Eat Café

The Center for Hunger-Free Community is an community outreach program associated with Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health. They partner with universities, public and private organizations, and the community to find sustainable solutions to poverty and hunger. In collaboration with The Center of Hospitality and Sport Management at Drexel University, Vetri Community Partnership, and The Greater West Philadelphia Community, the center recently opened Eat Café  (3820 Lancaster Ave), a nonprofit restaurant that embraces the pay what you can concept. The establishment offers nutritional and seasonal rotating three course meal with the suggested price of $15. I believe the restaurant is anticipating that people of higher economic status will pay or pay more to offset what the lower social economic patrons might not be able to contribute. Or maybe they hope that whatever the less fortunate can afford although less than the suggested price will still keep operation going. This pay as what you can is indeed an interesting idea and experiment. Currently, the restaurant is open during 4pm-8pm Wednesday through Friday.  I am curious to see how this will all pan out. I do wish the pay what you can prove to be sustainable and the organization will be able to open more restaurants or invest in other programs to help the community.

Inside the restaurant, I would estimate that there was a total of 10 tables, ranging from 2 to 6 people seatings. Since the tables are fairly close together and the staff was friendly, it had a warm and homey ambiance. There was also an open kitchen in the back. The night that we went, the place was packed. We were a party of 6 so it was going to be a challenge to seat us. Fortunately, the reservation for the large back table cancelled at the last minute. Hence, we got their table...Yay for people who don't show up.

The first course was between milestone soup or a caprese salad. I chose the soup. The soup was still hot upon arrival. There were beans, carrots, pasta, and tomato in the soup. The soup was not heavy and very tasty. It was great to start the night.

Milestone Soup

For my entree, I ordered the only vegetarian option that evening- Veggie Pesto Lasagna. This dish also came out very hot which I preferred. The portion side was on point for me. It wasn't too little or too much. The lasagna was layers of tendered seasonal vegetables and pasta topped with melted cheese and pesto sauce. The cheese was chewy and went well with the layers. The pesto sauce was a little oily but I didn't mind it. It was a light kind of oil and also the kind that probably kept the meal hot longer. It also added flavor to the overall dish. As sides to share among the table were roasted vegetables and spaghetti. The vegetables were fresh and the right amount of tenderness. The tomato sauce was simple and rich in tomato flavor. I feel that sometimes sauces can be over powdered by spices used in them but it wasn't like that here. It was purely tomatoey and tasted homemade.

Veggie Pesto Lasagna

Roasted Vegetables and Spaghetti

I got the Lemon Sorbet for dessert. It came with a maraschino cherry on top. It was very refreshing but just a little more on the sour side. For the most part, I enjoyed my experience. The food was fresh and good. The only thing was it took a while for our foods to come out; however, that could be because we had a large party. They waited for all the foods to finish cooking before serving. I would like to return and try something else when their menu changes.

Lemon Sorbert

Sumo Sushi

One day when I didn't bring lunch, I decided to order sushi from Sumo Sushi (337-41 S. Broad Street) with my coworker. They had lunch specials. I loooooove discounts so yay. It was also very easy to order online for this restaurant. Online ordering was available on their website as well as grubhub and yelp. 

We ordered the 3 roll lunch special for $10.95. We got the shrimp tempura, yellowtail crunch, and spicy tuna rolls. The crunch for the yellowtail came from the apples which was new for me. I think they might have been granny smith apples and the slices weren't real crisp. It was my first time having apple in my sushi. It was just okay. Overall, I thought the yellowtail and spicy tuna sushi were mediocre. They were a little mushier than I would like them to be. I had better and firmer yellowtail and tuna sushi before. The shrimp tempura roll had avocado and cucumber in it. It was my favorite of them all. Fried things are always yummy. Having it paired with avocado, cucumber, rice, and seaweed was just the icing on top. 

Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna, and Yellowtail Crunch Rolls

In addition to the sushi, we got something new to both of us- Tuna Pumpkins. They were lobster salad wrapped with a thin layer of tuna, creating the shape of pumpkins, and topped with mosago, which were roe from a small fish called capelin. Below I have pictures of the pumpkins and the inside of the so call pumpkin. The lobster salad inside had a creamy texture with tiny bits of lobster in it and was very tasty. The combination of the lobster salad and tuna complement each other well and kind of melts in your mouth. I ate my share slowly, savoring over the novel taste and sensation in my mouth. I highly recommend the Tuna Pumpkins in addition to the Shrimp Tempura Roll.

