Located in the heart of Philly, Sampan isn't just a restaurant; it's a happy hour haven where exquisite flavors meet exceptional value. As a used-to-be regular, I had the pleasure of exploring much of their happy hour menu, which boasts an array of dishes that consistently impress, from the kim chee fried rice to the pork bao buns, Kobe sliders, and potstickers. The drink selection is also fantastic, featuring unique cocktails that are both inventive and refreshing (recommend trying the daily cocktails!), each pairing flawlessly with the happy hour dishes. The ambiance of the place, combined with the quality of service and cuisine, makes it the best happy hour in Philadelphia in my opinion. Whether you're winding down from work or kicking off a night on the town, Sampan's happy hour is an unbeatable choice for quality, value, and a guaranteed good time.
Tiffany T.
5 stars for happy hour, 4 stars for regular dining. I can't believe I've never reviewed Sampan. I've been coming here on and off for the past 10 years. Happy hour - this is our jam and our most regular visits to Sampan. My go to's are always Kimchee fried rice, and the truffle edamame dumplings. With inflation, the price of dumplings have gone up to $7 but they serve you 5 now instead of 4 which was a nice surprise yesterday. The kimchee fried rice I would recommend as a tasty fried rice, but is not for those that are actually looking for good, fermented kimchee taste. It's a great option for those that don't enjoy that strong kimchee flavor. I haven't been back to Sampan for dinner for maybe 5 years at least, so I can't give much feedback except I remember that I felt like it was good, but wasn't worth the bill at the end of the night. I'm thinking of going back to give them a proper try again, and I'll update my review!
Jay B.
We love Sampan!! Food: everything was delicious. The highlights were definitely the tuna rice cracker, crab wonton tacos and short rib (not pictured). All of the dishes were well season and very flavorful. We also enjoyed the small plates/tapas style meals so we could try a bunch of items off the menu. Ambiance: we loved the vibes here. It's dimly lit, a little loud and feels very warm and inviting. There's a bar that gets ridiculously packed during happy hour as well. Service: for how busy the restaurant was, our food came out relatively quickly. It comes out in whatever order the kitchen prepared the dishes in, so it's nice to continuously have food come out as opposed to waiting for everything. Our server was super attentive as well. We will absolutely be back to try more.
Hannah V.
Quick late night stop in but man was this place still packed! We sat at the bar and got some drinks and an appetizer. The spring rolls were decent for a quick bite and the drinks were quite delicious. I would definitely come back for a meal looking through the menu and the atmosphere was fun.
Jenny C.
The food here is insane. I went with my friend and we split 6 things, the cauliflower, chicken skewers, short rib lo mein, crispy Brussels, chicken bao buns, and the cheesesteak bao buns. Everything came out quickly, we sat at the bar, and it was all so delicious. And relatively cheap for how much we ordered! We both got drinks too and they were good! The bartender was a little cold to us but maybe she was having a hard day :) would recommend going if you're in Philly!
N A.
Sampan has great food and specials the ambiance is amazing and the tasting menu is a must try!! The desert is 10/10.
Felicia D Goodrum
Food is ok fusion but the staff is so rude an unaccomodating that it is not worth the experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Marine-Ayan I.
Service is ok, food is consistent and menu is overall a good take on Asian fusion for a happy hour spot. Incredibly hard to be able to get in though, and it tends to lean towards a loud and young crowd.
Rome C
Everything was delicious, BBQ beef, bao, Brussels, etc. The only item that was not up to the same standard as the others was the soup dumplings. They lacked the soup.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Bao Buns, Crispy Brussels Sprout, Korean BBQ Beef Satay
James Beasley
The service, food and drinks were amazing. Itxs worth every penny. Our server Izzy went above and beyond to make our visit exceptional.
Great date night spot, mood lighting in effect, service is a bit slow but wait staff are friendly. Food was great, tried the tasting menu during restaurant week. Some dishes were above and beyond, some others were lacking, but the overall experience was
Carol E.
Great lil Asian-Fusion place that is lively & fun. Went during a Meetup & didn't expect to see as many folks in 1 place but it worked. The food was tasty and the drinks were really good. Not a very big space but once the crowd thins out you can space out comfortably. Bartenders were great & attentive, although they were busy. Take home food was just as good as in the restaurant. Will be going back again to report a more detailed experience next time!
Aminah Heard
Ask for Johnathan period! He's the best waiter ever. He has great energy and made my friends birthday a blast.
Jamie
Great Pan-Asian restaurant! Came here on a Monday evening with friends to celebrate a birthday! Definitely make reservations if you have a large party. Nice bar area to wait in or even grab a before dinner cocktail!Menu is amazing, so many great options!Definitely a must see if you’re in the city!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meghan B.
Went for happy hour and it was great. Lomein portions are insane for the price, would definitely order again. Bartenders are all super friendly and attentive. Bar isn't huge though so a lot of people were waiting by the front for seats to open up . Would recommend getting there early for a seat.
