The Michael Schulson Details

Yesterday we linked Michael Schulson’s name to a Midtown Village liquor license figuring details would quickly emerge. And sure details have materialized. The Asian small-plates restaurant will be called Sampan and will be influenced from the chef’s travels in Japan, China and elsewhere in Asia. Meal Ticket was able to score an interview with the hunky Izakaya chef.

After experiencing success with Izakaya in the Borgata, Schulson had plans to do a 200-seat modern Asian restaurant in Philly about a year and a half back. The faltering economy, however, gave him pause. “I [didn’t] want to do a huge restaurant that [was] going to cost $4, $5 or $6 million,” says Schulson. “I wanted to come back to Philly to do food in a cool, intimate setting, with something affordable for everybody. That’s what’s important in this economy.”

Michael Schulson breaks silence on new restaurant, television deal [Meal Ticket]
Michael Schulson [Official Site]