...Best. Royal's announcement on they starting to take reservations, a few months ago, immediately had me in stalker mode. I set a calendar reminder, waited for the day, hopped on & bang- success!! Another Philly weekend awaited, Yea! We arrived at Royal (apologies on review delay, circa April 11), for our 8:30pm high top table reservation. We were greeted and seated immediately- right side corner table ready. It's very dim in Royal, small but mobile and a bit noisy. Nothing unexpected. Skating over service, but they are so noteworthy. Our server was attentive, kind and helpful. They HUSSLE here to bus and clear tables. Timing for patrons arriving and being sat was like it was scripted, it was so flawless. No one waiting at the entrance corridor on arrival. Machine precision. Now, our meal- I'm drooling in my daydreams over it. We tried many plates & loved the portion size to be able to do so. The chicken wings- crisp, thick golden fried and tender. The toro with caviar- silk. A touch of brine, a melt in your mouth pleasure. The grilled octopus had an unassuming spice, mellow char and just the right consistency of chew. My husband ordered a surprise- I was scared. Fish heads. WTF, ok here we go. The plate came- heads on heads, quite the portion. This fish- first bite down, intimidation gone. This is one of the best things we've ever eaten. Succulent, moist fall apart whitefish. Didn't even taste like it was battered, no thickness to the breading. It tasted fried but so clean it didn't make sense how good it was. I don't have words. And now we get to the sushi- and I go completely mute.... There is no description worthy here. We had the Dragon Roll and the Spicy Crab Tempura roll. Can we call them the "Die and gone to heaven rolls". Fall apart fresh. Quality. Restrained, but pronounced. Pure. Insane. How can you describe food you will always remember. Except in having passion and a simple happy heart. This is what Royal gave us- in a sushi roll and a fish head. Thanks Jesse and team- simply the best!

I've always loved the Queen Village area, so I already liked the location of Royal Izakaya going…read morein. One thing though, the restaurant was surprisingly hard to find because there really isn't much signage on the entrance/door. But there's a paper lantern outside, so if you see that, you're in the right place. I had really high expectations coming here and thankfully I wasn't disappointed, although nothing completely blew me away except for the Aka Taka roll. The chirashi bowl was solid overall and had good quality cuts of fish for $52. Everything tasted fresh and balanced, but next time I think I'd personally just order the sakedon instead. The chasu bao also wasn't really worth the $14 in my opinion. It was still good, just not something memorable or mind blowing. Same with the wagyu steak, for $38, it honestly just tasted like a really good steak, and the portion was a little smaller than I expected. My favorite appetizer was definitely the miso eggplant. Such a unique combination of flavors and the eggplant was cooked incredibly soft and well. It almost tasted like a sweet potato with the miso on top, and I would absolutely order it again. But the standout of the night was easily the Aka Taka roll. For a $27 roll, I had very high expectations and somehow they were all met. The roll was stuffed with different cuts of tuna that were unbelievably soft and buttery, and there was this crunch in the middle, maybe daikon? Whatever it was, it added the perfect texture. Honestly, it's something I'd go back just for.

Stopped by this ramen spot for dinner since I was in the neighborhood, and it turned out to be a…read moresolid choice! The ramen menu offers a good variety of options. While the broth and noodles didn't necessarily stand out compared to some of the many ramen shops I've tried, everything was well prepared and the ingredients tasted fresh. I also ordered the chicken katsu curry, which was enjoyable--the curry sauce had a rich, comforting flavor and paired well with the crispy chicken Service was good overall. The staff checked in a couple of times, and the food came out quickly after ordering. They could have been a bit more attentive throughout the meal, but nothing that took away from the experience The restaurant has a classic ramen bar setup with a clean, inviting atmosphere. I also loved the décor, especially the giant Pikachu statue, which adds a fun touch to the space Overall, it's a great neighborhood spot to satisfy a ramen craving. If you're nearby and looking for a casual, reliable dinner, this place is definitely worth a visit!

