Dan Dan Restaurant Reviews

Dan Dan's spicing numbers (1-5) aren't as detailed as Han Dynasty's (1-10), but the variety in their sauces probably edges out their larger competitor. That said, it must be noted that the two Han Dynastys that I have visited (University City and UWS Manhattan) are two completely different beasts. Whereas the University City branch is very solid, with detailed sauces that stick close to what is promised (heat-wise) on the menu, the UWS branch tends towards oilier and far sweeter preparations. Comparing the UWS's Dan Dan noodles to Dan Dan's Dan Dan noodles, was a case in point. The UWS version was virtually a dessert preparation, while Dan Dan's had rich and complex flavors, with no trace of sugar added. Won tons in chili oil were good at both restaurants, with an edge going to Han Dynasty. Spicy Crispy Cucumber at Dan Dan is pretty sweet, but not cloyingly so. Again an edge to Han here. Ginger Sour String Beans at Dan Dan were good, but soon wore out their welcome. Not complex enough to sustain more than a few bites. I REALLY liked the pumpkin rice noodles with shredded pork at Dan Dan- smoky and rich, they are almost addictive. I'll be exploring both of these Philly venues again, but won't soon return to the UWS branch. In the meantime, my favorite remains Hunan Kitchen of Grand Sichuan, on Main Street in Flushing. Now THAT is an amazing kitchen.

I don't think the food here is as great as others do. It's on the greasy side and they have a hard time toning down 'spicy'

We had Dan Dan noodle, flounder in pickle soup, and three cups of chicken. Nice environment, has a small bar in store. The food was average. Rice was free, but not best cooked. Fish soup doesn't have much fish, instead they put noodle in there. I guess the best one was the chicken. It's a little pricy for average taste food, but understandable according to its location. If you really think of getting Chinese food, Chinatown isn't too far away.

Ate here recently on a Thursday night. Food was excellent, particularly enjoyed dumplings in chili oil as an appetizer. If you're a fan of Sichuan food you shouldn't be disappointed. I did notice that the heat level of the food varied a bit from the star system used on the menu. We had pork with long peppers (2 stars) and it was much spicier than the dumplings (3 stars). I'll chalk this up to the long peppers being fresh and therefore more variable in heat than the chili oil. The drink menu lists a few average bottled beers and a small notation to ask your server about draft beer offerings - and that's where you'll get a surprise. I asked and the server had to pull out his iphone to start to read through a long list of craft beers/microbrews available on tap. I didn't make him go through the entire list, stopped him after 7 or 8 (and had a very nice Road 2 Ruin double IPA from Two Roads Brewing in Connecticut).

Came for dinner with less than adventurous preteens. But, they declared their dishes to be wonderful. The highlights were scallion pancakes, scallion rice, and a lamb dish. The only disappointment was a bowl of sesame noodles that were bland and a bit watery. The service could not have been better.

After a very long day the 4 of us stumbled into this restaurant. We were seated immediately, and within moments we had drinks and menus. Our food came extremely quickly too! And when it arrived, oh my! It was all so delicious. As a table we shared the scallion pancakes (tasty!) DanDan noodles (perfection!) green beans (yum!), Wonton soup (best I’ve ever had), and Beef dry pot (the meat was tender and the flavor outstanding). Every item was extremely flavorful, with just the right amount of spicy heat. Our meal came to about $50, which served 4 people (with leftovers). This was all served with linen napkins, ‘real chopsticks’ and a nice relaxed atmosphere. We will definitely be back!

Love this Szechuan place! It's really chic with a cute vibe but the food is pretty authentic. We loved everything we ordered - beef noodle, dan dan noodle, spicy wonton, etc! We will definitely go back again.

The food served at this restaurant was extra-ordinary. The menu has some traditional Asian dishes, but also has some very special plates that should not be missed. The serving and bar staff made several suggestions that turned out to be excellent. This will quickly become our new in-town favorite.

Great place for a date night. We got a few small plates and a large plate to split. Decent dan dan noodles and delicious brussel sprouts. Dry pot beef had good flavors. Definitely enough food for 2 people, we even took some of the dan dan home. A bit pricey and service was kind of slow.

We came to Dan Dan for dinner. Overall, we were very pleased with the tasty food and fast service. We started with scallion pancakes and pot stickers. The scallion pancakes were very light with a tasty sauce. The pot stickers were also very good. For entrees we had the beef in garlic sauce which had a slight kick and great flavor and the black bean meal with shrimp was also excellent. If you are looking for a Chinese spot near Rittenhouse Square, this is a great option.

We really enjoyed our food at Dan Dan, especially as we had been looking for some good sichuan food in Philadelphia for a while. My girlfriend said that the sichuan style hot and sour glass noodles were the best she'd had since we moved to Philly from Beijing. The dumplings in chili oil were great as well. This is type of restaurant that does the harder more complex dishes really well so try to order something you might not otherwise consider, you won't regret it. Only negative (very small) was that the food was not as spicy as we were hoping it would be... but that takes nothing away from the fact the food was great. The staff was also very nice and helpful with all our requests.

Great little Asian restaurant with buzzy atmosphere and fabulous selection. Nicely decorated, dim lighting and intimate but with character. Staff were fabulous (but not sure if there was enough of them during peak hours) and the food was tasty and fresh. We had a slight mix up with our order which took a while to be rectified (the kitchen was backed up with online orders) but it was dealt with as best as possible. Really good value for money. Great for a mid week, relaxed dinner

Very flavorful food. Quick service. Casual, bustling, and vibrant. We made a reservation, but the turnover is quick, and so walk-ins are totally fine.

