The Best Experiential Eats in Philadelphia

Tapestry-covered walls, comfy couches and trays set up for traditional feasts greet diners at Fez, a Moroccan restaurant in Queen Village. Multiple rounds of apps and larger entrees kick off a meal, followed by fruit and sweets, and sharing of both food and hookah is encouraged. Be on the lookout for large holiday feasts and events featuring belly dancers.

Eritrean and Ethiopian restaurant and bar Dahlak serves as a bustling neighborhood-meeting place that attracts students, families and neighbors. This must-stop eatery in the melting pot that is West Philadelphia allows diners to chow down in the traditional Eritrean way by using their hands to scoop up food with the soft bread injera. Visitors, who are seated on low basket-like tables, share different stews and side dishes with their eating partners while listening to a mix of pop music and traditional Ethiopian music.

Jong Ka Jib serves authentic Korean food in warm stone bowls alongside a raw egg for diners to crack right into their hot soup and rice. The flavors of Korean barbecue are also on the menu, as are soft-tofu dishes.

Chinese hot-pot joint Hippot Shabu Shabu offers a build-your-own hot-pot adventure. Diners order broth, then cook their own mixture of fresh vegetables, sprouts, and proteins like tofu and meat chunks right at their table. There’s also a huge sauce bar with a variety of oils, sauces and vinegars to add to a customized pot.

On select days, diners can enjoy an authentic family-style meal at East Passyunk’s Perla. Kamayan is the Filipino way of sharing a meal, and at Perla, rice, spring rolls, fried fish, veggies and sauces are all spread on banana leaves and eaten with the hands while diners share stories and drinks. It’s a guaranteed way to feel like part of the family at this restaurant, which is named after the owner’s mother.

This Moroccan establishment in Society Hill invites diners to enjoy multiple courses — all with their hands. It’s an experience that involves many of the senses, from the smells of incense, cumin and fresh mint tea to the different textures of cooked eggplants and fresh couscous.

This Brewerytown bar and restaurant serves a full menu of Ethiopian food, including a breakfast special called ful featuring delicious fava beans spiced in a stew and eaten with fresh bread or injera. Also on the menu: a variety of craft beers.

Malaysian street food shines at Saté Kampar. The Passyunk BYOB grills up meats on a stick in both classic and Hainanese styles, and rounds out the menu with herbaceous salads, stir-fried noodles and braised coconut chicken, alongside a menu of specialty drinks. Diners can grab savory Malay- or Hainanese-style sate by the skewer and should look out for the special chili crabs, which come complete with crab-cracking tools.

An Old City staple for more than 25 years, Kabul features authentic Afghani food, including buttery rice with plump raisins, vegetarian and meat stews and more. In a special corner in the back of the restaurant, diners can eat the traditional way: on the floor on pillows and rugs. Afghani musicians and dancers also occasionally make an appearance.

Take your senses right to the sea at Anastasi Seafood, which offers some of the freshest seafood — including crabs and a variety of fish — in Philly. The old-school family atmosphere helps make this an Italian Market staple.

This Logan Square restaurant specializes in Japanese yakiniku (barbeque). Each table comes with a personal grill where hungry visitors grill their own miso-marinated steaks, vegetables and, at the end of the night, s’mores. Japanese sake and beers are also available.

This no-frills buffet and grill in the heart of Northeast Philadelphia’s Brazilian community serves lunch, dinner, coffee and dessert. Diners can load up on plantains, yellow rice, stewed beef and more at the buffet. But Picanha’s rodízio — all-you-can-eat meats sliced right at the table — fills guests to the brim with samples of chicken, beef, lamb and more.

Chima’s dining experience plays up tradition. The steakhouse is named after chimarrao, a drink from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, that symbolizes hospitality. Table-side service calls back to the South Brazilian legend of gauchos (cowboys) who consumed mostly meat. Chima meat chefs wear the signature gaucho uniform while serving cooked-to-order filet mignon, beef ribs, marinated lamb, fish and more.

Meat, meat and more meat! Take a meat-heavy journey through Brazil at Fogo de Chao, where a salad bar with Brazilian side dishes is just the beginning of a massive spread that includes an unlimited amount of lamb, beef and other sections of meat cooked and spiced in a variety of ways. Servers bring dishes until diners say stop, so be prepared to be very, very full.

Diners dig in with their hands and eat flavorful dishes from shared bowls at Abyssinia, and that family-style vibe can be felt throughout the Ethiopian restaurant. The downstairs dining room and upstairs bar, Fiume, are casual and welcoming while offering rich, spicy foods and top-notch cocktails.