Boy, I hadn't realized how many Philly posts I'd made until I tried to find an existing thread to add this to. I end up here at least once a year for an annual conference, and I'm back again.
Wong Wong Chinese Resteraunt
941 Race St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 928-9898
This time, two Wongs make something quite all wight (sorry).
I had missed some of my co-workers (they called while I was still on the shuttle from the airport), so I decided to set out on my own, paperback in coat pocket. ("Murder in the Solid State", Wil McCarthy -- there's a fabulous buffet at a scientific conference in Baltimore. Most of the conferences I go to are pretty chintzy on the food, the one I'm at in particular).
The last time I'd tried Philly Chinatown, it was bitter cold and I tried the second restaurant I passed (the first looked really bad, the second was below my expectations, but maybe I just ordered poorly). Here, with temps around 50, I wandered a little further, to Race and 9th, passing a few places that my spider-sense rejected (even though someone going in one place said, "This place is pretty good." I wasn't looking for "pretty good", I wanted "just right").
[Note: Bakeries in Philly Chinatown are for sweets, cakes, ice cream, not bao

]
Then I spied Wong Wong -- ducks hanging in the window, big menu, I thought it sounded promising. Asians and westerners in the place, kitchen up front, like Sun Wah... sold.
It wasn't Sun Wah (but what is), but it was quite good. I ordered roast pork and duck with noodles. Succulent sauce, damn fine pork, tasty but not meaty duck. I was in an egg roll mood so ordered a pair, and these were only OK. Together, $9.35. Damn fine deal, damn fine food. A neighboring table which seemed to have some newbies some regulars had lots of oohs, mmms and aaahs.
I may have to drag some folks back there later in the week, but I want to get back to Monk's.
What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang