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I've been eating at Kingdom for a few years now, but I was compelled to write my review last night after eating the cumin lamb. The waitress gave us our menus and suggested the dish with a huge smile, describing it as "A little bit spicy, and amazingly delicious!" Not so spicy, but holy crap she was right about the delicious part. Two meat eaters at the table were amazed by how much it tasted like real lamb. I was a bit freaked out by this and almost asked the waitress to make sure I didn't accidentally get real meat.
Two meat eaters at a vegetarian restaurant? Yes, my friends. Kingdom is one of those rare places where you can take a carniphile and they'll find something they love while your vegetarian options know no bounds. I have an omnivore friend who said for years that their General Tso's chicken would be his death row meal. It wouldn't be my choice, but, Lord, it is good.
I did do the all you can eat dim sum one night and probably wouldn't do it again. There was more in the lineup that I didn't enjoy than what I did. I, personally, would rather do a smorgasbord of dim sum al a carte and save room for the tastiest morsels. Still, you should try it, especially if you want to broaden your horizons a bit.
If you like various things battered and fried the same way with different names...then this place is for you.
It used to be great. Now it sucks. The end. No pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.
This is a nice spot to eat in Philly. It's nearly across the street from the convention center. The staff is friendly, offering good suggestions on what to order. The pina colada smoothie (no alcohol) was a super tasty. I recommend the General Tso's tufu as a lunch special.
Would recommend to anyone who needs a tasty, vegetarian bite to eat near the convention center.
Aahahahahahahah- Kingdom of Vegetarians is ludicrously bad. Yet, it made for a meal so hilarious that it may actually have been cooler than if it had been an excellent restaurant, because was so very memorable, more than if we had had something actually good. I usually reserve 1-star reviews for incidents of bodily harm, but I felt crappy from the insane levels of MSG, so I think this qualifies.
We were lured in by the sign on the door- "All you can eat vegetarian dim sum- $12". What could possibly be wrong with that?
The waiter brought us some tea, and even after we ordered dim sum, insisted on leaving the menu so that we could order more items if we were still hungry. They were serious about this AYCE business, it seemed.
After a bowl of slightly-below-mediocre cornstarchy soup, our first plate arrived. Instead of using a cart, they brought it out in courses. So that was their game! Bring out the cheapest stuff first to try to fill us up! If I'd known where it was going from there, I would have been much more grateful for the rock-hard fried sesame mock-chicken. Incidentally, Kingdom was the first Chinese restaurant that I've been to in years that offered a fork, but no chopsticks. Not that I'm a snob, just sayin'. The sauces were standard issue, straight out of the little packets but squirted into bowls.
The rest of the items were so untasty that we ended up pushing those things to the side. Next were the dumplings and pork buns. The buns were still covered with paper that had stuck on when they were microwaved and the dumplings were made of bread, unlike every other dumpling in the world. The waiter noticed the piles of unwanted food pushed away and thought we were done, but I politely asked to skip ahead to the seaweed salad. He argued but finally relented. After a very long wait, the manager(?) brought the seaweed out, saying "NOW are you happy?" Temporarily appeased anyway. It was almost entirely unseasoned, save for the 43415613456 cloves of garlic. It was the best thing we had.
After we ate, I started trying to signal to the waiter that we would like something else. He literally made eye contact while I waved at him several times, and then returned to folding napkins but when I stood up to go get him, both he and the manager had obviously been watching me because they were instantly at my side. I stated my case and the manager brought out the fried bananas, telling us "This is your last course". Uh, AYCE whut?
Oh my word. The itsy bitsy little slices of banana were encased in giant puffballs of batter. I surgically extracted the banana, followed by the fillings of the eggroll, of the be-papered bun, of the dumplings, and now of the banana, leaving neat little dough cases delicately split on my plate. It was bratty, but dammit, I was still hungry! By now we were feeling weird and flushed from so much MSG but we weren't ready to give up, so we ordered the only other thing on the admittedly extensive dim sum menu that wasn't fried: coconut triangles.
