Business Spotlight: Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen
Erik Cheah (a.k.a. “Shamu”), founder of Wok Wok
Wok Wok Southeast
Asian Kitchen
134 Bowery St.
(917) 388-3627
ilovewokwok.com
Welcome to Chinatown is excited to spotlight Longevity Fund recipient Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen. Erik Cheah, one of the founders of Wok Wok, emigrated from Malaysia at the age of 15. After graduating from culinary school, he worked in some of the most well-known kitchens in the culinary scene, including Thomas Keller's Per Se. In 2015, Erik, together with his wife and brother, opened the restaurant to bring their childhood memories to life and to share Malaysian cooking with those who may not be familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine.
Tell us about yourself.
My friends call me “Shamu” because we used to watch a lot of Japanese shows, and my first name is pronounced “Isamu” in Japanese, which means “brave.” As first-generation immigrants from Penang, Malaysia, we wanted to open a restaurant specializing in Malaysian street food and traditional Southeast Asian dishes.
Shortly after high school graduation, I was very lucky to be accepted into The Art Institute of New York City as a full-time culinary student. After completing culinary school in 2010, I interned at Per Se under Michelin-starred Chef Jonathan Benno. I met my wife while working in restaurants in New York City. After a few years of working in the industry, we opened Wok Wok in the summer of 2015.
What inspired you to start your restaurant?
We missed the delicious flavors of our parents’ and grandparents’ home cooking. We loved eating home-cooked meals and wanted to share the food that we ate growing up with people who may not be familiar with Malaysian cuisine. Our goal is to make food that is so good that you can’t help but share it with your friends and family.
What are your favorite dishes from your menu?
My favorite dishes are White Curry Laksa (yellow egg noodles and rice vermicelli) and Penang Har Mee (prawn noodle soup). My parents used to own a food stall in Malaysia that sold noodle soup every morning at 6 am. Every bowl of White Curry Laksa and Penang Har Mee that we serve at Wok Wok takes me back to fond childhood memories.
“With our family’s help, we were able to keep the business going and started focusing more on our customers’ needs.”
How have you been faring with the impact of COVID?
We’ve remained open for business throughout all of COVID. When the shutdowns first happened, we worked with nonprofit groups to send food to hospitals and adult care centers in the city.
With our family’s help, we were able to keep the business going and started focusing more on our customers’ needs. For example, we started doing contactless delivery for customers who were in quarantine and couldn’t leave their homes to pick up food.
How has Welcome to Chinatown (WtC) helped your business?
Welcome to Chinatown helped spread the word about our business. As a result, we’ve been seeing an uptick in orders since we began working with WtC. They also provided many resources on how to apply for PPP programs and grants. We were able to use the Longevity Fund grant to build outdoor seating and alleviate some business expenses during the recent downturn.
“We are so appreciative of customers who spread the word about our restaurant — it helped keep our business open….”
What is a fun fact that most people don’t know about Wok Wok?
It’s hard for new customers to find our restaurant because we are located in a basement. However, once you step into our restaurant, the space is cozy, warm, and inviting. Wok Wok is your passport to Southeast Asia.
How can people support your business?
Our menu is pretty big, so there is something for every palate. Our business is all about happy customers coming back and recommending our food to their friends. Word of mouth is especially important in Chinatown since we don’t get a lot of visibility. We are so appreciative of customers who spread the word about our restaurant — it helped keep our business open during the pandemic. Please stop by and say hello.
To learn more about Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen’s history and story, visit our volunteer and content writer Alice Huang’s blog, HangryAlice.com, for the full interview.
Chinatown establishments like Wok Wok are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support to keep that spirit alive. Please consider donating to The Longevity Fund, our small business relief fund, or help us spread the word of what’s at stake. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and help keep Chinatown open for business.
Photo Credits: Fuxuan Xin
