Percy Street BBQ: Comcast Center Review

Having tried Percy Street BBQ on South Street, I was looking forward to the outpost in the Comcast Center - the bastion of corporate lunches. Having read the Yelp reviews, I knew that I should be expecting mainly sandwiches - consisting of BBQ chicken, pulled pork, or brisket. Sides are offered as well, including Mac & Cheese and collard greens. Unfortunately, my after-work visit was disappointing. Perhaps the timing was the reason (read: after work and not during lunch) ... though I arrived three hours prior to closing.

Having visited Mike's Steaks several times - I have spied on Percy Street's operations from a short distance. They carve and chop your meat to order, which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, on my inaugural visit, they were already out of BBQ chicken and pulled pork. I knew the Comcast iteration of Percy Street did not offer pork belly, so I had already settled on brisket - so no matter to me. However, I was picking up dinner for the GF so I felt bad - I knew she would've preferred the pulled pork or the BBQ chicken. Alas ... it was not meant to be. 

They were also out of jalapeno cornbread. I understand that the prime hours are likely during lunch, but if you're open until 7PM - it kind of stands to reason that around 4PM, you'd have most offerings. But I digress (do I? do I really?) ... on to the meal!

Chopped Brisket ($7.99)

Served on a Liscio's roll, the brisket was chopped to order. There are no lean, fatty, or mixed options here - they simply give you what is apparently available . And trust me - this version was extremely fatty (I prefer mixed). About 3/4 of the brisket was quite good - smoky, tender, delicious. However, the sandwich had entire squares of fat which were completely inedible.

I asked for the 'Old Faithful' BBQ sauce, which had a tiny bit of heat and a subtle sweetness that was inherent in every mouthful. You can add pickles, onions, coleslaw, or jalapenos as toppings for free, but I wanted to taste the pure, unadulterated brisket. Cheddar, provolone, or pickled green tomatoes are extra.

In any case, I was sorely disappointed with this sandwich - and my stomach was angry for the rest of the night. 

Mac & Cheese ($1.99 when ordered with a sandwich)

Since I ordered the brisket sandwich, I was able to get a side of Mac & Cheese for $1.99 (rather than $2.99 on its own). A steal right? Not at all! The picture above is deceiving - I should've placed it next to the sandwich itself for comparison's sake. The diameter of the entire side was 2 inches at most - on a good day. The height of the container was about an inch. Not worth $1.99 - and I'm normally down to pay most anything for a good bite of food.

And this wasn't it. Don't get me wrong - it was passable and the GF was a fan (but then again she loves Kraft Mac N Cheese - sorry boo - cat's out of the bag!). It was creamy enough and the top was crusted with toasted breadcrumbs. However, it was fairly one note - and one bite. Maybe two.

Overall - the Comcast Center's version of Percy Street BBQ missed its mark for me. Mainly due to the extreme fattiness of the brisket sandwich and the relatively high price point for what constitutes a side. It's a good thing Center City Philly doesn't have many BBQ options - or Percy Street would be obligated to reconsider their pricing of certain items, as well as their quality.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Fette Sau in the near future ...

Cuba Libre: Unlimited Piqueos Review

So when I heard about an unlimited small plates (piqueos) brunch at Cuba Libre - I had to check it out with the GF. For $26 per person (everyone at the table has to participate), you get to sample from 36 different "small plate" style dishes.

We had been to the Cuba Libre in Atlantic City and were captivated by the Havana-esque atmosphere and design. It's the perfect setup for the late-night dance scene that is created by the restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights (dress up and get down!). A nice concept that is done in Philadelphia as well.

The design in the Old City location takes you away to Cuba. There is a bar downstairs with an open space to the left ...

and a bar upstairs as well. The fans hanging above are beautifully designed and adds to the charm of Cuba Libre.

In preparation for the meal, I thought about wearing my Philly Marathon shirt from last year so I wouldn't be judged by how much I had planned on ordering (today was the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon). Then I remembered I had no shame! So on to the meal proper ...