Again, I had to chase them and they gave me some shit, but I reminded them it was AYCE, and actually we were doing them a favor because we had skipped 75% of the menu. It took a loooong time to get these. The manager told us they were making them from scratch. They were the last thing on the menu, and I guess no one had ever made it that far before dying of MSG poisoning or a heart attack. Finally, she brought out deep fried triangles with pockets of oil literally oozing around between the layers of fried. Again, I surgically excised the meager filling. It was orange and tasted like sweet potatoes, with perhaps a hint of coconut flavor, courtesy of McCormick. Damn.
I'm confused by all the glowing reviews. Maybe people enjoy different foods than we do, but the service? Some of the worst I've had. I'm polite, friendly, forgiving- was it something I said? Just stay away.
The food here is tasty. It's the standard fried protein with delicious, gloppy sauce that passes for American Chinese food, except for the fact that there's no real meat here. So it's great if you or someone you know is vegetarian/vegan/kosher/halal/Buddhist. The service is always very friendly and fast. And I'd like to think there's some karmic benefit from enjoying an animal-free meal.
Love this place. Great lunch specials- delicious and very economical. Excellent hot and sour soup. Excellent eggplant with hot garlic sauce. I have several times brought die-hard meat eaters here and they were very very pleased with the General Tso's "chicken." The decor is a little silly, but its passable. Their tea is soothing. They also have a nice selection of freshly made juices. The two that I have had were a real treat :).
Would give it five stars, except one time when I visited, I had a very greasy meal- which was a little disappointing and not consistent with the meals I generally have had there.
NEWSFLASH: Ming sold the business! I just got a phone call from him and he urged me to support his other restaurant (New Harmony). I am very divided. I have been going to Kindom since the week it opened... on and off for periods of time I would go several times per week. Ming and his staff knew me by name! I always liked this restaurant better that Harmony.
as for a review: $10 all you can eat sounds tempting but trust me, it only makes sense if you are with a group of 4 or more people. it's cheaper to order the things you like a la carte instead of filling up on a scallian pancake! the lunch specials here can't be beat. hope the new owners continue the tradition. it's been one of my favorite places to eat for more than a decade!
one of the best things about going to see a show at the troc is grabbing pre-show eats in chinatown, which is exactly what i did this past friday nite. instead of catching the sunbears, kingdom served as our opening act for the black kids/mates of state show!
i dined with my brother who, while most definitely not a veg like his big sis, does really like tofu and trying new things which amazes me to no end considering that growing up the boy was the plainest/pickiest eater ever! i guess working in the industry will do that to you.
while i am a huge fan of their all you can eat dim sum, we were only 2 people with a limited window of time, so we kept it a la carte. we ordered the steamed dragon dumplings to start, i went with the kung pao "chicken" and my bro chose the bean curd sizzling platter as he wasn't too keen on the faux meat thing. our entrees came out a good 10 minutes BEFORE the dumplings app, and my brother was presented with a sizzling platter of "beef" instead of bean curd???
we didn't mind rolling with the punches, tho it was kinda odd, especially as we questioned it when she set the platter on our table ("is this the bean curd?" "yes, sizzling beef!") also, neither dish was spicy as had been advertised by the red color on the menu, tho we can't really count the beef as that may not have been intended to be so.
thankfully, my brother the foodie LOVED his entree, as well as mine, and i sent him home with our leftovers. while the mix-up did provide us with a very tasty surprise, next time i'll be sure to order by number instead of description.
My husband and his vegan friend rave about this place. They go there whenver they are in Philly so I had to try it when we were up there for a wedding.
I will say it's not pretty but it has a charm that comes from the friendly service. Basically, you order the dim sum all you can eat for two. It's only like $10 and you get so much food. They bring you about 8 dishes of vegetarian dim sum, and it's enough to make you sick. My only complaint is that is it a bit greasy. And I would classify it as Chinese comfort foods so heavy on the fried, heavy breading and starches.
But I will definitely being going back for some more dim sum.
