Sampan

Sampan
124 S 13th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 732-3501

This is tapas paradise.  Chef Michael Schulson is a master serving up delicious small plates against a backdrop of an awesome blue/green wall simulating the underbrush of a tropical rain forest.

Hamachi Ceviche. Tempura flake, soy, truffle.  Absolutely delicious.  Make sure you take it down all in one gulp, it helps to mix all the flavors together.

General Tso Soup Dumpling. Chicken, Soy, Vinegar. Fantastic taste, not too sweet either. Just right.  Presentation wasn't exactly the best but the taste more than made up for it.

Calamari Salad: Kale, Spicy Cashew, Apple. So tasty, especially the apples. Could have used more of them though. Lovely dressing and a delicious mix.

Kobe Beef: Apricot, Soy, Mirin*
*Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning.
The apricot seasoning made the dish.  The Kobe beef was nicely cooked however.

Soy Glazed Chilean Sea Bass. Cauliflower Puree, Long Bean Salad. Possibly the best dish of the night.  Fantastically cooked sea bass with a lovely sweet sauce engulfing the beans.  Cauliflower puree offset the sweetness and gave everything a fantastic creamy texture.

Korean Rice Cake: Sweet Sausage, Kim Chee, Yu Choy.  Fantastic dish but way too spicy.  If you're into spicy foods could be a good choice. Flavorful but a bit too overpowering for my taste.

Vietnamese Filet: Sweet Potato, Chimichurri, Bok Choy*
Bok Choy is Chinese cabbage.  Pretty tasty, the sweet potato sauce was a bit sweet.