Cava Mojito ($9.50)
Cuba Libre White Rum, hierba Buena, guarapo, fresh lime juice, topped with Cava

I'm not the biggest fan of sweet drinks (e.g. margaritas). But when I do go sweet, I drink mojitos. Typically light, refreshing - they can really hit the spot. And we're in a freakin Cuban restaurant - what else would you order here besides the eponymous Cuba Libre (essentially a Rum & Coke with lime).

This iteration of the drink fell flat though - literally. I assumed that topping the mojito with Cava, which is a sparkling wine, would mean that there would be some refreshing carbonation in the drink. However, I could barely feel any tingle from this tipple. Perhaps the Cava was left open too long .. an unfortunate start to the meal.

But on to the brunch itself ... I've listed the a la carte pricing for those of you who prefer not to be gluttons.
 
Papas Rellenas ($7.5)
Cuban potato croquettes filled with beef picadillo. Sweet and spicy guajillo pepper sauce. Crispy onions and Manchego crema. 

There was a muted sweetness to this dish. The inner potato was extremely creamy - the outer shell of the croquette was surprisingly not too crispy - quite light. The onion strings that topped the dish were fine, however the big draw back of this dish? The sauce was extremely cold. As if the dish had been left on the 'heat' lamp for a bit too long.

Guacamole Cubano ($6)
Avocado, golden pineapple, fresh lime juice and extra virgin olive oil. Crispy plantain chips.

We had this dish in Atlantic City and it was too much sweetness for this guy to handle. I prefer my guacamole spicy, garlicky, and savory.This rendition was actually not too bad. The sweet, fresh pineapples shined through and the plantain chips were fried crispy, but not greasy and maintained a muted sweetness that was not overbearing.

Buñuelos de Espinaca ($6)
Spinach and Manchego cheese puffs. Goat cheese-ranch sauce and organic olive oil.

This was definitely one of our favorites. The outer shell was crisp and the innards were deliciously creamy and luscious. The salt from the Manchego definitely lingered on the finish, but in a good way. The goat cheese-ranch sauce acted to highlight those same flavors.

Torta de Cangrejo Benedict ($7)
Jumbo lump crabmeat and potato cake, poached egg, avocado mash. Tomato Hollandaise sauce.

This easily could have been one of our favorites as well - had it been warmer. Again - another victim to what was likely a 'heat lamp' issue. Admittedly I had started our brunch by ordering an initial 7 dishes - but our server had graciously split the order into two. Unfortunate ... however, the flavors were there. The crab and potato crab cake was well seasoned and the runny egg? Who doesn't love a good runny egg oozing on through your dish. Here's the money shot ... 

Mejillones Mar y Tierra ($10)
Prince Edward Island mussels, poached in rich lobster broth, roasted garlic, Berkshire pork belly, caramelized onions, steamed kale and slow roasted tomatoes

The GF typically has issues with certain types of cuisine - namely of the textural variety. Thus ... the task of downing these labiacious (yes - I made that up - pretty sure you can understand my meaning however) P.E.I. goodies remained with me. Rich, sweet, and plump - quite typical of this variety. The broth was luxurious and deep - you could taste the briny, yet full flavor. Steamed kale and tomatoes were a nice counterpoint to the high quality pork belly. Berkshire (pork) is to Jidori (chicken) is to Wagyu (beef) in my estimation. Don't get me wrong though, this can be a delightfully, deceivingly heavy dish. As you can see below though, I had no problem finishing it.

Huevo en Cazuela ($7)
Egg poached in Cuban enchilado and goat cheese fondue.

This dish was merely OK when compared to the body of flavors we were experiencing.The enchilado fondue was well-seasoned and had a hint of tang from the goat cheese. The center poached egg was nice - the inner yolk had already hardened by the time we broke through. Nothing to write home about really.

Pulpo con Berenjenas ($7.5)
Truffle and citrus marinated grilled baby octopus, Haitian eggplant salad.

