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Bargains on the menu

Eating out needn't break the bank in the Philadelphia area, where many great meals come at modest prices.

The wintry chill doesn't stand a chance against the dolsot bibimbap at Miran - vegetables, beef and fried egg with a spoonful of bracing Korean chile paste.
The wintry chill doesn't stand a chance against the dolsot bibimbap at Miran - vegetables, beef and fried egg with a spoonful of bracing Korean chile paste.Read more

The true measure of a great cook is not what can be done with truffles and filet mignon, but whether magic can can be drawn from the humblest ingredients.

It isn't hard to find a fabulous meal when times are flush. But when expense accounts stop flowing during an economic downturn, the lights would dim in the dining rooms of a lesser food city. Not in Philadelphia.

To be sure, the high end may still be in for troubles. But our restaurant culture is so deep, so diverse and so resourceful that budget mavens still have a wealth of choices to feed their hunger for a stellar meal. And not simply at our famous cheesesteak and hoagie destinations.

Our rich array of ethnic communities provides the greatest bargain choices. But the neighborhood dining venues that have become Philly's forte in the last decade - gastropubs and BYOBs - also specialize in bringing real value to a thoughtfully cooked meal. And even some of our most upscale dining rooms have begun crafting special, lower-priced menus to broaden their appeal.

My list of favorite bargain dishes across the region - some of them as low as $5 per person - draws on all of the above. I thought of at least 50, but could have named 100 more. Because when it comes to great cheap eats, the lights in our dining rooms are shining as brightly as ever.

Chinatown.

Any tour of the city's value dining should begin in Chinatown, where you can eat for months for less than $10 a person without repeating a dish. Here's a sampling of my favorite noodles, soups, and dumplings:

The Shanghai steamed buns ($5.25) at Dim Sum Garden (59 N. 11th St., 215-627-0218) are not simply a delicious bargain - learning to slurp the hot broth from inside these eight "soup dumplings" is an eating adventure.

The satay beef noodles ($6.50) at Ong's (1038 Race St., 215-625- 8393) bring a spicy beef broth laden with meat, a nest of noodles, the crunch of lettuce ribbons and the quenching sweetness of pineapple cubes.

The Hong Kong-style noodle house is at its best in menu item No. 36 ($6.50) at Ting Wong (138 N. 10th St., 215-928-1883), where velvety slices of soy-sauce chicken, sweet pads of roast pork and crunchy green bok choy mingle with noodles in golden broth.

Watch the noodles being stretched by hand into angel- hair-thin strands at Nan Zhou (927 Race St., 215- 923-1550), where the "soy sauce pork" ($5.10) topping is really an Asian-style pork bolognese.

Lucky trucks

Don't let the beat-up truck fool you: The ginger chicken ($4), beef with eggplant in spicy black bean sauce ($4.50) and awesome Singapore noodles ($4) at surprising

Yue Kee

(238 S. 38th St., parked between Walnut and Spruce; 610-812-7189) may be the best food values around. Call 20 minutes ahead.

Soulfully stewed oxtails in island spiced brown gravy ($7) at the Jamaican D's truck (17th Street between Spring Garden and Callowhill, 215-668-5909) give students at the Community College of Philadelphia a taste of the city's best Jamaican kitchen.

Vietnamese

A small portion of "pho" ($6.15) at

Pho 75

(1122 Washington Ave., 215-271-5866; 1022 Race St., 215-925-1231) is more than enough proof that Vietnamese cooks have mastered the meal-in-a-bowl, with snappy noodles, assorted meats of your choice (brisket, flank steak, or more daring cuts) and enough anise-tinged broth to swim in.

A springy nest of "bun" rice vermicelli at Nam Phuong (1100-1120 Washington Ave., 215-468-0410) gets a tangy nuoc mam fish sauce dressing and a combo feast of toppings in the house special (No. 170, $7.95) ranging from lemongrass-grilled chicken and shrimp to meatballs and crispy little spring rolls.

Mexican

The tacos al pastor ($6) at

Los Taquitos de Puebla

(1149 S. Ninth St., 215-334-0664) top soft tortillas with addictively spit-roasted slices of guajillo-marinated pork and pineapple, a staple at both the Sunday Farmer's Market stand in Head House Square and the home-base Italian Market nook.

Thursdays are posole day at Restaurant Acapulco nearby (1144 S. Ninth St., 215-465-1616), where the hearty pork and hominy stew ($13) comes salsa-colored red, green or white - just like the Mexican flag - with all the queso fixings and crunchy chicharrones.

The chicken mole enchiladas ($10) at Mexico Lindo (3523 Federal St., Camden, 856-365-9004) come beneath the region's most beguiling mole poblano, an ebony-colored puree steeped in earthenware that swirls with chocolate, almonds, ripe plantains, tortillas and a slow fire of chile heat.

