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EMei, Philadelphia, PA

EMei

4.6
4.6
350 Reviews
$30 and under
Sichuan

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 35 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for groups
  • Lively
Since 2011, EMei has emerged as one of Philadelphia's premier dining destinations, celebrated for its authentic Chinese cuisine curated by Master Chef Zhao and a team of 6 wok chefs that born and trained in the Sichuan region of China.
Boasting over 50 years of expertise in mastering Sichuan cuisine, Chef Zhao skillfully infuses dishes with bold chili oils, aromatic peppercorns, and expertly seasoned cuts of fish, meat, and produce.
Situated conveniently in Chinatown, EMei diligently procures fresh ingredients daily. With a menu featuring 120 items, including house-made egg rolls and dumplings, we take pride in crafting everything in-house. This commitment not only ensures quality but also enables us to offer a wide selection of gluten-free and vegetarian options.

EMei’s Recent Highlights:
- 50 Best Restaurants by Philadelphia Magazine in 2023 & 24;
- Philly's Best Szechuan Restaurant by Craig Laban & The Inquirer;
- Featured in "Where to Eat in Philadelphia" by Food & Wine Magazine;

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Sichuan, Cocktail Bar, Vegetarian
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There are many street parking at Chinatown, and there are two public parking lot right cross the street. There is also a garage parking lot at 45 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, which is very close and cost friendly.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    YongCheng Zhao
  • Delivery & takeout

What 350 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
EMei in Philadelphia delights with "authentic Sichuan food" and "very generous portions," making it a top choice for Chinese cuisine lovers. The "friendly and attentive staff" enhance the dining experience, and the menu offers "great accommodations for dietary restrictions." While noise can be an issue, the "fabulous" flavors and "reasonable pricing" make up for it.

350 Reviews
  1. Jaclene

    Orlando2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always love coming here. the food is sooooo good. Especially love the Stir-Fried Snow Pea Leaves with Garlic and Crispy Walnut Shrimp with Fried Rice Noodles
    EMeiResponded 3 days ago
    Thank you for the fantastic review! We're so happy to hear you love the food. We can't wait to have you back for another great meal! Warm regards, EMei

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  2. Nazneenfoodie VIP

    Philadelphia9 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was mediocre. Tiny bar and a lot of people added up to a long wait for cocktail orders … boring orange chicken… would not go back
    EMeiResponded 2 days ago
    Hi Nazneen, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations. We strive to provide delicious food, great service, and an enjoyable atmosphere for all our guests. We understand that wait times can be frustrating, especially during busy hours, and we’re always working on ways to improve efficiency. As for the orange chicken, we aim to balance classic flavors with quality ingredients, but we appreciate your input and will review it with our culinary team. We’d love the opportunity to make things right and show you what we’re truly about. If you’d be open to it, please reach out to us directly—we’d love to invite you back for a better experience. Best, Anna, Manager at EMei

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  3. ThomasN VIP

    New Jersey24 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food…wonderful server..nice drinks from the bar. We ordered 5 entrees to share plus rice and lo mein..all come Ala carte..all very good.,only thing I would change is they have 6 inch plates..really should be a little bigger.
    EMeiResponded 3 days ago
    Thank you for the great review! We're so glad you enjoyed the food, service, and drinks. Looking forward to serving you again soon! Warm regards, EMei

