DanDan — Restaurant in Lower Merion Township

As a Philly transplant from DC, few places have impressed. Dan Dan is one of those places and is as much about the vibrant atmosphere as it is about the mouthwatering fare. With its contemporary casual vibe and service that's as warm and welcoming as a Sichuan peppercorn is hot, this spot is a must-visit for anyone looking to dive deep into the flavors of southwestern China and Taiwan.

The culinary journey kicked off with Wontons in Chili Oil, a dish that's essentially a love letter wrapped in dough. These little pork-filled packages, bathed in a tantalizing black vinegar and chili oil sauce, set the stage for a meal that's as bold in flavor as it is in ambition.

Following closely were the Soup Dumplings (aka Shao Long Bao), little parcels of joy that explode with flavor at first bite. It's like each dumpling is a mini cauldron, brewing a potion of soup so magical, it could easily be classified as a liquid treasure.

The signature Dan Dan Noodles then made their grand entrance, landing onto our table with the flair of a Taiwanese star. Tossed with sesame paste, soy sauce, chili oil, minced pork, preserved vegetables, and scallions, these noodles are Dan Dan's namesake for a reason. Each mouthful of noodles was a harmonious symphony of flavors that had us contemplating more frequent visits to this area.

Salt & White Pepper Crispy Chicken (aka Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken) was a masterclass in fried chicken. Cloaked in a salt & white pepper batter and deep-fried with basil, this dish was crunchy, flavorful, and simple, yet utterly addictive.

The String Beans, stir-fried with garlic and pickled vegetables, were a refreshing interlude from the heat, proving that sometimes, the supporting acts can steal the show. They were the perfect balance of crunch and zest, a verdant ode to the humble green bean.

However, every culinary adventure may have its missteps, and for us, it was the Sizzling Wonton Platter. While the presentation was as theatrical as a Broadway debut, the dish itself was a bit of a mystery. The wontons, though intended to be stars (as indicated by its name), were more like understudies, getting very lost in the ensemble cast of chicken, pork, and shrimp. It was a showpiece, certainly, but one that we'll likely skip on our next visit in favor of more marquee acts.

Overall, Dan Dan is more than just a restaurant; it's a surprisingly fantastic journey through Sichuan and Taiwanese cuisine, with well-crafted dishes. While not every dish may hit the high note, the overall experience is a culinary composition...

I do want to say that the food was amazing, which is the only reason I'm giving this place two stars. That is, when I actually got food or service. My wife and I went here on a Friday night right at 7, and the place was absolutely jammed. We had the scallion pancakes, pork belly small plate, the dan dan noodles with minced pork for appetizers, which were delicious. However, I could tell the wheels were coming off quickly because after putting in our drink orders and ordering our appetizers, our waiter didn't come back for 15 minutes. After finishing our appetizers, we finally got our drinks but still hadn't put in our main entree orders, which was frustrating because even though we were right next to the kitchen, it felt like our waiter was on another planet. It wasn't our waiter's fault, the place was so extremely poorly staffed that he was overwhelmed trying to be everywhere at once. After multiple attempts, we finally were able to flag down our waiter and put in our main entree orders and our next round of drinks. The situation did not improve, as dinner took forever to come out and again our drinks weren't prepared in a timely fashion. We finally got the first dinner entree and our next round of drinks, but of course our drink order was wrong and we had to wait 10 more minutes to get replacements. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the dry pepper chicken and I had to ask our waiter no less than three times to find out what happened after a half hour of waiting. Thank goodness the restaurant at least comped the dry pepper chicken for our inconvenience, and the apology from the manager (who was running around the whole night trying to make up for the staff shortage) was definitely sincere, but I was definitely let down by the experience. Until this place staffs up appropriately, I would definitely advise not coming here on a Friday or Saturday night during prime hours. I'll very likely come back at some point, but I feel this place has a lot of growing pains in the...

At DanDan Ardmore the 8th or 9th. The food was decent, could have been spicier. The soup dumplings were really good. Bok choy was just right.

When we arrived, on time for our 8pm reservation, the hostess told us that they just needed to bus a table. 10 minutes later, after a couple tables were bussed and parties seated, one table was cleared and had been open for more than 5 minutes. It was set for two, and we were a party of three. I asked the hostess if we could sit there, she went outside to look around, came in, walked past me. I waited, then followed and asked again. She said that the table was set for an 8:30 reservation. I reminded her that we had an 8pm reservation. She fumbled her papers, and said something about not having a reservation for us. We'd been waiting right in front of the hostess podium for 15 minutes at that point, and I had followed her to the door. She "found" the reservation again then? I'll never know, she didn't speak to us. She went outside again, looked around, walked past me (again, because I'd followed her, again) without communicating. I asked again, and without comment or apology she took us to the table set for 2, not directing anyone to wipe off the chairs that had rain on them. I'm not sure she even asked anyone to get us another place setting. I'll forgive almost anything if a person communicates with me with respect, and a quick apology to show she cared would have gone a long way. Our server and the guy who we asked to wipe down our chairs were both very nice and were hustling, props to them.

If you're depending on standing heaters for Covid-safe outdoor seating ... We asked them to light the heater near our table. They said that they'd tried, but the heater kept blowing out in the breeze. (Lola's next door has stable...