Beautiful space, ridiculously great food, lovely staff, anime on the tvs, what more could you want?…read more Pro tip: come on Monday for unlimited happy hour!! Should it be called Happy Day? Idk but it was great. I ordered the Yuzu Margarita, the pork gyoza, a tuna roll, miso soup, spicy karaage, and ramen! I was so full and happy with everything that I ate. Fantastic--no notes!! Special shout out to Christine for being a great server!

Located at the old Abbaye Restaurant. I like how they've turned it around into a very warm and…read morecomfortable restaurant/bar. Nice menu. Good happy hour options. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Very nice addition this neighbourhood. Street parking can be a challenge here.

Actually a very good place - likely the best Japanese food in Philly…read more We went to celebrate a birthday and throughly enjoyed every thing we ordered. We ordered the duck, Wagyu, Okonomiyaki and the chirashi and all of them were excellent. I particularly enjoyed the duck - the flavors were so varied in every bite. Service was lovely - our waitress gave us an ice cream scoop for the birthday and was pretty attentive all around. The restaurant is an Izakaya so vibes were very bustling and the ambiance was dark but "cool". Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner here!

You know what I do when I run into a local chef celebrity? I ask where the bathroom is... instead…read moreof saying hi and introducing myself. =P We came here for a belated anniversary dinner- what a meal. It brought us a lot of joy after a pretty not-so-fun month. The space is a lot bigger than we expected. Cool vibe there. Our server was sweet and amazing. My husband declared the uni ikura don the best thing he's ever eaten until he tried the wagyu tartare with caviar. Everything was honestly so good. Grateful for my friend's rec to try the chirashi and it absolutely did not disappoint. Such a joyful, memorable meal. I loved the Nigori Piña Colada and Bijofu Schwa Gingo, and we were so thankful for the gifted Crémant de Loire. Hopefully we can come back one day for the omakase.

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

Was offered a variety of of seats and chose the window so I could people watch while I ate. The…read morevibe is clean and cool. The menu has a lot of options but I selected the Mayu Tonkotsu. The bowl was brought less than 5 minutes later. The broth was very very hot. Flavor was delicious, creamy with a garlic flavor. Noodles were thinning than I'm used to, but cooked well. Quail eggs were listed as part of the dish, though I was expecting a jammy egg, as they're said to be soft boiled on the menu. Unfortunately my eggs were hard boiled. Additionally, the chashu was very fatty. Hilariously, I had a conversation with a colleague earlier in the day about what our last meals would be if we got to pick. When I looked at the magazine opened right next to my seat, I just happened to see that same question! How bizarre.

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.

Izakaya 68 on Shawan Road absolutely nails the feel of a real Japanese Izakaya. The atmosphere is…read morewarm, lively, and authentic--exactly what you'd expect if you stepped into a neighborhood spot in Japan. One of the highlights (especially for families) is the robot cat servers. They're a hit with everyone at the table, from kids to adults, and they genuinely add to the fun without feeling gimmicky. The food is excellent and checks all the Izakaya boxes: yakitori, gyoza, and my personal favorite--takoyaki--are all done right. On top of that, they also offer sushi, ramen, and full entrée dishes, so there's something for every appetite. Drink options are just as solid, with Japanese sodas, green tea, and a good selection of Japanese alcoholic beverages. This is a great spot for the whole family and an especially awesome place to host a birthday dinner for teens. We brought a 13- and 14-year-old group, and it was a perfect balance of fun, great food, and a relaxed environment. Highly recommended if you want good Japanese food and a memorable experience.

We happened to be in the area and really stopped in on a whim…read more The place is very well decorated inside and reminds me of ramen shops and festival booths for a night market. My only complaint is that all of the ramen broth is pork as I would have loved to have some ramen but I have a pork allergy. That said, the udon broth was very tasty and had a clean but bold flavor. It is probably one of my favorite broths I've had. You use the QR code on the table to order and the robot brings you your food. Our server also helped put stuff on our table from the robot. It's a very cute robot and sings about people being in the way as well as your table number. Everything we had was cooked well or assembled great. I really want to come back and try some of their other sushi rolls. The salmon belly was torched just right and the mayo complimented it well. The yellowtail was unique and the sesame paired well with it along with the pepper. I wasn't a big fan of the beef skewer because it was a bit sweet. The inari sushi has spicy mayo in it and I enjoyed it. The shumai stays hot for a while so just be careful. The green tea stayed warm throughout our date and was nice and hot when it first came out. The prices are incredibly reasonable and I felt the fish was very fresh. Our server answered all of our questions, which is how I ended up with udon instead of ramen. My spouse said his curry was delicious and he devoured it.