Turkish

The Turkish manti dumplings ($10.70) at charming

Cafe Fulya

(727 S. Second St., 267-909-9937) are the Istanbul equivalent of a plate of tortellini, filled with oniony meat and sauced in tart yogurt streaked with chile-infused clarified butter.

Upstairs/downstairs bargain

The split-level storefront at 1526 Sansom St. offers a doubleheader of ethnic values: Upstairs is one of our best express sushi nooks at

Kami

(215-751-9195), where two rolls and miso soup cost $9.99. Downstairs are the Afghan flavors of the

Sansom Kabob House

(215-751-9115), where the "Sansom" combo brings flavorful grilled skewers of lamb, chicken and ground beef ($8.50 at lunch) over earthy mounds of brown basmati rice.

Indian

You can feed a crowd for $9.95 on the enormous "family dosa" at Devi (151 Whiteland Town Center, Exton, 610-594-9250), where the vegetarian South Indian lentil crepe comes with sides of masala-curried potatoes, a spicy sambar dip and three kinds of chutney.

Minar Palace's new digs (1304 Walnut St., 215-546-9443) may be much snazzier than its old dive address, but platters like its chicken tikka masala ($8.95) still figure among the city's best rock-bottom values.

Korean

The hot stone-bowl-crisped rice of dolsot bibimbap ($11.76) at

Miran

(2034 Chestnut St., 215-569-1200) is a favorite cold-weather warmer, its pinwheel of vegetables, beef, and fried egg stirred up with a full spoonful of hearty Korean kochujang chile paste.

The spicy pork kimchee don ($7) at Tampopo (719 Sansom St., 215-238-9373) is a fiery bowl of hearty Korean-Japanese fusion, with teriyaki-sweet meat, rice, spicy cabbage and crunchy vegetables in every bite.

West Philly African

Taste the essence of Liberia in this soul-filling bowl of fufu soup ($12.50) at Memdee's (6761 Guyer Ave., 215-365-5208), where the mahogany broth is smoky, spicy and nutty (from sesame paste), the giant plantain fufu dumpling is tender, and there's plenty of meat and fish to nibble on, too.

The spongy Ethiopian crepes called injera make a filling and edible platter for the excellent vegetarian combo ($8.45) at Kaffa Crossing (4423 Chestnut St., 215-386-0504; www.kaffacrossing.com), which brings mounds of curried split peas, yellow lentils, and collard greens.

Port Richmond perk

There's a throwback feel to both the dining room and the prices at

Syrenka

(3173 Richmond St., 215-634-3954), where it costs only $6 for a platter of tender stuffed cabbage in sweet and sour tomato sauce with sides of buttery mashed beets and bigos cabbage stew.

Caribbean

The chicken roti ($6) from

Brown Sugar Bakery

(219 S. 52d St., 215-472-7380) is the Trinidadian equivalent of a burrito, with curried chicken and potatoes wrapped in an Indian-style flatbread layered with chickpeas.

Latin North Philly

The mofongo al pilon ($13.95) at

Shining Star

(2460 N. Fifth St., at Cumberland, 215-423-8506) brings enough Puerto Rican shrimp stew for two inside a pestle-shaped bowl of mofongo, mashed green plantains fried with garlic and crisp morsels of pork skins.

Peel away the banana-leaf wrapper of the giant Colombian tamale ($6.50) at Tierra Colombiana (4535 N. Fifth St., 215-324-6086), and you'll find enough chicken, pork and vegetables inside the steamy masa fluff for a hearty lunch.

Old-time American comforts

There's really a whole chicken in the "chicken in a pot" ($21) at the Famous 4th Street Delicatessen (700 S. Fourth St., 215-922-3274), with the picked meat from a four-pound bird, a giant matzo ball, kreplach dumplings, and kasha floating in chicken broth, plus two big sides - enough to feed the whole mishpuchah.

Homemade diner goodness still lives in the chicken croquettes ($7.99) at the Brooklawn Diner (Route 130, Brooklawn Circle, Brooklawn, 856-742-0035), where two huge deep-fried domes of freshly cooked ground chicken come with soup, salad bar, veggies and rice pudding.

A two-pound tub of the region's best jambalaya, gumbo or red beans ($11) is ready to go from Cajun Kate's, which serves authentic Louisiana fare two days a week at the Booth's Corner Farmer's Market (1362 Naaman's Creek Rd., Boothwyn, 484-947-8914).

The fried turkey chop platter ($9.50) from Deborah's Kitchen (2608 W. Girard Ave., 215-763-3327) is soul food at its local best, with rich gravy and sides of awesome collards and candied yams that are as irresistible as the meat.

