Philadelphia Restaurants in Chinatown

Ray's Café & Tea House is a casual Chinese restaurant that opens for lunch and dinner in Chinatown. Ray's offers its Lunch Box menu for takeout that includes traditional entrées such as General Tso's chicken, kung pao shrimp and royal pork. These Lunch Box items are served with rice and spring rolls. For dinner, you can begin your meal with cucumber salad alongside wonton soup. The dumpling sampler is also a crowd favorite and offers a combination of 10 pork, shrimp, chicken and vegetable dumplings. Next, sweet and sour chicken, Szechuan shrimp and beef with scallions are listed as entrées. Complimentary rice and lo mein noodle dishes also are available.

Of course, Ray's Café and Tea House is notable for its extensive coffee and tea list. Ray's carries international blends of coffee from the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. Taiwanese tea also is available--in the form of green, black and jasmine teas. Some clientele may prefer the tapioca, which is prepared with various fruit flavors. Ray's Café & Tea House is closed on Sundays (as of January 2010) but opens all other days from 8:30 a.m. until at least 8 p.m. Operating hours are extended to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Ray's Café & Tea House
141 N. 9th St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 922-5122
rayscafe.com

Singapore is a casual restaurant that offers vegetarian cuisine to Center City--in the Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions of southeast Asia. Whet your appetite with either tofu and mushroom, or gingko herbal soup. Small plates of dim sum or appetizers also are offered. These appetizers include samples of spring rolls, leek dumplings and bean curd. Singapore's vegetarian main courses are categorized into bean curd and noodle selections. Entrées present stir-fried vegetables alongside fried rice and lo mein noodles. Additionally, Singapore prepares several dishes that integrate tofu and soy to mimic the tastes and textures of meat. The pineapple chicken, sweet and sour pork loin and Szechuan shrimp are prepared with faux meat. Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant opens every day from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. (as of January 2010)

Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant
1006 Race St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 922-3288
singaporevegetarian.com

Vietnam Restaurant presents a dining experience that is more upscale than the usual Chinatown fare in Philadelphia. This restaurant is outfitted with cherry wood furnishings, lanterns and mounted imagery of the Vietnam countryside to present its sleek ambiance. Upstairs, Bar Saigon operates as a chic weekend lounge for karaoke alongside cocktails and sake imported from Vietnam, China and Thailand.

The Vietnam restaurant menu is categorized into appetizers, soups, rice, noodles, meat and seafood. Begin with tom lan bot or battered shrimp appetizers. Meanwhile, the extensive spring roll list includes goi du du tom, which identifies papaya salad that is rolled with shrimp and peanuts. Chicken noodle soup also is recommended on the menu, as hu tieu ga. For the main course, the vit chien and bo sate are house specialties. Vit chien references marinated duck legs, while bo sate is sautéed beef with onions and bell peppers. Complete your meal with che khoai mon for dessert. Che khoai mon is taro pudding prepared with coconut milk.

Vietnam Restaurant opens daily for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. until at least 9 p.m. (as of January 2010). Closing time is extended to 10:30 p.m. for Friday and Saturday crowds. The attached Bar Saigon opens Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Vietnam Restaurant-Bar Saigon
221 N. 11th St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 592-1163
eatatvietnam.com/welcome.php