When Point Breeze resident Bonnary Lek, 46, first moved to the neighborhood in 2023, a neighbor told her that at the corner of 17th and Wharton Streets, “there’s an Asian couple who makes the best chicken sandwich in Philadelphia.” This particular sandwich has found fame in Point Breeze and far beyond, primarily through word-of-mouth.
Some people refer to the store, which has no visible signage, as Mrs. Lee’s. Even Lek and her fiancé, Manong sous chef Juan De Ocampo, cannot agree on what to call the store. De Ocampo swears it’s “Jimmy’s.” Credit card receipts read “Kim Woa Store,” a name which is strikingly similar to another South Philly fried chicken sandwich institution, Kim Woo Store, which is at the corner of 19th and Moore Streets.
Whatever the name of the store is, it’s an ordinary corner store with uneven linoleum floors laid with mismatched tiles, soda bottles lining the shelves along with single rolls of toilet paper and canned soup. Extremely neat, if a bit shabby.
Longtime regulars drive in from New Jersey, Delaware, and as far south as North Carolina — mostly former Point Breeze residents who need their chicken sandwich fix. TikTok has brought customers as far away as Canada.
The store is owned by Lynda Cong, 50, and Jimmy Cong, 53. They met in Philly in the early 2000s, after Lynda came to the area to study public health at Stockton University. Both the Congs are southern Chinese, but came from Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. They speak to their children (the two younger ones help out in the store, and two older ones are grown) in Cantonese.
A customer, before he moved away seven years ago, presented the Congs with a custom sign that reads: “The Best Chicken Sandwich in Philly.” It hangs in the spotless, stainless steel kitchen, facing the interior of the store.
Above the kitchen window: a handwritten menu with prices scratched out.
The Congs took the store over from Jimmy’s sister “between 10 and 15 years ago,” according to Lynda, when the sister retired. Jimmy’s sister was known as “Mrs. Lee” and she first opened the store in 1986. “Kim Woa” is an older Romanization of the Cantonese phrase “gam waa,” which translates literally to “golden splendor” and means “prosperity.”
“Golden” is apt, as it accurately describes the fried breading on the sandwich, which costs $9 and consists of two chicken breast cutlets, thickly breaded with a super crunchy exterior. Ordering it “with everything” means that it comes with pickles, mayo, onion, tomato, and lettuce, laid on two slices of potato bread.
Earlier this year, a few TikTok influencers also discovered the sandwich, though it has still hardly reached the point of virality. The chicken sandwich whisper network, however, did prompt me to get one.
After one bite, I promptly texted my editor, “I hit the chicken sandwich jackpot.”
The wings are improbably juicy, with the same crispy breading and are perhaps even more delectable than the famous chicken sandwich. “It’s just salt, pepper, flour, water, and garlic powder,” said Lynda, who has met this sudden interest in the sandwich with amusement. The Congs now sell about 50 of the sandwiches every day; they say the interest has only somewhat affected daily sales.
The sandwich and the wings (three for $5 or six for $9.60), along with a massive array of salads, cheesesteaks, hoagies, wraps, and fried rice, emerge from a highly polished and well-scrubbed stainless steel kitchen. (You can order things that aren’t even on the menu. You can order whatever you’d like in a wrap.)
Over the years, the Congs have watched the neighborhood around them evolve. They’ve added most of the menu items to meet new demands and new tastes. But the chicken sandwich has stayed the same.
Kim Woa Store, 1300 S 17th St, 215-463-5426, Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