I came back and tried the spicy tan tan , what a joke this place is. The broth had no flavor and…read morechashu was rubbery and was undercooked , the broth didn't have much in it and it was just noodles and one piece of bok choy , no ramen eggs etc . I wouldn't mind the tiny bowl for $23 if it tasted good and authentic but it definitely did not taste good and I left half of it untouched. I give up with this place , will try to find another Japanese place elsewhere Service is decent and ambiance is good but food is the most important

Zhu is a solid place for fries in Chinatown, especially if you're looking for a hangout spot after…read moremidnight. I love that they offer a variety of menu items, ranging from skewers to noodle soups and even dumplings. So far, I'm the biggest fan of their fries, but their noodle soup was also pretty good. Vegans, you might want to avoid ordering the "mushroom" order from the izakaya menu since the portion is far too small for the price point. For those who aren't fans of loud places, this isn't a spot for you. Large groups tend to hang here for some card games (each table gets a deck, I believe), so it can be pretty noisy. Service here is adequate, considering there seems to only be one dude who mans the front while the wife/woman handles all the kitchen matters.

For my first review of 2025 I start at Z and give it up to a hole-in-the-wall Chinatown Izakaya…read morewith rustic charm. For my friends final Philly hurrah before moving cross-country she was nostalgic for a Chinatown visit and especially wanted to try this restaurant that she only had a drink in so far. So we passed by the entrance motorcycles, walked through the curtain, and were transported to the type of hole-in-the-wall Izakaya that you might come across in rural China. I only give it four stars because things like the milk crate stools that we sat on might be a little too hole-in-the-wall for most. But they also have some roomy booths and I appreciated the overall aesthetic of the place. I also loved that the bathrooms were filled with movies posted for films directed by the likes of Ang Lee, John Woo, and Wong Kar-Wai. For drinks they do have a reasonably priced assortment of sake, soju, and other libations. But when you see it on the menu you order a harder-to-find Chinese beer, and Snow was a pretty damn good one! Food was very reasonably priced for what you got, especially the skewers which ranged from $1.50 for chicken or squid, to $6 for grilled mackerel or roast pork. For around $10 I was enjoying lamb, chicken hearts & gizzards, squid, shrimp, and bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms. They spice skewers to your heat preference and the medium was delectably fire! We also enjoyed shrimp and pork dumplings. Whewn it comes to reasonably priced good food and decently priced drinks Zhi is a perfect addition to Chinatown.

The food is incredible and you get so much food for such a great price! Service is always amazing…read moreand they are so attentive. The little kitty robots are the most fun. This will forever be our favorite restaurant

I have been to Izakaya 68 multiple times and tried almost everything they have - all being…read moredelicious! I appreciate the waiters bringing out the drinks. The tables feel very private and they accommodate large parties. I recommend coming here for birthdays, the song from the cat robot is adorable! The sushi rolls are always large and packed with ingredients. Their best dishes are their Gyoza, Chicken Curry, and Takoyaki, but everything is worth a try! Go visit!

Took my friend who was visiting from out of town here and we all loved it! The downstairs space is…read moreintimate, moody, and beautiful--I'd definitely return for a date night. We did the chef's tasting menu, which I highly recommend. It was so much fun (and a little overwhelming) choosing 10 dishes, but everything we ordered was delicious. Our favorites were the ice cream, miso eggplant robatayaki, spicy tuna roll, and salmon sashimi. Great service and an overall wonderful experience. Definitely a place I'd recommend!