This has Szechuan and Taiwanese food. The noodles are fantastic, but beware the portions are huge. My entree was enough for the whole table. Portions are Philly sized I guess. I had delicate fish in a Szechuan sauce that wasn't too hot. The basil and clams were super delicious.

Dan Dan was a really great experience. Food was great, service was friendly and helpful and atmosphere was very cool. Waiters always have enough time to answer questions, which is important in ethnic restaurants where you are not accustom to the cuisine. I even got to get the owner's feedback on what to eat. Dan Dan noodles are delicious, but get a 2nd glass of water bc they are hot. Spicy Cucumbers were really good too. Check this place out!

We went to *that* trendy veggie/vegan spot in Rittenhouse after calling to be sure we could be seated. Showed up and were told we could maybe sit at the bar. So our friends swooped us over to DanDan. Well, I sure was glad we came. To start, we had the spicy crispy cucumbers and the wontons in chili oil. Both were great, but the wontons were super good and vinegary. The dan dan noodles were a great base for the fish dry pot, pickled szechuan shrimp, string beans, and baby bok choy. My friend was laughing at how much food I ordered, saying the portions were generous. They sure were! But we were hungry and all four of us cleaned the plates! Would come again if in the Rittenhouse area.

Staying in central downtown Philadelphia on a business trip and received a recommendation to try Dan Dan. Went on a Tuesday night at 7 alone. Didn't realize a reservation would have been a good idea. Staff was so kind and friendly! Told me they would work with me to get me in. Waited at the bar for 10-15 minutes with a wonderful bar tender who was very friendly. Many folks were eating at the bar and I was considering it when the hostess nicely directed me to my table. The place is beautifully interesting with seating on 2 floors. Had a great seat just outside the kitchen where I could see as all the outgoing dishes went by on their way to their tables. Seating for 1-10. I was alone but Truly wished I was there with a group. The group next to me ordered a huge variety of dishes and everyone was eating them family style so as to try as many things as possible. I ordered the steamed dumplings in chile oil and the duck signature dish. Both were fabulous with wonderful flavors and presentation. The manager asked how I was doing and I told her how much I was enjoying my dumplings. She said I should eat some rice and drink some water to cleanse my palette before trying the duck. I did - and wow! The duck was completely different and had an awesome flavor. Very subtle at first with a lingering flavor. Very impressed with everything from start to finish. I will be back and hope to bring friends!

We were in town for a concert and tried to have lunch at Dan Dan. Reservations are only for 6 people so we ended up sitting on a stool in the window of this crowded, noisy place. The food is good but the ambiance (and the rest room) leave a lot to be desired I will try the Wayne location and hope its better

The food here is ok - some dishes are better than others. They have vegetarian options and the vegetable dumplings are very good. However, there is much better, Chinese food in the city that is half the price. Literally a 2 minute walk from Dan Dan is Su Xing House which has incredible food and much faster service.

We've been to the restaurant several times and we always enjoy the dumplings in chili oil which has just the right amount of savory and heat. Our lunch selection of chicken with scallions was tender as was the kung pao chicken which had a tasty brown sauce. The wait staff are very attentive and pleasant.

One of my neighbors recommended Dan Dan to me after I went on and on about the dan dan noodles at another noodle restaurant. The noodles here were fully of flavor, generous in portion size and all around yummy. Will definitely eat here again!

We showed up late for our reservations, and needing to get to the theater within an hour of our arrival time. We thought the service was wonderful, definitely worth the 20% service charge that is added to the bill. We loved the Mongolian beef, but as the old commercial used to say “ where’s the beef”? I mean definitely a lot of peppers and veggies etc., but definitely a bit skimpy on the beef side. $20 I would’ve expected more. But no denying great quality taste. The kimchi pancakes we’re fantastic, as was the smash cucumber salad.

Came here on a whim with my friend for a girl's night out. I was very glad we did. There wasn't anywhere to sit but thankfully there were a couple spots open at the bar. The bar tender was helpful in making food decisions which I appreciated since I wasn't familiar with many of the menu items. Ordered an old fashioned to start which was delicious and very well made. For the main course, soft pot tofu. Wow, what an amazing dish if you like spicy food and tofu. It was soupy and was like no Asian food I've ever had.

The dan dan noodes, as you might expect, are delicious. But there is a wide variety of Chinese here, and it is all excellent. The place is small, though, so make a reservation or eat a little bit off hours.

A new restuarant. Our party of 5 were ages 14 to 53. We ordered crispy cucumbers, double cooked chicken, three cup chicken, and a fish and beef dish to round things out. All the food was served hot within several minutes. Everything was simply bursting with flavor. Absolutely delicious. A sensational experience. The place was packed at the time of our 8:30 reservation. Great atmosphere to boot and very reasonable prices ($93 plus tip for all 5 including some appetizers). Make reservation ahead and go. You won't be disappointed.

Had a Sunday lunch here and was not disappointed. As soon as we sat down we were told this place was Han's (Han Dynasty) sister's restaurant. Nice. The food was awesome. We had a large spread of food and we devoured it. Dan Dan noodles of course (AWESOME) and then a few dry pot chicken, glassy noodles, beef with garlic and ma-po tofu. ALL WERE FANTASTIC. We love HAN and it's out place in South Jersey BUT WATCH OUT HAN. Sis is rockin it.

