Wok Street

1518 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 693-3010
Website

I was invited to visit Wok Street recently to see what they have to offer. It is the same folks as Hai Street (which makes the sushi burritos I love), so I figured it would be a good meal and well worth my time. Tucked behind the tree here on Chestnut, next to the venerable Popeye's, you find Wok Street.

They specialize in Southeast Asian-style street food.

The interior had the industrial loft thing going on – nice and roomy with that city living feel.

It looked like a hip Chipotle (I can't help but use my old fave as the bar for comparison with all fancy-ish fast-ish food joints). But there was tons of counter space and for being so deep, the dining area was well lit.

As fast/fresh casual restaurant frequenters will recognize, you pick your option, soup, bowl, or sandwich, and work your way down the line customizing your order. If you prefer, you can go with the established favorites as an alternative.

I went with the staff favorites, chicken banh mi and the pickled peanut pork bowl. On the side, I was told to try the tofu cheesecake and the ginger lemonade, so I didn't deny those extras.

The pork bowl had white rice, brussel sprouts, braised pork, peanut sauce, pickled red onion, scallion, cilantro, and roasted peanuts.

The tart and tender pork was perfectly braised, and melted when picked up with chop sticks, or pushed around to scoop up some of its compatriots. It was a filling and quite delicious bowl, with a variety of flavors and textures to keep you interested. I would eat a lot of lunches here.

The chicken banh was small but well done, with teriyaki chicken (a total guilty pleasure of mine), hoisin mayo, cucumber, jalapeño, pickled red onion, and cilantro. Ask for extra mayo on the side, and add some chili sauce if you want to spice things up. At less than $7, this was a great quick meal, and the portion size will keep you honest. Enough to be full, but they certainly won't be rolling you out of there.

All of the veggies were fresh and crunchy, and I loved the pickled red onions.

A surprise was the tofu cheesecake. Thankfully it was served in a small container, not because it wasn't delicious, but because I was so full. I was pretty shocked with this tofu-based dessert being so delicious, it had a sour and sweet play going on that was addicting. I would definitely recommend checking out this local "Chiptole of Asian" for a quick and cheap lunch or dinner, especially if you are craving something fresh and healthy-ish.

Hai Street Kitchen

32 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 964.9465
Website

After many recommendations from a handful of my Center City cube-monkey friends, it was about time I gave this place a try. Known for their enormous sushi-style burritos, it was the perfect healthy meal to grab before getting on a flight to Chicago where I saw far too many hot dogs in my near future.

Simple fresh flavors: items definitely not available in terminal C at PHL.

Everything is prepared to order and there's a selection of house recommendations, but you can also build your own from the expansive selection of Japanese-inspired burrito fillings. I felt like I was at a fancier Chipotle fusion eatery.

The oversize rolls carried pretty well, considering they went from 18th & Market via Septa to the airport, through security, etc. Let's say it was just shy of an hour in transit before the unveiling...

I was short on time and full of hunger, so I couldn't waste any time selecting my own combination of ingredients, so I went with two of the house specialties. First up was the Hai Satay with grilled chicken, spicy peanut sauce, romaine, cucumber, carrot and pickled jicama. It was supposed to come with grilled zucchini, but I totally squashed that. Get it?

AND asked for extra peanut sauce. It was exceedingly fresh, full of flavor and easy to eat without making a mess, which is a recurring problem for me. Especially when I request extra sauce for nearly everything on the planet.

Second up was the Chili Citrus Pork with salsa verde, romaine, carrot, red cabbage and pickled red onion. I was thrown by the salsa verde, so I asked them to skip it and add the gochujang and spicy mayo instead. They were much obliged and catered to my every substitution. They even threw in the extra sides of ginger miso dressing and the spicy mayo at no extra cost. I'm pretty sure the salsa verde would be unwelcome in this combo, so if you do try it that way, let me know how it goes.

The pork was perfectly tender with not one chewy bit. The ingredients melded together so well and maybe it was the time they had to set, but no matter, when I'm craving a big fat burrito I won't mind subbing in the healthier version of a mega seaweed roll every once in a while. Maybe every 4th.