Spice 28

1228 Chestnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 928-8880

Spice 28 may have a bit of a personality disorder, but they put out reasonably priced food (especially lunch), and they do it well.

This Thai/Szechuan/Chinese/Indian/Japanese restaurant has a pretty amazing interior, as seen below.

They also offer various lunch specials (single-dish type), which start at $7, and include soup, either Tom Yum or Wonton. The lunch boxes, which hover around $11 depending on your protein, come with choice of soup, Thai spring roll, and spicy cucumbers. I went with one of each lunch special, so I was able to try each soup. The Wonton soup had a delicate broth, fried garlic, greens, and ginger-laden dumplings. It was a nice take on a staple that tends to taste like salty water.

The Tom Yum, though missing some of the citric acidity from the lemongrass and lime that makes it traditionally so soul soothing, had a nice funky flavor from the fish sauce, and thanks to the blend of sour and heat was still quite enjoyable. It came with a couple of button mushrooms and some snap peas.

Drunken noodles is a Thai/Chinese treat, and when done right, it's fantastic. This was a really well balanced version, not overly oily, and had great flavor from the soy, fish sauce, and seasonings.

The lunch box special was another great pick, with green curry chicken, a spring roll, and said spicy cucumbers.

The curry was not overly spicy, but had just enough heat to remind you that you are indeed eating curry. The vegetables were fresh, and added some textural contrast.

Spicy cukes, not as good as the end all Szechuan place in Philadelphia, but still mighty tasty. I am unable to replicate these flavors at home, and it's quite frustrating. Anyone have any ideas? Oh, and the spring roll. It was a spring roll. Tasty, light, and crunchy.

I really liked this place, and hope that they can continue their dominance of Asian style mash-ups. The Thai food really stood out to me, but from what I hear, they have some great tuna and avocado dishes as well. The service was also fantastic, and my water was never less than half full. For less than $20 before tip, that's a four cheesesteak type meal.

Thai Singha House To Go

106 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 568-2390

Thai Singha is one of a couple of Thai places within a relatively small radius close to Rittenhouse, and they are known specifically for their incredibly cheap steam-tray lunches from Monday to Friday for around $6. I have dabbled, and found them to be cheap. That's about it. So I wanted to check out some of their real food, and also satisfy the hole in my soul that only lemongrass soup can fill. The Mom and Pop that run this place are incredibly cute, and they are also pretty much hilarious. See below.

So the first order of business was some Tom Yum. They call it lemongrass soup, but we know what it actually is: a slightly spicy sweet and sour broth, large straw mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, and with (an awfully generous) five shrimp, the $3 price tag made for a pretty satisfying starter. I really love the funkiness that the fish sauce offers this Thai staple.

The soup came out right away, and while I was waiting for my entrees, I threw an order of veggie spring rolls into the mix to tie me over. Keep in mind, when you are ordering from the À la cart menu, everything is made to order, so it may take a little while for your noodles to come out.

The spring rolls were just about the same as any others I have had. Fried, vegetabley, and served with a standard sweet and sour sauce.

Two go-to's when I am trying a new Thai place are Pad Thai, and Drunken Noodles. These are not very exciting, but when done well, they indicate a kitchen that will probably make a mean curry. Neither are very complicated, but they require finesse, otherwise it gets real heavy, real quick. Not to mention bland. They ask you how spicy you would like your order. I said very spicy, but I know they were holding back. I don't want American spicy, I want Thai spicy. I wish there was a discerning way to convey this when ordering at Asian/Indian restaurants. The broad, drunken noodles with chicken were pretty tasty, not overly heavy, and had a nice depth of flavor. I could have used some more heat (even though I added extra chili sauce), but overall, not a bad version of this hybrid.

The crispy tofu Pad Thai was also pretty tasty. Again, nothing mind blowing, but a solid offering nonetheless. The tofu was nice and crispy, and they certainly did not skimp on ingredients.

This place is incredibly tiny, and the owners are pretty amazing. I would recommend coming here on an off hour, or for takeout (call ahead). The prices can't be beat. This entire meal was around $20 and I had enough leftover for later. It's no Circles Thai, but it's a cheap, quick fix for Center City.