The food is pretty bad. If you get the dim sum (not as great a deal as it once was, now that they've raised the prices), you get lots of dishes made almost entirely of fried wheat gluten in goopy sauce. However, the fact that it's entirely vegetarian is a plus, as is the sheer amount of food you get when you order dim sum. They just keep coming out with it!
The only problem I have with Kingdom is that the first time I ever went here, I ordered the General Tso's "chicken," and it was so good that I have never gotten anything else!
Really, truly, excellent. I usually get the dinner special (general tso's, spring roll, soup of your choice [hot and sour!]), which is great for $12. I almost always have leftovers. I actually did go here for the dim sum twice, and I wasn't all that pleased with it. I was not as full as I wanted to be, nor was the food as substantial as when you get an actual entree. It was more like a ton of appetizers. BUT, I still leave my five stars simply based on the fact that I try to get someone to go here with me at least once a week. So, so good. A vegetarian's dream!
Holy cow, is that a lot of food. This place is crazy delicious and worth a visit anytime other than when you're seeking a "small snack." The veggie dim sum is an incredible deal at $12, but I found myself struggling to keep up with my tiny vegetarian girlfriend and then feeling guilty about the food we'd left behind.
High points:
-The pork buns are great, but be aware: super filling!
-Sesame chicken had a great consistency and a cruncy sesame coating.
-I was a big fan of the spinach dumplings.
-Fried bananas = mmmm.
-Learn about buddhism from one of the free books available by the front door.
Summary: Yum. Eat (more than you probably should) here.
Deee-licious. They've raised the prices for the all-you-can eat dim sum to $12 per person, but that's okay because I'm pretty sure my friends and I ate half the restaurant today. (Hey, you bike from West Philly to Chinatown at lunchtime and see how hungry YOU are!)
Kingdom of Vegetarians scoffs at the peons who may confuse its all-you-can eat offerings with some sort of dim sum buffet. Here, you get the menu and your pick of it for $12. For a party of four, we literally covered three small tables in food. I'm pretty sure I eat something new (in addition to my standbys) every time I go. Speaking of standbys, the sesame chicken has been hit-or-miss lately, but the pork buns are stellar, as always. The proprietor also offered us their special blend of iced tea with our meal (he must have noticed how exhausted I looked when I arrived) - it was delicious!
The only things holding this place back from five stars are the atmosphere (it's dark and bland inside, with smooth jazz playing on the stereo), and the fact that you have to pay two extra dollars for this experience nowadays.
I've been here a few times and the food is great! I have tried a few of their entrees including the black bean "chicken" and general tso's. The best is the $10 a person all-you-can-eat dim sum. I went here once on my birthday and we just ate and ate and ate. The dumplings are fantastic, especially the dragon dumplings. Also, fried bananas or fried taro cakes... how can you really go wrong. I never leave this place hungry and it is as good and sometimes better than most of the food in Chinatown.
If you order the dim sum feast you don't have to wait at all. They just start bringing out food until you tell them you can't eat anymore. Love it.
You know how sometimes you wake up in the morning, still intoxicated in some manner from the night before?
That's how Kingdom of Vegetarians was for me, except it was with a monumental sense of fullness. An almost disgusting sense of fullness. I'm usually good with portions, but my friend and I ate and ate here until we thought we might throw up.
I apologize if you're reading this right before you're about to eat, but it's the truth.
We came here for the unlimited Dim Sum, a holy grail I'd heard about. I haven't eaten dim sum since I was a child, but as I understood it, there are, you know, carts that get wheeled around and you take what you want. At Kingdom of Vegetarians, our waitress (who was super duper nice by the way) brought us plates and plates of food and put them on our table. I have a good middle class upbringing, and I was taught that you need to finish what's on your plate.
What a terrible idea. We ate and ate, but couldn't finish! The more we ate, the more she brought! We finally had to just ask her to stop. She brought us dessert and the check and then we rolled out the door. By the way, you must save room for the fried bananas. Maybe put them in a tupperware when you leave.
The food itself was pretty good, nothing to write home about per se, but we didn't get to try everything. I think it would have been a better experience with more people to share the food or a lesser sense of guilt. I'll try it again sometime.
