British twins Tom and Robert Aikens are both chefs, Tom in London and Robert in Philadelphia

IT MAKES SENSE that twin brothers and chefs Tom and Robert Aikens would have twin "aha!" culinary moments. And they recalled the moment separate from each other, but almost identically. Must be a twin thing.

Both brothers are illustrious chefs, Tom Aikens at his namesake Michelin-starred restaurant in London, Robert Aikens leading the charge since October at The Dandelion, Starr Restaurants' newish British upmarket pub at 18th and Sansom.

Carted around on busman's holidays with their parents - dad was a wine merchant and frequently traveled to France - the Norwich, England-born brothers both remember an experience that drove home just how special a restaurant can be.

"We were 9, or maybe 10," recalled Robert, who began his career cooking at the Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London. "We'd been skiing and, still in our outfits, had been driving awhile when we pulled up to a fancy-looking hotel with a long driveway. Our dad was usually more about cheap hotels, but this place was different."

Tom remembers two guys with white gloves taking care of the luggage - "Not what we were used to at all." But it was at dinner, with their parents ordering a tasting menu of gorgeous composed plates, that things really got interesting.

"Being kids, we had a simple menu of tomato salad and filet steak and chips," Robert said. "But the tomatoes were arranged on the plate in a circle with chopped shallot and chive, the steak was larded with fat, the chips were hand-cut and stacked in a tower. We were both gobsmacked [that's Brit-speak for dumbfounded]."

"I still remember the melting-in-the-mouth taste of that beef," said Tom. "And the chips cooked in beef fat, and the beautiful vanilla pudding. This was taking things up to a whole new level."

It took awhile for this vocation to bubble to the surface for them both.

"We never did well at school - always made mistakes, got into trouble, were at the bottom of things," recalled Tom. "Then we went to catering school, and all of a sudden we were at the top and accomplishing things with ease. It was quite weird, really."

From that point, the twin paths diverged, with Tom pursuing classically fine dining in France and London and Robert moving to the States at 21 and immersing himself in American-style and comfort fare.

Although he did return to London to run his brother's second restaurant, the more casual Tom's Kitchen, Robert feels at home in the U.S. He's worked at the Lake Placid Lodge as well as private chef for the former CEO of CitiBank - until Stephen Starr tapped him for the top chef job at The Dandelion.

The restaurant has been a grand success out of the gate, with perpetual crowds keeping Robert chained to the stove, working with his team to turn out between 200 and 300 covers a night, upward of 350 on the weekends. "I really haven't seen much of Philly yet," said the 41-year-old chef. He hasn't even been to the Italian Market, despite renting a place in South Philly. But that will change, he added.

"I've got a good team in place, so [I] should finally be able to get to know the city."

Besides visiting his boss' other restaurants, Robert has sampled fare at Village Whiskey, Pub and Kitchen and Osteria.

"From what I can see, Philly and New York are pretty much on par with London when it comes to the diversity of flavors and cuisine available," he said.

His concentrated focus on The Dandelion has earned the restaurant some stellar reviews. To a first-timer, stepping inside is like being transported to a cozy neighborhood pub, complete with a labyrinth of upstairs and downstairs stairwells, a back bar done up in homage to man's best friend and a cozy fireplace sitting room.

In typical Starr fashion, not a detail of scene-setting (and -making) was overlooked, from frilly curtains and taxidermy to the homey cross-stitch tableaux in the loo.

The menu is just as authentic, driven by Robert's passion for fresh ingredients and finessed comfort food, all the better for the restaurant's serious list of British-style beers. Don't expect a light meal here; instead, the chef's love of frying just about everything in beef fat delivers the most flavorful fish and chips, and the sharp English cheddar mac and cheese spiked with salty bits of ham hock is downright swoon-inducing.

Also noteworthy, a thyme-scented lamb shepherd's pie, deviled eggs dusted with curry and a positively silken chicken and duck liver mousse. The one dish Starr requested was the dressed crab - essentially a lemony mayonnaise-based crab salad served in a large blue-crab shell, a nice touch.

On Sundays, the queen herself might approve of his roast sirloin of beef, served with a rich Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce and beef gravy. "Dandelion is a great way to bring the English tradition into Philadelphia," said the chef.

"My brother is very talented at what he does," said chef Tom. "He's passionate and driven. When he worked with me, I trusted him 100 percent. We've gone in somewhat different directions - he does his thing and I do mine - but when it comes down to it, it's all about the food for us both."