Chinese Wok Express — Restaurant in Columbia Township

Update: 08/04/2021 - Everything about the order I received today was very different from the first time, from the garlic chicken to the egg roll to the plain fried rice. Definitely not as tasty. The rating will drop one star for inconsistency. On the plus side, someone actually picked up the phone when I called to order.

Original: April 2021 I'm pretty torn about this review. We've ordered takeout three times. The chicken fried rice and plain fried rice may be the best in town while the egg rolls place second in the category and first for the style. The chicken with garlic sauce was exactly how I like it.

On top of that, the prices are incredibly reasonable. For $7, I received a container with enough chicken fried rice to last me three meals, two if I were really hungry.

However, my husband's beef and broccoli and spicy chicken (two different orders) were barely edible. Most of those two dishes were thrown away and he was left hungry.

Also, the customer service is horrendous. I think they may be understaffed. The phone rings and rings when trying to place a to go order. We usually call in orders as we are leaving the house, but managed to arrive at the restaurant with no answer. Once inside, I waited for a very long time to order and they didn't have some of the items on the menu. I'm not sure if they were out or if the items had been discontinued. Luckily, the food came out quickly.

The lady at the counter turned off the open sign as I left. The restaurant was supposed to be open for another half an hour.

Finally, the inside of the restaurant is pretty worn/dirty-looking and may be...

The Wok Express has two menus. One offers standard American-style Chinese food. The other offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine. There's nothing wrong with the Chinese food, but the Wok Express excels at Vietnamese food. The spring rolls--aka "Goi Cuon"--should be tried first and are the best rolls in Columbia. After that, diners can choose from soups, noodle or rice dishes, and house specialties. The Com Bi Cha is steamed rice with shredded pork and vegetables in nuoc nom, i.e., fish sauce. (Don't worry--fish sauce isn't fishy at all. In fact, it's very clean and crisp and is quite refreshing on a hot day when coupled with vegetables.) My cousin tried the Bun Tom Nuong, or rice noodles with shrimp and vegetables and fish sauce, and it's now one of her favorite dishes in Columbia. Although I'm fond of the Com Bi Cha, I have also tried the Bun Ga Xao, i.e., hot and spicy stir-fried chicken and noodles. It's delicious, but avoid it if you don't like spicy hot food.

Finally, the Wok Express also serves St. Paul sandwiches, i.e., egg foo young patties on white bread with mayonnaise, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. It's a simple item, but the Wok Express does it especially well. So if you visit, I recommend first trying the spring rolls and a St. Paul sandwich. Then check out the Vietnamese side of the menu for some excellent...

2024 UPDATE ON CHINESE WOK EXPRESS: this restaurant changed owners as of 2024. The menu is the same, the food tastes completely different and is a huge downgrade from the previous owners.

PROS: same big size portions, same cheap prices, still crispy chicken

CONS: the flavors are so much worse. This is not the same restaurant. The cashew chicken is now essentially flavorless and the sweet and sour chicken tastes like an orange sauce. Even the crab rangoons are smaller and somehow noticeably less flavorful.

This used to be the best Chinese food ever and now it is completely average. This is a huge loss. I used to come to this restaurant weekly and now would only go if I had a terminal craving for Chinese food. Anyone who has been to this restaurant before will notice a huge difference in...