hop sing laundromat

if someone takes the time to travel 33,000 miles to venture into 48 states over the course of  70 days, all for the sake of a bar - you go to that bar. if you see a gaggle of people shivering in 20 degree weather to get past an iron gate in the middle of chinatown, you get in line.  and after grabbing dinner with some friends at dim sum garden , that's exactly what we did. hop sing laundromat is proclaimed to be a simple bar by its gregarious, if not eccentric proprietor, lêe . yet, it is clearly anything but. in fact, though we were shivering with other soon-to-be patrons, it was clear that we were all excited for what was to come.  to give you a sense of what to expect in terms of wait times, there was no one in front of the iron gate at 7:30pm. but by 9pm, the line was almost 45 minutes deep. but that's to be expected. lêe clearly wants you to enjoy the experience - and an experience it is. though his demeanor seems to be tempered from earlier accounts of his scrutinizing ways, at the very least, be prepared to be in dress shoes. no sneakers or flip flops to be had here. courtesy of yelp & photo by robert neroni photography when you're up to bat, lêe will ask if you've been here before. if the answer's a no, be prepared to let him know how you heard about hop sing laundromat. and once those answers are satisfactory, be prepared to enter into his dominion. you'll lounge in the intimately and dimly decorated waiting area for a bit, replete with shoe shine stand! lêe will ensure that the rules are understood - no talking on the cell phone or pictures allowed. why is this you might ask? to protect the privacy of the patrons, of course! and if you really need to take that urgent phone call on a saturday night? lêe will direct you back to the waiting area. once you have that down pat, you'll enter into a uniquely designed studio, filled with candelabras, antique books, paintings, and exposed brick - simply gorgeous. the stacks of booze along the

favorite speakeasy in the city for sure - an overall fun experience going here!  the first time i actually went here i couldn't for the life of me find it - i think we actually went into some apartment by mistake..it has a fairly inconspicuous entrance, and once you do find it, you ring the bell and the bouncer brings you up.  if you're lucky, you'll be interviewed by the owner to make sure you fit the bill, and then head in.  

no electronics here - forced to have some good conversation!  as i remember, it has a fairly ornate interior, with liquor bottles galore and some cool bookshelves surrounding the room.  the ambiance and music are spot on - it's like your back in the 20s.  the drinks are great - a bit pricey, but that's to be expected and totally worth it.  i don't recall food being served here - so get your munchies in chinatown and stop in here for some well-deserved cocktails!

this is by far my favorite speakeasy in the city.  it's a little hard to find, so make sure you have the direct address.  it's cash only and no electronics (which means you cannot use your cell phones or take pictures in the joint).  they have a strict dress code and turn people away that don't follow it.  still, the overall experience is worth it.  the bouncer helps make the speakeasy setting, the decor adding to the 1920s ambience.  the bar is quite large, but it's best to only go with a few people.  it's strictly drinks at this speakeasy, and artisanal ones at that.  they have a large selection of cocktails to choose from (even absinthe), and their flavor combinations are absolutely perfect.  this is my favorite place to get drinks in the city.  since it's $10 and up for a drink, it can get pricy, but hop sing laundromat is perfect for a night on the town.

slick place for a sip. this a nice cocktail bar. there are some weird things that you have to deal with that didn't make any sense to me but overall i enjoyed my visit and will definitely go back.

we visited on a friday night before 8 and were made to wait outside for 5 minutes until we were let into the waiting area. we were instructed to not use our phones or cameras which seemed like a great rule to me. we were then offered a table or the bar with the table being pushed a bit by the bouncer as the better option. we took the table b/c it was sold as a more intimate setting. when we entered the bar i was surprised that it was mostly empty. seated at the table i found myself far from my date and we decided that we would prefer a seat at the bar where we would be closer and more comfortable. if you are with a group of four plus or on a date the tables looked perfect but they just weren't what we were looking for. it should have been a non issue.

the move to the bar was not an easy one. the staff seemed hesitant to allow us to move even though there was ample seating available at the bar. we were told that they try and fill the tables first before the bar which really didn't matter to us. we were told that the table was a nicer setting and that the bar was not as nice. after a bit of trouble we were able to switch to the bar where we had a nice seat and were able to talk comfortably. plus we were able to intimately watch the bartenders in action. they are quite fun to watch.

the place is beautiful! the owner put a lot of time and energy into the decor and it shows. every detail is delightful. there is an amazing array of bottles behind the bar with an amazing moving ladder for the bartenders to use to access them. the ceilings, lights, bar, decorations are all very special.

the drink options were delicious and the four drinks we had were well made and amply strong without being overpowering. the bartenders were well trained with one exception. my friend asked if the bartender could make a pisco sour and his response was a bit odd. he said, "yes, if you really want one." when we asked what that meant he said it was a disgusting drink and that there were better options. odd since he wasn't the one who was requesting it.

other than the weird seating incident and the unnecessary comment i had a delightful time and will be returning again.

philadelphia's a beer town. but i'm from new york, where cocktails reign supreme. so when i asked a local friend where we could go for real drinks (other than franklin mortgage , which i've already written up), she said "how about hop sing?" it seemed perfect. oodles of top shelf liquor. a hidden entrance. a chinatown-themed speakeasy inside of philadelphia's chinatown. the owner greets you at the signage-free hidden entrance and personally checks your id. plus there's a don't-be-a-slob dress code, a rarity in the a-phillies-jersey-is-just-fine city of brotherly love.  upon entering the literally pitch black foyer, we were asked to sit and wait as our eyes adjusted and as our table was prepared. this was pure gimmick straight out of a times square theme restaurant. jekyll and hyde would be proud.