Food > The Big Eat Out: or IN
Wok & Go // Food Review
14/05/14
THE GEN: Wok & Go occupies one of the spots in The Castle Mall’s upstairs food court. If you’re around my age, you’ll remember that piece of real estate fondly for being the place you’d retire to, to stuff your adolescent faces, after an unhealthy session of gazing across the upper floor of the Mall to see if there was anyone you fancied. Super salty, unnaturally coloured and gelatinous were the hallmarks of the old Asian food concession, but now there’s two to choose from. ‘Foodles’ seems to have taken up that old mantle, whereas the bright, clean façade of Wok & Go seems infinitely more welcoming. Still, when I was asked to go and review a ‘restaurant’ in a shopping centre, I have to confess to being the teeniest bit apprehensive…
ATMOSPHERE: Bright, artificial lights, buggies and formica seating blocks aren’t the usual hallmarks of a good dining establishment, but on the few seats along the side of the Wok & Go concession, you can turn your back on the brash shopping centre. At 2:30pm, the lunchtime rush is over, but the pans are still ready to wok ‘n’ roll. Sorry. I’ll make that the last wok pun. Maybe.
THE MAIN EVENT: Mee Gee Seafood Box // Combo Noodle Box // Nasi Rice Box From a dazzling list of noodle, rice, soup and salad options, a few well-placed questions from the Wok team got us to narrow down our choices. After ascertaining that a) I like spicy food and b) I’m a greedy fatty, they gave us mixture of popular dishes to try. The Mee Gee was hot in a flirtatious way; not full on, heavy petting, but delicate butterfly kisses of chilli. It was so jam-packed with meaty seafood that I thought there’d been a natural disaster and half of Lowestoft had washed ashore into my food box. In a REALLY good way. The Combo Noodle Box was like a tradish chow mein, which is no bad thing, and the Nasi Rice Box was my personal fave; fragranced rice, a real distinct taste of a blended Indonesian spice mix, and dotted generously with plump meat, prawns and fresh, crunchy broccoli. That was a huge indicator; having broccoli in a shopping mall that didn’t disintegrate like an old sponge was a real surprise, and it’s all to do with the flaming woks that are being wrestled with in front of you, for every order.
SIDES: Mixed Platter Ah, crispy things; they’re a staple in most Asian cuisines, and I love them for it. Whether it be veg, seafood or meat, when it’s wrapped in breadcrumbs or shatteringly thin wonton wrappers, they feel so naughty and nice every time. As well as the usual suspects (spring roll), Wok & Go serve the more imaginative Tung Tong (water chestnut, corn, chicken and coriander), which are delish.
VALUE: This is a real clincher. There are three sizes of box, between around £4-£7. I’d already been briefed that the boxes were microwave proof, so what you don’t eat, you can whisk away for tea, and with some left over from just a medium and small box, I had a healthy sized dinner that night. Plus it made me feel like Miranda from Sex and the City. I usually don’t allude towards adverts in the editorial, but there’s a 50% off offer in the back of Outline, and I heartily encourage you to use it.
OVERALL: Family and friends of mine will rejoice as I utter a phrase that rarely makes it passed my lips: I was wrong. I thought it’d be stodge and MSG, but I was presented with diversely-flavoured, hot, fresh, food made to order. I could have swapped rice for noodles, prawns for corn, I could have ramped up the heat, because the cooking only started when I placed my order. Yes, it’s on the top floor of the Mall, but take your food out. Sit in the Castle Gardens and munch happily on the grass where you once got to second base.