I eat loads of vegetarian food when I'm out or ordering takeout, I'm not a vegetarian that's just how I roll. Kingdom of Vegetarians was the first Chinese Vegetarian place I've been too, and it holds a soft spot in my heart even though Singapore is a lot better. Kingdom has got a really good sesame sauce for their sesame dishes and the lemon chicken is delish!
I do not get why they keep the sauce separated from the meat when I get it as takeout though. I like eating out of the carton and have to actually PLATE my own food. Very distressing!
I was hoping this restaurant would compare to Sunflower in DC or Zen Palate in New York, but instead it's closer to Bamboo Garden in Seattle. Instead of treating their food like what it is - a meat substitute - they treat it like it's regular meat, calling it pork and beef and chicken. As a result, omnivores coming here will find themselves disappointed, because the seitan and gluten don't really resemble meat.
I happen to love seitan myself, but Kingdom of Vegetarians didn't really present it in a way I'm used to. It was limp instead of chewy. It tasted pretty good, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. I gave it three stars because it was a nice experience - the service was excellent, and the prices were GREAT. But the food just wasn't all I was hoping for, or it would have gotten more. (The "dim sum" offerings were great though - sesame noodles and sesame balls were both outstanding!)
The parking we found happened to be RIGHT outside Singapore Kosher Vegetarian, around the corner, but I decided to stick with the plan and go to Kingdom. I suppose I'll always wonder if Singapore would have been better...
So. Much. Food.
A word of warning... pork buns (or 'pork bombs' as i like to call them) equal MEAL ENDER.
I didn't know much about Kingdom before I went and as soon as I was handed a menu I was told by my friends that we were all just doing dim sum. Ten bucks for all you can eat mock-meat? Fine by me. I didn't even open the menu.
There were so many plates I can't even remember all of the dishes (but I'll try)-- scallion pancakes, sesame chicken, egg rolls, pork fried rice, beef with a mysteriously delicious white sauce, cold sesame noodles, fried tofu, and much much more. Everything of course is made of tofu but so covered in tasty sauces you would never know.
Like I said, BEWARE THE PORK BOMB!! It's like eating the pillsbury dough boy and it WILL expand in your stomach and make you fuller than any human being ever should be.
But you must MUST get through all the plates to get to the coconut triangles and fried bananas for dessert. You're allowed to skip the fortune cookie. It will most likely just read, "Confucius say you will die happy after ingesting $10 of the most delicious vegetarian food ever."
Long live the Kingdom.
Delicious food! I've been earing here since 1999 and the food has been consistently good, they are willing to alter any dish/substitute ingredients, and the owner, Ming rules!
Try all you can eat dim sum!
I love:
1) Walnut Imitation Jumbo Shrimp
2) Shrimp Balls
3) Shrimp dumplings
4) Ham friend rice
5) Scallion Pancakes
Maybe it's changed since I've last eaten there, but Kingdom went downhill after New Harmony opened. I ate there fairly often about 4 years ago until about 2 years ago.
The last time I was there, our sesame chicken was tough and way too hard. Also, it was practically crusted over with sesame seeds. It's a shame, because Kingdom used to be so good and a fun excuse to dart out of the suburbs for an afternoon. The won ton soup was still as yummy as I remembered it from other trips, but our entrees definitely were better on our first dozen trips or so. What a disappointment.
I went to Kingdom about a week ago, and I think I'm *still* full. Their $12 dim sum is SO much food-- plan on it being your only meal of the day! We went with a friend who is our human vacuum cleaner, and even he couldn't finish it all.
Some dishes can be a little too greasy, but it's mostly deliciously savory. We've been many, many times, and the menu usually varies a little bit each time. Their tofu-skin rolls are fantastic, as are the steamed "pork" buns. (Eat them hot, or else they turn into sad, cold lumps.) Remember to save room for the fried bananas at the end!
The owner is super-friendly (and she didn't mind when we broke her corkscrew.) If you're vegetarian or otherwise uninitiated into "regular" dim sum, you'll find vegetarian dim sum at Kingdom to be an easy, enjoyable experience that will fill you to the gills with food.
