Best Ethnic Food in Philly

Food is at the forefront of every holiday experience. It is a way to cherish traditions, conjure nostalgia from past years, and even express a cultural identity. Though American holiday classics such as pumpkin pie, gingerbread, and roast turkey will always maintain their spots on our dinner tables, perhaps it’s time for something new. Experience the delights of international cuisine with this list of ethnic eateries, curated by Masterman students.

Ethiopian: Abyssinia

Abyssinia is an Ethiopian restaurant which seeks to share the flavors and aromas of East Africa to the curious Philidelphians. They offer freshly-made injera: a sour flatbread that is spongy in texture, topped with a variety of lentil and meat curries and vegetable stews. The other popular dishes are tibs and wot. Tibs is the Ethiopian counterpart of “fajitas.” It usually consists of marinated lamb or beef sauteed with vegetables and spices. Likewise, wot is typically a meat-heavy stew containing onions, garlic, ginger, clarified butter, and spices. The menu also has an assortment of veggie and meat rices and sandwiches.

“One of my favorite restaurants is Abyssinia. I went with my dad for the first time a couple years ago, and their Ethiopian food was amazing. We especially loved the mango juice!” -Yulia Emery (11-3)

Middle Eastern: Manakeesh Cafe Bakery & Grill

As the name suggests, Manakeesh is a cafe, bakery, and grill serving Lebanese cuisine. It offers all the Middle Eastern classics, including, but not limited to shawarma, falafel, hummus and eggplant dips, pita, kabobs, and many variations of the restaurant’s namesake: manakish. Manakish is a pizza-like flatbread topped with thyme, cheese, and/or ground meats. The dessert offering includes ma maul cookies (chewy, shortbread cookies stuffed with dates and nuts), basboosa (a semolina cake drenched in sugar syrup and topped with nuts), and baklava. The menu also includes an extensive variety of French desserts, paying homage to the French influence on Lebanon’s cuisine during its time as a French colony. Finally, the juice bar, located within the restaurant, offers smoothies and shakes ranging from healthy to indulgent. All in all, Manakeesh is a jack of all trades, ensuring that everyone will find something they like.

“I remember visiting Manakeesh with my family after Friday prayers in the mosque across the street. There was a certain magic in the air: laughter, hushed conversations, strangers hard at work on their laptops, the glorious smell of the mint tea I always ordered, and the fleeting oblivion of my youth. Good times! Oh yeah, and the food was really good!” - Haleema Saadia (11-3)

Indian: Amma's South Indian Cuisine

Amma’s, which means “mother’s” in Hindi, is an Indian restaurant whose mission it is to “serve you tasty food like [their] mothers used to feed [them].” They specialize in South Indian regional dishes such as dosas (a thin, crepe-like flatbread typically eaten with a curry or chutney (a sweet, tangy, or spicy sauce)), rasam (a light soup with a tamarind base), and medhu vada (a donut-shaped fritter flavored with peppercorn, onions, and curry leaves). They also offer mainstream Indian dishes such as samosas, biryani (a meat and rice dish), and a variety of vegetable and meat curries. Their desserts include rasmalai (cottage cheese balls swimming in a sweet milk sauce) and gulab jamuns (milk solids shaped into balls and drenched in honey syrup).

“One of my favorite restaurants is Ammas on Chestnut Street. It is a South Indian restaurant that serves the best dosas in the city. I go there with my grandparents all the time and they feel like the food there is very authentic.”- Dev Shah (11-4)

Indian: Virasat Haveli

Virasat Haveli is a fine dining Indian and Pakistani restaurant which aims to convey the heritage and culture of the Indian Subcontinent through food. It puts a modern spin on age-old dishes, while still maintaining authenticity. Their main offerings include biryanis, naans, a plethora of curries, and kebabs. However, more notable are their Indo-Chinese dishes, which are hard to find in most Indian restaurants. These include momos (a Tibetan dumpling) and various fried rice dishes. Additionally, they offer many popular Indian street foods, such as chaat (a family of dishes which consist of some type of potato and fried dough topped with tangy, sweet, and spicy sauces), pani poori (a spherical, fried cracker filled with chickpeas, potatoes, and spices and dunked in tamarind water) and falooda (a dessert made of vermicelli noodles, basil seeds, milk, and rose syrup, typically topped with jelly or ice-cream).

“I discovered this place randomly when I was driving around with my cousins in search of good Indian/Pakistani cuisine, it is an absolute gem. The food is amazing, but the restaurant offers so much more. The presentation of the dishes was clean and elevated and their attention to detail was spell-bounding. The decor was also very vibrant.” - Haleema Saadia (11-3)

Chinese: Tai Lake

Tai Lake is a Chinese restaurant which prides itself on serving authentic Chinese cuisine and serving as a pioneer in the Cantonese seafood niche. Their menu is laden with meats such jellyfish, sharkfin, crab, abalone (marine snails), sea cucumber, squid, scallop, a variety of fish, shrimp, eel, frog, duck, and of course the humble chicken, beef, and pork. They also offer Chinese cuisine cornerstones: noodles, dumplings, various soups, and fried rice dishes.

“Tai Lake is a restaurant in Chinatown I’ve been going to as a kid for large family gatherings. I like to eat the really thin orange slices that come with some dishes. Another reason I like the restaurant is because I could look at the fish swimming.” - Anita Li (11-3)

Asian: Mango Mango

As the name suggests, this restaurant is devoted to harnessing the flavors of mango and presenting them in all their glorious forms. They offer mango mochi, pancakes, crepes, juice dessert bowls, smoothies, sundaes, custard, and panna cotta. (One could say they have man-gone crazy with their mango obsession, no complaints tho). Briefly veering away from the mango fever, the menu also includes cheese foam (whipped cream & cream cheese) topped teas in varying flavors, walnut, almond, red bean, and black sesame paste dessert soups with rice balls, and build-your-own waffles.

“If you love mangos, you’ll love this restaurant.” - Tina Jiang (11-4)