Never mad here. This place is amazing and delicious and wow! people will wait in line for happy…read morehour to eat here! I love the vibes. I love the ambiance, and I love the food. My favorite is eating in the dungeon it's got that vibe. Best for special occasion celebrations with friends and family and ordering the whole chefs tasting with the upgrade of Wagyu. Drinks are precious and amazing. Today was a happy hour tasting and all things were delicious. I recommend all of it. Lol. We came straight over after a very disappointing and mediocre experience at Pearl & Mary which I'm sad to say I won't go back to. Not with other options and I know shouldn't disappoint such as Double Knot! Staff and food presentation always on point! Double knot is the best and my next favorites now that P&M is out now would be vernick for their toasties and fishies and little fish.

So I can't believe I haven't reviewed double knot and I've been patronizing for YEARS!!! Keep in…read moremind though that this review is specific to happy hours as it never had a full dine in experience! I love their happy hour menu and specials, the drinks are perfect, the service is fast, and the place is great to catch up with friends and have a great time.

Best Japanese/Asian food in the area! Sushi is incredibly fresh and reasonably priced - definitely…read moretake out here over grocery stores. My sister says the Yaki Udon is her favorite meal ever! Staff is very attentive and kind, and makes you want to dine in instead of taking out.

Bonjung is a good choice when you want some sushi and Korean food for lunch or dinner.read more

The ambiance of the restaurant is really nice for dinner time. It's dimly lit, while still having…read moreenough lighting at the tables. The music has been great all night. Think Mariah the Scientist type music. It's also not too loud so you can hear the people next to you. Service was quite slow at first but the staff did a nice job of assisting each other. Our food came out quickly though when we did eventually place our orders! The food was really good! I got the Teriyaki Salmon bento box. And it came just as expected:) We had a few issues at our tables with dirty glasses and things in our water (picture included of thing in water)

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.

An easy contender for the best bar & restaurant in Ardmore!…read more From the first moment that I stumbled upon it on the way to a dinner and just had to grab test cocktail, to the most recent time where I splurged on all the sushi and bao bun noms; Izzy's has been a place that never disappoints! It's called Izzy's because at its core it's a casual Izakaya where you can enjoy sushi, bao, drinks, and more without even needing a reservation (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/05/28/izzys-cocktail-bar-izakaya-ardmore/) four nights a week. But its all a passion project from the Ripplewood team that does all that with a good fusion twist that yields very little confusion. Your old fashioned might come with an aged dark rum instead of a whiskey, your salmon hand roll might be the perfect lox bagel without the bagel, and your bao bun might come birria taco style, and all of the above are absolute serendipity! The menu does shift regularly enough to the point where you'll find at least one new favorite among old staple with each visit, and you also want to be prepared to find out about specials and get spot-on recommendations from the welcoming staff. For cocktails I've immensely enjoyed their versions of dark & stormy's, olde fashioned's, the Last Word (https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2025/06/19/izzys-ardmore-last-word/), and then some. But they also have a weel rounded selection of Japanese whiskeys, and you best believe that they have Hitachino Nest beer! For food I've enjoyed the following; Salmon Philly Handroll - The perfect lox bagel without the bagel comes with sushi grade salmon, creme fraiche, and everything bagel spice in a seaweed wrap. Hokkaido Scallop Handroll - the perfect buttery scallops with an umami bomb speak for themselves! Miso Soup - You haven't had miso soup until you had this freshmaker version that perfectly serves two. Hands down the best version I've ever had! Nigiri - All the nigiri, all of it is good! Spicy Cucumbers - the perfect chilled vegetable to share with the table with a bit of spice and flavor that rivals my belove Han Dynasty and Dan Dan versions! Birria Bao Buns - Somehow the best queso free birria I've had might not come with a taco?! My favorite seat is the window booth that overlooks all of downtown Ardmore. But my second favorite is standing so I can play a free game of pinball!

Service is really friendly and it's a nice, intimate date spot. I had thought there would be a…read morelarger dinner menu, but this is really a cocktail bar with a few bites. My mistake. The drinks are very good and the food is very good, but if you make a dinner out of the food it gets expensive very quickly. I'll be back for either pre- or post-dinner drinks!

Really enjoyed the food, so different, so good. Our server…read morestood by with answers to our questions about the menu and we made the right choices.

Little place just off the Main Street. Only few tables but cosy in set up to enjoy big bowls full…read moreof steamy ramen. Noodles are chewy and awesome!