Wok Wok Noodle House — Restaurant in New York

I see other reviewers had a good experience at Wok Wok Kitchen, but I was incredibly disappointed with them. Don't waste your time or money here.

I was one of a party of four who ate on a late (but quiet) Saturday afternoon. We ordered appetizers (roti, scallion roti, calamari, chicken wings, and fried pork dumplings) and one entree, a basil stone rice bowl with mild spiciness.

The roti was below average with little flavor. The dumplings and chicken wings were decent. The calamari came out much later, after the entrée had been served; which was weird.

I was the one who ordered the entrée, and it was so spicy that it made my lips, throat, and stomach burn. There was no other taste to the dish. It was just burn. That is not what mild should be.

I raised it to the waitress, but she either didn't understand me or ignored me. I raised it a second time and explicitly ordered roti as a substitute.

From then on, the quality of the service dropped: the waitstaff ignored our requests, left our empty dishes on the table, and did not refill our water glasses.

When we finally requested the check, it didn't come. Waiting. Waiting. Again and again we asked for it, despite the restaurant being nearly empty. When it did finally arrive, we saw they had removed the improperly spiced rice bowl from the bill (OK) and instead charged us for the substitute dish (OK).

However, after paying the check in cash (4% surcharge when paying with card), we were gathering our things to leave when the waitress came running back over and made a scene in front of other patrons claiming that we did not tip them and demanded a higher tip of 18% or more!!!

The irony is that we had already left a tip on the table-- which she hadn't even checked-- and which we left despite it not being deserved. Utter extortion.

There are plenty of other authentic Asian kitchens in Chinatown that are more affordable, have better tasting food, and have better service....

Wok Wok is truly one of the best hidden gems I’ve ever stumbled upon. Finding it is part of the adventure—it’s tucked away in an alley, down a staircase into what feels like a secret basement spot. But once you step inside, you’ll realize it’s absolutely worth the hunt.

I first came here years ago, and I was amazed to see that the quality is still just as exceptional today. And the prices? Honestly insane. You can get a full meal for about $12–15, which feels almost impossible in today’s world.

I highly recommend the Pad Kee Mao—it’s simply wow. I ordered it with their house-made char siu, marinated pork in Chinese BBQ sauce that’s sliced thin and tender, and it absolutely blew me away. The pork melts into the flat noodles, which are stir-fried to perfection. The flavors are so well-balanced—never too salty, too sweet, or too spicy. Instead, each bite feels layered and elegant, with subtle hints of basil weaving through. It’s like a flavor soundstage, where everything just pops in the right way.

Their Pad Thai is also a winner. The sweet-sour balance is spot on, and the shrimp version is fantastic (though you can pick any protein and it’ll still shine). Once again, that signature wok-fried flavor with just a touch of basil elevates the dish beautifully.

Beyond the food, the service is warm and friendly, and yes, they take cards. You can tell this is a local business that puts genuine care into what they do. Unfortunately, foot traffic dropped after COVID—not because the food declined, but simply because it’s such a hidden spot that many people don’t even know it exists.

If anything, dishes of this caliber belong in a higher-end restaurant, but Wok Wok is keeping it humble—and unbelievably affordable. Honestly, this is one of those places you’ll want to tell your friends about, but at the same time keep to yourself because it feels like a secret treasure.

Final verdict: Go find it. Order the Pad Kee Mao....

BEWARE: This is a CASH ONLY establishment, so make sure you have enough cash on you before you head in.

FOOD: amazing authentic Southeast Asia cuisine! I ordered the Roti Canai with Rendang sauce and it came with both the potato sauce AND the Rendang sauce. It was SUPERB! I had asked them to not make it too oily and they definitely delivered. Usually other places drench the roti in oil, but wok wok got it perfect. The curried were delicious too. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to dip the roti in so I kept "roti"ting 😉. For main course I ordered the Singaporean noodles with chicken and shrimp. They charged $3 extra for an extra protein, which was fine. The noodles were AMAZING!!! Way better than the noodles I had in Singapore or Malaysia itself! Idk how they did it, but Wok Wok managed to make southeast Asia cuisine better than the original countries itself! Super delicious! The noodles had a bit of spice to it, but nothing a cold Thai tea couldn't handle. Which btw, if you check in on Yelp or FB Messenger you get a free Thai tea. It was very refreshing. I didn't get any dessert because the portions we're so huge that I didn't have any space left. The noodles alone were enough for 2 people to share. Overall my total came to under $25 (!!!!) and I left with a huge to-go box full of noodles and a happy tummy.

SERVICE: It's a busy restaurant so it may take some time for the waiters to get to you. The staff is polite and understanding. They have call buttons at tables that rung whenever you need anything....