wokcano: firing on all cylinders
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One a recent weekday evening, my friend and I decided to enjoy a light dinner on the town. I had been meaning to try Wokcano, but knowing that it is a chain restaurant, I was expecting something a little, um, how shall I say this… bland and unimaginative?
I am sorry for ever thinking that — our experience was spot on!
Arriving at 6:00pm, the place was obviously popular with the after-work crowd. A few early diners dotted the tables and booths. The zen-rustic decor of rich dark wood and clean, elegant lines was warm and relaxing, even sensuous. A fresh orchid blossom at each table added an element of beauty.
I can imagine Shinto priests and grass-skirted hula dancers looking equally at home in Wokcano, which is a difficult thing to pull off. In contrast to the flurry of activity in the Financial District, Wokcano seemed an oasis of serenity (at least at that time).
I have never been to any of the other Wokcano locations, but sitting in our Downtown restaurant I could not imagine this place being part of a cookie-cutter chain such as California Pizza Kitchen or The Cheesecake Factory. It has a certain lived-in feeling, which is only bolstered by the efficiency and familiarity with which the staff performed their duties.
Wokcano hasn’t been open long but it is already a well-run machine. I was particularly impressed by how everyone worked together so harmoniously. Our server was courteous, knowledgeable, efficient, and acknowledged everything with a smile. He was never far away, and we never felt rushed either. I am sure the floor managers were keeping an eagle eye on the situation, but they were as inconspicuous as ninjas in the cover of night.
My dining companion ordered the Volcano Roll, amply named for the spot of spicy sauce atop a perfectly seared piece of sticky, sweet tender eel on top of a shrimp tempura roll. It was a burst of friendly fire in your mouth with each bite with a touch of decadence (fried and sweet equals yum). Loved it!
I ordered the mixed sashimi salad with a glass of Columbia Crest “Two Vines” Gewurztraminer (Washington State).
My salad was incredibly light and satisfying, and came with a generous portion of very fresh sashimi. The Japanese soy dressing was tasty, yet delicate enough that it didn’t compete with the slices of raw fish. The Gewurztraminer had a wonderful granny smith apple flavor, but it lacked sufficient alcohol content to give much of a bite. Still, it was delicious.
In my opinion, the prices are a little high but you do get a lot for the value: high quality food, top notch service, and an elegant yet casual dining environment.
Wokcano is an excellent choice for dinner Downtown, and I would eat there more often if my pocketbook allowed. I’m sure many others feel the same way. If you can eat there on the company’s dime, by all means do.
Wokcano delivers to all the Downtown neighborhoods for a $20 minimum order and $2.50 delivery fee.
Wokcano Cafe
800 W 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Open until 2:00am daily
213-623-2288
wokcanocafe.com
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9 comments
i wonder if they’ve actually started delivery yet. we tried to order after getting a mailer trumpeting their delivery, but then called and they were not actually delivering. oops!
yum. i could eat there tonight…
uh, jim, they do deliver - we’ve ordered delivery from them for dinner since that first time we called.
now get off the computer and go fix dinner!
I’ve never been impressed with any of the offerings at Wockano. Most of the sashimi is paste-y and has that “day-old” feel to it. Maybe that’s why all the rolls are dressed in such heavy sauces and spices.
i agree with the above comment - the sushi leaves a lot to be desired. if you’re accustomed to sushi on ventura blvd. [katsu-ya anyone?], this won’t come close. but the thing i like about wokano is that they have chinese as well, which wasn’t too shabby. again, no yang chow, but since i can call and order and walk there to pick up, i’ll be a semi-regular visitor.
i ate there expecting but hoping it didnt have the pasadena vibe, and i was not disapointed. the food was delishusssss, initial service was a lil slow, but once our order was taken the food came pretty quick. it was very tasty and the decor was nice, tho a lil too dark. i will def go back and take friends. ummm triangle roll! try that one it wil blow you away.
I’ve dined there twice and both times were met with good service and very good food. I’m not a sushi person and I approach it as a general Asian restaurant, which probably helps my outlook. For not liking sushi, I experimented and tried one of their signature rolls (can’t remember what it was called) but I liked it—this is a good place to bring that friend that doesn’t care for, or won’t try, sushi. The dumplings and a beef dish were great. The prices were not as high as I had expected. The only drawback, which seems de rigeur for any new, modern space is the noise level—bad acoustics go hand-in-hand with modern architecture. I love that happy hour office workers go there but I really don’t need to hear them way up front while I’m sitting way in the back. The 3 of us had to yell across the table to be heard, which wasn’t really so bad because we enjoy energy, but it kind of wrecks the whole zen thing.
It certainly sounds like a positive experience, which would be a welcome change from the Wokcano off of 3rd and Bixel. I wasn’t a fan of any of the 6 Chinese dishes I tried, but I may be spoiled from living in Chinatown and occasionally playing golf in Monterey Park. I suppose I should try some of the crazy rolls folks seem to enjoy…
I had to chime in on this one…I ordered food from Wokcano yesterday: Pad Thai, Kung Pao Chicken and Orange Chicken. It was absolutely inedible! I have eaten at other Wokcanos and found the food to be above “okay” for a chain. Nothing too mind blowing. But the Downtown home delivery I received yesterday was something I chucked in the trash. The Kung Pao was as bland as can be, even though the menu said it was “spicy”. I’m not one of those people who need their food so hot you can’t taste it, but I certainly expected SOME flavor. The Pad Thai was a bland, coagulated ball of tasteless noodles with an overcooked scrambled egg on top. The whole thing was dry and horrible. Moving on to the Orange Chicken, or should I say, Orange Jerky. It was dried up chunks of chicken that were so hard, when I tried to eat one, I looked like I was going to town on a rawhide bone! I was so disappointed that I called to talk to the Manager. He was very polite and offered me a credit for the next time I came there. I told him I wouldn’t use it because I was never going to go there again. I politely explained that I have eaten at other Wokcanos and that his was not even in the ball park. He then told me he would credit my credit card for two of the items. That was a fair resolution I felt. So, unfortunately I can’t recommend the Downtown one at all. Oh, the brown rice was good. (Always end on a positive note!)
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