Eat, Drink and Do: Big bowls of soup, Yemeni chai and a cabaret
Here are our top picks for things to eat, drink and do this week.
The first week of the new year is a good time to reflect on how you want 2023 to go. We find that resolutions are better planned over hot soup or chai. As you plot, don’t forget to enjoy the start of the year too — maybe with a show. This week, slurp on big bowls of noodle soup at Chu Shang Spicy, sip Adeni chai at Malooga and catch a variety cabaret show in Fishtown.
Eat
When you step into Chu Shang Spicy in Chinatown, you might see a robot bopping around carrying orders to tables. The robot will bring out whatever you order — including bowls of ma la soup. Customize your soup with a checklist for choosing your proteins, veggies, noodles and soup base. About 15 to 20 minutes later, the robot brings out a big bowl brimming with steaming broth and accompaniments. And if you can’t finish it in one sitting, you can always take it home for later.
📍 925 Arch St., 📞 215-928-9999, 🌐 chushangspicy.com
Drink
A staple in Yemeni cuisine, Adeni chai is a warm and reassuring hug with each sip. The Yemeni tea from the coastal city of Aden is flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and milk. It’s creamy, rich and pairs well with the generous portion of sizzling areka that’s served in a hot Madra pot, a dessert prepared with a combo of mashed dates and crumbled bread, topped with cream, honey, and sesame seeds. While the areka is $13.49, the chai is only $3.50.
📍 134 Chestnut St., 📞 267-822-2327, 🌐 maloogacatering.com, 📷 maloogacatering
Do
Settle into your plush seat, order ceviche or tuna tartare with your specialty cocktail before Fabrika’s cabaret of contortionists, jugglers, singers, aerial acts and other performers take the stageDon’t ignore the Fishtown cabaret and supper club’s rules: dress to impress, no BYO, and do not touch performers or staff members. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. but the show doesn’t begin till 8 p.m. Tickets to the show are $75 per person with a minimum spending of $50 per person. Reserve on OpenTable for parties of one to six and call or email for seven or more people — reservations are first come, first serve (unless you’re a VIP ticket holder). Note: If you’re celebrating with cake, outside desserts are allowed with a $2.50 per person serving fee.
📍 1108 Frankford Ave., 📞 215-203-0202, 🌐 fabrikaphilly.com, 📷 fabrikaphilly