Shan Chuan — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Short version: We came here to get a bite to eat before a jazz show at the Fallsers club. I will be back anytime I go to another show because The experience was so good!

Details: Although I wouldn't say the food is 5(!) stars, I'm giving 5 stars just because this was such a pleasant surprise and the service was just so excellent. The "bad": is not actually bad at all. :-) Walking in, the place is very unpretentious and in fact presented me with low expectations. There's nothing wrong, it isn't dirty or dingy, it just looks like the typical old, hole in the wall, restaurant -so nothing fancy. ... Don't judge a book by its cover. ;-)

The good: we felt so welcome. We were kind of in a rush so we didn't have time to linger and chat with the gentleman who I assume may be the owner. He rushed around from table to table taking orders and just being so cheerful and gracious. He was quietly humorous without being pretentious or disrupting. The rest of the staff seemed equally welcoming -Even the bartender (who we didn't interact with) gave us a grinning farewell wave. If I lived in the neighborhood I would come back just to get to know the owner. Because: The food: okay, the food was not "OMG! The best Chinese food I've ever had". But it was still great! I was impressed that there was food for everyone: different Asian styles and, for the size of the restaurant, a surprisingly good selection for vegetarians. The food was well prepared and made fresh so it was piping hot ... In an age of restaurants trying to get you out of the door as quickly as possible and serving lukewarm food to be "efficient", I see this as a really good sign of someone who likes running their business and who cares about their customers. :-) There was more than enough to eat and we took home what we didn't finish. Yum!! Parking was easy and it's right around the corner from midvale avenue, so it's the perfect place to park on a Friday or Saturday night, grab dinner, and then walk...

I mean come on! After staying away for a while due to terrible quality, I decided to give Shan Chuan another chance. Ugh what a disappointment, especially for how pricey their dishes are. I got

Fried dumplings - by far the most edible part of my order, these were very salty and a little sour in an unsettling way.

Dan Dan noodles - very starchy and bland, nothing like the same dish at Han Dynasty. Noodles with greasy, underseasoned peanut sauce and big slices of chicken.

Hunan shrimp - interestingly, this was salty, not spicy even a little bit, and had some black beans in it, so I think they just made me the wrong thing? It also had a strong seafood undertaste, as if the shrimp were unrinsed or unfresh.

Szechuan beef - the biggest disappointment, this was "more like skin than meat." Ever had general tso's chicken with zero chicken inside? This was like that only sticky rather than crispy. Again, no real spice to speak of. This one was sweet. We couldn't force ourselves to eat enough to find some with actual meat inside.

We are throwing about 60% of the food away... I guess that's the upside from a dieting pov. You can't eat yourself sick if the first few bites almost do the trick! Seriously, never again. I don't know why I can't just learn my lesson. Shan Chuan is convenient but really unpleasant to...

I have been a frequent customer at this restaurant and have always enjoyed the food service and atmosphere. That was until today!!!! I will never be setting foot in this establishment again! The service was horrid. Our waitress was subpar at best. Our shrimp dumplings were way overcooked and fell completely apart. They had to be eaten with a fork and spoon. However, we did not complain. My sushi was half made. Another employee, a male, corrected it. Our server didn't seem concerned at all. After paying our bill, while still seated our waitress came over and rudely proclaimed that the tip was not included in the bill. We informed her that we were well aware of standard billing practices at most restaurants. She then said "Then why isn't there a tip in there?" "You didn't like my service?" Pointing (yes pointing!!) To the check fold still laying open and flat in front of my mate that was in the process of determining the tip. He then reassured the waitress that he fully intended to tip and the service was fine. It was not fine however. The service was horrendous and the restaurant was empty aside from one other table so I'm not sure why. We left a five dollar tip for the tacky and rude display and promptly exited. It's a real shame as I really liked this spot.Will not be spending my money...