It's the People Who Make Philadelphia's Best Restaurants Worth Traveling For

13.08.2024 - 12:19 / cntraveler.com

You could call it the perfect Philly afternoon. The weather at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park one Saturday last spring was damp, drizzly, and gray, but no one at the Southeast Asian Market cared. There was too much fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, papaya salad, charcoal-grilled chicken hearts on a stick, crab fried rice, shave ice in countless flavors, and noodles upon noodles to be bothered by a little rain. Assorted languages flowed as groups of senior citizens and families with infants milled about the vendors. A quintuplet of teenage girls in black, white, and gray '90s-era hip-hop-meets-grunge outfits performed a choreographed dance to K-pop with age-appropriate enthusiasm on a covered stage. A vendor waited attentively as an elderly auntie adjusted her order from 15 to 17 to no, wait—she turned to consult with her friend and count heads—21 lumpia.

The iconic tower of Philadelphia City Hall, as seen from the W Philadelphia

At the SEA Market, nationally renowned for its robust and accessible food culture, you shop by sight and scent; most visitors don't bother to find a picnic table lest they overlook the next delight. The venerable market, like the rest of Philadelphia's current food scene, is the outcome of decades of community building and a growing appreciation for the city's indie spirit. For curious travelers seeking to understand a city's story, the way it feeds itself—from what goes on the plate to cultural nourishment in all its forms—is a reliable place to start. In many ways Philly is at a crossroads. Philadelphians, like the rest of America, are confronting complex problems, and food is increasingly a platform for helping people made vulnerable by systemic issues rooted in racism and poverty. It is in part because of these challenges that Philly today is such a pleasurable and dynamic place to visit. Philadelphians in hospitality and the arts have mastered the ability to create spaces for everyone else.

This is especially true when it comes to food. The past few decades have seen a shift in emphasis toward local talents who better reflect the people who actually live here. “Back in the old days, the attention was mostly for the big hospitality groups,” says Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, the chef and owner of the beloved (and award-winning) Thai restaurant Kalaya. “But now people are more excited about smaller chefs.”

Mural City Cellars co-owner Francesca Galarus behind the bar

Hotate at Royal Sushi & Izakaya

Suntaranon opened her restaurant, then a cozy 32-seat BYOB space in the historic neighborhood of Bella Vista, in 2019, presenting dishes inspired by her family and royal Thai cuisine. In 2022 she moved to a much larger location in trendy Fishtown that seats more than 200, expanding the