Hidden Gem Cafe

Don't think I ever gave Five stars prior to anyone but this place was awesome!!! visited this place from NJ because it was recommended by my sister in-law and have come back because of the service and the food! The pic on google is old as it does not show the Hidden Gem but it is the right property, the place is a bit on the small side but they make the area work very well. DID I MENTION THE FOOD IS GREAT!!! We tried more than six dishes all were great. Sorry I only took a pic of one of the dishes.

This restaurant is really a hidden gem. The restaurant specializes in a weird hodge-podge of Hong Kong style breakfast items and quick stir-fries over rice AND a variety of specialty noodle dishes that brings me back again and again. When I was a student in Guangzhou in the 1990s, “Guilin mifen” 桂林米粉 (or Guilin-style rice noodle) restaurants were popular just off campus for noodle soup cravings. In more recent years, "Yunnan mixian", “Guilin mifen", and Guangxi ”snail noodles" have become very trendy in big cities all around China. We're finally getting some spillover in the US, and we are lucky to have Hidden Gem as our local purveyor for Philly’s Chinatown. These rice noodle dishes are part of a “rice noodle belt” that spans between Myanmar/Yunnan/Guangxi/Laos/Vietnam. That word "fen" is close kin to the famous Vietnamese "pho". The Guangxi varieties are really special though, served with fermented/pickled items making for a really intensely flavored soup. For the “snail noodles” and “best friend noodles”, there is a unique funkiness than comes from fermented bamboo shoots—a little bit of a barnyard flavor (but intense and addictive umami) takes this soup noodle dish to another dimension. I’m so happy that we have these Guangxi-style rice noodles available in Philadelphia! Added note: I highly recommend their house-made chile oil (which is also available for purchase). It is full of crunchy fried shallots, which is different from more commonly available Chinese red chile oils.

Such friendly service and the food is so good! I can’t wait to come back.