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A series of dishes arrayed in the window counter of Black Dragon Takeout, including, clockwise from top left, Man Man lamb noodles, lemon pepper honey fried shrimp; oxtail Rangoon, curried beef skewers, egg wu young with side of crawfish etouffee gravy, oxtail and broccoli.
A series of dishes arrayed in the window counter of Black Dragon Takeout, including, clockwise from top left, Man Man lamb noodles, lemon pepper honey fried shrimp; oxtail Rangoon, curried beef skewers, egg wu young with side of crawfish etouffee gravy, oxtail and broccoli.Read moreCraig LaBan / Staff

Black Dragon Takeout

West PhiladelphiaSoul Food, Chinese$

Metaphorically speaking, everything on the menu at Chef Kurt Evans’ stylish West Philly takeout shop is a combo platter, artfully merging Black-American and Chinese-American flavors, ingredients and aesthetics. The results are often inventive and exciting, while inspiring nostalgia for the fading era of neighborhood Chinese carryout stores (as this spot was in a previous life). Consider the collard green egg roll, the jerk chicken egg roll, or the soul egg roll stuffed with greens, mac and cheese, and barbecue chicken. See also: oxtail lo mein, man man noodles with ground lamb, sweet potato sour chicken, and the popular wings smothered in General Roscoe sauce (a tangy St. Louis-style dressing named for Roscoe Robinson, America’s first black four-star general).

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The Inquirer aims to represent the geographic, cultural, and culinary diversity of the region in its coverage. Inquirer staffers and contributors do not accept free or comped meals — all meals are paid for by the Inquirer. All dining recommendations are made solely by the Inquirer editorial staffers and contributors based on their reporting and expertise, without input from advertisers or outside interests.