Great fresh and tasty food. A member of our party was a vegaquarian and Mark our server took time to recommend some fantastic fish dishes. I loved the food so much I returned a couple of days later and enjoyed another great tasty meal

I'm Taiwanese and this is actually one of the worst insults to my food and culture I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Nothing tasted right, or even close to right.

This is a great addition to the area and happens to be a block from my office which means I eat there quite often. I eat there for lunch at the bar and have been working my way through the menu. I have eaten most of the lunch dishes and almost all are outstanding. People rave about the Dan Dan Noodles and while they are very good, I think some of the protein inspired dishes are stronger. Service at the bar is great and the food comes out quickly. I highly recommend.

My husband I visited for his birthday dinner and enjoyed the spicy dishes offered. The service was a different story, our waiter offered us a refill on drinks then never came back, my entree came out curiously quickly and my husbands meal did not come for about 15 mins after that. My food ended up being cold because I was waiting for his entree to be served. After chasing the spicy food with several glasses of cold water I went to use the restroom. I waited in line for the women’s room and when the door opened a male from the kitchen went in before me, when he came out he told me there was no water and the toilet would not flush. He went on to grab what I assume was the manager who looked at it, determined it was clogged and left to find a plunger. I waited with the bathroom door open for him to return after a few mins I peeked out the door to find him back in the kitchen.

My husband and I went to Dan Dan for lunch and really enjoyed our experience. We ordered the dumplings in chili oil to start and it was great way to start the meal. Our server was very helpful with giving us suggestions, too. I would definitely go back.

We came in with our two young children unsure of how family friendly they would be. They were great - offering us a high chair right away and bringing the kids cups of water in plastic cups. Service was efficient and the portions were generous. The dan dan noodles were excellent, along with soft shell shrimp and giant pork meatballs. We would definitely return.

Came here bc of the great reviews and was just blown away by the food. Its not easy to find schezuan style Chinese food in many other cities, so I was excited to try this. Everything we had was excellent-- wonton soup with a rich clear broth; signature dan dan noodles; twice cooked fish in a black bean sauce; house-brewed ginger ale. My bf said it was the best Chinese food he's had in his LIFE. Some of the other diners in the restaurant were completely obnoxious, but I mean, it IS Philly. Kudos to the staff for patience. We tipped extra just because we saw what they were dealing with that night.

I really enjoyed the meal here. The duck stir fry was tasty and the sticky rice was just right. I'm a big fan of Asian cuisine so am pretty discerning. The service was efficient and polite. The place for more and more busy. Best to have reservations I think. There is lots to choose from on the menu.

This is a low key but very comfortable place with creative Chinese food, good choices for vegetarians.

Dan Dan is a definite step up from your local Chinese takeout. Excellent sauces, with cleaner, lighter preparations. Particularly recommend the string beans. Note that we were takeout customers, so I can't comment on the eat-in experience.

We have been to two locations of this restaurant. Both excellent. There is nothing any of us have had that we even just liked a little--and we have tried many different dishes. It really doesn't get much better than this. We will be back again and again.

Best Chinese food I had in a while, really good food, they taste fantastic. Actual Chinese food and.not that expensive.

We love the take-out from DanDan Noodles Rittenhouse. However, when we decided to eat at the restaurant, one person's meal arrived and was finished before the other person's meal was served! (In fact, another couple who came in after we did received their entire order before the second person's meal ever arrived. We are talking over a 30 minute lag between the arrival of our two plates on the same check.) The waiter told us that the kitchen "does not believe in heat lamps" to keep things warm when waiting for another order on the same check to be finished. We do not go to restaurants to eat our dinners separately. If the kitchen can't coordinate the timing of plates on the same check, they should confine themselves to carryout only. A huge disappointment and reason to NEVER dine in there again!

On the last day of our final 30 day trip, we went on a long walk, I mean LONG! My wife & I joined up with my son Noah and his friend Tabby and walked to the campus of UPenn...at least a few miles, including a tour of the campus while our son attended his morning class. Then, we walked back a long walk to City Hall to join a city hall tour where William Penn's statue stands on top keeping a close vigil on the current office holders. Ok, admittedly, I was exhausted! Now, it was several hours later, since breakfast and so, it was now really past noon and lunch was heavy on my mind.... you do get the picture of hunger and exhaustion. My son, suggested Chinese. I said What? Ok, grudgingly, I was too tired to fight for a different selection. Dan Dan is a small, upscale Chinese hot spot. We were quickly escorted to the 2nd floor overlooking the counter-bar kitchen operation. Ok, so far...so, so! We ordered several small plates of Bok Choy, string beans, Dan Dan Noodles to complimenting our entree of "farmer's style dish" served with our Chicken selection in a sizzling mini wok and cooked in a spicy hot pot sauce with black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, red & green bell peppers, onions, oyster sauce, The Dan Dan were especially surprisingly good for a starter, adding the Bok Choy, stir fry garlic string bean, just made the Chicken dish work quite well. Well, there can be an argument, that the food was so so good, because I was so so hungry and exhausted. True! But the food was unabashedly excellent, well prepared and super tasty. Would I come again...YES! In fact, we plan to be swinging by Philly in 2020 on our next cruise to the Great Lakes...ending in Toronto, it will be an easy jump to Philly to see our son with a dinner stop a DAN DAN. Yes, I'm now a FAN FAN of DAN DAN!

Fresh food, professional and knowledgeable staff, great experience and very nice atmosphere! Dan Dan should be on everyone's list!

