{"id":280158,"date":"2026-09-06T07:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/280158\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T07:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:06:14","slug":"the-best-thing-craig-laban-ate-this-week-vietnamese-fried-chicken-in-deep-south-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/280158\/","title":{"rendered":"The best thing Craig LaBan ate this week: Vietnamese fried chicken in deep South Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Given the name, it\u2019s no surprise that the soups are fantastic at Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean, a tiny four-year-old corner restaurant with an open kitchen at Fifth and Snyder in South Philly. Chef Duy\u00ean Le\u2019s beef rendition of Vietnam\u2019s famous ph\u1edf comes with an impressive bouquet of herbs on a side plate (not just the usual Thai basil, but also perilla, rau ram, culantro, and mint). Its crystal-clear dark broth, swirling with star anise and other spices, is dappled with droplets of molten fat for extra flavor. <\/p>\n

The chicken version, ph\u1edf g\u00e0, is served with a side plate of the tender, poached bone-in chunks of the fresh-killed bird. The soulful and fragrant broth is the best I\u2019ve tasted in South Philly since Ph\u1edf G\u00e0 Thanh Thanh<\/a> left its Washington Avenue location to consolidate at its larger home in Olney. <\/p>\n

\"PhoPho g\u00e0 at Pho Duy\u00ean.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean\u2019s spicy crab noodle soup, b\u00fan ri\u00eau, is also incredible, with plump seafood meatballs bobbing alongside cubes of pork blood, fried tofu, and sundry meats that \u2014 with an extra helping of purple shrimp paste to ratchet up the umami funk level \u2014 is one of the most intense soup experiences in town. <\/p>\n

\"TheThe colorful interior of Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean in South Philadelphia.Craig LaBan \/ Staff\"TheThe crab noodle soup at Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean, b\u00fan ri\u00eau, is filled with seafood meatballs, assorted meats, and a broth that shimmers with spice.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

And yet, these soups are not even the best thing that I ate at Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean, which just reopened after the family returned from an extended vacation in Vietnam. That would be the Vietnamese fried chicken platter, c\u01a1m g\u00e0 x\u1ed1i m\u1ee1. This meaty chicken thigh and drumstick is first simmered to juicy tenderness, then painted with a secret sauce to give it a rosy hue (the details of which chef Le declined to divulge). It crisps into a shattering crunch of parchment-thin skin you can hear across the table when someone takes a bite. An additional glaze of sweet-sour-salty sauce drizzled over top lends an extra swerve to the taste buds. It\u2019s so, so good. But it\u2019s really the platter as a whole \u2014 an irresistible mound of turmeric-tinted fried rice laced with crunchy fried shallots, a simple cup of restorative broth on the side, and tangy cubes of pickled daikon to refresh your palate between bites \u2014 that makes this meal my No. 1 food deal for $15 in Philadelphia right now. <\/p>\n

\"VietnameseVietnamese fried chicken, C\u01a1m G\u00e0 X\u1ed1i M\u1ee1, is served at Pho Duyen in South Philadelphia with fried rice, pickled Daikon cubes, and a cup of broth.Craig LaBan \/ Staff<\/p>\n

Vietnamese fried chicken platter, c\u01a1m g\u00e0 x\u1ed1i m\u1ee1, $15, Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean, 2039 S. Fifth St., 215-315-9109, instagram.com\/phoduyenrestaurant<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"TheThe entrance to Ph\u1edf Duy\u00ean on South Fifth Street and Snyder Avenue in South Philadelphia.Craig LaBan \/ Staff\"Craig<\/a><\/p>\n

As a restaurant critic and columnist, I cover the Philadelphia region’s culinary stars, from food carts to fine dining, and chronicle the evolution of a dining scene that helps define our identity, one plate at a time. <\/p>\n