Business Spotlight: Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen
Tell us about your business! What inspired you to start your restaurant?
I started Wok Wok with my brother in summer of 2015. We were born and raised in our hometown, Penang, Melaysia. Penang is recognized by the world as one of the famous places to go for street food, so naturally finding and eating good street food spots has been one of my favourite things to do.
Besides scouting for good food, nothing beats my grandma’s and dad’s cooking. They both have the traditional cooking techniques mastered. When creating the menu for Wok Wok, I listed out my favourite childhood dishes and asked my grandma and dad as my mentors for the recipes.
I also graduated from a culinary art school in 2010 and interned with Per Se, a Michelin three-star restaurant and one of New York and the world’s most iconic fine dining establishments. By using some French techniques I learned, I have been able to bring out flavors of Southeast Asian even more for everyone to taste.
How have you been faring with the impact of COVID?
Thanks to local neighbours, essential workers and Welcome to Chinatown, people have been ordering food which has helped us stay afloat during COVID. Since most of the restaurants in the area were closed during PAUSE, we got a lot of new and returning customers during that period of time. I’m also very lucky and honored to have such a group of dedicated employees who were willing to come out to keep the restaurant up and running every day during the hard times.
What are some of your favorite dishes to make from your menu?
My favorite dishes I love to cook from wok station are Pad Kee Mao and Char Kway Teow. From the soup station, I love to make Penang Har Mee.
What is your favorite childhood dish made by your grandma or dad?
My dad used to run a famous curry laksa noodle shop back in Malaysia. Imagine that’s what I would smell and see everyday when I was growing up! Naturally it became one of my favorite staple dishes.
What do you think the future of Chinatown looks like?
Chinatown has a lot to offer for everyone, especially the variety of different cultures of food to explore in the area. Even just within the Asian grocery markets, it excites me. I am hopeful Chinatown will be back to normal once COVID has passed. As New Yorkers, we don't give up on anything easily. We solve things, and get things done, all the time, period.
How can people support your business?
We are soon rolling out a new menu this coming Fall season to welcome everyone back to dining with us. We are also going to host a BOGO (Buy One Get One) promotion to give back to the community to celebrate reopen for dine in. More info will be available on our website and Facebook page.