Had the dandan noodles for 9$ and the slow braised pork belly burger for 8$. Amazing taste and cool atmosphere. Sitting At the bar, super nice staff, quick service. Noodles were there in 4 min. Go there!!!!

Had an amazing meal for lunch at Dan Dan on south 16th Street. Cold sesame noodles and chicken in garlic sauce was excellent. Check was under $20. No reservations taken at lunch. Definitely will return.

We came for lunch on a chilly rainy day and needed some warm food. Boy did we get what we were looking for. We started with a few appetizers such as spring rolls, pork belly sandwiches, and spicy crispy cucumbers. Then we shared the a Pork Dry pot and Chicken Lo Mein with rice. The flavors were amazing and had just the right spice. The prices were spot on, and actually I would have been fine paying more it was that good. I can't wait to come back.

I was very impressed with the Dan Dan noodle. Sauce was very good and had a real nice spicy kick to it. It was also priced very well. I think it was about 7.95 and was a nice size. I was a little disappointed with the king pao chicken it seemed a little bland, but this may be by comparison to the noodle appetizer. I would recommend eating here if you are in Philadelphia.

Visiting with a Taiwanese friend we could tell he was surprised and commented positively on the authentic character, flavor and presentation of food. The place is slick but friendly and dynamic.Lots of good tasty food propositions.

I'll start off my review by saying that the food here is in general quite authentic. I'm Chinese and I've been to Sichuan before, so I know what authentic Sichuanese food tastes like. Obviously it's not 100% spot on. For example, the dan dan noodles had sesame paste in them, which is not how it is normally served. But nevertheless, it serves food more authentic than 90% of Chinese restaurants you'll find here. The atmosphere is quite chic and modern, which is unusual for a Chinese restaurant, but adds to the experience. The wait staff are friendly and do their job properly. Perhaps the less professional ones were weeded out. The restaurant is still BYOB, and therefore only serves Coke products, tea, and water. It's a bit on the pricey side considering it's quite a casual dining experience, but I guess the same goes for virtually all Chinese restaurants here.

Waited forever but enjoyed our good once it arrived. Yummy noodles. We kicked up our spice factor by 3 additional levels. On the negative side we were seated upstairs and there was a cacauphony from the drinking Texas conventioneers. Was almost painful. The guests next to us left before being waited on. Push for a table downstairs or even at the bar.

Loved all the dishes we selected and we shared amongst our table and I'd recommend that option. The Garlic Chicken was yummy and we all loved the shrimp with marinated veggies. Also got the potstickers with a spicy chili sauce as an appetizer and I would recommend saving your plate and dipping some of your entrees and the rice in that sauce as it was delish. Super creative cocktails too including a Moscow mule that pairs nicely with the food. Saw a few hot bowls at other tables that also looked good. Wish this restaurant was back in our home state as we really enjoyed it. Very small atmosphere where you can sit at bar or at tables on 2nd floor.

We got our second takeout order this week and it was great. Craving something that I didn't cook, we ordered and drove to Philly to pick it up. Even though it was in the car for almost an hour, the food was all wonderful and surprisingly hot. They packed everything carefully so there were no mishaps with food spilling in the car. Best of all, everything we have tried has been great. The food is very different than the typical Chinese takeout that we're all familiar with. I love it when I eat something and I can't figure out how they made it or what is in it. After more than a year of cooking almost every meal at home, it is an absolute treat for me to eat food that I couldn't reproduce at home if I tried! We ate it for dinner and the leftovers were great for lunch the next day.

While visiting Philly my boyfriend and I were trying to find somewhere to eat diner and definitely NOT a chain restaurant. He found DanDan online and we decided to give it shot and I am soooo glad that we did. I had the chicken potstickers and I literally could have eaten 3 orders of them. Then we ordered their friend rice with all of the meats I cant remember the name of it but WOW! Now that we are back home we only wish we would have ordered a to go order to eat here at home today. The menu is a bit intimidating at first but the bartender was awesome at giving us suggestions on what to eat and explaining all of the dishes. She made awesome margaritas also.

When a friend invited me to lunch with her, as was at a loss as to what to order, as I don't like this type of food. So, i previewed the menu--still nothing. I asked my husband to look over the menu. We decided I could order the chicken broth. I got to the restaurant 45 minutes before my friend arrived, and I visited with the manager (so nice). She made some recommendations. Well, the food was delicious, and I can't wait to go back and take my husband.

Not sure what I expected, if I was expecting anything, but it was all just okay. I placed a takeout order directly through the website and walked to pick it up as my hotel was only a 13-15 minute walk away from the restaurant. My order was ready and waiting when I arrived about 4 minutes after receiving a text saying my oder was ready for pickup. The bag was "sealed" shut with a sticker and a couple of staples along the edges but the bag was ripped. I could've asked for another bag but I held it like a baby for my 15 minute walk back. Order: -Dan Dan noodles: I didn't modify the spice level because I wanted to taste things as they come on the menu. The spice was definitely spicy, solid 3 out of 5. The noodles though felt soggy? I didn't even put a dent in them. -Spicy cucumbers: they were out. Sad because I was most looking forward to those. Crazy they were out on a Tuesday afternoon (2pm-ish) -3 cup chicken: amazing! the sauce is so good and they give you plenty of it. It does come with a small order of white rice but had I known the portion of the chicken was this big I would have ordered another side of rice. Otherwise, solid pick for lunch. The inside is very small so if you plan on dining in consider getting there early or getting a reservation.