I'M NOT VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN BUT I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Now, you know when a carnivore like myself raves about vegan food, it has to be out of this world. And it is.
My favorite dishes are the scallion pancakes, the sweet + sour "chicken", and the general tso's "chicken".
If I'm not mistaken, the food is made with sei tan, which is easier on the stomach than tofu, IMO - or at least easier on my horrible meat-loving stomach lining.
I didn't know anything about the $10 dim sum that everyone is reviewing but I'm excited to go back and try it!
It's ok, but just ok. Xu Xuing (sp?) on Samson and 15th is vegan and sooooooooooooooooo much better, but does not have supervision.
All I can say is throw on a mumu and go to Kingdom of Vegetarian for dim sum with your friends! Why a mumu, you ask? Because when you order the dim sum for a measly $10, you feel like you're going to wind up like the first victim in the movie "Seven" because they just keep feeding you...
...and feeding you...
....AND FEEDING YOU....
... until your pants no longer fit!
It feels like the food never stops coming, that is until you get to the dessert of fried bananas and are whipped into scrumptious heartattack heaven.
The cumin "lamb" is unbelievable. Other items are delicious as well. Good value and friendly service.
I should give this one star due to the fact that myself and a handful of my friends eventually were kicked out of the "all you can eat" buffet, however..
..this is the best deal for killer vegan cuisine and I pine for it all the time. Any excuse I have to be near philadelphia includes a visit to KoV. Great flavors, riffs on traditional fare, do the dim sum mosh.
Very close to my hotel, I chose Kingdom as my dinner palace on Friday night. I walked in, was seated immediately, and brought water & tea.
The food was deelicious and I definitely enjoyed the reasonable pricing. Service was fantastic.
Definitely would go back on my next trip.
Went there for the first time last night, in town for the library conference, and after perusing the miles and miles of menu options (which included some very economically priced full-dinner "package" options for individuals as well as groups of different sizes), we decided the all you can eat $10 dim sum was the way to go.
The $10 dim sum is *brilliant*. They just start bringing random dumplings, buns, and other assorted tasty bits to your table, until you stop eating. The variety was excellent, and all of the veggie meat stuff was high-quality and very tasty.
What everyone says about the fried bananas is true, they are *priceless*. And, their fortune cookies are home made. How can you beat that?
Lots of 4-person tables, just a few giant (maybe 10-person?) tables, so it's great for an intimate dinner for 2-4. It looks like a hole in the wall, from the outside, but it's niceish on the inside, just what every local Chinese joint should be.
I'll definitely come back the next time I'm in town!
If you're in the mood for some cheap, fried vegetarian food, then this is the place for you. Even though it's a little bit greasy sometimes, I can't help but love every dish I get at Kingdom. I'll even forgive the fact that the Sesame Chicken and the General Tso's Chicken are exactly the same, except for the presence of sesame seeds in one. Because this place offers some delicious food at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend the lunch specials; you can get soup (the Wonton is excellent), rice (they have brown, too!), and the entree for about $6. The place is nice and quiet and the staff is extremely friendly and attentive. I love this place!
Perhaps the best vegetarian Chinese cuisine ever (Harmony may beat them out but then again both are under the same management). and incredible variety and once you have their food you may almost never want to go back to meat.
Harmony also has a lot of good buys. they have all kinds of group dinner menus that really fill you up. and the best deal that they have is an all you can eat dim sum meal for two that's $20. It's for Dim Sum but the dumplings that they hook you up with are really addicting.
It's one of the best spots to hit up in Chinatown.
I have eaten here twice, and the first meal was excellent but the second was just fair. The orange beef I had on my first visit was delicious-- crisp and flavorful, not too sweet, and with an assertive orange flavor. The tofu and vegetable soup was good too, with a colorful mix of vegetables cooked just right in a light broth. When I returned I tried the yu xiang rou si (I forget the English name... pork in garlic sauce perhaps?) and it was just so-so, not much flavor in the sauce, vegetables slightly overcooked, and "meat" sodden and not well-textured. Clearly some dishes here are better than others.
