Lemongrass clams at Gabriella’s Vietnam
I’m guilty of falling into a rut whenever I go to Gabriella’s Vietnam on East Passyunk. There are simply too many must-order menu staples. How can I not get the lemongrass tofu? Or the fish sauce chicken wings? Or the water fern dumplings and the banh xeo, both of which I eat despite a non-anaphylactic-shock-inducing allergy to shrimp? By then, I’m usually full. This past week, I created a personal challenge for myself: order the things I don’t normally order. And now, because of this, chef Thanh Nguyen’s lemongrass clams has been inducted into my Gabriella’s Vietnam order hall of fame. Scented with both lemongrass and lime leaf, the base of the broth is made from mushrooms and it is the most intoxicating liquid I have ever sipped. — Kiki Aranita
Gabriella’s Vietnam, 1837 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148; gabriellasvietnam.com
Watermelons at Carter’s Melons
I spent some delightful time at Carter’s Melons, the watermelon stand in West Philadelphia where the same family has been selling melons curbside for 75 years. They taught me how to choose a watermelon from a heap of them: thump it like a baby, listening for a hollow, flat sound. That means it’s ripe and ready to eat. But for the best experience, I’d recommend letting them choose the melon for you. They’re at 52nd and Spruce or at 84th and Lindbergh, and they’re experts. “We try to give a person a melon tailor-made to their desire,” said Joshua Carter, who is 79 and has worked at the watermelon stand since he was five. — Zoe Greenberg
Carter’s Melons, 8398 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19153
‘Szechuan spicy’ shaved noodles with fried swai fish at Spice C
I confess, this bowl of noodles from Spice C was not originally my order, but that of my colleague Ryan Briggs. It’s his go-to order; he goes into Spice C as if with horse blinders on, getting a bowl of “Szechuan spicy” shaved noodles with fried swai fish (a freshwater catfish) fillets that somehow, improbably, stay crispy throughout the consumption of this soupy bowl of noodles. Despite its name and reputation, it isn’t overwhelmingly spicy, but has the depth of flavor of many chiles, and the sparkle of pickled mustard greens. — Kiki Aranita
Spice C, 131 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107; spicecnoodle.com
Chicken and pork over rice at Mommy Telly’s BBQ
Mommy Telly’s BBQ on Drexel’s campus has a hardcore fan base, willing to brave long lines and summer heat for this Filipino take on the classic meat-over-rice dish. The options at this back-to-basics establishment are chicken, pork, or both over a bed of yellow Java rice. Served with an option of onions and soy vinaigrette sauce, it’s a unique take on perhaps the most ubiquitous food cart dish — and the price is right too, with $7 for chicken and $8 for pork with cash (and a smidge more for digital payment options). — Jake Blumgart
Mommy Tell’s BBQ, 23 N 33rd St. Philadelphia, PA 19104
‘Carrots’ at Mana Modern Chinese
If you’ve been a close reader of this new column, you can probably tell by this next dish that I am an avid fan of trompe-l’œil desserts (think Is It Cake?). These “carrots” from Mana Modern Chinese are like jian dui, a Chinese glutinous rice flour dessert usually sprinkled with sesame seeds, but here fashioned into carrots with the help of some parsley, drizzled with condensed milk, and set onto a bed of “dirt” made from crumbled Oreos. It’s delightful to eat and delicious — chewy, crispy, barely sweet. — Kiki Aranita
Mana Modern Chinese, 719 N 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19123