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Legit latelatelate-night delivery from Chinatown Express
The mysterious Chinatown Express services a host of regulars who order everything from spring rolls to cheesesteaks in those early-morning hours.
Legit latelatelate-night delivery from Chinatown Express
At 3 a.m., I don't always have the heart (or the wherewithal) to bike to Chinatown and acquire the shrimp lo mein my body demands. I'm clearly not the only one in this predicament, as the mysterious Chinatown Express services a host of drunk regulars who order everything from spring rolls to cheesesteaks in those early-morning hours.
The Express, whom we at Meal Ticket became familiar with after randomly finding a flier stuck into an ATM, is a one-man show (he won't share his name with us). The system is simple — as long as a Philly restaurant is open late, he'll deliver its food to you. Say I needed that lo mein but couldn't make it to C-Town; I would simply call the restaurant and place my order, paying for it over the phone with a credit card. Then I would call Chinatown Express, give him the details and he would have the food at my door in less than an hour. If the restaurant doesn't take cards, the Express is sometimes willing to cover the cost pre-delivery, but only if he trusts you; if not (he's got a sixth sense about this — he's been at it for 27 years), he'll come get your cash prior to pickup.
Chinatown Express services the area between Vine and Federal, river to river ("nice neighborhoods," as he puts it), Tuesday to Thursday from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.; and Sunday from 6 p.m. to midnight. Delivery fees vary. He would charge $8, for example, to deliver to me on Washington Avenue, a number that might increase based on factors like order size and restaurant location.
If you're reading this and thinking copying his business model would be a great scheme, be warned — the Express knows you want to steal his idea, and he's "prepared for that completely." If you're simply looking to become a customer, give him a ring, but not just to chat like I did. Our conversation ended abruptly after he said, "Call me when you're hungry, OK?"
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