4 days in Philadelphia 10/24- 10/27/2024

Day 2- Cocktail and Dinner-10/25/2024

We had 40 minutes before our dinner reservation so we stopped by at Sassafras bar, located in the Old City of Philadelphia,

Sassafras is a beloved Old City cocktail bar known for its intimate, slightly vintage feel.

Sassafras sits on a charming Old City corner with a look that immediately stands out.  Its exterior gives off the vibe of a European corner pub blended with Philadelphia historic character.

The Bar

The space is narrow and warm, with exposed brick walls, dim lighting, and a long wooden bar that makes it feel like a classic neighborhood hideaway. Sassafras is often described as one of the most atmospheric, intimate cocktail bars in Old City.

Hoa ordered an Old Fashioned  and I ordered a Margarita (I think).

Cheers!  We really enjoyed the cocktails and ambiance at this bar.

We also ordered some French Fries to snack with our drinks.

We are so glad we found this place!  It was a spot for sipping a cocktail before dinner

Dinner at Tuna Bar

Just a short walking distance from Sassafras bar we arrived at Tuna Bar.  rom the outside, it has a clean, modern look, large windows, contemporary signage, and a polished storefront that feels upscale but welcoming.

Tuna Bar is known for high-quality sushi and creative rolls, along with fresh seafood flown in regularly.

Stepping inside the design is sleek and minimalist with light wood tones, soft modern lighting, on the left a sushi counter where you can watch the chefs working.

Simple table setting with warm palette of colors.

We started our meal with a Seaweed salad. A refreshing start, lightly dressed, slightly sweet and tangy, with that clean ocean flavor. It wakes up your palate without overwhelming it.

Spicy tuna, crispy rice, Jalapeno, tobiko, spicy aioli unagi sauce

This is always a crowd-pleaser! The contrast of textures, crispy bottom, creamy tuna, silky sauce, with a hint of spiciness from the Jalapeno is probably why it stood out as “so good.”

Shrimp tempura maki with unagi sauce, a salmon row nestled inside a cucumber cup. The bright orange roe against green cucumber makes it almost look like edible art, delicate, briny bursts inside something crisp and fresh.

The shrimp tempura was warm, crunchy shrimp wrapped in rice and nori, finished with unagi sauce. It’s comforting and slightly sweet, with that satisfying tempura crunch against soft rice.

Assorted sashimi with Tuna Maki

There are 5 type of sashimi: Tuna, Salmon, snapper, fluke, and sea bream.  All the fish were fresh and delicious.

Ending the meal with a Mai Fried rice, Asian sausage, egg, shrimp, onions, peas, scallions with a fried egg on top. Breaking the yolk into the rice makes everything richer and silkier.

Mochi ice cream in 3 different flavors are dusted with sugar, garnished with blueberries, and orange segments.

The ice cream mochi were light, chewy, creamy, and just sweet enough to finish without feeling heavy.

NEXT... Day 3- Guided tour