The classic hot turkey sandwich with gravy and real mashed potatoes ($7.25) at The Dutch Eating Place at the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch, 215-922-0425) is a plate of true Lancaster comfort.

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Gastropubs and funky brunchers

The braised chicken leg over white beans and greens ($8) at

Cafe Estelle

(444 N. Fourth St., 215-925-5080) is just one of the highlights at this surprising breakfast-luncher, where the entire menu is $10 or less and everything from the bacon to the bread is house-made.

A big bowl of white chicken chile with cornbread ($9) is one of my many favorites at the funky Good Dog Bar (224 S. 15th St., 215-985-9600; www.gooddogbar.com) where the cheese-stuffed burgers, meat loaf ($12) and flat-iron steak ($15) are also good deals.

The grilled meat-loaf sandwich with bacon and fried onions ($9) at the Royal Tavern (837 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-389-6694) has rightly become a signature dish for one of South Philly's best gastropubs.

The Guinness-battered fish-and-chips ($12) with homemade tartar sauce is just one of the many pub classics done well at St. Stephen's Green (1701 Green St., 215-769-5000).

Meat lovers' values

The hanger steak-frites ($17) at

N. 3rd

(801 N. Third St., 215-413- 3666;

» READ MORE: www.norththird.com

).

The miso-rubbed club steak ($17) at Nicholas (2015 E. Moyamensing Ave., 215-271-7177; www.nicholasphilly.com).

The carefully hand-formed and cooked bacon cheeseburger ($4) at Snow White (1901 Chestnut St., 215-569-0909) is an old-school griddle gem in a world of $15 burger showboats.

Monday night is pig heaven at the all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet ($18.95) at Sweet Lucy's Smokehouse (7500 State Rd., just north of Cottman, 215-331-3112; www.sweetlucys.com), my current favorite local smoke pit.

The all-you-can-eat churrascaria ($21.99) at humble Picanha Brazilian Grill (6501 Castor Ave., at Hellerman, 215-743-4647) is about half the price of the fancier Brazilian barbecue chains downtown - but I prefer the charcoal-roasted meats, the neighborhood scene, and the authentic salad bar and buffet.

They sear a platter of thinly sliced marinated beef ribs ("kalbisal jumulruk," $17.95) over a real charcoal brazier at Everyday Good House (5501 N. Front St., at Olney, 215-276-7942), where along with the greens used to wrap the meat into crunchy bite-sized packages, there is an impressive selection of pickled banchan nibbles to bolster the meal.

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Value prix-fixe menus and notable specials

The three-course lunch deal for $19 at

XIX Nineteen

(Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut, 215-790-1919) pairs one of the city's loftiest high-rise views with a splendid buffet, a serious entree du jour (like the wild striped bass over white beans in a curried seafood froth) and a lavish dessert spread to finish.

The weekday "recession menu" of three courses for $30 at Caffe Casta Diva (227 S. 20th St., 215-496-9677) is a great enticement to revisit this recently remodeled Italian BYO.

Pumpkin (1713 South St., 215-545-4448) serves an ambitious New American five-course prix-fixe for $35 on Sunday evenings.

The four-course menu prix-fixe for $35 at Cochon (801 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-923-7675; www.cochonbyob.com) has evolved into an everyday fixture at the pig-centric French BYOB.

Contemporary Southern cuisine arrives in three courses for $30 on Sunday nights at Marigold Kitchen (501 S. 45th St. (at Larchwood); 215-222-3699; www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com).

The four-course "Turista Menu" for $32 at Modo Mio (161 W. Girard Ave., 215-203-8707) is one of the city's best deals for inventive Italian-inspired small plates.

Four courses of some of the region's most sophisticated French cooking are available weeknights from $29.95-34.95 at Rouget in Bucks County (2 Swamp Rd., Newtown, 215-860-4480).

The $12.50 "Catalan Express" menu at Amada (217 Chestnut St., 215-625-2450) is a great way to sneak a bargain-lunch peek at one of the city's hottest dinner reservations, with a stunning gazpacho, a Spanish meat-laden sandwich, and a dangerously addictive side of fries drizzled in smoky aioli.

The $1 Bluepoint oysters put "happy" on the half-shell at Happy Hour at Coquette Bistro (700 S. Fifth St., 215-238-9000; www.coquettebistro.com) every day from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The La Colombe espresso shots go on 75-cent special at Cafe Loftus (136 S. 15th St., 215-988-9486) right in time for the afternoon home stretch, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m.

The dark brew of Peet's Coffee at ING Direct Cafe was recently lowered to a caffeine bargain of $1 for a 16-ounce cup (1636 Walnut St., 215-731-1410).