Sao is broken English for “South”. My mother pronounces it “Sao Philly”. Sao is the sister-shop of @mawnphilly on 9th street. We’ve stayed on brand by making food with no borders. We are a Southeast Asian forward (that could change at any time) crudo and oyster bar with comfort dishes coming out of our very small kitchen plus a fly bar program. We are the neighborhood joint…for the people by the people. Jesse, Rach and I are all from Philly…we ain’t move in. That said, it is very special to us and a full-circle jawn that we are on East Passyunk. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Come in and say hello, in other words…holla at us man.
Big, huge, whole hearted shout out to everyone who had anything to do with us putting up these four walls. @veronicagblum@burgregory@jonmork@rowlandsigns@itstheboonies@electroromantic weinsteinelectric @angelosmarblephila@kenkenwine@fishtownseafood@samuelsseafood and the people of @eastpassyunk for letting us rock. We love y’all..
@rayraygold runs this shit…never forget that
Open 9/10 @opentable starts 9/3
Photo cred: the incredible @nealsantos
Had the most flavor-packed bites at @saophilly last week 🤤 I would go back just for the Mawn Cutlet with caramelized fish sauce!!
We enjoyed:
- Honey butter hoe cake 🥞
- Dayboat scallop crudo 🐚
- Soft tail shrimp 🦐
- Mawn Cutlet 🍗
- Spicy crab gray noodles 🦀 🍜
#philly #phillyfood #mawn #sao #cambodianfood #southphilly #foodie
Thank you @e_zar and @washingtonpost for the reintroduction. Also, being interviewed by the Post is no small chat so thanks for making that easy and fun @e_zar . The Sao team works every shift like it’s their last and it’s such a breath of fresh air to see adults doing what they know how to do in high-speed, live action. It already feels like home.
When in South Philly, holla at us.
Almost every month I play the @saophilly or @mawnphilly OpenTable lottery — and last month I won big at Sao!
My second trip in, and it’s still spectacular! Cambodian & Southeast Asian flavors loudly complimenting fresh seafood!
Expect tang and funk, sweet and sour, acid and heat, a lot of textural contrast and raw seafood.
Would be impossible to order wrong, but the honey butter cake with smoked trout salad and trout roe is a must. And we skipped the soft shell shrimp in a fish sauce caramel this time, but I’d always recommend if it’s your first time in.
Play the OpenTable lottery - it’s worth it!
#phillyfood #philly
Philly and beyond,
Obviously, we ain’t wit ICE and any administration’s approach to immigration when it doesn’t make any fuckin sense. The shit that is taking place in Minneapolis and this country as a whole is a shame on us moment.
Please know, we support collective action and believe in resistance. Using our voices to stand up for what is right is something people died for already.
We support anyone participating in today’s shutdown however, we will remain open at both Mawn and Sao for normal business hours and do things our way.
Our employees depend on coming to work to support their families as well as honoring their craft. We, as a small business, harbor this transaction and provide a safe and dependable space for it to happen.
That said, we will support this collective resistance by donating 10% of sales from both restaurants (as well as personally matching that number) to @vamos_juntos_ . We all should pray for a better world.
Stay up
- Saovages & Mawnagement
At every single restaurant we worked at (over 2 fuckin decades) a Laban visit was a buckle-up, get ya shit together, here he comes-moment, usually tied up to a trajectory changing review. Now, every Laban review reminds me of the old days where credentials and integrity was a necessary qualification. Thank you so much for the kind words, the feedback and the constructive criticism. We appreciate you always @craiglaban@phillyinquirer
Rach in the front, me in the back, Jesse behind the scenes and quarterbacking the bar is for nothing without our staff BOTH at Mawn and Sao. We are so honored to be around the purest players in the game right now. We lud this shit, holla at us man.
This is your sign to visit @beardfoundation winner Chef @philapans newest restaurant @saophilly in @eastpassyunk
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This was easily one of the best meals I’ve had thus year! This family-owned and operated restaurant has elite service thanks to @rayraygold , incredible drinks, and some of the most innovative seafood dishes. My favorite bite was the outstanding Honey Butter Hoe Cakes topped with caviar. I definitely recommend visiting for your next #datenight in Philly. Reservations open up at the beginning of every month and the bar is open to walk-ins!
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#philly #philadelphia #visitphilly #newrestaurant
The Hoe Cake
Corn and Dashi batter cake steeped in honey butter topped with smoked trout salad..you can add caviar. You don’t have….but you prolly should.
