SAKURA MANDARINWhere Japenese & Chinese Cuisine Meets Yummy

1038 Race Street Philadelphia, PA 19107

Open Mon-Thu, Sun 11am - 10pm

Fri-Sat 11am - 10:30pm

215.873.8338

OM(effing)G if you haven't been to Sakura Mandarin, kill yourself! Seriously my friends, the food is like that. No Seppuku. 


Hosting a space that is big enough to seat a crowd, but still small enough to have an intimate dinner, Sakura Mandarin takes Japanese and Chinese cuisine to the HNL.  

Yo'! I can't tell you how many times I walked past this place and saw people eating with such an immense amount of joy on their faces. I knew the food had to be good, so last Sunday a couple of friends and I stopped in to nosh on the much anticipated fare.
We walked in the door around 6:30pm and were immediately seated by a friendly staff. At first look, the five page menu seemed overwhelming. Luckily the food descriptions were on point, plus the walls were littered with food porn, featuring the best and the brightest from the menu.  
We sat at the table directly under the picture of a braised pork shoulder and had the good fortune of seeing it delivered to another patron. The pork shoulder looked just like the picture...perfectly smothered in a brown gravy with  spring onions to garnish. We couldn't stop ourselves from recklessly eyeballing the other diner's dinner.SMH!
It was hard to make a decision on what to order because everything looked+smelled great! Eventually we coped with the fact that we couldn't be completely fatastic by sampling a lil bit of everything on the extensive menu. So we started with (initiate obligatory drum roll)...

Shanghai Steamed Pork Juicy Buns @ the SouledOut price of $4.95

Volcano Roll
Tuna, salmon, yellowtail wrapped in seaweed and deep fried w. chef special sauce @ the SouledOut price of $9.95

Shanghai Pan Fried Udon @ the SouledOut price of $7.95

& yes that is a coupon...you know I luvs a deal(^_^)

So, as if the great fare/service/+ambiance wasn't enough...they gave us a coupon for 10% off any meal (excluding lunch specials) valid on Monday - Thursday.
Also (not pictured here) they will provide you with a bonus card, which is completely awesome because you can earn free appetizers/soups/entrees/etc. after five consecutive visits! The three of us ate like queens and didn't break the bank. What's not to luv about Sakura Mandarin? 
So go get ya' belly full and tell 'em SouledOut sent cha;) 
      

Pressure Cooker TrailerCulinary Art @ Frankford High

In Northeast Philly, students at Frankford High School are preparing fine foods under the tough tutelage of teacher extraordinaire, Wilma Stephenson.

Wilma Stephenson for PRESIDENT!!!!

I saw this movie lingering in my Netflix queue, and I passed over it a few times because I wasn't ready  (or so I thought).  I feared this was going to be another documentary rife with urban education clichés.  
I have no thanks for Hillary Swanks or those other tired movies, depicting disadvantaged youths getting rescued by some ball busting upstart with a heart of gold.  For those of us who prefer our tough love served in a steaming cup of Do what I tell ya' and a side of I'm not afraid to get up in that @$$, the Michelle Pfeiffers of this world simply won't do.
I was pleasantly surprised/deeply moved/inspired/twitterpated/and a lil hetero-gay for Mrs. Stephenson, after watching the film.  Where was she when I was depressed and trying to complete my senior project?  This woman is a certified gangsta when it comes to teaching/loving/learning kids.  Some may find her unconventional teaching style unsettling but the lady achieves results.  The students in her class graduate/obtain scholarships/learn how to burn and know that she cares.
Immediately following graduation, I held a brief stint in the Philadelphia public school system as an art instructor. I can testify that these kids are in desperate need of a highly dedicated teacher, who will stop at nothing to surpass the challenges students face today.  As far as I am concerned, her critics can say what they want.  Stephenson succeeds where others fail because she isn't afraid of her students.  She is definitely kicking it old school; a mixture of fire and ice just when her students need it.   
I'm not saying that her way is the only way, but I would like to see more novel solutions addressing the challenges of teaching urban students in a digital age.  Stephenson's approach kinda reminds me of Morgan Freeman's role in Lean On Me.  Like Stephenson, Mr. Clark's antics worked because you knew that he was going to be there next year...putting his size 30's in some other badass kid's behind.