Mustard Green

Last night French Fries and I had a date night. We've been wanting to do that for a while but kept putting it off -- likewise with the restaurant we picked: Mustard Greens. We love going there but the last time had probably been a year ago.

The menu is very simple and sophisticated. It's the a very healthy kind of Chinese menu (wouldn't know where from exactly), with a constant theme of garlic throughout, which is an easy win in Farofa and French Fries territory.



We started out with a nice and cold Tsingtao, which we love, and a pot of their standard oolong tea, which is delicious. I wish they sold it -- they probably do at their sister shop across the street, which sells teapots (haven't been there yet as we usually arrive around 7pm when they are already closed).



We generally wait for the specials to order and I always order the special; yesterday was no exception -- not only that, but my favorite dish in the menu was it: Scallops. Made in a clear garlic broth with black beans, it's served with toasted green onions, sweet peas and baby corn.



French Fries ordered the Chinese Brocolli special, which is a beautiful green that's hard to describe (and unfortunately doesn't come out as nicely on my cellphone camera).



We also ordered the house staple, Mustard Greens, which were really crunchy and delicious. The whole meal was a perfect combination of dishes that blended well together and yet had a distinctive taste about them. It made French Fries happy - which is the ultimate goal of Date Night:



Farofa: ***** out of 5
French Fries: **** out of 5

Forks Down Verdict: Flavorful, affordable, comfortable, enjoyable -- adjectives are quickly too numerous for such a delicious minimalistic eatery: just go and enjoy.

Mustard Green
622 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 627-0833

Hello Cafe (12/10/06)

After a nice evening at the movie theatre, Farofa and French Fries were not really hungry but knew they should eat or they would wake up starving the following morning. Driving home, they spotted the small shopping centre on Washington Avenue, which they often talk about stopping but never do.

There are several Chinese/Vietnamese little restaurants in that strip, but Hello Cafe looked like the most appealing to Farofa, who decided to be adventurous and order something with an ingredient she has never tried before, the Beef with Bitter Melon ($9.95).



Hello Cafe's atmosphere was not the most inviting by Farofa's standards, but seemed like a good enough place to eat - the late hour and decreasing temperature called for take-out, however.

At home, French Fries savoured but was not overwhelmed by her Chinese Baby Broccoli with Garlic (Market Price). It was tasty but a little too oily for FF's taste (one that often finds Chinese food oily for that matter). Meanwhile, Farofa got used to the idea of this unexpected-looking (but delicious-smelling) vegetable among her beef strips, having expected something that looked more like a melon, but getting a cacti-looking mix instead. Both dishes had a lot of garlic, but not enough to mask the bitterness of either vegetable.



The sauce was very tasty, and later both figured it was made with Douchi (fermented and salted soybeans). Lesson learned: Bitter Mellon is one of the most bitter vegetables known. And bitter it was. Farofa was happy to have ordered this to learn this lesson.

French Fries prepared some Japanese green tea (Genmai Cha) made of rice to go along with the meal, which proved a perfect combo, soothing the bitterness and pleasing the palate. Overall, F&FF are not sure they will go back to Hello Cafe when there are so many Chinese/Vietnamese options to explore in Philadelphia, but they now know what to expect when a dish with "Bitter" in the title.

Farofa: *** out of 5
French Fries: **1/2 out of 5

Forks Down Verdict: Fast service and good serving size for late weekend munchies.

Hello Cafe
600 Washington Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 467-7008
Everyday, 11:00am - Midnight