We started with delicious scallion pancakes and pan fried dumplings. The Dan Dan Noodles were perfect for me at the medium spice level. Great sauce. Order them mild if you’re so inclined. Service was timely and efficient. Pleasant environment with a reasonable noise level.

What a pleasant surprise! The Dan Dan noodles were so yummy--spicy, meaty, and peanutty. We also got the stir-fried pork with "long peppers" --think these are longhorn peppers, the kind you get in Taiwanese restaurants in 小椒牛肉丝。Next time I am in Phillly I will definitely go back to try other menu items!

Very food chinese restaurant in the Rittenhouse Square area. The menu is somewhat limited, but it's not your typical chinese place. The cuisine is authentic

Starving at lunch. Looked inviting. Sat at counter. Chicken with ginger & onion well prepared. Waitstaff friendly. Crowded but not too noisy. Just right portion with rice. Appetizing menu. Will return.

Stopped in for lunch. Passed by the night before and it looked interesting. Non-standard Asian dishes. Ordered a dish on the top end of the spicy scale. I have a high tolerance. It was hot but not overwhelming. It was a cold day and it felt good to sweat a little. Portions looked huge to start with but my table mate and I had no problems finishing off everything. The service was excellent. Knowledgeable servers and never had to ask for a thing.

We were feeling adventurous and decided to give this small place a try. There was a good variety of food with unusual selections. The four of us shared our dishes and everything was good. Be aware that when you ask for hot & spicy you will get hot & spicy. We made sure to get one mild offering just in case and that was a good plan. We'll be back next time we're in Philly.

Impromptu late dinner drop in while wandering the streets of philly. A little tight for space but quickly accommodated us. Amazing but what some places can fit in a small place. Wait staff were great. Good suggestions and very courteous. Food choices were numerous and varied. Side of green beans great taste. I had a curry dish that was very tasty though a bit hotter than expected and I like hot and spicy to a point. There are heat ratings in the menu to guide you. I thought the 3 was more like a 4. Noodle dish for my table mate was reportedly delish. Good wine choices to complement the spicy foods and that's not easy. All in all a thumbs up if you are passing by and find yourself hungry.

Dade our server was great....very attentive, The garlic eggplant was STILL (I had it before) amazing. Great vibe and atmosphere.

If you're looking for Asian food that's better than your typical Chinese takeout joint this place is good. And if you like spicy it will satisfy your cravings. The atmosphere is upbeat and pretty loud, so it's not a bad place to do your drinking either. As far as the dishes sampled: - Spicy tofu with Fish: good fish and silky tofu. The dish lacks depth, however. It needs more vegetables in the broth. - Taiwanese pork in rice: The restaurant has a special quadrant on their menus for Taiwanese specialty dishes. We tried the pork with rice ($1.75). Since it's so cheap, it's worth trying but I wasn't impressed. - Chicken with pork entree: awesome dish with thinly sliced chicken and small pork pieces. It's the only dish on the menu with two meat proteins. It was very good, almost tasted Thai. - Dan Dan noodles: nice portion but the noodles were slightly overcooked, meaning a little too soft. In summary, I'm glad to see that there's a new Szechuan Asian place in Philly that will serve as an alternative to Spice 28 Jane G's, and Han Dynasty (these are the only real Szechuan competitors in my opinion). The food was priced well, the service was fast and the atmosphere was fun. I'll be going back here again.

We had no idea what to order so we asked the staff for their favorites. We started out with the spring rolls and scallion pancakes. They both were good but greasy. Next came the house specialty Dan Dan noodles. Dh was not a fan . He did not like the texture of the sauce. I thought it was ok. Next was pepper covered chicken which I liked dh did not. This is not a criticism of the food but I don’t he likes sechzaun food. He is used to more of a sauce with the protein. I would like to go back to try something else….probably without dh.

Amazing. We ordered a seafood stir fry that was fantastic. The best stir fry I’ve ever had, hands down. The chicken and veggie entree we had with black bean sauce was dynamite. I loved this food. I will need to come back again!

I grew up in Taiwan and stayed there for 23 years. I know what Taiwanese food should taste like. So when I visited Philly and saw this place, I dragged my friend here. My friend let me do all the ordering since he knows that I know the food. Here are what we ordered. 1) Pork belly buns: It's *almost* like what you can get in Taiwan, but the only thing is that the buns are made a bit too chewy for my taste. I think they might have done this on purpose to tailor to the American taste. The buns you get in Taiwan are softer and fluffier. But the contents are great. You will be biting into a juicy pork belly with aroma from both fresh cilantro and Taiwanese sauerkraut. I think the dish would be elevated, if a bit of confectioner sugar and crushed peanuts are added. That's how it was eaten in Taiwan. Out of five stars, I would give this dish a 4.5! 2) Dan Dan Noodle. It's a great dish but spicy food was not a big part of Taiwanese cuisine when I grew up. Spicy food are more popular in Taiwan in the last 20 years or so. So when I was a kid, if you go to the vendor and ask for a Dan Dan noodle, it almost should be non-spicy. I think this dish is more closer to the Shichuan cuisine. I still enjoy it. Again 4.5 stars out of 5. 3) Ground pork stirred fried with chives and fermented black beans: This dish stole my friend's heart. He just could not have more of it. He basically cleared the plate. The dish actually has a very unappetizing name: fly's heads. When food is scarce, you want people to eat more rice, which is cheap. So what you do is to add more fermented beans to create flavor and people will eat more rice and get full. Once more fermented black beans are added, they look like flies stopping on the food and hence the name fly's head. Five out of five stars. 4) Three cup chicken. I explained to my friend that the only thing made this dish not so authentic is actually a good thing. Typically in Taiwan, people eat meat with bones in and then they just spit the bones out. In the west, people tend like to eat meat without bones and therefore the three cup chicken served here has no bones in it and you can really just enjoy the food without having to worry about to hide the fact that you are spitting the bones out and hide the bones. The name three cup actually comes from the recipe, which calls for one cup sesame oil, one cup soy sauce and one cup rice wine for cooking. Nowadays for healthy reasons, the recipe has been modified so that people don't feel that they are eating something unhealthy. Five out of five star dish.

