FYI Philly visits Sushi By Bou Midtown, Nepali Momo Kitchen and previews musical hit Broadway

Sushi By Bou Midtown is a new Studio 54-themed restaurant
Sushi By Bou is an omakase chain based out of New York providing a 12 to 17-course experience.

This is Sushi By Bou's second location in Philadelphia with its first one in Fishtown.

You sit in front of the chef who interacts and gives a full rapport with your eating.

The classic 12-course experience allows you to taste lighter fish like tuna, while the 17-course experience allows you to taste five extra different fish that are not on the menu depending on the season.

Popular cocktails are Yuzu Honeybee and Sakura Martini, and their highly requested mocktail is Galaxy Lemonade.

They have a bar portion called Bou Bar that transports you to studio 54.

On Fridays and Saturdays after 10 p.m., you can dance under the disco ball while a live DJ plays disco classics.

Sushi By Bou is also in partnership with blue house hospitality Raw.

The partnership allows you to be curious and venture out to the connected restaurants.

Sushi By Bou | Instagram | Facebook
1224 Chestnut St, Philadelphia PA 19107

Culinary couple cooks up cuisines of East Asia and Hawaii at Das Good Cafe
When Anh Vongbandith was a manager at The Bellevue Hotel years ago, she could not have predicted that one of her co-workers back then would someday become her husband.

Now 25 years later, Anh and Anou Vongbandith are still together, and just opened the latest of their food businesses, Das Good Cafe.

The BYO in Germantown combines the cuisines of their cultures - Anou is from Laos, and Anh was born in Vietnam and raised in Hawaii - so the menu is Asian-Hawaiian fusion.

They also run a catering business, and are looking to expand with wholesale operations in the future.

Das Good Cafe | Facebook | Instagram
322 W. Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-804-9449

Tipsy Cafe & Catering | Facebook | Instagram
5227 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-399-4042
catering orders only

Nepali Momo Kitchen is Philly's 1st Nepali restaurant
Nepali Momo Kitchen has more than 45 varieties of momo on the menu, from chicken, shrimp, goat, veggie and cheese to a variety of flavors like tandoori, Jhol (a peanut and sesame soup) and tandoori masala.

The Momo (dumpling), created as early as the 14th century, is a beloved street food in Nepal.

All are handmade onsite and owner Bharat Bist says it's Philadelphia's first restaurant specializing in Nepali food.

Bharat says the jimboo is a restaurant favorite, made with ginger, garlic and vegetables sautéed with dumplings and topped with a spicy tomato sauce, crunchy broken noodles, Himalayan hops and cilantro.

Bharat came to the U.S. with his now wife a decade ago seeking opportunities.

Eight years ago, they opened a restaurant in Voorhees called Mount Masala.

Now, they're bringing the flavors of their homeland to Philadelphia.

There are sauces, both mild and super spicy, for dipping.

For those who are spice averse, the cheese tikka may be your momo of choice.

It's sweet and creamy with what Bharat calls 'no spice level.'

There is a sweet potato and coconut dessert dumpling too, along with mango and lychee lassi, and Himalayan specials like chow mein made with curry masala spices.

Most of the menu items are gluten free.

And if you want vegan, just ask and they can accommodate.

Mount Masala |Facebook |Instagram
300 White Horse Rd E #1, Voorhees Township, NJ 08043
856-281-9711

The Gas Lamp is where hotel meets Airbnb
Check-in at the Gas Lamp Hotel is a virtual experience with no physical front desk.

There are five hotel rooms, each designed to feel like a private apartment.

Owner and Operator Scott Yesner says it's a niche option for those who want the flexibility and privacy of an Airbnb or VRBO, while getting the quality and consistency of a hotel.

Yesner is one of five partners in the project, which includes Wendell Holland, a Philadelphia-based designer and a new cast member on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, returning to abc this season.

The decor leans into the building's history.

For more than a century, it was the Austrian Gas Lamp Company, owned by the Newton Gold family.

