The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College

The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
4207 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (215) 222-4200

The Restaurant School is probably West Philly's best kept secret.  This oversized house has been converted into the Walnut Hill College, which grants 2 and 4 year degrees in culinary arts, hospitality, hotel management, pastry chef, and more. The unique nature of this restaurant is the dramatically reduced price (dinner for 2 came to $70) and the fact that everything from the dishes, the menus, the desserts, the cocktails were all crafted by students.  All the servers were also students. Reservations fill up quickly--the night we ate there there were NO time slots available on open table.

The school is impeccably decorated.  Indeed, I'd presume to say a hefty chunk of student tuition goes to lawn care and landscaping.

What a gorgeous main dining area.  Loved the decor and open air feeling presented by the vaulted ceilings and huge skylights.

The menus were hand made and sown into baskets to enclose the night's offerings.

9:00 Cuban Bread. 3:00 Multi grain  12:00 squid ink bread.  Strawberry Rubarb compote.  The butters were honey Jasmine and Colongi salt butter (sea salt).  Fantastic butters (especially the honey jasmine).  Ended up having two baskets of bread.

Honey Jasmine butter (balls) and Colongi salt butter (triangles)

As an aside, I ordered the most amazing, refreshing summer cocktail, called the English Garden: Beefeater's gin, apple juice, St Germain lime juice, muddled cucumber. Definitely buy the ingredients and make this at home!  You won't regret it.

(above) Tequila lime salad: grilled shrimp, romaine, red and yellow pepers, grape tomatoes, corn, avocado, black beans, red onion and queso fresco, topped with tortilla strips

(above) Chilled mint pea soup: creme fraiche*, fried mint leaf
*soured cream containing 30–45% butterfat and having a pH of around 4.5
This was perhaps the dish I was not satisfied with.  The consistency was almost gelatinous, too thick for my taste, and when I brought it up to the student asking for a critique, she definitely agreed.  Also, it was missing something...just too bland for my taste.

(above) Sesame Crusted Rare Tuna: Grilled baby Bok Choy, edamame puree, pickled ginger bean sprouts, daikri radish.  Loved the fantastic terriyaki sauce and the tuna was cooked JUST right.

(above) Indian spiced chicken: scented rice, mache*, roasted garlic naan, charred scallion, cucumber raita, spicy pickled vegetables.
*edible salad green Valerianella locusta, also known as corn salad and lamb's lettuce

(above) Strawberry Mango Galette.  Pastry cream, balsamic sauce and coconut sorbet

(above) Lemon Rosemary Ricotta Cheesecake. Pistachio crust, nut brittle, honey sauce.

On a closing note, the other dining room was too spectacular not to include in this review: