Welcome back to another installment of boozings, where we try all of Philly’s Top 15 Drinks! Next up we go to James, for the James-Hattan. It’s James’ take on the classic Manhattan, made with raisin infused whiskey, cinnamon, orange, and sweet vermouth, served in a chilled martini glass.
This little drink sure is tasty. It has golden raisins in the drink, and they settle to the bottom, which is a slightly strange sight. We were joking that they were gallstones or wisdom teeth. But don’t worry, they’re just boozy raisins, which you can eat. It’s a warm and cozy drink, that is reminiscent of fall flavors. Strong, but not overly so. If you want it to be stronger, just eat the raisins. They pack a boozy wallop.

And can I just say how adorable James is? It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be. And it’s nice and airy inside. The bar area is roomy and I totally dig the decor. It’s very… etsy looking. It definitely makes me want to come back and eat!

Ok, 14 down, only 1 more to go! I’m almost done!

After having cambodian the other week, E and I got to talking about all the hole-in-the-wall places in south philly. And I told her about Hardena, a little indonesian joint that kind of does the rijstafel. I hadn’t been there in years, but still remembered it fondly. It was definitely time to go back. The place is tiny and basic. Your food comes out on styrofoam plates. You eat with plastic forks. But you don’t care because the food is so good and cheap. Behold, the satay. This one is chicken, but you can also get beef. It’s only available on weekends. It’s only $6. It’s only… delicious. And it comes with a little veggie salad too. Crunchy and refreshing, with some bites being a bit spicier than others.

Basically, they have a bunch of food made, and you pick what you want. You get a big ol heap of rice, and they’ll put three dishes on top of it, literally, of your choice. And it costs you $6. That’s it. So here’s one plate of delicious slop. Here we have some chicken and tofu curry, some lamb stew, and a hard boiled egg curry dish. All delicious tasting, and all different. The chicken curry was not coconut milk based. The lamb stew was coconut stew based. And well, I like hard boiled eggs, but some people are not into them.

On to plate number two! We have some collard greens, beef rendang, and fish curry. I didn’t try the greens but E enjoyed them very much. The beef rendang was great. The fish curry was also good, and tasted very different from the chicken and tofu curry. E’s plate definitely looked the most well-rounded. Oh, and the little dollop of hot sauce you see on the side? No joke, that shizz is damn hot.

My plate, as a whole, looked kind of disgusting. Ha! But fear not, it tasted just fine. I got the eggplant, which was just delicious. If you like eggplant, and I certainly do, you will be very happy with this. It had just a tiny hint of spice. I also got the lamb stew, which was very tender and not gamey at all. I also got the salted squid stew, which comes with whole teeny little squids. Ok, although this was good, it was a bit too salty. Which really, as the name would indicate, shouldn’t have come as a surprise. But it was a bit too salty for me. So shame on me. But hey, for those of you into really salty dishes, go for the salted squid!

So the last time I was here about a couple of years ago. Well, nothing much has changed. The food is still delicious, and it’s still $6. The only thing that’s changed is that they have a cute yellow sign outside now, instead of that crappy 7-Up sign. And when we got there on sunday, they were slapping on a fresh coat of colorful paint outside. Really, you can’t get a better deal than this. And the neighborhood is just fine. So go get yerself a plateful of delicious indonesian food, stat!

Hardena Restaurant
1754 S Hicks St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 271-9442

Before catching an amazing band in fishtown, we decided to get some pho. I’m someone that can eat pho any time. And I mean any time. Morning, noon, night, cold weather, hot weather, rainy weather. Who cares, it’s always a time for pho. So if someone suggests it, chances are, I will agree!

I have a few favorite spots for pho, and one of them is definitely Pho Ha. I just love a place that is purely utilitarian. The place is harshly lit with bright flourescent lights and just lined with unattractive tables. They just try to get you in there, feed you as quickly as they can, and turn the table over. It’s not a hang out. It’s not an experience. It’s just to put delicious food into your belly.

Then when I got there, I totally had no interest in pho. I don’t know what happened to me. I didn’t want anything hot. I didn’t want soup. I didn’t want noodles. I didn’t want anything beefy. It was strange. So instead, I got the grilled chicken rice plate. Hands down, it’s the greatest non-pho dish they serve. Both C and I ended up getting the same chicken rice plate, which also comes with a spring roll. Even though they were the same dish, our garnishes were so uneven. You always get some veggies with a rice plate, and I got some cucumbers and some pickled carrots. C got tomato, less cucumbers, and some carrots and some daikon. As if we got two separate dishes. But the chicken still rocked. It’s a huge piece of perfectly grilled chicken… juicy and flavorful… enough to feed a small family. And I love broken rice. I mean I know it’s just plain old rice, but for whatever reason, at least in my head, broken rice tastes better than plain whole rice!