Tuna Pumpkins

Lobster salad inside the Tuna Pumpkins

Real Food Eatery

Real Food Eatery (207 S. 16th Street) as its name suggests offers real whole nature foods.  For their Real Plate options, you choose an entree (protein), a base (spring mix, kale, brown rice, or white rice), and 2 sides. In additions, they had salads and bowls. Everything was made to order. The ordering process was easily. You come in and order at the counter closest to the door. Then you pay and pick up your meal at the other end. 

I ordered the Veggie Bowl (rice, shredded carrot, roasted mushrooms, and greens) with sesame dressing on the side. The bowl was presented in a bibimbap style with the rice on the bottom and the other ingredients on top. To eat, you mix all the components together and pour the sauce over it. The brown rice was a good texture- not hard and not soft. The mushroom and greens were tendered and tasty. The carrots tasted like any other raw shredded carrot would taste like. The sesame sauce was rich in sesame flavor and very creamy. Everything went well together. The portion size was also huge. I ate half and saved the rest for later. It was a healthy, simple, and satisfying meal. I should really try to prepare meals like these at home...maybe one day. It didn't seem like it would be hard to make.

Veggie Bowl

Destination Dog

There is a new gourmet hot dog in town and that's Destination Dog (1111-1113 Walnut Street). The establishment has a high class feel in comparison to places you expect to get hot dogs. There is a bar and an ample of table seating. They serve high quality and exotic meat and nation inspired topped hot dogs. You can customize your own hot dog or you can select from a menu. 

I ordered the only vegetarian dog available on the set menu- The Veg-Dog Meal-Ionaire (Indian). For some reason, I thought the name came from the movie, Slumdog Millonaire. It was a vegetarian sausage topped with samosa filling, pickled radish, cilantro, and sriracha mayo. The sausage came on a housemade bun and housemade chips. The bun reminded me of Texan Toast. The bread was thick, fluffy, soft, and tasty. The sausage had a soft texture. I could not make out what the sausage was made of and the exact spices in it (maybe some curry spice) but it was absolutely delicious. It was so good that I had my friend try some. The topping was also exceptional. It was one of the best samosa filling I ever had. The pickled radish complemented the samosa filling greatly. Although the sausage was suppose to be topped with sriracha mayo, I thought it taste more like ketchup. The house chips were thin, fresh, and crispy. I didn't think they were too greasy. There were some burnt ones, but it was still addictive. Overall, I thought meal was filling. It was a good portion side. I really liked what I had and hope to return for more. 

The Veg-Dog Meal-Ionaire

Sky Cafe- Indonesian

Sky Cafe, (1122 Washington Ave, Ste B) an Indonesian restaurant located in South Philly, is one of tastiest and one of the most affordable places I ever been to. Most of their main dishes were either $7 or $8. The establishment was relatively small. I would estimate there were seating for about 20 people. My friend and I ventured to Sky Cafe for dinner. I was actually surprised that the cafe closes at 8PM. In my opinion, it was too early for a restaurant that I consider serving lunch and dinner types of food to close. Luckily, my friend and I made it before closing. The staff was very friendly and our food came out fast.

Being the greedy and fat selves we are, we ordered a rice dish to share as well as a separate rice dish for ourselves. We shared the Nasi Uduk (coconut rice with anchovy, spicy egg, shrimp cracker, and cucumber). I thought the coconut rice would be the coconut rice like the ones at Thai restaurants- rice that is fluffy and made with coconut milk. However, what I got was regular rice topped with fried shallot and surrounded by a medley of toasted coconut flakes, toasted anchovy, and toasted peanuts, shrimp cracker, cucumber, and hard boil egg halves topped with spicy hot paste sauce. The medley of coconut, anchovy, and peanuts was the star of the dish. It was delicious with it's sweetness and saltness. I would note that the medley was mostly coconut flakes and peanuts with a few anchovies. The rice is a little on the drier side. Not sure, if the rice was just a little off that day or the Indonesians prefer their rice on the drier side. The eggs were cold and topped with sauce that I considered hot, but the two cucumbers provide some cooling relief. The shrimp cracker was crispy and tasted fresh like it was homemade.

