Matyson is one of the most popular BYOB restaurants in Philly, it’s always featured on the must-go list. The menu is Modern American – which actually seems more like ‘fusion’ to me, especially Asian fusion. It reminded me a lot of the restaurant in LA. As it’s locate at the business area of Philly (Rittenhouse Square), the place has a dimly lit, business chic vibe.
Their appetizers sounded more interesting than the entree for me, so we order only appetizers.
Special of the night: Foie Gras with Crepe with Honey Herb sauce. The foie gras is well seared, though the sauce and crepe are so sweet that the dish taste like a dessert, still I enjoyed it a lot.
Yellowtail Crudo 13 Piquillo Pepper Puree, shaved fennel, blood orange vinaigrette, grains of paradise. It actually taste a lot more Asian than it sounds. The sauce taste like…sriracha sauce. Sauteed Roasted Garlic Gnocchi with tomato confit, olives, baby spinach, almond Romesco 10. Taste a bit bland.
Roasted Quail 15. Foie gras & walnut stuffing, medjool date puree, cacao nib vinaigrette. The bottom was a bit burnt, and I can’t really made out much of the stuffing. The meat is tender and flavorful though.
Brownie.
From the appetizers I sampled, seems like they have interesting ideas and try to merge the high and low, classic American, Western European with Asian flavors, though I’m not exactly sure what the unifying thread is in their cooking in general. In result, I feel this place lacked a bit of personality. Especially compare to the meal I had at Little Fish, where I can see the chef’s vision and flavors more clearly and in consistency.
Matyson
37 S 19th St. Philadelphia, PA 19103
