Sakura Mandarin Review

Sakura Mandarin is located next to Dim Sum Garden. And after hearing that Sakura Mandarin also had soup dumplings aka XLB, I had to stop by to check them out.

It's a clean and sleek location, with bright colors throughout and plenty of seating.

Your meal starts off with some hot tea - nothing wrong with that! 

Spicy Cucumber [$4.50]

The spicy crisp cucumber at Han Dynasty is simply amazing. Sakura Mandarin's iteration is decent, showcasing a thicker sauce which I didn't enjoy as much, but at least the sweet and sour flavors were there.

Won Ton Soup 
 

As part of the lunch special during the week, the GF and I receive soup with our meal. We went with the won ton soup, which had a nice clear broth, filled with scallions and fresh-made pork won tons.

Shredded Pork in Garlic Sauce [$5.95]

An incredible deal for lunch, there's plenty of tender pork and crisp veggies on offer. The savory garlic sauce coated it all nicely.

Dan Dan Noodles [$5.95]

Everyone knows about Han Dynasty's dan dan noodles. So naturally, in trying Sakura Mandarin's version I had to restrain myself in comparing the two.

While there was more peanut than chili flavors in this dish, it wasn't bad at all. The crispy bits of pork melded well with the sauce and the noodles were fresh.

Pork Soup Dumplings [$5.50]
 

And on to the pork soup dumplings. Compared to Dim Sum Garden, these XLB were more savory and had less of the subtle sweetness. The skin on the dumplings was also not as gossamer thin. Regardless, not bad though it's better a few doors down.

So if you're in a rush and can't stand the wait of a weekend night at Dim Sum Garden, Sakura Mandarin has you covered for your XLB and Chinese food needs.

Bread Top House Review

If you're looking for affordable, yet delicious baked goods, look no further than Chinatown. This section of Philly is home to numerous Chinese bakeries which offer the ubiquitous BBQ roast pork buns, among others. Bread Top House is one of the ones that gets it right.

Don't be alarmed by the Chinese lettering. Most items, if not all, are written in English as well.

Just grab a tong and get to picking and choosing between all the goodies. 

And talk about affordable! I got all of these for $5.55!

Egg Custard Tart 

The egg custard tart was interesting, the innards were subtly sweet with a crispy crust.

Curry Chicken Bun 
 

I've always enjoyed the curry buns at Korean bakeries like Koryodang which are admittedly infinitely better. But those outposts are limited to NY and NJ. The curry buns here are decent, with a small mix of onions, potatoes, and small bits of curried chicken amidst a soft bun.

Roast Pork Bun

But really, we're here for the sweet BBQ roast pork buns, which are good here. The roast pork isn't plentiful, but the mix of onions and sweet pork leave you wanting more. Guess the solution is to get two or three of these, especially at these cheap prices. I got two on this trip.

Raisin Twist
 

The dough on the raisin twist is subtly sweet and eggy, with nuggets of raisins interspersed throughout. 

Pineapple Custard Bun
 

The dough is airy and the pineapple custard is not overly saccharine. 

Sesame Red Bean Ball

The outside contains fragrant, toasted sesame seeds, the middle is glutinously delicious, and the innards consist of a sweet red bean paste. One of my favorites.

I still can't get over how cheap it was for all seven of these baked goods. If you're feeling adventurous and have a few dollars on hand, don't hesitate to step into Bread Top House to try some Chinese pastries. 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/bread-top-house-philadelphia