The curious case of Wok On In

By Ken Miller (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009 | midnight

1. Elotes. We’re all for corn on the cob, but why drench it in mayo, parmesan cheese and powdered red pepper? Seriously, eww.

2. Fried jalapenos ... served on a bed of white rice. No dipping sauce.

3. The side salad, consisting of mushrooms, raw broccoli and lettuce, is a great salad—with no dressing in sight.

4. Ketchup. Served to us; for what purpose, we had no idea.

5. A total lack of instruction. The do-it-yourself bowls seem simple enough ... until you start considering which—and at what quantity—sauces to pour over your meats and vegetables. No sampling spoons? Gotta say, the taciturn waitstaff wasn’t helpful in guiding us through our maiden voyage.

Then again, we didn’t leave totally unhappy ...

1. Sesame flatbread. Fresh, with a pleasing texture and taste.

2. The Mongolian pocket with Kublai chicken. Cooked with vegetables and cheese and sealed in a large piece of flatbread, much like a calzone. (Though, prepare to wait a bit for it.)

3. The “chips.” Very much like those crispy noodle thingies you get with most any Chinese-food order, drizzled with a sweet sauce. Terrific.

4. The bowls. Lots of fresh veggies to choose from, and the freeze-dried meats taste better than they first look. With time, we could probably come up with a great concoction to hand off to the guys manning the circular cooking slab.