Han Dynasty University City — Restaurant in Philadelphia

HAN DYNASTY UNIVERSITY CITY, PA

No, the Broad Street Run didn't go to Han Dynasty but I'm sure for the people that ran the race like my sister, they had quite the appetite afterwards. A classic in University City is Han Dynasty that brings modern life to Chinese food. I was excited not see a General Tso, Sesame Chicken or Chicken Broccoli dish on the menu. Since we were there during the weekend, street parking on the street was free. Otherwise, they do have metered street parking and a parking deck around the corner. If you're using the parking deck, hold on to that ticket stub! Han Dynasty will validate the ticket for you so you don't have to pay. Walking in, you'll be surrounded by a mix of students in the area and families. You can order out from them, sit at the bar or get a table. If you have a large party, they have long, bench-style tables where you can all sit together. It's classical embellishments with a clean, modern feel. You're greeted by a server who will walk you to your designated area; my sister and I went with a table by the window. While we sipped on some hot green tea, we decided to go with an appetizer and two entrees (family style) to share. My sister recommended the spicy, crunchy cucumbers while we waited for the two entrees to come out: black bean chicken and hot sauce style chicken.

Spicy, Crunch Cucumbers | At first glance, it looked like cucumbers in liquid so I didn't think it would be crunch. I was wrong. The sauce with hints of vinegar and soy permeated the outer layer of the cucumber leaving the inside nice and crunchy. It was tasty yet refreshing.

Black Bean Chicken | I had never had a sauce based on black beans and it seemed like it would have been too thick. The sauce was light and as a great medium to bring out the other spices without it being overwhelming the chicken. It was sauteed in with some chunky onion and bell pepper pieces. Huge fan!

Hot Sauce Style | You have your options of eight different concentrations (Chicken, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Fish, Shrimp, Scallops and Fried Tofu). We went with the sliced pieces of chicken stir fried with cabbage, garlic and celery in a szechuan chili oil-based hot sauce. Although the menu notes it as spicy, the dish was not spicy. The chili oil sauce was nice and thick and paired well with the white, sticky rice they provided us. You can taste the use of garlic however it wasn't overwhelming with the hot chili taste.

The staff was friendly checking in with us in a timely manner to see if we needed anything. Additionally, they have restrooms for their customers. Overall, it's currently #1 in my category for my Chinese food category. Highly recommend all of the items...

Haven't been here for a while so I was so surprised at how this restaurant turned out to be like this, comparing to itself two years ago. First of all, the food quality really is no longer what it was years ago. Their signature dish Dan Dan noodle simply had way too much of the sesame source which made the noodles not only tasted a bit weird but also hard to swallow. However nothing could beat the way their service turned out to be today: everyone we encountered last night, literally everyone, from the serves to bar tenders were extremely grumpy. No greetings, no welcome. It took the lady who served our table like 20+ minutes to come over taking orders (the place was not busy at all btw), and another 20-30mins before our order to come I don't care whether or not they smile at me and I am a patient person that can wait, however I didn't expect to be yelled at. One lady (not the one who took our order) threw our orders on the table and turned away quickly to leave, like she was taking care of a certain fire urgency matter. Then we saw her chatting with a bar person two steps away from us for a few, coming back to our table trying to take away the scallion pancakes. I stopped her saying that we did order this. She hesitated a moment and still took it away (completely ignored me, not talking to me at all like I wasn't existing) but was then stopped by the bar guy. After another quick conservation she once again threw the plate to our table and yelled at me, I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM! She was so loud that half of the room could hear her. I was appalled. What a mess at this restaurant. I will say bye-bye Han Dynasty. I won't be back again and you successfully lose a customer who used to be...

I'm so happy that Han Dynasty has expanded into University City, which, until now, has been severely lacking quality Asian cuisine. Han Dynasty's arrival ends the era of Sang-Kee's underwhelming dominance in the area.

The decor is a bit off, but that's because they've chosen to stick with the space's former inhabitant's decor (Midatlantic Grill). The service was excellent. The portions were generous, and the food was top quality. I spent a bit less than I expected (most entrees are priced between $13-$18, and, again, the portions are very generous).

The range of dishes is incredibly impressive. Maverick heatseekers will gravitate towards Dry Pot Style dishes, the spiciest offered by the house. Those looking for a less spicy experience can comfortably order dishes from the bottom-end of the spice scale (Han Dynasty rates all of their spicy dishes on a scale of 1-10, with ten being "quite hot.") Even those with a relatively low spice tolerance can order well into the 3-4 range without fear. More adventurous diners should gravitate towards the 8-and-up range. Don't worry, the menu also offers non-spicy dishes that are just as delicious!

Some outstanding items from my first visit: Dry Pepper Style triple-flash fried chicken, Beef soup (offered in spicy and non-spicy varieties), and the Long Hot Pepper style pork.

Overall, Han Dynasty is an excellent dining experience. With top quality food at affordable prices, you really can't do better in this section of the city for...