And of course, the GF thought the baby octopi were too cute so she could not suffer through eating them. So the task was left to me.

This was another dish that suffered from being a bit too cold. It was still palatable as the char from grilling the baby octopus shined through. I could not taste the truffle, however. The Haitaian eggplant salad's seasoning tended to overpower the dish.

At this point, the GF was crying 'no mas,' but I had only ordered what I would consider appetizer dishes. It was on to the mains and sides - much of which were left to me as she was saving room for dessert.
 
One-Eyed Ropa Vieja Hash ($9.5)
Classic Cuban shredded beef brisket stewed with tomatoes, bell peppers, and red wine on a hash of Yukon gold potatoes, boniato, maduros and corn. Fried egg.

This was another favorite - who doesn't love a good beef brisket - Cuban or otherwise?  The brisket was topped with an egg, with runny yolk oozing through all the nooks once pierced with my knife. Delicious bits of corn and peppers were interspersed throughout the dish, which was surprisingly sweet in nature and helped steer the dish away from being too heavy.

Papas con Chorizo ($6)
Olive oil smashed potatoes, chorizo, sour cream and Monterey Jack cheese gratin.
 

This was pure carbo-load. The olive oil smashed potatoes were quite heavy - something that was heightened with the addition of sour cream and small bits of chorizo throughout. The Monterey Jack cheese gratin was thick on top - but being a lover of cheese - I didn't really mind. But at this point in the meal - this carbo-laden dish was a bit much.

Sopa de Frijoles Negros ($5)
Traditional black bean soup. Fried yuca sticks.

This was a favorite of the GF especially - I merely sampled a bite of the fried yuca sticks and a spoonful of the soup so I could think about my two 'desserts' coming up. The fried yuca was actually perfect - nicely crispy on the outside, but creamy within. Compared to Varga's yuca sticks which aren't sufficiently creamy for my tastes - these were a dream. The soup itself was nicely salted - necessary for the black beans.

Chicharrones de la Casa ($8)
Crisp marinated chicken, skirt steak, Berkshire pork belly, Cortez chorizo and plantain tostóns. Mojo picante.

I was really looking forward to this dish - namely because I wanted to taste the pure essence of the pork belly. Unfortunately this dish fell flat - all the components were marinated in a sweet sauce, with the exception of the plantains (the huge disk on the left and the thin chip in the middle). The sauce was not as picante as I would've liked. The huge disk of plaintains was also very very dry in the middle - almost inedible. The pork belly, below, was the only saving component of the dish - though I feel it was somewhat marred by the marinade.

 
And for our last quartet of dishes - we ordered two desserts for me and two for the GF. Mine were savory and hers were sweet. Can you guess which ones were mine?

Pancita de Puerco ($8)
Honey-soy glazed Berkshire pork belly pinchos, vigorón slaw and chicharrones.

 

This was easily my favorite dish of this feast. The pure essence of the pork belly was presented. I was a bit apprehensive about the honey-soy glaze adulterating the pork, but it only lightly enhanced it. The vinegary slaw beneath the three skewers of pork belly (two nice chunks to a skewer) was heavenly and provided the perfect counterbalance to the fat of the pork. The chicharrones (fried pork rinds) were a nice textural element to the dish. I would come back for this dish alone.

Arroz Frito Con Perros Calientes ($8)
Napa cabbage, Spanish chistorras sausages and Berkshire pork belly-fried rice. Fried egg.

At this point in the meal - even I was feeling it. However, I forged on. This fried rice was a nice rendition. And again - who doesn't love a runny egg topped with some Siracha hot sauce? The Napa cabbage was very reminiscent of kimchi or Korean fermented cabbage, typically made with Napa cabbage as well. This rendition was more vinegary, than funky and I really appreciated it in this dish. The chistorras sausages were more prevalent in this dish than pork belly - but at this point in the meal - it was fine, even with me. Another dish I would recommend. 

Waffle de Chocolate ($6)
Cuban chocolate waffle, chunky banana sun-dried cherry-vanilla syrup.

