A Weekend at Sampan and Some Shopping

The Mistress was all tied up this weekend as her friend J was coming for a visit to go shopping at the never ending King of Prussia mall,some Philadelphia dinning and some late night debauching. The shopping was just fabulous as the Mistress got to see some of the extravagant Badgley Mischka gowns at Neiman Marcus which would all look stunning on the Mistress, but alas, is not in the budget! I did finally get my rubber outdoor walking boots from Kenneth Cole though. I can't wait to walk Buster in them the next time it snows. And some other little treasures were picked up from Bendels. It was a fun shopping day even though J is the biggest pain in my posterior to shop with and can't make a purchasing decision to save his cute little sole, without consulting the fashion Gods, Joan and Melissa Rivers, the Vogue Staff, and the Holy Grail!!!!! I mean we were in a store the size of a shoe store for three hours!!!! I could have hit half the mall and had time for three cock-a-tails at the Rail Bar in Nordstroms , not that I did this or anything, in the time J was done in Kenneth Cole alone! But I digress. Then it was on to home for a wardrobe change and showering and on to the highlight.........Sampan!



Nowhere in Philly can you experience the flavors, textures and colors found in Michael Schulson’s latest Center City eatery. For diners who dig lusty flavors and relaxed surroundings, Sampan impresses with the perfect balance of ambiance, service, and fairly priced, inventive dishes with an Asian spin. Chef Schulson also opened Izakaya in 2008, joining an all-star roster of chefs at the Borgata including Bobby Flay, Michael Mina and Wolfgang Puck. I'm also familiar with his cooking flair from another of my favorite spots, Pod. The interior is amazing with a woods mural that changes colors as your dinning, and in the warm months there is Sampan’s outdoor “graffiti” bar which is Center City’s newest watering hole. Philadelphia-area graffiti artists layered the walls and counters with custom street artwork.




The menu had a amazing selection and everything sounded so good. Didn't know where to start but ended up going with the crab wanton taco and edamame dumplings.



For my main entree I went with the pork banh mi and hamachi cevichi, which was a great mix of savory, moist pork with tangy pickled onions and vegetables, while the hamachi ceviche's tempura flakes provided an interesting texture to an otherwise straightforward approach to the ceviche.




After a lovely dinner there were cock-a-tails at the Q-bar and then a night of dancing up the street at Woody's and Voyager. While there a suprise awaited as I met by pure accident, a frequent blog reader and commentor the Mahogany Empress which was a pleasure to finally meet. We met while waiting for drinks and got to talking. I must have said something which tipped her off and then she addressed me as the Mistress Borghese! We then went on to dance for the next two hours.And what a tasty little collection of morsels she was with!!! It was a real pleasure meeting you girl! J and I got back to the Mistress's abode around 3:30 am and passed out quickly. And this mornging was a bit of one of those hung days! But a wonderful weekend none the less even though I'm still recovering! Tootles!