Sampan is a contemporary Asian restaurant located in the heart of Midtown Village, Center City Philadelphia. Known for its bold flavors and innovative small plates, Sampan offers a vibrant dining experience with dishes inspired by a variety of Asian cuisines. The open kitchen adds to the energy, while a dramatic back-lit mural sets a modern, immersive atmosphere. Guests can enjoy a carefully curated selection of sake, wine, beer, and handcrafted cocktails, all designed to complement the culinary journey. As a part of the Schulson Collective, Sampan offers exceptional group dining and private dining experiences. Sampan is a must-visit destination for Asian fusion dining in Philadelphia.
Contemporary spot offering Pan-Asian small and large plates and weekday happy hour, plus a back bar with patio.
Tiva Leser
Loved the chefs tasting menu option. $56 per person and you choose 7 dishes and the chef sends them out family style as they are made. The cocktails were very good. The waitress Izzy had good vibes and she was knowledgeable since she worked there for 5 years. I also liked the dark fluorescent wall paper on one wall which brought up the atmosphere to another level. I would definitely recommend this place. Everything we had was amazing.
… moreMercedes Wisner
I have been here twice. Both times was an extremely long way, but I did go later at night (between 9-10:30 both times). The weight was extremely long, but the service and food was amazing! On top of that because we went later at night, the food came right out! It wasn’t a long way at all, and the food was phenomenal!
Both times I want I had the Szechuan chicken stirfry and it was so good that I had to get it again! We were served General salad dumplings, complementary for the long way, and it was fantastic! My friends ordered lo mein, bao buns, edamame dumplings, and more and they all totally enjoyed their food! I will definitely come here again!
… moreMsNguyen
Cute space and good food. We went during Restaurant Week as soon as the snow storm stopped. We will definitely come back. Food was good and service was great!
My favorite was the wagyu beef and tuna rice crackers. The dumplings looked great but we missed out this time.
… moreMike Sperando
Went to Sampan on a Saturday night with no reservation and was told it’d be a little over a two-hour wait. They texted us after about an hour, and when we came back, we were seated at the bar overlooking the kitchen. At first I was annoyed it wasn’t a regular table, but it ended up being a great spot to eat and watch them prepare the food.
I had the edamame dumplings, roasted broccoli, salmon entrée, and Korean beef BBQ — all absolutely delicious. One of the most consistently great spots in Philly.
… moreElizabeth Dickens
Best dumplings ever! Wow! The edamame dumplings are to die for!!! They were so amazing we return the same night for more! Friendly staff, fast service even though the restaurant was super busy. The happy hour is amazing!!
… moreGabby A
Came during happy hour and ordered a ton of the menu to try. There were lots of delicious options, my favorite were the pork bao buns. It was busy inside so we were seated outside on the street side. The side walk is a bit slanted so you feel like you’re tilted if you’re seated facing the building.
They also brought little ice creams with sparklers on top because it was my birthday.
… moreAnthony Moncrieffe
Me and my dined in for anniversary. The food was amazing! We did the tasting menu and from first dish to last I was impressed! Portions sizes were great(even too some food home), taste was amazing, and service was quick! Meals come out as there don’t which he didn’t have an issue with and display was beautiful. Sara was server and did an amazing job guiding us through the menu and staying attentive with drink refills and any issues with the food. All around great experience, minus the fact of us needing to put a card down before we received any food. Not sure what the reason for this is, but not something I enjoy needing to do; this is the reason for the 4 star review.
… moreJim Horan
I’ve come here many times over the years, either solo or with a group. It’s consistently a great meal and easily my favorite Asian fusion restaurant in Philadelphia. No matter how busy they seem to get, the service is always kind and helpful, with delicious food and cocktails too. Highly recommended, and the ice cream sushi is an absolute must-try. I hope Sampan remains in for a long, long time.
… moreJill S
Incredible meal and cocktails! Highly recommend the tasting menu to get the full experience — and it’s a great value. We asked our knowledgeable server to curate our selections, and he absolutely nailed it. Every course was perfectly balanced and beautifully presented. Would definitely come back!
… moreSierra Yeam
My first time at Sampan and it was amazing. I made reservations for dining inside. I originally wanted to do happy hour but happy hour is first come, first serve and seatings are only outdoor, indoor bar, and the bar seating near the kitchen. At 4:45pm, it was pack so I decided to not partake in happy hour and just do dinner because I wanted to scratch this off the list. The atmosphere was really nice but it was super dark inside. A few older ladies were seated next to us and were struggling to see the menu. They had to use the flashlight on their phone just to look at the menu and another was using the candle as well. Our waiter Sarah was amazing and did a brief explanation of the chefs tasting menu but we decided not to opt in for that option. I had to start dinner off w a nice cocktail and got the Thai punch which was really sweet and delicious. During my dinner I decided to order the Ming mule and it was not good in my opinion (too acidic for me). With the appetizers, we started off w the cheesesteak bao buns which was 10/10 omg it was literally perfect I just needed a little bit more sauce and cheese in the inside. We ordered the soup dumplings which were tasty w the soy sauce but didn’t have enough soup in the inside. We also ordered the tuna cracker, my bf & I are a huge fan of tuna crispy rice which was PERFECT (will def go back and make sure to order extra). We ordered the crispy walnut shrimp which was ok, if it had more sauce it would’ve been better. The crispy Brussels sprout was to die for I absolutely love Brussels sprout and they executed my expectations. We ordered the beef rice noodle which was good as well but I wish we had siracha hot sauce (if you know then you know). We also ordered the kimchi fried rice which was good but I wish it was a tad bit burnt in my opinion but still delicious. To end dinner we ordered the mini ice cream cones which was the perfect amount of size and taste because we were super bloated. I will def be coming back! I give this restaurant a 10/10!!!!
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