Boston's Hidden Restaurants
Search by CuisineSearch by RegionSearch by CostFeaturesPhotosBlogAboutHome
Facebook Twitter Google+ Boston Restaurant Talk

Boston Restaurant Blog >> 2010 archives >> May, 2010 >> blog entry

Boston Restaurant Blog -- May, 2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Dinner at The Wok in Wellesley

Years ago, I used to frequent countless Chinese-American restaurants (often late at night), pigging out on chicken fingers, spare ribs, lo mein, teriyaki steak, fried rice, and moo shi pork. These days, I find myself going to more authentic Chinese dining spots more often, but every now and then, I'll end up dining out on comfort food, Chinese-style, much as I did one night last week at The Wok in Wellesley.

photo of The Wok, Wellesley, MA Located in a squat commercial building on what basically amounts to an on-ramp onto Route 9 near Route 128 and the Newton border, The Wok is in a rather odd spot that is nearly invisible to folks driving on this often-hectic road. The building itself has a slightly tired and old look from the outside, though the interior is relatively pleasant, with carpeting, large booths, and lighting that isn't overly harsh. Partly because of its location near several mostly residential suburbs, and also because of the large tables inside the place, The Wok seems especially popular with parents looking for a place to go with their children. The menu at The Wok seems to focus on Chinese-American food, with an emphasis on Szechuan fare.

On our visit to The Wok last week, we arrived early in the evening and the place was nearly empty (though by the time we left, it was very nearly full). We were promptly seated at a window table and started out with a couple of soups. The hot and sour soup was thick and goopy, with more sweetness than heat coming from it. Oddly enough, the hot and sour wonton soup seemed better balanced, with a nice amount of heat within the soup and tender wontons filled with tasty pork. Just as we were finishing our soups, our main dishes arrived, with the moo shi chicken being the highlight of the entire meal by far. The pieces of chicken were tender, the shredded vegetables tasted fresh, and the plum sauce added a rich, sweet flavor to the veggies and the meat, which were stuffed into ultra-thin pancakes. Unfortunately, the angel hair rice noodles with chicken and vegetables was bland, with no heat and little in the way of seasoning. And the clumpy pork fried rice was the type I remember from so many late-night Chinese takeout places, with a good amount of soy sauce giving the rice that signature brown color, and the pork having the red glaze that typically comes from using Ah-So sauce. Prices for our food were moderate, and service was mostly friendly and efficient.

The Wok more or less filled a need for Americanized Chinese food, though I'm not sure it really stood out among all the Chinese-American restaurants out there. I would certainly go back for their moo shi chicken, and perhaps would try some of their other dishes, but I'm probably not in a huge rush to return to the place.

If you would like the address for The Wok, here it is: The Wok, 180 Worcester Street (Route 9), Wellesley, MA, 02481. Phone: (781) 235-0238

Wok on Urbanspoon

Related Blog Entries: Chinese restaurants

2 COMMENTS:
mde said:
I have been going to the Wok off and on for over 20 years; consistently above average with good ownership...and some of the best Peking Duck in the Boston area.
Posted on 5/25/10
Chris Doyle said:
The Wok is an institution. The owners really care about food. Once had a bill there with over 64 Zombies....and that's not counting those of us that ate there.
Posted on 12/3/10

Note: Comments have now been closed for this blog entry.