Return to Matyson- Philidelphia
Remember that fabulous Beet tasting menu I enjoyed in Philadelphia last year? I loved Matyson so much it immediately went into my top five places of all time. We had a trip planned to Philadelphia this past Sunday and the first order of business was heading back to the restaurant for another meal.
This is my first experience with pig tails and I have to say it will definitely not be my last....these were amazing! They were similar in texture to a spare rib with a surprising amount of smoky meat and a sweet glaze on top that had just the right amount of spice. The creamy slaw underneath was the perfect complement to the dish. Onto our 2nd Course- Bo Ssam with bibb lettuce, kimchi and ssam jang paired with a Crispin Extra Dry Cider.
The Bo Ssam had a sweet glaze similar to the pig tails except the meat was a little more moist and fatty. Each big hunk I rolled into the lettuce cup practically melted it was so tender.
The addition of some vinegar kimchi and a sip of refreshing cider really cut the fat from the pork. Onto the 3rd course- Chili Braised Pork Cheek with stewed pepitas, sweet potatoes and watercress paired with a Bells Two Hearted IPA.
The tasting menu on Sunday is slightly different than the week day offering. They still choose one ingredient for the base but instead of five course there is only four and it's $35 instead of $55. As always, Matyson is BYOB so when we saw pork as the ingredient we decided to create a beer pairing for each course on our own. To begin BBQ Pig Tails, birch beer glaze and celery root slaw paired with Russian River Damnation.
The Bo Ssam had a sweet glaze similar to the pig tails except the meat was a little more moist and fatty. Each big hunk I rolled into the lettuce cup practically melted it was so tender.
The addition of some vinegar kimchi and a sip of refreshing cider really cut the fat from the pork. Onto the 3rd course- Chili Braised Pork Cheek with stewed pepitas, sweet potatoes and watercress paired with a Bells Two Hearted IPA.
I really didn't think it could get any better than the first two dishes but this managed to blow me away as well. The pork was so tender it was like cutting into butter and the chili sauce left a nice little salty burn on my lips. We were both so full the staff happily suggested waiting a little bit to digest before our 4th and final course Peanut Butter Mousse Cake with chocolate and toasted marshmallow paired with a Russian River Kalamazoo Stout.
OMG this was like eating the best campfire Smore's I've ever had in my life. Just swap out the graham cracker and add a crunchy chocolate bottom with some rich, creamy peanut butter. It was like this dessert was crafted just for me..the coffee and chocolate notes from the Kalamazoo Stout were the perfect addition to the end of our fabulous meal.
Matyson continues to excel on every level. I was worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations from the previous visit but it actually exceeded them. The ability to create a brand new menu, each and every week based around one ingredient (and do it flawlessly) is incredible. If I lived in this town I would be hard pressed not to eat here each and every week...and with the $35 price tag and BYOB I could honestly afford to. Matyson is the whole package. I can't wait to see what they create on our next visit!
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