My night at Hop Sing Laundromat -

Philly’s newest bar isn’t quite a “secret” anymore. However, it does have a secret location! In the heart of Chinatown is Hop Sing Laundromat, just look for the silver gate with the blue light and no signage whatsoever.

Without giving too much away, because I truly want you to love this bar as much as I do, there is a strict dress code, have a good reason to go in, and once you are in – yes, the rumors are true – you do have to sit in the foyer and hear the rules from the owner himself, Lee!

The décor is beyond interesting. The foyer is made up of clustered shelves of books, vintage signs, and Campbells soup cans. Inside the main room, the bar top itself is made of nickels worth over $700. The music was unexpected and great! The songs varied from Stevie’s Superstition, The Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper, and Fun, Fun, Fun by the Beach Boys.

The sophisticated drinks are just amazing and amazingly strong. Each specialty cocktail has at least 2 ounces of liquor in it. I had a rum daiquiri consisting of 6-year-old rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. My second cocktail, per Lee’s recommendation, was the Screwdriver. It consisted of Double Cross Vodka and freshly extracted orange juice. I would also recommend the Whiskey Smash, which is Elijah Craig 12-year -old bourbon, muddled lemon, and mint.

Hop Sing is all about privacy! Which means no pictures allowed. I’m not going to lie… I tried to sneak a few in the beginning but then I thought, “I respect the rules and love the suspense of it all.” They also respect your space. All tables are exactly 32 inches apart from each other and every customer must have a seat either at the bar or at a table which means no overcrowding.

For more information you can follow them on Twitter (@hopsinglaundry) or visit their website (http://hopsinglaundromat.com/) .