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@saophilly

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Seafood & Southeast Asian Comfort
BEST NEW RESTAURANT 26’ @phillymag
Reservations + limited walk-ins
Wed-Sat 5pm-10pm

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We are elated to announce that we are writing a book. A collection of personal stories about my experiences growing up Cambodian in South Philly, fighting in the mosh pits of the Philadelphia restaurant industry and falling in love with Rachel. When religion and ghost stories are in a cook book, you should expect some twists and turns tied up with recipes from our unique journey. With help from the great @adamerace (@palizzisc book and Laurel book) and legendary @ihatealexlau , we look forward to sharing this body of work. A Buddhist bow to @francis_lam and @clarksonpotter for the stage.

@profiletip
@bondfiremedia taken in South Philadelphia by @saophilly

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5 months ago

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a year ago

New Hours start October 1st

Limited Walk-Ins

@opentable taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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11 days ago

Holy shit! Sao is ONE!

Found this old photo of the beautiful grocery and basket shop that occupied our space in the 1970s and ’80s. It’s incredible to look back at the history of this corner and the people who helped shape it.

We’re honored to be a small part of that legacy and to continue bringing life to this space for a new generation. Stop by and see what we’re doing today—and here’s to many more years of memories still to come. taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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a month ago

We thought we were going through an identity crisis…but honesty, it’s just that we want to do so damn much. We have so much love and pride for food and the business of food. We’ve been keeping our heads down, planting the seeds and plotting the growth. We ask you to take this ride with us and see where it goes.

Thank you @jamilarobinson for making this Monday feel like a birthday on a Saturday. Thank you a million times to @bonappetitmag and @moroccochris for the recognition and the love. We’re currently on staff break so an imaginary hug, kiss and hard dap to the Saovage team. We ain’t fuckin around, we out here workin! When you’re in South Philly, ya need to holla at us man.

📸 @michellegustafson
📸 @elenaiwata taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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2 months ago

Couple years ago in a car ride with Jesse, somebody said “I wish there was an oyster bar on East Passyunk”. Things got blurry on who said it first.

-Saovages

@phillymag Love to our hometown magazine. taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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3 months ago

No, really. We went back for seconds, and thirds (and fourths). Meet @philapans, and the rest of the 2025 Food & Wine Best New Chefs who cooked up a storm this weekend, at the link in bio. #FWClassic

🎥: @heysamg_, @tshomovisuals

#curryrice #cambodianfood #philadelphiafoodie #phillyfood taken in FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen by @saophilly

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4 months ago

Phila Lorn has always been bound to Philadelphia. The youngest son of Cambodian refugees, and the first to be born in the United States, he was named after the city. He discovered cooking there, too, learning from his mother to make much of the few ingredients their food stamps covered.

At 19, fresh out of high school, Lorn took a job as a food runner at 1225 Raw, a now-shuttered Japanese restaurant. Thrown into the kitchen by chance, he soon became hooked on the fire and the chaos, climbing his way up through kitchens across the city. In 2023, he and his wife, Rachel—a fellow Philadelphia native—opened Mawn, a self-described “noodle house with no rules.” Named after the Khmer word for chicken, the restaurant is an ode to the Cambodian comfort food of Lorn’s childhood.

The couple has since opened Sao, a Southeast Asian-style oyster bar specializing in crudos. Now, with the James Beard Awards approaching, Lorn—who won Best Emerging Chef last year—shares his favorite spots in his hometown in Arts Intel Report.

Photos: Alex Lau; @instagram/stina_philadelphia; @instagram/sweetpeelvintage; Alex Lau; @instagram/bindingagents by @saophilly

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4 months ago

Thank you @vice for giving us a slightly cooler voice and @toyotausa for a way cooler car.
Please watch and get to know us...a little more.

Mad, massive, major props to the film gang that showed us how it’s done.

Phila crew - Philly
DP - @chiaochen 1st AC - @darbage
2nd AC - @jakexkres
Gaffer - @jcscinematography
Sound - @stevesklarow
Production Assistant - @kurtcain
BTS - @meansnean

Creative Production Agency - @hellopiacere
Director - @miichaeljames
Producer - @adamcantiello
Creative Director - @emerycsmith
Truman + Cory Edit - @esskay_bandit
Phila Edit / Color / Mix - @ryanscotthansen by @saophilly

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5 months ago

Had the most flavor-packed bites at @saophilly last week 🤤 I would go back just for the Mawn Cutlet with caramelized fish sauce!!

We enjoyed:
- Honey butter hoe cake 🥞
- Dayboat scallop crudo 🐚
- Soft tail shrimp 🦐
- Mawn Cutlet 🍗
- Spicy crab gray noodles 🦀 🍜

#philly #phillyfood #mawn #sao #cambodianfood #southphilly #foodie taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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5 months ago

Thank you @e_zar and @washingtonpost for the reintroduction. Also, being interviewed by the Post is no small chat so thanks for making that easy and fun @e_zar. The Sao team works every shift like it’s their last and it’s such a breath of fresh air to see adults doing what they know how to do in high-speed, live action. It already feels like home.

When in South Philly, holla at us. taken in East Passyunk South Philly by @saophilly

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6 months ago

Almost every month I play the @saophilly or @mawnphilly OpenTable lottery — and last month I won big at Sao!

My second trip in, and it’s still spectacular! Cambodian & Southeast Asian flavors loudly complimenting fresh seafood!

Expect tang and funk, sweet and sour, acid and heat, a lot of textural contrast and raw seafood.

Would be impossible to order wrong, but the honey butter cake with smoked trout salad and trout roe is a must. And we skipped the soft shell shrimp in a fish sauce caramel this time, but I’d always recommend if it’s your first time in.

Play the OpenTable lottery - it’s worth it!

#phillyfood #philly taken in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by @saophilly

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7 months ago