King Wok (817-492-0088, limited Eastside delivery area) opened in November in the former Rickshaw Chinese Restaurant space in the small shopping strip at Woodhaven Boulevard and I-30, though for some reason Chow, Baby didn’t get a flier on its West Meadowbrook doorknob until last week. Perfect timing, as it happens.
Chow, Baby’s habitual spring cold, which to draw maximal sympathy is always referred to as the Martian Death Flu, came early this year, forcing Chow, Baby to the fainting couch with three boxes of Kleenex, seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and nothing tempting in the fridges. King Wok’s menu wasn’t that tempting at first glance, either: your basic American-style Chinese take-out fare like sweet and sour pork, chop suey, and moo goo gai pan. But this otherwise perfect neighborhood has few delivery options, so Chow, Baby feebly picked up the phone.
Just 20 minutes later, Chow, Baby was cruising along recovery road, driven by rich, soothing won ton soup (large $1.50), which paved the way for hearty, velvety corn soup with chicken (very large $2.95) and then even semi-solids: slippery steamed potstickers (six for $2.95) with a fresh-ginger aftertaste. A few more days on the King Wok diet taught Chow, Baby that most of the 32 luncheon specials (each under $5, with fried rice and egg roll) are a slight cut above your average American Chinese glop – the sweet and sour sauce isn’t diabetic-coma-inducing, the “spicy” dishes actually do have a bit of bite, and the fried rice has flavor beyond “brown.” The real surprises, though, are the entrées (most around $6.75) and house specials (topping out at $8.95), which are just what the doctor ordered: tender meats, fresh seafood, and crisp vegetables in delicate sauces – health food compared to Chow, Baby’s other dine-in-its-jammies option, hitting the Whataburger drive-thru. A king-sized portion of King Wok’s Shrimp ($7.95), lightly stir-fried with colorful veggies, carried Chow, Baby the last few steps to wellness … but it can’t wait to get illin’ again.
Getting Which You Pay For
The part of Chow, Baby that thrills to multiple-choice tests and the part that throws hissy fits over unrequested mustard don’t usually overlap, but both were captivated by Which Wich (6115 Camp Bowie Blvd.). This sandwich chain is the Southwest Airlines of fast food: cheap, efficient, an awe-inspiring display of intelligent design. The way it works, you grab a sandwich bag and a red Sharpie; on the sandwich bag are printed all the ingredients anyone could possibly want, and you bubble in the ones you want with the Sharpie. After you pay (a measly $5.10, a bit extra for avocado or bacon), your bag serves as the order ticket for the assembly-line guys. Theoretically – and in practice, on Chow, Baby’s visits – you’ll get your sandwich exactly the way you like it.
The hitch is, the sandwiches are about what you’d expect from a fast-food assembly line. The “fried shrimp” on Chow, Baby’s “po-boy” were seafood-scented nuggets of glue; the “cheese-steak” would have been a joke but for the real Cheez Whiz. Stick with the basic deli cuts to get the most out of Which Wich’s freedom of choices: If you really want a pastrami on wheat with pepper jack, honey mustard, A.1. sauce, ketchup, jalapeños, sauerkraut, and oregano, that’s exactly how you’ll get it.
Contact Chow, Baby at chowbaby@fwweekly.com
