I found myself in the City of Brotherly Love for Thanksgiving. Tired of turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing sandwiches, I was craving something that made me want to scream, “Haan!” Cueing the phrase that French Montana has made famous, you might think I would have opted for Moroccan but I wanted some spicy Sichuan. Although the corporate machine has not taken over Chinatown, Han Chiang runs all things Sichuan in the Illadelph (and they also have an NYC location now). I quickly settled on the dan dan noodles and tea smoked duck in beer sauce.
The spicy noodles came out quickly. As the server hand-mixed them before my eyes, my nose was flooded from the aroma of garlic housemade chili oil, ground pork, and sesame paste. “Get in my belly!” Hands down, these were some of the best noodles I’ve ever had. Next up was the bone-in tea smoked duck with beer sauce. A ten on their spice scale (about a 6.5 on mine), I was expecting more fire but this dish was that good kind of flavorful spicy. A self-proclaimed aficionado for smoky mezcal and scotch from the Islay, the smoky duck was pleasantly complex with notes of jasmine tea, anise, nutmeg, and cinnamon. After inhaling my food, I wasn’t worried about nothing.
When visiting a Bourdain-certified establishment that has been rated as Philadelphia’s best Chinese restaurant outside in Chinatown, you expect to spend a fortune. Much to my surprise, the food is palate and pocket pleasing as well. “Haan!”