PHLReview
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Tabachoy
Included In
Philadelphians are lining up for Tabachoy. And that's saying a lot, considering we’d only line up for a photo-op with Joel Embiid, free water ice, or when the Broad Street run begins. What started as a food cart serving rice bowls, cheesesteaks, and chicken sandwiches is now a funky Bella Vista brick-and-mortar serving a Filipino menu of life-altering dishes.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
If you’re dining solo, grab a seat at the chef’s counter next to the saint-like drawing of Anthony Bourdain. The casual dining room has a neon yellow glow thanks to the pig-shaped strip light hanging above the open kitchen. After cracking open a bottle at the BYOB, you might wonder if the pig is dancing along to the T-Pain tracks playing overhead, or if he’s just excited by the plates of aromatic crispy chicken that keep whizzing by. There are only a handful of tables and it’s always packed, so the space feels super cozy—you’ll likely overhear someone on a date wondering if that shade of yellow should be their wedding color. There’s a community fridge in case you forgot a bottle, the chef/owner brings food to your table, and the warmth and hospitality makes you feel as special as appearing on the jumbotron at the Wells Fargo Center.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
The menu includes shareable small plates like shrimp and carrot fritters and hearty, comforting mains. But calling them “small plates” is misleading—they can feed four or more. From the pancit noodles to pork belly, there’s an element to each dish that’s surprising, like the spiced vinegar glaze giving each bite of pork a hint of sourness. We like everything here, but you can’t miss the spring rolls or Chance’s twice-fried chicken. Just try to save room for the rotating soft serve ube sundae we think about daily.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
You may begin the night curiously looking up which wine pairs with pickled green papaya (FYI: it’s a Chenin Blanc). But by its end, you’ll have eaten excellent, filling food in a space as laidback as your best friend’s house (and just as hard to leave).
Food Rundown
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Tabachoy Caesar
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Lumpia
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Pancit Palabok
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
South Philly Laing
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Chance’s Fried Chicken
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Pork Adobo