Located in the heart of Philly, Sampan isn't just a restaurant; it's a happy hour haven where exquisite flavors meet exceptional value. As a used-to-be regular, I had the pleasure of exploring much of their happy hour menu, which boasts an array of dishes that consistently impress, from the kim chee fried rice to the pork bao buns, Kobe sliders, and potstickers. The drink selection is also fantastic, featuring unique cocktails that are both inventive and refreshing (recommend trying the daily cocktails!), each pairing flawlessly with the happy hour dishes. The ambiance of the place, combined with the quality of service and cuisine, makes it the best happy hour in Philadelphia in my opinion. Whether you're winding down from work or kicking off a night on the town, Sampan's happy hour is an unbeatable choice for quality, value, and a guaranteed good time.
5 stars for happy hour, 4 stars for regular dining. I can't believe I've never reviewed Sampan. I've been coming here on and off for the past 10 years. Happy hour - this is our jam and our most regular visits to Sampan. My go to's are always Kimchee fried rice, and the truffle edamame dumplings. With inflation, the price of dumplings have gone up to $7 but they serve you 5 now instead of 4 which was a nice surprise yesterday. The kimchee fried rice I would recommend as a tasty fried rice, but is not for those that are actually looking for good, fermented kimchee taste. It's a great option for those that don't enjoy that strong kimchee flavor. I haven't been back to Sampan for dinner for maybe 5 years at least, so I can't give much feedback except I remember that I felt like it was good, but wasn't worth the bill at the end of the night. I'm thinking of going back to give them a proper try again, and I'll update my review!
We love Sampan!! Food: everything was delicious. The highlights were definitely the tuna rice cracker, crab wonton tacos and short rib (not pictured). All of the dishes were well season and very flavorful. We also enjoyed the small plates/tapas style meals so we could try a bunch of items off the menu. Ambiance: we loved the vibes here. It's dimly lit, a little loud and feels very warm and inviting. There's a bar that gets ridiculously packed during happy hour as well. Service: for how busy the restaurant was, our food came out relatively quickly. It comes out in whatever order the kitchen prepared the dishes in, so it's nice to continuously have food come out as opposed to waiting for everything. Our server was super attentive as well. We will absolutely be back to try more.
Quick late night stop in but man was this place still packed! We sat at the bar and got some drinks and an appetizer. The spring rolls were decent for a quick bite and the drinks were quite delicious. I would definitely come back for a meal looking through the menu and the atmosphere was fun.
The food here is insane. I went with my friend and we split 6 things, the cauliflower, chicken skewers, short rib lo mein, crispy Brussels, chicken bao buns, and the cheesesteak bao buns. Everything came out quickly, we sat at the bar, and it was all so delicious. And relatively cheap for how much we ordered! We both got drinks too and they were good! The bartender was a little cold to us but maybe she was having a hard day :) would recommend going if you're in Philly!
Sampan has great food and specials the ambiance is amazing and the tasting menu is a must try!! The desert is 10/10.
Food is ok fusion but the staff is so rude an unaccomodating that it is not worth the experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Service is ok, food is consistent and menu is overall a good take on Asian fusion for a happy hour spot. Incredibly hard to be able to get in though, and it tends to lean towards a loud and young crowd.
Everything was delicious, BBQ beef, bao, Brussels, etc. The only item that was not up to the same standard as the others was the soup dumplings. They lacked the soup.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Bao Buns, Crispy Brussels Sprout, Korean BBQ Beef Satay
The service, food and drinks were amazing. Itxs worth every penny. Our server Izzy went above and beyond to make our visit exceptional.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Korean BBQ Beef Satay
Restaurantji Recommends
Great date night spot, mood lighting in effect, service is a bit slow but wait staff are friendly. Food was great, tried the tasting menu during restaurant week. Some dishes were above and beyond, some others were lacking, but the overall experience was
Great lil Asian-Fusion place that is lively & fun. Went during a Meetup & didn't expect to see as many folks in 1 place but it worked. The food was tasty and the drinks were really good. Not a very big space but once the crowd thins out you can space out comfortably. Bartenders were great & attentive, although they were busy. Take home food was just as good as in the restaurant. Will be going back again to report a more detailed experience next time!
Ask for Johnathan period! He's the best waiter ever. He has great energy and made my friends birthday a blast.
Great Pan-Asian restaurant! Came here on a Monday evening with friends to celebrate a birthday! Definitely make reservations if you have a large party. Nice bar area to wait in or even grab a before dinner cocktail!Menu is amazing, so many great options!Definitely a must see if you’re in the city!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went for happy hour and it was great. Lomein portions are insane for the price, would definitely order again. Bartenders are all super friendly and attentive. Bar isn't huge though so a lot of people were waiting by the front for seats to open up . Would recommend getting there early for a seat.