Bubble tea + sushi = Bubblefish in Chinatown

When Xu Lin's father died two years ago, the longtime Chinatown community activist decided that it was time to shift gears and spend more time with his siblings.

His siblings happened to be restaurateurs in Canada.

Lin persuaded his brother Sean, his sister Ping and her husband, Edison Wang, to come to Philadelphia, where last week they opened Bubblefish, a BYOB in a former shoe store at 909 Arch St. in Chinatown (267-930-7634).

Appetizers and hot dishes, such as don (rice bowls), takoyaki, black cod, Taiwanese salt-baked chicken, and red curry shrimp (served with vegetables, rice, and marinated egg), round out the menu.

Unlike most of today's slick, high-energy bubble tea shops, Bubblefish looks remarkably like a contemporary neighborhood restaurant, with a high ceiling, suspended Edison lights over the front counter, wooden floor, random plants (and a random old-fashioned typewriter on the front counter), and a comfy lounge-type seating area.

It's open initially for lunch, dinner and late night: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.