A Mysterious Basement Restaurant?

📍 Double Knot 📮 120 S 13th St, Philly - This restaurant is near Philadelphia City Hall. It’s a café during the day, and transforms into a Japanese yakitori/izakaya at night. - It had me so curious—I made sure to check it out during my long weekend trip to Philly! - After entering, you have to walk through several dark hallways and stairs to reach the underground dining area. The hallways are so dark: you need to use your phone’s flashlight 🔦 to feel your way down. The whole restaurant is lit with lots of candles 🕯️—the sense of mystery is on point! - What the four of us ordered: Yakitori (Grilled Skewers) 👉 There are many skewer options. One order is one skewer, priced $5-$10 each. The sauce is slightly Americanized, and most are really tasty. - ✨ Grilled Quail: 💯 Tender and juicy, incredibly delicious! It’s already rare to find quail in the US, let alone this well-cooked version! - ✨ Grilled Scallops: Fresh scallops, lightly seared, with tender texture that preserves their unique sweetness. - ✨ Miso Eggplant: Big chunks of eggplant, tender and juicy. - ✨ Pork Cheek: Fatty and lean in perfect balance, fragrant, and slightly chewy. - ✨ Green Onion Ribeye: Tender meat, topped with heaps of green onions and sauce—only downside is the sauce makes it a bit too salty. - ✨ Grilled Shishito Peppers: Yummy～ Sashimi 👉 The sashimi here is high-quality—super fresh and fatty. Definitely a must-try! - ✨ Toro Handroll: The tuna is extra fatty and fresh—excellent! The sushi rice is just so-so, so sashimi is more recommended than the handroll. - ✨ Yellowtail Sashimi: Fresh and delicious. - ✨ Hamachi Carpaccio: 💯 As good as regular sashimi! Tossed in lemon-infused soy sauce, paired with fried garlic chips and microgreens—light and refreshing. Hot Dishes Though it’s a small-plate concept, the hot dishes actually come in large portions! We definitely overordered . - ✨ Truffle Gyoza: The dumpling skin is a bit thick, but the truffle filling is amazing—every bite is packed with truffle aroma! Mushroom lovers should give it a try. - ✨ Japanese Fried Chicken: A huge plate! Dip the chicken in mayo and eat it with pickled radish—my family member who loves fried chicken said it was fantastic. - ✨ Cod Fried Rice: 💯 This is great! Full of wok hei (charred flavor), super fragrant. The cod is marinated in miso, so it’s full of flavor. - ✨ Grilled Steak: Tender meat, but a tiny bit too salty. - ✨ Crispy Brussels Sprouts: Crunchy, not too oily or salty—pretty good 😍. - ✨ Broccolini: Just okay, a bit salty. - My taste ranking: Yakitori ～ Sashimi > Others - Must-orders: Hamachi Carpaccio, Grilled Quail, Grilled Scallops, Cod Fried Rice - Perfect for: Friends gatherings 🪄, romantic dates 🌹 - Average cost per person: $60 #Philadelphia #PhiladelphiaFood