Great food served family style. Best Chinese food I have had since I lived in San Francisco, especially the 3 Cup Chicken. They were busy, but our food came out very fast. So fast that we didn't have bowls or spoons for our soup and had to ask for them. They have a rice cooker on the second floor where we were sitting but we had to ask for our rice. We would definite go back because the food was so good.

A great mix of Asian dishes makes this restaurant so hot right now. Dishes come labelled with a spicy rating, although their version of medium is pretty HOT! Loved the mix of heat and spices in so many delicious dishes - good size portions too!

My wife, daughter and I ate here recently, and had a first class meal. My wife is Chinese, I am a bit of a foodie and we live in NYC, and so have eaten in some of the best Sichuan restaurants around. This place can hold its own against any of them.

The food at Dan Dan is fantastic. We have been here several times now and have explored the menu have yet to be disappointed.

A friend and I ate here at the peak of lunch time and we did not have to wait long for a table. The waitstaff was very hospitable and the food came out quickly and was hot. The lunch portions are a very nice size and the flavor was good.

Very small place, but did their best to accommodate us. The downstairs staff (bar and hostess) were kind, but the upstairs staff seemed rushed and we waited quite a while until someone took our order. Food was alright, would recommend the twice cooked fish

We found this restaurant not far from where we were staying in Philadelphia. Arriving late on a Friday evening, we didn’t have a reservation, but were able to get a table. We started with some vegetable potstickers which were very good. For main course we shared Dry Pot Chicken and Green Peppercorn Hot sauce pork. Both dishes were quite spicy, which we prefer. But this didn’t spoil the flavours, and the chicken and pork were both tender. Overall the food was very nice, and service from our waiter, William, was attentive without being intrusive. A nice meal to open our stay in Philadelphia.

Absolutely delicious, spicy, somewhat fluffy, plus excellent eggplant and mapo tofu. Service is always good and food is consistently excellent

My best friend and I decided to try Dan Dan for lunch today. We ordered the Twice Cooked Dish with Chicken and Kung Pao Dish. The food was excellent!! The flavors and freshness of the dish exploded with every bite. After dining here today, this place is by far better than any other Chinese in the city. The staff was very friendly and ready to please. Service was excellent. Can't wait to return to try the noodles since every else seemed to be enjoying them. We were introduced to the owner/manager who gladly accepted our compliments and guarantee to return soon.

Very tasty dishes, spicy, but not too spicy. Good, quick service. Dishes are large so it makes sense to share them.

Very friendly manager that ensure you can always eat with an peaceful and sweet environment. Last not the least, every food here is just great. I can assure you Dan Dan noodle is just a start.

this place has very good location and nice food, for everyday meals and meeting with friends is good option. staff is helpful and nice

I have been to China and I am not a fan of authentic Chinese. I found the food in China very bland. When my friend invited me to Dan Dan, I was skeptical, but after having some HH apps my pallet was plesently surprised. The $5 happy had a good selection of food, my favorite was the spicy crispy cucumbers. I especially enjoyed my main course, recommended by the bartender: garlic sauce dish, where I added chicken.. Delicious! If you are in the area, make sure that you stop in the happy hour.

Good qucik service take out or dine in. Great location in Rittenhouse/Center City. Watch the spice levels and you will enjoy. Part of the Han Dynasty group.

Really great food. I'm a local from the Philly 'burbs and this place has me traveling into the city on numerous occasions to get real Chinese food. I can't get enough of the spicy cucumbers and eggplant appetizers, and the signature Dan Dan noodles are amazing.

Dan dan noodles were excellent (we had vegetarian version and didn't miss the pork). Our party shared dishes, so the palette of flavors and heat ran the gamut. Dumplings with chili oil were spicy but the sauce was full of flavor in many dimensions and very well balanced. House made ginger ale is a treat. Accommodated gluten-free needs. Service was attentive and excellent.

Food is phenomenal if you like Taiwanese / Chinese with a creative flair. But we waited almost an hour, despite having a reservation. No apologies, complimentary appetizers, nothing. So we'll give it another chance, but it might just be for take-out. Dan Dan noodles were my favorite, but four of us all loved everything we ordered. Maybe just go for lunch or not on a Fri. or Sat. night. There are too many great places to eat in Philly to put up with overbooking.

We were visiting Philadelphia for business and had just enough time to squeeze in lunch here. Thank goodness we did. The ma po tofu was fantastic, as were the spicy sichuan cucumbers. We ordered dan dan noodles, which were good but not amazing. (They made great cold leftovers for breakfast the next morning, though.) Delicious. This place gets crazy-busy, though-- just a warning.

close to our hotel as the weather was bad and we wanted authentic chinese and didn't want to trek to chinatown. This place was recommended by a friend who is in the know. Authentic szechuan and Taiwanese. Service was very helpful and we ordered a lot of food because we wanted to try a variety. Absolutely delish!!