Nasi Uduk

For my personal entree, I got Nasi Sayur (steamed rice with vegetable curry, egg, shrimp cracker, and cucumber). The rice was in the center and it was topped with a spicy sauce and diced potato and carrots. Similar to the dish above, surrounding the rice were hard boiled egg halves topped with spicy hot paste sauce, shrimp crackers, and cucumber and in addition, the vegetable curry. The curry was mostly potatoes, but I am not complaining because I love potatoes. There was a lot of flavor coming from the curry and sauce on top of the rice as well as spiciness. I thought it was a great combination and my taste palate was definitely happily aroused by the spices. Overall I enjoyed both dishes. I mostly ate the components of the dish separately, but I did eat the rice with the medley and the curry. I am not sure if that was the proper way to eat it. A part of me is telling me that I was suppose give the ingredients a good mix and eat it together and maybe topped the mixture on top of the crackers or cucumber to eat. I do plan to frequent the cafe again to try all the vegetarian and pescatarian options. Maybe next time, I will observe how others consume the rice dishes.

Nasi Sayur

Snap Kitchen

I heard  about Snap Kitchen for awhile and have been seeing them pop up in different parts of the city. They advertise themselves as a to go convenient shop for healthy prepared food which I like. I am all for healthy eating. The shop I visited was on 19th and Chestnut. It had a simple and modern feel.  Everything was neatly stacked in an open refrigerator and easy to locate. I decided to try the Veggie Lasagna. I loved the food label. It was clean and simple and had everything I wanted and needed to know on it. How to heat it up, what's in it, sell by date, and nutritional facts. A plus is that the container it says it is reusable and microwaveable. I am not going to lie---I definitely kept the container after devouring the food.

The Veggie Lasagna was made up canned tomato (tomato, tomato puree, basil leaf, citric acid, salt), eggplant, zucchini, reduce fat ricotta cheese (whole milk, skim milk, starter, salt), yellow squash, red bell pepper, egg, mushroom, oregano, parmesan cheese (cow's milk, rennet, salt, enzymes), tomato paste (tomato, citric acid), extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, red onion, basil, ground black pepper, garlic, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. It feels good to be able to recognize and pronounce all the ingredients. I wonder with all the ingredients listed if the recipe can be replicated. I thought the portions of the lasagna's components were well balanced (eg. veggies, cheese, and sauce). The veggie were the right amount of tender. They were not too mushy and still had a subtle snap to them. The ricotta cheese was creamy and the melted cheese on top was chewy. The tomato sauce was flavorful and not too salty. I really enjoyed the meal. I would love to try their other vegetarian options. I am definitely going back. It's good, healthy, and convenient----can't think of anywhere else I can get that unless I prepare the foods myself. One down side is that it is a little pricey, considering that you have heat up the meal yourself. 

Vegetable Lasagna

Tu's Tea and Banh Mi

I was craving banh mi and was excited to try Tu's Tea and Banh Mi (525 Washington Ave) especially because of the good reviews online and alluring pictures on yelp; however, I was highly disappointed. Tu cafe is located in Northeast but they recently open a location in South Philly. The establishment was very small with 3 small 2 seat tables and wall table in the back with 4 stool chairs. The menu had a long list of banh mi (including three vegetarian one) as well as an excessive offering of drinks (bubble tea and smoothies).

For my drink, I got a Mango smoothie. Prior to ordering my friend asked if they used fresh mango to which they responded yes; however, this prove to be false. I am use to fresh mango smoothies I get at the bakeries in Chinatown and the fruit cart near my work. Chinatown bakeries make their smoothies with real mango, some cream, sugar liquid, and ice while the fruit cart solely uses mango and ice. What I got at Tu was not what I was expecting. It tasted like the little asian yogurt drinks I use to drink as a kid (which is mostly made up of high fructose btw) mixed with regular yogurt, mango fruit cup (I tasted very soft bites of mango which reminded me the texture of peach fruit cups), and ice. To add to bad experience, the consistency was thick and there were chunks of ice, making it very hard to drink from the straw. My friends also experienced chunks of ice and was displeased with their drinks. One of friends commented she can barely taste the avocado in her smoothie.

Mango Smoothie

The banh mi I got was the Lemongrass Tofu. The ingredients were fresh; however the sandwich was sub par. The bread was less tasty compared to other baguettes I had. The sweet and sour radish and carrots were more on the bland side. I would like the sweet and sour taste to be more polent. The sandwich was really dry. I know banh mi is dry in general but this is the driest I ever had. I would have like a like more mayo on it. The tofu was bland and even though it was fried it wasn't crispy. All I really tasted was the fried tofu and black pepper. The jalapeno did give a nice kick. Overall, I am not happy with the banh mi. Although there are two other veggie banh mi I could come back and try, I doubt it will be worth it going back when I don't even the cafe's main banh mi components- bread and pickled radish and carrots.

Lemongrass Banh Mi