Food Review｜Philadelphia: TOWNSEND EPX 🍷✨

This year’s wedding anniversary was spent in Philly, so we picked a reasonably priced and cozy restaurant to celebrate. This French spot is located in South Philly, about 20 minutes from University City. The food brought more surprise than delight for me — but that might just be personal taste. Sharing a few dishes for reference: 🐟 New Jersey Skate (Skate Wing) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When it arrived, there was a surprising hint of Maggi seasoning aroma, but it turned out to be pan-seared fish with a scallop-like texture. Since it was my first time trying skate and I love fish, I really enjoyed it 💗. Served with cauliflower purée and broccoli — nice touch. 🐌 Escargot ⭐️ Honestly, this dish instantly killed our good mood. Overpowering cinnamon scent overwhelmed what should’ve been savory snails. Worse, every ingredient felt disconnected: sweet-sour apples, crispy potato slices, nutty crunchy hazelnuts, soft carrots — all quality stuff but they just didn’t harmonize. Felt like a haphazardly assembled “fancy dish.” Ambitious creativity is great, but the execution here was disappointing. 🍄 Wild Mushroom Risotto ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Not bad, but the mushroom and truffle flavors were muted — maybe because they used fresh instead of dried mushrooms. Another drizzle of Maggi-like sauce around the plate left me puzzled. The chives on top were a nice touch, though. 🦆 Seared Duck Breast ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A dish that shouldn’t go wrong in any French restaurant — and they didn’t disappoint. Served with orange sauce and… that mysterious Maggi-like sauce again. Accompanied by potato pie, apple spheres, and salad greens — all safe and tasty. Only downside: the duck was sliced too thin. We all want thick cuts of meat and crispy skin in a duck breast, but these thin slices lost that satisfaction. Would’ve been much better as one thick piece. Overall, the price matches the quality, service was good, and the ambiance was calm and not too noisy. The bread tasted housemade, which was a plus. But for French cuisine enthusiasts, this place falls a bit short. Not really worth a special trip. (Also, you might leave still hungry 😂.) #Philadelphia #PhillyArea #PhillyFood #StudyInUSA #WeekendEats #FoodReview #DateNightSpot