2026 New Restaurant
Sao
If tipping back a freshly shucked oyster usually transports you to Cape Cod or coastal Washington, a tray at Sao delivers you straight to the tropical shores of Cambodia. Phila and Rachel Lorn’s East Passyunk follow-up to beloved BYOB Mawn carries over those same dazzling Southeast Asian flavors, this time in raw-bar form. Oysters come with Cambodian peppercorn fish sauce mignonette and spicy-tart Lao sauce. Crudos are dressed with smashed chili-crisp cucumbers or Honeycrisp apple slivers and ponzu. Even the excellent chicken cutlet, hidden under a flurry of parm, gets fish sauce caramel and salty pickles. The restaurant’s biggest difference: a full bar. Order the Jabroni Negroni.
1710 Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147; saophilly.com/