Café Wang Chinese Fusion & Bar — Restaurant in La Verne

Arrived yesterday evening for dinner and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a live band on Friday night, our first time here, I only wished that the band was indoors so everyone could enjoy it rather than the outdoor patio area only, this location has a such a huge layout with empty space that they could fit a small stage and still have room for patrons. We ordered drinks and appetizers and it took a while to get our drinks, our food came before our appetizers and we were told that the chef gave our appetizers to another guest because he got confused? So our food was served first then we got our appetizers 😒 our favorite dishes were the green beans and the garlic cucumber's they were amazing, the orange chicken was very dry and we ordered pork in spicy sauce that was sooooo SALTY we couldn't eat them. They have a tasty old fashion made with basil Hayden. As we waited for our food to arrive we were being bit by mosquitoes and we were inside, one of the waitresses decided to open both front doors even though they had a nice cool AC going, that's the reason for the mosquitoes which were attracted to the giant fish tank they have inside. We might return for the drinks and green beans but that's a "might". The entertainment should definitely be enjoyed inside on a hot summer day. Prices for the food were in the $20+ range...

I came here with my mom after an appointment and saw that they had xiao long bao on their menu. We got xiao long bao ($13), chicken chow mein ($16), popcorn chicken ($9), Mongolian beef ($23), hot and sour soup ($6 for a small), and sauteed green bean ($18).

The xiao long bao had a thin wrapper but it was a bit dry. It was seasoned nicely and it came with a small dish of black vinegar to dip into. The chow mein was ok, it had a good amount of chicken and it was light on the seasoning. I did like the popcorn chicken which was crispy and had a good portion size, it did remind me of Taiwanese style popcorn chicken at boba drink places. It came with a side of sweet chili sauce. The sauteed green beans were cooked enough and not too salty. The small size of hot and sour soup was good for two people, broth was nicely seasoned. The Mongolian beef ($23) was tender with chunks of jalapenos, bell peppers, and sliced onions. Lots of bits of dried chili in it, the spice level was not hot.

The staff was nice, we went there an hour before closing and everything came quickly. They do have a bar and the lighting...

Not a great first impression. Ordered 2 dishes for take out: pork fried rice, Mapo tofu. Ended up throwing away one dish, and had to season the other for enjoyment.

Ordered ahead via phone. 15 minute pick up time was good. Upon arrival, I waited about 10 minutes to be greeted as there were no staff members up front.

The food... For the record, Mapo tofu is a favorite dish of mine, and my significant other. The Mapo Tofu here had a very thick, heavy chili oil which really washed out the flavors, and created am unenjoyable texture. Myself and my significant other couldn't eat it. Had to toss it. Got the impression the chili oils and tofu were not cooked together. Tofu was really blan, and the chili did not mix well.

The fried rice was decent. The fried rice was either blan, or our pallets were disrupted from the Mapo Tofu. I had to add salt to enjoy the fried rice.

Honestly, I would give a 1 star, but I haven't tried all their dishes. To be frank, I don't know if I would want to return. Maybe one day, after some...