January 26, 2015
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Chinese Friendship Gate at 10th and Arch marks the entrance to Chinatown.
Anytime anyone mentions the word Chinatown, it always relates back to food. And why shouldn't it? After all, Chinatown never closes. With Philadelphia already deep into the winter season, it’s only a matter of time before an epic snowstorm hits and closes schools, museums and public transportation. But Chinatown will be open. Christmas. Thanksgiving. New Year's. Hurricanes. Thunder snow. Please, way before the hashtag #OpeninPHL begins circulating on Twitter, the restaurant owners are already busy preparing their dim sum for the day. Yeah, one could get used to enjoying a large steaming bowl of PHO at the witching hour. Here’s why I love Chinatown.
Situated between 8th and Race to 13th & Vine, it’s accessible to I-95, I-76, the Ben Franklin Bridge, Jefferson Station, Greyhound and just a short distance from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Reading Terminal Market and one of Philadelphia’s most beloved parks, Franklin Square. For what it lacks in size compared to other neighborhoods, you couldn't pick a more convenient spot.
The gigantic ornate Friendship Gate located outside 10th & Arch streets proudly announces that this is a neighborhood rich in culture and tradition. Drop by the Asian Arts Initiative to see how immigrant voices are expressed through art. Practice the ancient martial art of Kung Fu at Cheung’s Hung Gar Academy. First Fridays at Space 1026 are legendary. Show me another neighborhood that offers the chance to chase away evil spirits every year with firecrackers, mythical lions and dragons.
Don’t have an exorbitant amount of money to pay for natural remedies? Chinatown has it all. Markets stacked with tea, goji berries, ginseng and tiger balm are within an arm’s reach. We have our own Hello Kitty Store! Can’t wait for your favorite motion picture to come out on DVD? Pick it up here the next day (kidding)! Where else can you get custom-made fortune cookies that actually end with the words “in bed?” Get bejeweled with jade or dress yourself with silk robes. Want to anger an enemy? Come here to buy some durian. One whiff and it might just make his nose bleed. If you can’t make it to the bustling Italian Market, we’ve got plenty of outdoor vendors ready to sell a dozen tomatoes for cheap.
Have you seen how many bakeries, grocery stores and hair salons we have? There is at least one on every block. I love my Federal Donuts, but snacking on savory and sweet buns for under two-dollars apiece never hurt my hunger. Try the buns at K.C. Pastries, Asia Bakery or Mayflower Café. A haircut, shampoo and neck massage costs just under $20 dollars. Visit Jiang’s Hair Salon, Top Cut Salon or Sunflower Beauty Studio. Talk about looking good on the cheap!
For a small neighborhood, it really offers a lot after dark. Bar Ly is Chinatown’s first sports bar offering every game to boot, but it really comes down to two words “siracha wings.” The legendary Trocadero not only hosts mainstream acts, but it also serves as home to the Karaoke Gung Show, hosted by Skeletor (wanted to avoid legal trouble with the words “Gong Show”). Guests climb on stage to show off their musical prowess (or lack thereof) If Skeletor doesn’t like your performance, he will bang the huge gong and off you go. Pro tip: Please don’t request “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam but do ask for anything with Phil Collins.
Missed your chance to perform at the Troc? Chinatown has several karaoke bars. Stop by Tango or Yakitori Boy to keep the dogs howling early into the morning. They all offer private rooms complete with food and drink, but here’s the real kicker- they have the “Asian version” of America’s most favorite pop songs. I’m not really sure why there are so many people riding bikes or what the deal is with all the “soft core porn” in their music videos, but it works when you’re on your third drink.
Hop Sing Laundromat, a speakeasy affectionately named after the Chinese cook from the television show “Bonanza,” has been a drinking destination ever since it opened in 2012. Walk by any weekend and there is a steady crowd waiting to head inside. There’s no password, but you had better come styling. No sneakers, t-shirts, or shorts. Yeah, they have a dress code. And absolutely no photos. Anyone who has been inside for a cocktail has been raving about it ever since. Lee? The official spokesperson and host of the bar deserves his own category, but I digress.
Whether you’re boozed up or perfectly sober, Chinatown is heaven for the late night diner. As I mentioned earlier, Chinatown never closes. Not for holidays and certainly not because it’s getting late. David’s Mai Lai Wah is on countless lists for where to go after 2 a.m. Get this, the servers tell me in Chinese that the owner will keep it open on weekends past 4 a.m., as long as people show up. That’s a lot of fried rice and noodles! Mmmm noodles. How would you like em? Hand drawn, shaved, chow fun, ramen, vermicelli, pho, udon- we’ve got it all. Chinatown may be the name of the neighborhood but it hardly encompasses the food that is offered. Sure, we’ve got plenty of Chinese restaurants, but don’t sleep on the sushi or the Burmese cuisine. Coffee houses are not your thing? How about some tasty bubble tea? Tapioca is your friend!
You can keep your cheese and chocolate fondue because we’re perfectly content with our shabu-shabu. Tired of the same French toast and omelet for brunch routine? Chicken feet aren’t the only thing that’s served at dim sum. And quite possibly by the time you read this, Philly will have opened its first Bonchon (for non-foodies, that means “KFC” Korean Fried Chicken in Chinatown.) And what other neighborhood can say they have a guaranteed Night Market every year courtesy of the Food Trust.
In the 1870s, this area was known as the “Tenderloin” District. No one wanted to move here. It was seedy, crime-ridden and in terrible condition. However, the Chinese chose to start their lives here. Through these streets are tales of old customs and new traditions. Immigrant families such as mine came here because they saw home. I’m a product of this neighborhood. My grade school, high school, where I was born and raised are all in a three block radius. I’ve moved around in Philly but have always come back to this part of the city. It’s always funny when people hear you say you actually live in Chinatown. If you look hard enough, there are houses and apartments and even condos. There’s even a gated community and a senior center because we don’t believe in sending our grandparents to Florida.
Chinatown is far more than just a dining destination. It is a study in self-sufficiency because everything one needs is a block away. Our signs and dialogue may be foreign to most, but it hasn't prevented people from all cultures from feeling welcome here. I've watched my neighborhood change from old world to second generation sons and daughters. The language has changed. Once you could communicate with every store owner by speaking Cantonese but now English is the great equalizer. Imagine that. Are Chinatowns a thing of the past? Maybe. Maybe not. But this neighborhood has weathered the building of the Vine Street expressway, a federal detention center, and the attempts to build a ballpark; while still keeping its identity intact. To this day, I still think people have a hard time conceptualizing that Chinatown counts as part of the city of neighborhoods.
We’re certainly not glamorous. Quite the opposite actually. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Albert Lee geeks
out about Philadelphia for a living. Find him on Instagram.com/urphillypal. A statue at 10th and Vine on the Northern border of Chinatown. Photo by Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice.com. 