Each of the rooms celebrates a pioneer in the lighting industry.

The Edison Suite is the hotel's crown jewel-a three bedroom suite named for inventor Thomas Edison.

With a full kitchen and an open loft space with a king sized bed and soaking tub, Yesner says they envision bridal parties here.

The mezzanine loft with an overlook to the living room was designed for picture-taking.

The Adams Room, overlooking 2nd Street and Elfreth's Alley, is named for Maude Adams, an actress and stage designer who revolutionized lighting for the theater stage.

The Latimer overlooks the hotel courtyard and celebrates Lewis Latimer, an African American inventor who worked on advancements to filament lightbulbs.

There's the Tesla Guest Room, honoring Nikola Tesla and the Davy, paying tribute to British chemist Sir Humphrey Davy who, in the early 1800s, invented the Davy Lamp for coal miners.

Book the hotel for a special event and you get the Davy room, the outdoor courtyard and a speakeasy style bar in the basement.

The hotel partners plan to add a neighborhood juice bar to the first floor, and because they are still in soft launch mode, they're offering discounted room rates through November 15th.

There's an Open House November 1st from 5-9 p.m.

The Gas Lamp Hotel | Instagram
140 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106

Artist Ken Lum snaps life on the streets with new exhibit 'Klump'
When accomplished artist of 40 years Ken Lum chose a medium for his current exhibit, he looked no further than his cell phone.

He took to the streets of Philadelphia and New York to photograph individuals in urban settings, while considering questions about what that person's life might be like.

The photos and questions are on display in the exhibit 'Klump'.

The exhibit runs now through November 24th at the art bookstore Ulises, located on the ground level of the art-centered apartment building Ray Philly in Kensington.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Ken Lum | Ulises at Ray Philly | Instagram
Studio 104
1525 N. American Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Wednesdays through Sundays, Noon-6 p.m.

Musical comedy puts historic Obama Presidency on stage
The acclaimed musical comedy '44 - THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL (As Told Through the Hazy Recollection of Joe Biden),' premieres in Philadelphia starting October 29th, bringing humor to politics in the thick of election season.

The show takes over the Suzanne Roberts Theater with a parody of the political landscape that existed during Barack Obama's tenure in the White House.

The music explores a variety of American genres and the goal is to inspire guests to get out and vote.

44 The Obama Musical | Facebook | Instagram
Suzanne Roberts Theater - October 29-November 3, 2024

Broadway musical 'Hamilton' set for 32-show run at Academy of Music
The 11-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical portrays the rise and fall of Alexander Hamilton.

"We're one of the few cities where you can see 'Hamilton' in the city where he actually lived," says Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations for Ensemble Arts Philly. "And it's just that great mixture of sort of history and hip-hop and the storytelling."

It marches back into Philadelphia for 32 shows at the Academy of Music.

"The amazing creation of Lin-Manuel Miranda," says Egler.

The Founding Fathers are portrayed by a diverse cast and the story is told through rap and R&B music.

"It tells the story through a different lens," says 'Hamilton' ensemble member Phillip Deceus.

The story is narrated by Hamilton's friend turned nemesis, Aaron Burr.

"You just can't even wrap your mind around how good and how dense, how smart, how perfectly directed, lit, choreographed - every part of it is a 10 out of 10," says actor Jarrod Spector.

Spector, an Abington native, is playing the role of King George III on Broadway.

He says not only is this piece of art so good, it's also "important in our world right now."

"It makes them less sort of, the statue that sits outside Independence Hall. It makes them a real person," says Egler.

The revolutionary musical features 47 songs, including 'My Shot'.

Deceus says during the song 'Hurricane,' it's revealed to the audience that Hamilton "has been up to no good."

"For better or worse, you see sort of everything that they went through," says Egler. "It's just this amazing perspective on what you do in your life, and then how it is remembered."

Ensemble Arts Philly is presenting 'Hamilton' October 29 through November 23 at the Academy of Music.

Hamilton | Tickets
Academy of Music
240 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102