That said, a recent venture to Center City for a concert just didn't seem like the right opportunity. We were heading to the Electric Factory to catch the reunion tour of one of K's favorite punk rock bands - Hot Water Music. As luck would have it, their opening band happened to be one of my favorite upstart ones - The Menzingers.
We thought for a half-a-second about going to an upscale, semi-pretentious restaurant and then ambling over to the show.
But seriously, what would Joe Strummer say?
So instead we went to Chinatown, a few short blocks from the venue, to one of the absolute best cheap eats in the city - Sang Kee Duck House. The place is super inexpensive, attracts a varied clientele from Asian families to business suits to college students to hipsters, and is about as authentic as you can get. Though the menu, as is the case in most Chinese restaurants, is thirteen pages long, the item to order is the duck.
Schooled by one of my very best high school friends who is of Chinese descent and lived in Philly for many years, I always get the duck wonton noodle soup. It is simple - just a rich duck broth with wonton noodles, egg noodles, scallions, and sliced peking duck on top. But it is tasty, filling, and will only set you back six bucks. K got the sliced duck and roasted pork platter - equally excellent.
As was the show.