Spring Break
Suzanne Foo's a tiny treasure of tastiness
Kat Sacks
Issue date: 10/22/04 Section: Entertainment
Tucked into a corner of Walnut Street, with an entrance so small you almost miss it, lies one of Philadelphia's tiny Asian treasures.
Far from the bright signs and plastic take-out containers of Chinatown, Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine shows a different side of Chinese fare. With entrées like Grilled Baby Rack of Lamb with coconut sweet rice compote and tea smoked duck breast with grilled Asian pears, Susanna Foo shows there is much more to Chinese cuisine than General Tso's Chicken.
Upstairs, the dining room is full of large tables draped in several pearl colored cloths and stereotypical red and white Chinese lanterns hang from the ceiling. The staff are dressed in tuxedos and as they drop napkins into each of the guest's laps, they seem anything but conventional. As the waiter expertly describes the menu and then quickly brings out drinks, Susanna Foo's staff are a prime example of fine service. Behind the tiny entrance hides a spacious dining room which was booming with diners the night of our visit.
The appetizers arrived covered, and the waiters lifted the lids to reveal two soups. The hot and sour soup, a classic for Susanna Foo as well as for Chinese -American cuisine, is served with pork, shitake mushrooms, and a large amount of ginger.
The very light soup has a strong heat to it, and the chewy mushrooms give it a more rounded feel. The butternut squash apple soup, hardly a Chinese classic, is much heartier, a good soup for the transition into the fall weather. The hint of apple flavor complements the small bite of heat that finishes the soup.
Both the grilled salmon and the crispy jumbo shrimp entrées are impressive. The salmon is tender, served in a complementary sweet sauce alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a variety of sautéed vegetables. The shrimp is full of flavor with a crispy crust and does not taste like the sea.
The coconut rice that accompanies it is well cooked and fits well with the sweet sauce on the shrimp. Conversely, the vegetarian eggplant stir fry and the chicken Kung Poa are done much more in the style of take-out Chinese. The chicken is chewy with a spicy kick, and seems slightly boring next to the shrimp and salmon. The eggplant is flavorsome, well seasoned and cooked until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. The dish is strong with garlic flavor.
Far from the bright signs and plastic take-out containers of Chinatown, Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine shows a different side of Chinese fare. With entrées like Grilled Baby Rack of Lamb with coconut sweet rice compote and tea smoked duck breast with grilled Asian pears, Susanna Foo shows there is much more to Chinese cuisine than General Tso's Chicken.
Upstairs, the dining room is full of large tables draped in several pearl colored cloths and stereotypical red and white Chinese lanterns hang from the ceiling. The staff are dressed in tuxedos and as they drop napkins into each of the guest's laps, they seem anything but conventional. As the waiter expertly describes the menu and then quickly brings out drinks, Susanna Foo's staff are a prime example of fine service. Behind the tiny entrance hides a spacious dining room which was booming with diners the night of our visit.
The appetizers arrived covered, and the waiters lifted the lids to reveal two soups. The hot and sour soup, a classic for Susanna Foo as well as for Chinese -American cuisine, is served with pork, shitake mushrooms, and a large amount of ginger.
The very light soup has a strong heat to it, and the chewy mushrooms give it a more rounded feel. The butternut squash apple soup, hardly a Chinese classic, is much heartier, a good soup for the transition into the fall weather. The hint of apple flavor complements the small bite of heat that finishes the soup.
Both the grilled salmon and the crispy jumbo shrimp entrées are impressive. The salmon is tender, served in a complementary sweet sauce alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a variety of sautéed vegetables. The shrimp is full of flavor with a crispy crust and does not taste like the sea.
The coconut rice that accompanies it is well cooked and fits well with the sweet sauce on the shrimp. Conversely, the vegetarian eggplant stir fry and the chicken Kung Poa are done much more in the style of take-out Chinese. The chicken is chewy with a spicy kick, and seems slightly boring next to the shrimp and salmon. The eggplant is flavorsome, well seasoned and cooked until the vegetables are soft but not mushy. The dish is strong with garlic flavor.
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Theresa M Carreon
posted 2/05/09 @ 6:11 AM EST
I hope that my family would agree to my suggestion and dine here. They are very picky about everything from price to location as to where to go out for a special evening to treat the male members of my family. (Continued…)
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