Freshly Brewed Babble: Philly's Take on Foods from Around The World

As much as I’d love to do that world traveler Pinterest trend (you know, the one where you throw a dart on a map, and wah-lah, that’s where you fly to next), my budget simply cannot make room for that at the moment—or likely ever. For me, traveling is all about experiencing new cultures, and there’s no better way to do that than by completely immersing yourself in the cuisine. Growing up in a suburb of Philadelphia, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the restaurant scene. Over time, I’ve picked my favorite spots for what I find to be the most authentic multicultural food for a super Americanized city. For those who just can’t seem to find the courage to step out of their cultural comfort zones to try some new flavor pallets, here’s the rundown on the tamer dishes for beginners.

Especially with all of those coronavirus travel advisories, there's no better time to embark on this local food journey with me around Philadelphia.

Infographic by Chelsea Stern

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China

Dim Sum is a selection of Cantonese small plates including a variety of fried or steamed soup dumplings, and may I say, it does comfort food great justice. In the heart of Philly’s Chinatown, Dim Sum Garden serves Shanghai-style dim sum. For a more active cultural experience, I advise getting soup dumplings, a true two-in-one meal. Unless you’ve chosen the veg life, the meat-filled dumplings offer a savory kick. A cloud of steam gusts out the bamboo steamer and dances around the lines of plump dumplings. There are several methods for eating them, and this, in my opinion, is the true test of compatibility. Note to self: order soup dumplings with a boy before accepting a marriage proposal. My go-to approach involves shoveling the dumpling into the wide-set spoon, draining the soup into the spoon’s crater, sipping the soup and managing to eat the dumpling in one bit. My favorite soup dumpling sidekick is undoubtedly scallion pancakes: greasy enough to cure your fried food craving, but light, airy and might as well be guilt-free. Pro tip: dim sum is best when shared family-style with people you love.

Mexico

Native to Andalusia, Spain and later making its way to northern Mexico, molletes make for a tasty breakfast, lunch or mid-day snack with an open-faced bolillo roll topped with refried beans, melted cheese and pico de gallo. While this might sound like a very strange pizza combination to the average American, molletes hit the spot when you have a hankering for something rich, bold and fresh. Its multidimensional texture makes molletes unlike anything I’ve had before, and without having easy access to Mexico City food trucks, the best of the best can be found at Cafe Y Chocolate in South Philly. The molletes are a very straightforward menu item with no surprises, just surprisingly complementary flavor and texture combinations. Trust me on this one, the full-bodied flavors are best washed down with an order of horchata, a sweet dairy drink similar to an iced chai latte, or Oaxacan hot chocolate.

Photo by Chelsea Stern

Israel

An Israeli classic, borekas are buttery, flakey pastries with a dense filling of potato or cheese, traditionally. Being that I’ve had the pleasure of actually traveling to Israel and having the country’s top freshly-baked borekas, I wouldn’t call myself an amateur at spotting Philly’s best. On the outskirts of Rittenhouse Square sits K’far Cafe, an Israeli-inspired bakery and café, opened by the same culinary geniuses who started the best restaurant in the country of 2019, Zahav. K’far offers the traditional delicacy of the pastries with a creative twist on the fillings, such as jam and sweet cheese or Swiss chard. Known for its fresh dairy products, Israel’s cheese-filled borekas are tough to recreate. However, K’far perfects the art of the flakey shell of a flavor-packed pocket. The aromas that flood the seat-yourself diner-style café are reminiscent of Israeli bakeries and almost make forget about the man peeing on the street corner a few blocks back.

Photo by Chelsea Stern

Italy

Originated in northern Italy, gnocchi has added some personality to the world of pasta with starchy and dense potato-based pillows. I love the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi as much of the next girl, but nothing beats a shallow bowl full of a decadently sauced up pasta. Pesto gnocchi, in particular, marries some beautifully pungent, herby and nutty flavors: basil, pine nuts, garlic and cheese. The pan sear of the gnocchi adds a sophisticated touch to the texture beyond the classic boil. When done authentic to how Florence’s finest restaurants currently serve it—per the experiences of some friends of mine who have traveled abroad there—the pesto is smooth and the gnocchi is fluffy. Philly’s Little Italy is home to Little Nonna’s, an authentic Italian restaurant that serves a pan seared gnocchi with a spin on the pesto sauce with an addition of kale and broccoli. Hey, as long as it’s green, it’s good for you, right?

Morocco

A Moroccan feasting experience is quite an overwhelming one if you don’t know what you’re in for. Course after course, seated on the floor and eating practically utensil-less. In the wise words of some Food Network chef that drilled my child brain with trivial cooking tips, “your hands your the best tool.” Some of the spiced meat kebabs and giant platters of couscous may seem intimidating, so an appetizer that’s a great place to start is zaalouk. Zaalouk is a warm, mashed eggplant dish seasoned with tomatoes and spices. It makes a great dip, and Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant off of South Street in Center City, serves up its own version of zaalouk, which they refer to as eggplant salad. Served on an oversized decorative plate comes the colorful first course of the eggplant salad, carrots and cucumbers all dressed and seasoned—oh and pita bread, of course. The basic vegetable ingredients make the zaalouk a perfect first step into the Moroccan culture and its use of bright and intense flavor profiles.

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Maybe it’s just my personal excuse to eat, but food definitely holds the parts of a culture that can’t be put into words. Eating my way through Philly is the closest I’ve gotten to finding decent international food. In the end, there’s no way the city that prepares a cheeseburger slightly differently and calls it a “Philly cheesesteak” can outdo the real deal authentic cuisine of these cultures, but it’ll do for now.

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