The GF's first dessert did not fans make. The chocolate waffle was fairly dry and was not chocolate-y enough. The banana provided the sweet element to the dish. The sun-dried cherry-vanilla syrup was not highly prevalent in the dish. The one highlight of the dish - the 'GF-certified' "real whipped cream." Still - not a dish I would order again.

Torreja ($10)
Guava paste and cream cheese filled brioche bread French toast. Drunken strawberry-honey drizzle.

As soon as we saw this on the menu, the GF and I immediately thought of Sabrina's version of stuffed french toast. This was not on par with Sabrina's but it made a respectable go at it. The guava paste was naturally sweet and the kitchen may have been a bit too heavy handed with it. The cream cheese provided a nice balance to that sweetness. The french toast was nicely cooked, though the bottom half got soggy.Not being a fan of overly indulgent desserts - I can't say I would recommend the dish again, but the GF found it to be decent.

Service at Cuba Libre was pretty good - initially a bit aloof but serviceable, our server kept our glasses full and attended to our needs. He checked in on us at the end - curious as to our takes on several of the newer dishes. The manager also stopped by once to make sure everything was up to par.  

 

Overall, the unlimited piqueos brunch at Cuba Libre is a great deal - provided you have the stomach for it. If you can eat more than 3 of these dishes - it's best to go with the unlimited option. Otherwise - the dishes I would advocate for are the Buñuelos de Espinaca, Torta de Cangrejo Benedict (provided it is warmer than our iteration), One-Eyed Ropa Vieja Hash, Pancita de Puerco, and the Arroz Frito Con Perros Calientes. I would definitely order no more than 3 dishes at a time lest you suffer the possibility that your dish may be cold. That's understandable since the quality of the dishes doesn't scream mass production and the kitchen may need time to assemble said dishes. If you've never had Cuban food - I would take the opportunity to try this brunch option - you can have a taste of pretty much everything.  

http://cubalibrerestaurant.com/philadelphia/

Han Dynasty Review

One of the top 50 Chinese restaurants in the US (as per CNN, so take from that what you will), Han Dynasty ain't no fortune cookie / duck sauce / General Tso's kind of joint. We're talking about Szechuan cuisine - and it's got an inherently spicy kick, which I can wholeheartedly confirm is the case at Han Dynasty. If you can't stand the heat in this kitchen - then get the hell ... just kidding!

Apparently you can ask them to tone down the heat and they do gauge the heat using a 1 to 10 scale. For example, the Dan Dan noodles (a must get here!) register at an 8 - feel free to ask them to tone it down to a 5 or a 6, tourist!

In any case, I made a 12PM reservation and arrived half an hour early since I was out and about exploring Old City. Han Dynasty opens at 11:30AM, but as you can see - most of the staff and chefs were still waiting outside for the place to open. Close to noon - someone arrived with the key (not Han himself unfortunately!) and we were finally in! The staff was extremely nice and bought us water, while letting us know that the kitchen would be about 10-15 minutes before they could start service. Believe me - it wasn't much of a wait and the kitchen was capable of serving freshly made dishes quickly!

One more hot tip - if you can gather 7 or more of your closest friends (read: 8 including yourself), stop by for their tasting menu, which starts at $20 per person. Multiple courses of delicious bits - it's the best deal in town. It was just the GF and myself though this visit ... so alas, I simply ordered enough to warrant our server, Jason, to ask whether we wanted the lunch-size portions for everything except the Dan Dan noodles - even though lunch portions are typically not served on the weekends (may have been a misstep by Jason, but he held true to his word regardless). This was much appreciated, especially since we clearly had enough food and the dishes were all under $10! I've listed the normal dinner prices below as the lunch prices do not appear to be listed anywhere. 

But on to the meal ...

Dan Dan Noodles ($7.95, Heat Level: 8)

This dish is an absolute must for many of the diners at Han Dynasty - just check out the reviews on Yelp. 'Dan Dan' refers to the type of pole that was used to carry this dish by street vendors. The pole was carried over the shoulder with two baskets - one containing noodles, the other containing the sauce.

