Hop Sing Laundromat

Hubz and I have been living in the Philadelphia area for almost 3 years now and sadly have not really explored the Philadelphia food and bar scene. Just like we have travel goals, we also have a food/bar goal. Our goal for 2016 is to explore as many restaurants and bars as possible so of course we would not have stumbled upon this speakeasy experience, Hop Sing Laundromat without this goal. It was such a great experience that I thought I’d blog about it. My blogs are primarily focused on traveling but I believe this is worth blogging about for people that may have plans of visiting Philadelphia.

So it was a fine chilly Friday evening just like any other night in March on the east coast. Hubby and I were in Chinatown for dinner at Yakitori Boy ( a must try BTW) when he mentioned that his coworkers suggested we visit Hop-Sing Laundromat because it is quite an “experience” and if you know me, you know that I do not turn down any type of unique experiences so we decided to check it out after dinner. It is located in the heart of Chinatown on Race Street. If you do not know the address, you will not find this place because there are no signs or visible marks that show or lead you there. In fact they have made it so exclusive that it looks just a regular row house on the block. If you are familiar with Philadelphia, then you know that apartments, houses and restaurants can all be located on the same block without separation. If you follow the address (1029 race st), it will lead you to an iron rod gate. When we arrived there were a couple waiting and another couple that were being escorted in. It was too late for us to join them so we had to wait because they have such strict rules. The couple that was waiting let us know that the doorman said he would be right back. 7 minutes went by and he still had not come back and it was quite a chilly night and let’s just say that I was not dressed appropriately. They do have a doorbell that you are supposed to ring to alert them that you are outside so Hubz rang it. 5 minutes later still nothing. Another couple joined the couple that was waiting and they then decided to ring the bell again. A few minutes later, the tall dark man who was their doorman showed up. He looked like a football player, tall and thick (not fat). He could appear intimidating to some people due to his flat affect and evasive questions.

He immediately started their “screening” process by asking if we had been there before and why we were there. He asked if everyone in our party was present like 3 times. They do not allow anyone in unless the entire party is present because they like to seat everyone at one time. He took our IDs and went inside with them and came back 5 minutes later to return them. I could not tell you what he did with the IDs but some say that they verify or enter your identify in their database. He then gave us some ground rules before letting us in. Absolutely no sneakers or you will not be allowed in. (This disqualified the couples) They do not accept cards, it’s an all cash business and they do not have an ATM so he tells you that in the beginning so that you can go to the ATM before he allows you in. While doing this, we were joined by a group of girls so after checking their IDs, he decided to usher us all in at the same time. He led us to a dimmed lobby to be seated on what looked like a church pew. The church pew was directly across from a shoe shine station, like the ones you see in the airports except a bit more old fashion. A list of their rules was posted on the wall along with some artwork and paintings. After locking the door, our doorman came into the lobby to give us an “orientation” by reading us some more rules and made sure he mentioned that any violation of rules will result in you being kicked out and banned forever. At that point, I was smiling and still kind of anxious to see what the fuss was all about. I also was holding on to Hubz because I did not want to do anything that would get us kicked out. lol It was quite funny. I just kept thinking, “it’s not that damn serious! “ But it was serious because that is how they have preserved the exclusivity of the bar and their reputation. The main rules were…absolutely no pictures and no talking on the cell phone. You can text and email but you cannot take pictures with your phone.

After all agreeing to abide by these rules, he asked us to follow him into the bar to be seated. I felt like I had to follow directly in the line that he formed or I too would be disqualified and kicked out. Lol He led us into the bar which reminded me of a bar scene from boardwalk empire. It was quiet and dimly lit with swing music playing. The bar area was the largest I have ever seen with the largest collection of spirits I ever have laid eyes on. I am sure it was stocked with fine aged spirits too. He led us into the seating area where there were several small tables covered with white table cloths with mixed matched chairs from the 60's and a candle(s) lit on each table which gave it a romantic vibe. Hubz and I were seated at a table for 2 in the center of the hall. The place was not huge but it was a good size. It had pictures and paintings on the wall and exposed brick to resemble something from the 60's. It was also decorated with a bunch of antique books...the classic vintage decor was consistent from the lobby into the main area. It was nice! The waiters were dressed in black and white, black pants and white shirt with a black tie. I felt like I had traveled through a time machine into the 60's. On this particular day, it was not packed. It was actually quite early in the night around 9 pm. There were a few people seated in the main area and a couple at the bar. The drink collection on the menu was impressive... aged gins, bourbon, cognac, brandy etc. The drinks are not cheap though. They start at $14 and do not make a mistake to ask if they serve food. It's all drinks! My naïve self asked our waiter if they serve food or desserts and the look he gave me, pretty much put me to shame. I am not sure if he was in character or he was just plain rude but I was not fond of him. I then asked another “stupid” question (I say stupid because he made me feel stupid). I asked how strong the drink I ordered was because I was not looking for a strong drink. He looked at me with that same “here we go again with the stupidity” look and replied “all our drinks are equally strong”. I really cannot remember what we ordered but mine came in a tall glass and Hubz came in a small scotch glass. The drinks were strong but Hubz was stronger than mine contrary to what our waiter led us to believe initially. We took the scene in as we drank our cocktails. Although I think the rules are a little ridiculous and our waiter was not pleasant, I still enjoyed the bar and their concept. I have never experienced this type of bar model before so it was worth it. The Hop Sing Laundromat does not claim to be a speakeasy bar from the 60's. In fact they have only been in business since 2012 yet they have managed to gain popularity in the large bar scene in Philadelphia and the country. They were named one of the Top 30 best bars in the country by Conde Nast traveler. In addition, they continue to maintain a certain mystery that is desired by many people in the country so if you ever find yourself in Philadelphia Chinatown, make sure to check this bar out. You are sure to enjoy it!

Happy travelling!

#Philadelphia