Gohyong, minced shrimp and chicken fried in tofu skin, is a pork-free Indonesian variation on Chinese ngo hiang. The name might be native to the island of Java; the restaurant itself takes its name from a village in West Jakarta. We divvied up our gohyong with dispatch, then dealt with buncis udang pedas, spicy shrimp with green beans, just as ruthlessly.
Jembatan 5
932 South 10th St. (at Hall St.), Philadelphia
215-238-1898
www.Jembatan5Restaurant.com
Closed Monday
Mohn bouk, chicken wings stuffed Cambodian style, from an all-too-brief excursion through South Philly. Our salad course, nyom sadao — "cabbage and bitter flower tossed with tamarind dressing" — was more invigorating than embittering.
H/T Donna Bee
Sophie's Kitchen
522 Washington Ave. (at South Randolph St.), Philadelphia
267-639-5087
www.Facebook.com/pages/Sophies-Kitchen/273424383286480
A half-kilo, split four ways, of lamb barbacoa — with fresh-pressed tortillas, chickpea-lamb consommé, and an eye-opening array of accompaniments — provided the foundation for a daylong Philadelphia food crawl.
H/T Donna Bee
South Philly Barbacoa
1140 South 9th St. (at Ellsworth St.), Philadelphia
215-694-3797
www.Facebook.com/ChefMtz
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, early morning till late afternoon
Many years back, I made my own sweet tea ice pops — but mine weren't sweetened with cane sugar, like this one. (Mine weren't outfitted with a drip guard, either. Would've been wise.) Also shown, round two of a recent Fishtown refreshment break: watermelon with green apple.
Smooth 'N' Pops
315 East Girard Ave. (Marlborough-East Oxford St.), Philadelphia
267-457-2583
www.SmoothNPops.com
Open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons
Many elaborate Mexican frozen confections are receptive to a dash of salt or chile powder, or a squeeze of salty-sour-spicy-sweet chamoy, applied by the customer. For a single scoop of mamey ice cream, simpler was better.
Paletas y Helados Bambino
1142 South 9th St. (at Ellsworth St.), Philadelphia
www.Facebook.com/pages/Paleteria-Bambino/553827204738445
The power of "Thank you": My waitress had dropped off the herbs and sprouts, and my table, like all the others, was already provisioned with fish sauce, chili sauce, and premixed salt and pepper. But when the chef delivered my bowl of mi quang, a Central Vietnamese noodle soup, and I offered "Cảm ơn," he smiled, and shortly returned with a trio of additional condiments. The third of these, a sour tamarind sauce, was the most to my taste.
My pronunciation wasn't fluent by any means; I can offer greetings and thanks just as inexpertly in many languages. It's the attempt that makes the connection.
Cafe Mì Quảng
3324 Kensington Ave. (East Wensley-East Cornwall Sts.), Philadelphia
215-459-5062
www.Facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Mi-Quang/532901550208949
Closed Tuesday
Shown purely for the wordless message of the shop's most prominent sign; I can't say how the slices measure up, size-wise or otherwise.
Pizza
115 East Girard Ave. (at Shackamaxon St.), Philadelphia
www.Pizza Shackamaxon.com
Closed Monday
The strip mall usually has plenty of parking, said our hostess and guide. Why, 90 minutes after sunset, did we need to circle around to a side street? The answer — it took us a moment — was that during the waning days of Ramadan, and within an easy walk of three mosques, this halal Senegalese restaurant was particularly popular for breaking the fast. On this evening, Kilimandjaro offered some typically lunch-only dishes at dinnertime, including my piquant chicken yassa — the onions are the best part — and (not shown) a buddy's lamb mafe. Also at the table: crispy fish, and more onions.
Kilimandjaro
4317 Chestnut St. (South 43rd-South 44th Sts.), Philadelphia
215-387-1970
www.Facebook.com/KilimandjaroRestaurant
Above the former Harbison's Dairies (1895-1968)
2041-2055 Coral St. (Dreer-Abigail Sts.), Philadelphia
www.Phila.gov/media/20190401093015/2041-55-Coral-St-nomination.pdf
Minty, but in a wintergreen way that you're more likely to associate with chewing gum: teaberry ice cream (small, $5.29).
The building exterior features signage for Roxy's Sporting Goods, possibly a prior tenant; the fascinating Philadelphia Ghost Sign Project has isolated and enhanced the faded images. Also shown: more surviving signage from this day's walk.
Franklin Fountain
116 Market St. (at Letitia St.), Philadelphia
215-627-1899
www.FranklinFountain.com
Thank you!
