Sampan

This place is one of the more popular restaurants in the Center City area. It is always busy and crowded here no matter when you visit. I came here for happy hour and had a short wait to sit at the bar. The inside has these great designs which light up during your stay. It seems like a fun trendy place to visit and bring clients over. There is an open kitchen where you can watch the cooks make the food which is great to see. They are constantly making high class meals and bringing them out as fast as possible.

The waitress was very friendly and guided me through the happy hour menu. I decided to order the Kimchi Fried Rice, Kobe Sliders, and the Thai Punch. These items are listed as sides on the menu but there is a decent amount of food. I was filled with the Kobe Sliders alone. The sliders were the highlight of the meal. They were delicious and packed with wonderful flavor. I would love to eat these every day if I could. The Thai Punch was delicious and washed down the meal. I had a great time here and would highly recommend it to anyone for a great meal at any time of day.

We came for happy hour and the food here was amazing! We tried a lot of different things and liked a lot of the items. For small dishes, we got the edamame dumplings and the dan dan dumplings. The presentation of the edamame dumplings was very pretty and we enjoyed this dish. The dan dan dumplings were on the spicy side and were just ok. I would just get the edamame ones and skip the dan dan one next time.

We got a lot of the bun and wrap items. Of the items we tried, we really liked the pork bao, pork banh mi, and the kobe sliders. The pork bao was the favorite and I also really liked the pork banh mi. We also tried the kobe hot dog and crispy chicken bao - those were both not very flavorful and I'd skip those items. We also had the korean bbq beef satay. Each order is one skewer. This was very good.

For the crispy items, we ordered the kung pao chicken wings but the kitchen missed it and we were so full that we just cancelled them. They look delicious though and I'd want to get them next time. For sides, I got the crispy brussels sprout. They were ok but the flavors just didn't go well together for me and I'd probably skip this next time. For drinks, we tried the ming mule and thai punch. Both were good.

We went on a Monday and it was still very busy and a long wait for a table. I recommend making a reservation (if you can) when you want to come out here. Service is great and our server was spot on with recommendations - the items he recommended were good and the items we ordered without his recommendations are the items I'd pass on.

100% love it here. Always amazing!!

The only thing I'd say, though, is that the drinks were super weak this time.

This was my first culinary experience with bao bun and pan Asian cuisine, and this sexy vibey cocktail lounge exceeded my expectations. The happy hour had a fantastic selection for a great price, not to mention the small plates were overflowing with simple yet divine flavors. We devoured 3 at a time and continued to order more! The short rib bao buns with shallot and mint simply melted in your mouth. The vegetarian mushroom spring rolls with a citrus lime sauce were next level. Our bartender was patient and accommodating when I picked his brain about different concoctions. Can't wait for my next visit!

This place is absolutely delicious. Came here on a random Friday night. The place was packed even for outdoor seating (with drizzling rainy weather outside). We sat outside since my friend had her dog, but the chairs are kind of uncomfortable since they are made of metal. Also some of the seats are too close to other parties and you can't move them since it is permanent fixtures.

The waitress was prompt and really friendly. We got the Dan Dan dumplings, general tso soup dumplings, shrimp fried rice. The general tso soup dumplings and the shrimp fried rice are a must get. There is a lot of shrimp in the fried rice and I really like when they mix the egg in. There is this hot sauce bottle you can get that mixes perfectly in. The tso soup dumplings are so warm inside. There is a little bit of chicken mixed in with a delicious burst of soup. The Dan Dan dumplings are average. The peanuts were whole and roasted. The dumplings seemed like they were pan fried and contained pork. The tahini on it was an interesting twist.

Modern Asian fusion place in center city
Went here for happy hour with some friends and it was pretty busy. Service was pretty fast despite being seated outside. We ordered some of their happy hour apps which were ok not great but a decent snack for happy hour

Food: Ordered pork baos, chicken baos, edamame dumplings, short rib, crispy brussel sprouts, and the kimchi fried rice to share with a group of 6 girlfriends. The portions were fair but leaning slightly on the smaller side. Highlights included the pork baos and edamame dumplings - would reorder those! The brussel sprouts and the noodles that came with the beef were honestly a little salty. Overall 7/10.

Service: Overall ok service. Our waitress's tone of voice was not very welcoming(?) and we felt a bit rushed during our time dining. Other waiters seemed very nice.

Ambiance: overall good! Still able to converse with friends but it is pretty dark in there. Might have helped to have mini lamps at the table so it is easier to read the menu...

I don't know if I can rave enough about the meal we had here! So wonderful!! As a party of twelve, we went with the Chef's tasting menu. Each dish was amazing! Everyone ate their fill and we still had leftovers. The group favorites included the kimchi fried rice, the roasted branzino with green beans and the pork bao. Definitely would like to return. Sorry- photos are on my daughter's phone and I forgot to transfer them.

I've been here many times since my last review and it remains very popular, lively and a fun spot to grab food/drinks.
Came here most recently with a big group of coworkers. Our waiter was extremely kind and accommodating. They can easily add an extra piece or two to any dish!

We decided to order a ton of dishes to share family style. We ordered the chili crisp chicken bao, edamame dumpling, mushroom Shumai, crispy Brussels sprouts, Kim chee fried rice, Szechuan chicken stir fry, beef short rib and the tempura ice cream.

Everything we ordered was a 10/10! Our entire group was impressed with each dish and I did not hear any complaints. My favorite were the bao buns, edamame dumpling and beef short rib. The short rib was so tender your fork immediately pulls it apart just by gently touching it. The dessert was simple yet delicious and what we all needed!

Great dinner spot and fun vibes!

While visiting for work, I decided to try a few small dishes at several restaurants rather than choosing one place.

Sampan was packed, but I managed to find a spot at the bar. I ordered the shrimp pad thai- which was a decent size for the price! The gentleman beside me ordered the chef's tasting menu and the dishes never stopped- it seemed to be a great option too.