Philadelphia Neighborhoods: 5 great Southeast Asian restaurants

A version of this post was published in partnership with PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com, a project of Temple University’s journalism program.

By Christasia Tiease Wilson and Greta W. Iverson

South Philly has always been bustling with new cultures. With new immigrants, traditions and families, different types of restaurants have been introduced to the community. For those who wish to try something different, there are a ton of highly accessible restaurants with authentic cuisines from Southeast Asia. Whether you’re in Point Breeze, Newbold or Girard Estates, there’s probably a Southeast Asian restaurant within walking distance.

Circles Thai
1516 Tasker St.
Hours: Mon. 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Tues.-Fri. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Circles Thai has been stationed in South Philadelphia for three years. Chef Alex Boonphayaconceptualized this restaurant because he wanted to give foodies a taste of authentic Thai dishes. Originally, Circles Thai focused on takeout but they recently opened a lounge area for seated diners. One of their most popular dishes is their yellow curry, which caters to those who prefer a mild spicy dish. Chef Boonphaya’s menu also lists ten of his all-time favorite dishes.

Nam Son
1601 Washington Ave.
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sat.-Sun. 10:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m.

Nam Son offers authentic Vietnamese dishes and a comfortable dining space. It’s a great place to bring large groups – the menu offers options tailored to groups of six or eight.

Hardena
1754 S. Hicks St.
Hours: Wed.-Mon. 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

The casual atmosphere and home cooked Indonesian cuisine has kept Hardena open for fourteen years. The restaurant is best known for their greens and tofu rendang.

La Fusion
2650 S. 15th St.
Hours: Mon, Wed., Sun.: 5:00pm-12:00am
Tues.: Closed
Fri – Sat 5:00pm-2:00am

Recently re-opened with a new menu, La Fusion features sushi, Thai food and cocktails. This Asian-fusion spot used to be B.Y.O.B. but now La Fusion has a full bar on the first floor with a lounge atmosphere and reasonable happy hour prices.

Café Nhan (picture at the top)
1620 W. Passyunk Ave.
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7:30 a.m. -7:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m-6:00 p.m.

Owner Nhan describes her dishes as old style Vietnamese food. She takes pride in making every meal from scratch. You can find Nhan busy with takeout orders and making her specialbánh mì hoagies. Customers also really dig her authentic drinks. If you haven’t had Vietnamese coffee, this might be the best place to start.

-Text and images by Christasia Wilson and Greta Iverson.