This version arrived with a deliciously devilish sauce on the bottom. The server mixes it for you at the table - gotta love table-side service even when it's as simple as mixing noodles. The spicy sauce appeared to have minced pork, scallions, chili oil, and Szechuan peppers. It had a burning kick which came at the end and lingered for a few minutes. Then, you simply get used to it! Once the rice comes for your entrees - it mixes perfectly with the chili oil that develops on your plate. Delicious.

Double Cooked Style Pork Belly ($13.95, Heat Level: 4)

Leeks, hot peppers, fermented black beans, and chili oil.

But really - for those of you who know what I'm about - we're here for the pork belly. This rendition came with thinly shaved slices of the beautiful cut of pork. It was lightly crisped, with much of the fat rendered off nicely. The leek, hot peppers, and fermented black bean were perfectly blended with the chili oil and clung to the pork belly. The hot peppers' heat had been tempered, allowing the peppers to be eaten without any worry - adding a nice smokiness. Admittedly, this dish has a bit of a salty kick - a bit more than I normally like - but this was well balanced by a sauce which was cloyingly sweet and tempered by the fermented black beans. Mixed with the steamed rice - it's an absolute treat.

Shifu Special - Three Cup Chicken ($14.95)

Wow - I can see why this is another crowd pleaser. 'Three cup' refers to the three cups of sauces used to cook the dish - typically, soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. The chicken had a light crisp, but more importantly, it was extremely succulent. The sauce was viscous and gently coated all the good bits, including added elements of whole ginger and roasted garlic cloves. It had depth as well - both salty, savory, and slightly sweet/sour (how's that for alliteration - no hands, Ma!).
  
String Beans w/ Minced Pork ($11.95)

This dish allowed for some freshness throughout the meal, which overall had an unsurprisingly savory tone. The string beans had a nice snap to them and were extremely fresh. The minced pork bits had a bit of crunch and were delicious. The dish was not overly sauced so the greens were allowed to shine.
 
Here's a shot of the entire meal.

Before I give my overall conclusions however, I wanted to go back to the pork belly (of course!). I couldn't help but eavesdrop on a nearby mother and son. The boy couldn't have been older than 14 or 15. He clearly wanted to be adventurous and try pork belly for the first time. A fan of fine cuisine or just a genius - I'll never know.

Son: "Oooo pork belly. I really want to try that - I hear it's great. Even better than bacon."
Mom: "I don't know ... pork is bad for you. Pork belly can't be good. You don't want that."

Really mom?!! Really?!! (a la Seth Meyers/Amy Poehler) The kid wants some elevated cuisine and clearly has a higher sense of cuisine than you do - let him be. And for those of you concerned about childhood obesity - the kid was rail thin and I'm sure his cholesterol was fine (better than mine at least!). Luckily our waiter, Jason, was serving them as well and pushed for the pork belly as well. The kid won out!

Seriously though, this mother was incorrigible and unrelenting - essentially smothering. Fortunately, the kid had heart and spoke his mind respectfully and was clearly intelligent. I wanted to adopt him - a future pork belly connoisseur, I'm sure.

Mom: "Cut your noodles and wipe that spicy sauce off your hand."
Son: "Mom - if they wanted the noodles shorter - I'm sure they would've cut them for us."

But I digress ...

Han Dynasty was a unique experience and highlights the spiciness of Szechuan cuisine. If you're looking for standard Chinese take out - prepare to have your mind blown away. The chefs here present a multitude of flavors that play well with each other. Flavors linger, sting, and may actually cause you to sweat. And you'll enjoy it.

One last shout out to our server, Jason. Provided great service throughout our meal - from start to finish. The added bonus of providing us with lunch portions (and prices!) didn't hurt as well. The meal would have normally totaled over $60 including tax/tip, so this was an added bonus to a great meal.

We'll be back.



http://www.handynasty.net/