Located on 16th Street almost at the corner of Samson Street, Dan Dan offers fantastic Asian food at a reasonable price, ranging from $10-$22 depending on your appetite. I was with a group of 7 family members, who were pros at ordering from the lengthy menu.  Served family style, the food was nothing short of spectacular. Perhaps it was the company. Both were quite memorable. I always say, "Never Eat Alone". Your guests will thank you for it.

Had dinner 4/30/16. Dan Dan noodles (generous portion, plenty to take home) somewhat greasy, too much peanut butter (and I like peanut butter). Cumin Dish (with lamb) excellent. Marinated Crispy Duck terrible because overdone and all slices contained bone. All portions large. Service excellent. Better Chinese food at e.g. Manyunk Han Dynasty.

I personally love Hans Dynasty until I found this restaurant.very nicely n tastefully done up I must say and being a weekday n late we got a table without any reservations.they serve alcohol too so no need to carry it.awesome food n chilly n spicy if you ask them they will.very friendly staff.always smiling.you feel nice in this restaurant and wanna visit it again.i lived their spicy chicken fried rice n hot pot fish n dumpling n chilli shrimps too

Loved the dry hot pot and the chicken with beans - great spice and flavor...really cute setting and fast service. Will definitely return!

Great service and food. Took a chance after looking for nearby restaurants on trip advisor and wasn't disappointed. Big portions.

Took my twin 3 year olds with my husband, sister and brother in law. The staff was great and our waiter was helping in ordering. Friendly staff. We ordered wayyyyy too much food bc everything sounds so good. The cold cucumber appetizer was so good. We tried some pot stickers or dumplings of some kind. The kids loved the lo mein, the fried rice was amazing. I can't remember everything we ordered but it was all good. We will definitely be back!

Super fast and succulent meal. I arrived late at hotel and used Uber Eats. The food was walked over in 15-20 minutes. Dan Dan noodles were good (mix the sauce from the bottom if is delivery), spicy cucumbers were the star..... Delicious! Also ordered dumplings in chili oil, flavor of the meat stuffing was on par with some off the best I've had.

I love good Chinese food, but good Chinese food doesn't have to equal oil laden food. This was too oily for me. If they can manage to adjust the oil content then I would go again

This restaurant has just opened. It has very good food and the decor is clean and hip. The DanDan noodles were quite good. But the noise level upstairs is totally unacceptable. Really. If you can, request a table downstairs. Or order take out.

Like I said, good food here, but there could be an attitude adjustment. Caught some attitude towards my co-workers from the waitress that seemed a bit hostile when it came to dietary requests. Gets busy up in there, so they are stressed I'm sure. Anyway. It's okay.

Absolutely loved this spot. Can't wait to return. Atmosphere is nice and sexy. The staff is attentive, pleasant and professional. I ordered the shrimp Fried rice with mild kick to it, as per the bartenders request, lol and it was yummmy--!!!! Hubby came late and ordered the chicken fried rice--very good. Looking for authentic Szechuan, this is the spot-!!

This postage stamp two story restaurant has a large open feel. The menu offers appetizers, specials, which are for two, entrees, for one and tasting plates which are appetizer sized. We choose three entrees - the scallion pork, a spicy lamb dish and bokchoi with garlic. Dan Dan noodles came as a complementary starter as an opening treat. It was a lot of food, but so good! We took the leftovers home for breakfast. This is gourmet level food, prepared with care skill and inventiveness! A welcome addition to the neighborhood and we are bound to be regulars.

We went Christmas Day and it was very crowded. The waitress told us immediately that we had to vacate the table at a certain time. And though she took our order relatively quickly, the food came out indiscriminately and hurriedly. We'd ordered appetizers which didn't come out first so we could enjoy them as our initial course. The dishes came out helter-skelter, whatever was cooked first, delivered one by one, just set on the table by a rushing server. They brought our check without ever asking if we wanted dessert or tea. It was a very hurried, rushed atmosphere and though the food wasn't bad, it didn't justify the train station ambience. Perhaps it's better on a day other than Christmas but I would never go back.

A really fun and lively restaurant with traditional Szechuan cuisine. The staff and service are top notch. Look further than Chinatown fr the best Chines food in Philadelphia.

You will not be disappointed stopping in here, except if you go during a busy time and you have to wait. However, it is worth it. A really big menu of choices from the basics to some very traditional (exotic in my book) and some spicy options too. It can be loud, so plan accordingly, but it is really a fun place to eat and hang out with friends or for a date.Go and check it out and experiment with some traditional foods!

Second time at Dan Dan. First was a dine in second a take out. So the dine in was a order of Dan Dan noodles and dumplings. Meal was just ok although a thumbs up to the server. She was quick and attentive. Take out consisted of dry pot dish and ginger scallion dish. They were good not great and will consider an alternative if ordering from there in the future. They seem to work very hard and are busy although they are the only real Asian game in that vicinity. small improvements will make them really good!

Philadelphia's Chinatown is great, but if you're in Center City and are looking for chinese food, DanDan is a wonderful choice. The portions are enormous, the prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious. The menu shows the amount of 'heat' each dish brings to the table, but you can ask that something be more or less spicy. The place is not large, and noise carries, so don't expect a quiet table in the corner or a romantic evening.

the noodle is extremely yummy and good. The service is excellent. I will give overall 4 stars for the restaurant!!!!