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  4. Alexander

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We had a fantastic dinner celebrating a birthday in one of the private rooms offered by E Mei in the back of the restaurant. They can accommodate up to 12 diners comfortably with some flexibility up to 13-14 if needed. We had 12 adults comfortably seated. For the private room, the restaurant requests a $350 minimum, which was not a problem for us to hit with drinks. The service was fantastic with orders collected without issue. Food was exceptional with several diners new to Szechuan cuisine, and several who were familiar with Szechuan from other restaurants, commenting how much they loved the food and found it fresh and tasty. Spice level is adjustable and we enjoyed the variety of different spice levels. Favorite dishes included Chongqing spicy chicken (like popcorn chicken with lip numbing Szechuan peppercorns), spicy and sizzling sea bass (just be mindful this is a full fish so has bones), chilled sesame noodles (must try!), mapo tofu, dry-fried green beans, scallion pancakes, and many more. Our only feedback was that the air conditioning was either too cold (or too hot after we asked for it changed) so a few individuals had challenges getting comfortable and also the rooms for private dining were a bit bare so did not have the same beautiful interior as the rest of the restaurant.
    EMeiResponded on March 5, 2025
    Thank you for celebrating with us and for your thoughtful review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the food, service, and private dining experience. It’s wonderful that both newcomers and seasoned Szechuan cuisine lovers appreciated the flavors and spice levels. Our staff is always happy to assist you at any time. We hope to welcome you back for another fantastic meal soon! Warm regards, EMei

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  5. Meghan

    Philadelphia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious and the portions were large. Really happy the server informed us that portions were large enough to share so we didn't over order.
    EMeiResponded on March 4, 2025
    Thank you for your kind review! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the food and that our server was able to help with the portion sizes. We look forward to welcoming you back soon for more delicious dishes! Warm regards, EMei

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  6. babar VIP

    Washington DC2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious gluten free options, the best!!a mist stop for anyone who eats gluten free
    EMeiResponded on February 25, 2025
    Thank you for your review! We're so glad you enjoyed our gluten-free options. We appreciate your support and hope to see you again soon! Warm regards, EMei

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  7. Raymond

    Philadelphia1 review

    4.0

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was good, but pricier than I would like. I order tea smoked duck (half) which was 30 bucks. I had a reservation at 7 but still had to wait 25 minutes for my table. Also, one of the servers tried to take away my plate while I was still eating. They really want you in and out it seems, at least during busy hours.
    EMeiResponded on February 25, 2025
    Thank you for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the food. We apologize for the rushed service—that's not the experience we want for our guests. We'll share your comments with our team to improve. We appreciate your visit and hope to provide an even better experience next time! Warm regards, EMei

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  8. Randi

    Philadelphia5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing first experience here!! Food is delicious So many gluten free options which is great for my celiac son. Everything we had was so good
    EMeiResponded on February 18, 2025
    Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so happy to hear that you had an amazing experience with us, and that our gluten-free options worked well for your son. We can’t wait to have you back for more delicious dishes! Warm regards, EMei

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  9. Josh

    Philadelphia4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Top-tier restaurant in Chinatown definitely American modern flare, but authentic taste. Also did not feel like crap after I ate it or anyone else in my party. 
    EMeiResponded on February 18, 2025
    Thanks for the fantastic review! We're so glad you enjoyed the food. It’s awesome to hear that everyone felt great after the meal! We can’t wait to welcome you back. Warm regards, EMei

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  10. Gabriela

    Philadelphia3 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The place is nice and cozy. The food was great but the service not quite. Our server wasn’t very friendly even though they were polite. We were left unattended for a long time waiting to order something and to get the check. The drink I ordered never arrived, which was a bit disappointing. It was still a good experience because the food was great. I would recommend to go if you have no time limit. We spent fairly 2 hours for a dining experience that should take no more than 1.5 hours.
    EMeiResponded on February 22, 2025
    Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we’re happy to hear you enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We truly apologize for the service issues you experienced, as this is not the standard we aim to provide. I have shared your feedback with the manager, and we will certainly address this with our team to improve the overall experience. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to have the chance to serve you better next time. Warm regards, EMei

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

EMei offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (215) 627-2500.

EMei is rated 4.6 stars by 350 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 35 times today
Google Map for EMei

915 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2404

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Sichuan, Cocktail Bar, Vegetarian
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There are many street parking at Chinatown, and there are two public parking lot right cross the street. There is also a garage parking lot at 45 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, which is very close and cost friendly.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    YongCheng Zhao
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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