Sampan chef Michael Schulson clearly wanted to wow the Philadelphia restaurant scene with his debut. A veteran of Buddakan New York and our very own Pod, Schulson opened his first restaurant, Atlantic City’s japanese pub Izakaya, in 2008 before choosing Center City for his newest outpost. Sampan’s pan-Asian menu features Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and, of course, Japanese cuisines, served as small plates to encourage sampling and sharing. And sample and share you should!
Tucked alongside El Vez, Zavino, and Bindi on 13th Street, which is seemingly morphing into the city’s newest restaurant row, Sampan’s modern, dark atmosphere is obvious even before entering. The interior’s rich woods and metals balance the bright walls, where brightly lit tree silhouettes lie on top of a black backdrop. Even the menus are sleek, tiny wooden slivers that open to present an almost overwhelming selection of dishes.
Divided into eight different sections, including noodles, satays, meats, and sides, it isn’t immediately clear how one should order. Never fear, a quick explanation from the gracious, knowledgeable wait staff reveals that items are small and served family-style, suggesting that two to four per person, depending on hunger, is typical. With these guidelines in place, the feast begins.
After a short wait, the first dishes arrived fast and furious, jamming the table with an array of impressively plated creations. The edamame dumplings ($7), a Schulson specialty also on the Izakaya menu, were delicate, doughy pillows floating in a shimmering sake broth. The hint of truffle present in their mild interior was a perfect prelude of what awaited. Next to arrive was what appeared to be a brown paper-wrapped torpedo on white china. In reality, it was the Pork Bahn Mi ($9), a Vietnamese hoagie served on a baguette, cut into four manageable pieces. Versions of the sandwiches are fast appearing on menus nationwide, but it’s hard to imagine that Schulson’s isn’t one of the best, as the combination of pickled vegetables, crusty baguette, and succulent pork belly comes close to perfection. The shaken tuna tartar ($14) and lamb satay ($10) completed the first round and each was as successful as its tablemates. The tuna, a deconstructed vision of pink fish and green avocado, melted on the tongue, while the lamb was expertly seasoned and cooked just right.
Following a brief and welcomed recess for digestion, the next round of dishes emerged from the open kitchen. The ramen noodle soup ($12), while flavorful, called for a little more BBQ pork and a little less broth, and the Korean rice cakes ($11) were a total surprise. Described as a “Korean Bolognese,” the dish paired chewy rice disks with bits of sausage in a chili-flecked tomato sauce for an unexpected treat. This course’s true highlight, though, was another shocker. The crispy brussel sprouts ($6) were nothing short of a revelation: browned, crunchy spheres soaked in fish sauce and topped with tiny rice puffs that promise to convert even the most resistant skeptics.
Dessert was a nice treat, but one wouldn’t envy its position as the encore of such a memorable meal. Sure, the chocolate custard bites with caramelized bananas and graham cracker crust and pineapple cakes with coconut ice cream were tasty, but stomachs were already so happily full that it was hard to give them the attention that they deserved. Maybe next time though, because with a plethora of unexplored dishes still waiting on Sampan’s menu, a return visit is already in the works.
Sampan
124 S. 13th St.
(215) 732-3501
Don’t Miss: Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Skip: Overindulging with dessert