P tried on multiple SHEIN tops to go with her high-waisted Levi's before dinner. This was a Monday…read morehappy hour and she didn't want to overdress. She wore heels anyway. Left 25 minutes later than planned. [Fast forward: the guy next to us was wearing a full suit.] We arrived at 5:30 and were told the wait for a walk-in was 20 minutes, so we went to Graffiti Bar next door. P wanted a marg, which was not on the cocktail menu, so the bartender asked what kind of tequila. P said Patrón. We started our happy hour evening with $45 cocktails. The wait was actually only 10 minutes, but they give you a 10-minute grace period once they text you, so we had to chug nevertheless. There is a pipe that says "warm" as you walk in. Touch at your own risk. Now at Double Knot. We ordered the tuna roll and salmon rolls. Good, but not that good. J wanted the yaki soba and liked it. P liked the pork potstickers. J ordered a Sapporo and an argument ensued about how to pronounce "a" in Japanese and/or other Asian languages. A professional woman once scolded J for mispronouncing Wang. We then played odds to determine whether J would turn his Sapporo into a sake bomb using P's sake. Both guessed 5. The sake did in fact "bomb," erupting all over the table and causing a scene. The wait staff did not notice because the ambiance, while "lit," is actually pretty dark. Coast clear. For revenge, we played odds again. P lost and was forced to put soy sauce in her sake and chug it. She took it like a champ. The waitress complimented P's top as we left. Margs at the pourover bar next door: $45. Rolls at Double Knot happy hour: $8. A compliment on a $3.69 top after arriving 36 minutes later than planned: priceless. 7/10.

We've been enjoying sushi here for years (one of their early customers). We had a celebration of…read morelife here, and it could not have been any better. The food, as always, was wonderful, and the service top notch. Quiet time to celebrate, eat great food, and make a wonderful day. Easy to enjoy meals here, but just about perfect for our party. Every guest loved the food, the service, and the setting. A few guests who've never been here now insist they will be back.

Terrible experience on a Saturday evening. We have lived in Collegeville for 5 years now and never…read moredined here, so we figured we'd give it a try. My boyfriend and I walked in at 5:10. Literally empty. No customers. A young man greeted us and told us to sit anywhere we'd like. No menus. We sat and waited. A minute later a young woman brought us waters. We waited. And waited. When the young man appeared again we asked if we had to look at the menu on our phone and he said he'd bring us paper menus. He quickly dropped off menus and left. Still no customers in the entire place. A few minutes later another couple came in and the young man sat them and attended to them as you would expect a waiter to attend to guests in a restaurant. A few minutes later he came over to us and dropped off a complimentary tray of "tuna salad" on tortilla chips and disappeared. Gross. After 15 minutes, and a few people coming in to dine, no one came up to us to take our order or answer any questions. We left. We walked right by a woman who I'm assuming was owner and she completely ignored us. Really?? Will never go back there.

Great happy hour - even on Sundays! Enjoyed grabbing some tasty yakitori and other bites before…read morecatching a show at the convention center. Service was quick and there was plenty of seating too! I would definitely go back for the HH.

Very mid Karoke lounge. With a private room, there is a minimum spend amount (with wayyy overpriced…read morebottle service). The most disappointing was the karaoke system which was on the wall, but no way for anyone to check the music on the phone. Additionally, the song selection was much more limited than expected. Youtube was an option as well, but the volume was fixed and way too loud. The songs also were playing in order of most recently added which was such a headache. But all in all, did the job for karaoke, and they have some decent cocktails. Recommend the lavender lychee martini.

The Good: The food is amazing. Every dish we've gotten is absolutely delicious. The drinks are…read moregreat, too. The restaurant itself is adorable and stylish. The Bad: Very expensive. Super slow service. We ordered food that never came and had to re-order. Yet, we were charged for all the food that didn't come and had to work with them to update the bill to the right amount. Felt like they just didn't care.

My husband and I's favorite restaurant on the mainline. It rivals top sushi restaurants in Philly…read more The vibe is cool and casual while serving some of the best cocktails and bites in the area. It reminds me of the bar scene in Tokyo. For those complaining of the price for the portion size, well I can't help those who aren't familiar with tapas style eating. Small bites of everything is the best way to experience a menu. For the quality of fish and of the food in general, the price is pretty typical. If you're expecting large sushi rolls and don't understand the difference between that and a hand roll or nigiri, then maybe this isn't your place. I didn't say enough about how good the cocktails are. So creative and so tasty! Oh and in incredibly gluten-free adaptable! They have tamari and can make anything (except the bao buns) GF :)