Very good place. Good and quick service and excellent food. We ordered the Dan Dan noodles, Taiwanese beef noodle soup, ginger scallion entree with pork and the garlic sauce dish with tofu and for appetizers, the scallion pancakes and the pork belly burgers. The 4 of us shared the dishes family style. All of the dishes were excellent. We will definitely be back. We came around 5 PM on a Saturday so it was pretty early and we were seated upstairs very quickly.

Kind of a last minute reservation but a great choice. Arrived at about 7:30 on a Saturday night and was full except for our table upstairs. We ordered 2 specialty drinks that were different and delicious. Appetizers were spicy dumplings along with scallion pancakes. Our shared dinner was string beans and a dry pot with chicken. Everything was outstanding. Plenty of food, nice portions and well priced. What always makes for a great experience is fantastic service and we were lucky enough to get this. Will be back for sure. Enjoyed it very much.

My sisters and I were staying in central Philadelphia and looking for a restaurant within walking distance of The Westin Hotel. I had done some research early and read about this place which just opened and conveniently less than a 10 minute walk from the hotel. The reviews were pretty spot on. The food was delicious! At our waiter's recommendation we tried the shrimp dumplings as an appetizer, fermented black bean dish with beef, garlic sauce dish with chicken and the dan dan noodles. The menu is well marked as to spiciness and even then you can customize to your own taste buds. The service was excellent. Even though there was a line of people snaking outside the restaurant, we did not feel rushed at all and our waitstaff ensured our water glasses and teacups were always filled. The place did seem a little cramped (our table was bumped up against the bar) but that seemed to impact the waitstaff more than the customers. Based on the crowd, they could easily double the number of customers as demand for the food was obvious. Delivery orders were flying out the door too! We will definitely be back to this restaurant when we return to Philadelphia!

The owner, Cat, was so friendly and accommodating. We were not familiar with some of the dishes. When one of our entrees was not what we liked, she came to our table to make sure we got something we did like. The food was fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere fun. We will definitely be back. We also want to try Dan Dad for lunch

Looking for a lunch spot...our first choice was very crowded....decided to try Dan Dan..very busy ( just a short wait) The garlic eggplant was amazing. Everything people were ordering around us looked and smelled wonderful. Great value also. Will be back

I was in Philadelphia for business and looking for a great place for a solo meal. I walked by Dan Dan and was tempted by the menu, which features Sichuan and Taiwanese cuisine. I sat at the bar and was quickly welcomed by the bartender. I had a great meal at the bar. The service was great; the bartender was social without being annoying and, impressively, really knew the menu, not just the drinks (though he did know his beers and made a great recommendation). Of course, you have to like Asian food to like this place, but if you do, as I do, I think you'll enjoy it. The menu had a really nice mix of some familiar things (like scallion pancakes) and some newer flavors. I ordered noodles with pumpkin and pork, and they were very good. I also *highly* recommend the spicy crispy cucumbers; the sauce they came in was incredible (I even dipped my noodles in it) and the coolness of the cucumbers was a nice mix with my noodles. Fun, affordable meal and an easy place to enjoy while dining solo. Will definitely return! Reasonably priced, too.

This nice restaurant shows how it is possible to eat good Chinese food without breaking your budget. Many Chinese young professionals eat there. With a reason.

Incredible value for high quality, outstanding Sichuan-inspired dishes. Dan Dan’s staff are exceptional at helping you navigate what’s right for your taste buds, but adventurous eaters will be rewarded because the complexity and richness of the spices in their dishes is off the charts savory. The green peppercorn hot sauce with pork is something I’ll be craving again and again. Cannot recommend this place more.

Visiting in Philly, very rainy . Close by do we gave it a try. Great happy hour, lot of choices for $5.00 and that included beers. Dan Dan noodles great, dumplings and wings very good. Service was super and quick refills on drinks. Lot's of choices on the menu and a small bar. Go for Happy Hour and you will very pleased.

Dan Dan is brand new to Philly. When I visited they still hadn't secured a liquor license. I give a little wiggle room to brand new restaurants as it takes time to iron the kinks out. The place looks great. It's hip, urban and modern and uses two levels. The staff is young and painfully overly hipster. One of my complaints was all the staff was too busy chatting and getting to know each other. Things like refilling water glasses were ignored so they could discuss the parking situation in Philly or the hottest night spots. One hostess was using the bar as a ballet bar as if she was in a dance studio. A little too much cool and a little less service is the MO here. I had cold sesame noodles on a hot summer day. They were pretty good, maybe a tad too much peanut flavor. They sure could have used a cold beer as a side kick! But no liquor yet! I also had pork dumplings, too much dough and not enough pork. But also good. You can adjust your spice level when you order. I went the normal way and found I could have used a few points higher in heat. Next time I'll ask them to kick it up, just a tad, Okay, it's new. It has potential. A few opening bugs, but when they get beer and the staff figures out the customers are more interesting than their new co-workers this place might be a Philly hit!

Fast and clean service but the food was disappointing-- reasonably good but too salty and I felt like they used same spicy sauce on every spicy dish. We ordered 7 dishes and every one of them was too salty.

/we chose this restaurant because it was near or hotel, it was raining and it was open on Christmas Eve. Imagine our delight when it turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip. Innovative cuisine and cocktails, big servings, excellent service.

Excellent food in a good young atmosphere. Very good quality and value. Very central. We went three times in three days. Everything we tried was of the same quality

This restaurant was crowded, so I assumed it was a hidden gem among locals. It was OK. The prices were good compared to other restaurants and service was very good.