The proprietors are pleasant, the decor is charmingly seedy, and they play bad covers of soft pop songs on the sound system.
Kingdom of Vegetarians is amazing! Authentic and yummy Asian (mainly Chinese flair) food. I love the "mock" chicken the best. I am not a fan of "real" chicken at all, but these KOV chickens are awesome!
Their soups and salads and appetizers are also out of this world. If I still lived in Philly, I would be dining in this restaurant at least once a week. This is one of my most missed restaurants in Philly. ::Sigh::
If you haven't gathered it so far--I highly recommend this restaurant! Go eat there now! Very affordable prices, nice wait staff, very eclectic and unique menu and atmosphere. Whether you are a vegetarian or not this is the place to eat!
This place totally rocks, vegetarian or not. Honestly, I could bring some hardcore carnivores in here and with some dishes I don't think they would ever even notice...its that good. The Dim Sum will humble you, and even the regular menu items pack a whallop. I've brought many a friend here and they all loved it. The Scallion Pancakes still rate among the best I've ever had, anywhere, and the "chicken" dishes are uniformly excellent. Never had anything but pleasant service and good times, even after several years.
yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum
Most delicious EVERY THING in the city so far.
I never knew you could have a large menu where every last bit was incredible.
The food comes out super quick usually so you won't be tempted to fill up on tea.
If you haven't tried Kingdom yet, you haven't been living a full life.
We went while I was on a visit to Philly. We got the all you can eat dim sum, and it was a ridiculous amount of food. I was a little surprised by how much it cost ($12 a person), but then again I didn't need to eat for the next week. I really like the dumplings and some of the various tofu items we tried. It's definitely worth trying out.
I found the food here to be quite disappointing. I had the Beef Chow Fun and a Chicken Hot Pepper with Broccoli, both of which were bland, oily, and generally uninspired. The mockmeats were both gooey and had the texture of steak fat. While I appreciated the quantity and variety of vegetables they offered in each dish, the flat tastes and the low-quality mockmeats made this place a major disappointment. I also tried their mango vegan cheesecake, and it tasted all right, but was clearly not fresh.
I stumbled upon Kingdom six years ago on a stroll and I've been going back ever since. I love this place! I usually go with another person and order the Dinner for Two which is a sweet deal and you get plenty of leftovers. The lunch specials are good, they offer that from 11am-3pm, don't expect anything to fancy. The waitstaff is always nice and on top of everything. Although, I didn't have any they also have started offering vegan cheesecake from Lotus cake studio.
ETA: 11/1/06 The vegan cheesecake is the best cheesecake I've ever had. It's solid, isn't overpowered by sweetness like some vegan cheesecake, and it melts in your mouth! Delicious!
I've been here with a group of friends, I've been here a couple times on my own and I just don't like it. There's something in the dishes that tastes like ketchup. Or it has a bland flavor. A lot of people love KOV but I'm done with it.
This place is amazing! You must try the dim sum. For only $10, the waiter brings you appetizer after appetizer until you can't take it anymore. First course starts out with scallion pancakes, spring rolls and sesame chicken. Next course is steamed dumplings, bean curd and pork buns. The sesame chicken has to be my favorite, and we always get more if our stomachs will allow it. The madness continues when you get your check, because it comes with fortune cookies and banana fritters. The staff is great. Excellent food and an excellent value! Definitely one of my favorite places in chinatown.
Based on a review somewhere else, I visited this place because of the great reccommendations it received. This place was good and a much needed accomodation for a traveling vegan. It's clearly not a fancy restaurant but it does have darned good chinese food. Located in China Town, near the convention center, this place does have some type of kitchy dive charm. Everything is 100% vegan. I went twith a carnivore who equally enjoyed their food.
Don't forget to save room for the fried bananas.
I have also heard that Cherry Street Chinese Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant is really good too. I would be interested to see a review from someone who has been to both.
Wishing you Happy Holidays…
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Yes you can bring your own…
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Vegan
Neighborhood: South Street District
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Vegetarian
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