Cafe Soho

468 West Cheltenham Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19126
(215) 224-6800

Café Soho is located in Philadelphia’s own Korean neighborhood, a neighborhood that I wish was A LOT closer to the city proper. With places like Jong Ka Jib for the best soup around, and various other BBQ and traditional Korean restaurants interspersed throughout the area, the neighborhood is full of spicy authenticity.

Soho, however, is like the hot (good-looking and hip) Korean professionals' nightclub. Oh, and they serve the gold standard for the infamous Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) that became the hot new food item in the past couple of years.

I never wrote about Soho before because the omnipresent lighting in there made all of my (iPhone) pictures turn out terribly. So, armed with a nicer camera, we embarked on a journey and KFC was had.

I can’t imagine what this place is like on a weekend night. Because even when somewhat empty on a weeknight, they still have the atmosphere and brilliant lighting of a sleek Asian-inspired club.

All glitz and glamour aside, I was here for some fried chicken. They have a limited menu, but everyone in-the-know gets the wings. See below for the steps to a shatteringly crispy crust on these things.

When they arrive, they are glistening like ultra crispy, puffy footballs of poultry. They offer four flavor varieties, soy garlic, hot chili, seasoned (a mix), and plain. I usually go with one half chili and the other soy garlic.

The texture on the wings is pretty incredible. They encompass everything you wish traditional buffalo wings had, namely a ridiculously crispy exterior, but also a tender, juicy and well seasoned interior and sauce that is hot enough to make you sweat but won’t drown out your palate.

Check out the sultry, tender poultry meat underneath that beautiful crust. Delicious.

Now this place isn’t cheap, at $20 for about 18-20 wings - they measure by weight - but they are a pretty good size, and the experience alone is well worth it. You can ask them to split up the sauces, which is a good idea, in my opinion. That way you can get a taste of their range in flavor profiles. So make a mission of it, head to Olney, and get your KFC on. Also, if you are fat like me, you can stop at Jong Ka Jib a block South on 5th street, and get some of the best soup ever - to go, for second dinner.