Customize your meal at South Elgin's Wok n' Hot
Diners at the new contemporary Wok n' Hot in South Elgin will find themselves squarely in the driver's seat thanks to its fully customizable Chinese menu.
The attractive, modern space provides elbow room for customers at booths and banquettes plus, weather permitting, on an adjoining patio. Its owner-operator is chef Carrie Thomason, who is the wife of Jim Thomason, Grand Victoria Casino's general manager.
To start, Wok n' Hot's full bar dispenses a tidy selection of reasonably priced wines by the glass or bottle and assorted beers — craft and major domestic labels — bottled and on tap. Check out its vodka, tequila, rum and rum-based signature cocktails.
Wok n' Hot offers a selection of nine appetizers, including its made-fresh-daily pot stickers, which are good examples of the cuisine. The four pan-seared dumplings were thicker than usually encountered (that's a good thing), and the stuffing was a rich mix of ground pork, celery and scallions. Sesame-ginger dipping sauce nicely complemented this appetizer.
Also available were egg rolls, fried won ton, coconut-fried shrimp and tempura-battered deep-fried calamari. In addition, diners can start with eggdrop, won ton, or hot-and-sour soup or three dinner-size salads.
Each of Wok n' Hot's 13 entrees — varying from house special, Kung Pao and sweet and sour to black bean, orange and sesame — come with white or brown rice and a choice of tofu ($10.25), skinless chicken breast ($11.95), Angus flank steak ($12.95) or shrimp ($14.75).
Two main courses sampled during a recent visit were respectable. The ingredients tasted fresh, and portions were ample enough for sharing or stockpiling in take-away containers for future consumption.
Mongolian shrimp was cooked in a wok in a spicy brown sauce with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, scallions, bean sprouts and seared chili pods. Oddly, several shrimp still had their tails left on.
A fellow diner had a positive experience with her garlic chicken prepared with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini and water chestnuts in a well-seasoned sauce.
We upgraded to the pork fried rice as an accompaniment.
Optional sides included crispy tempura batter-fried green beans, roasted brussels sprouts, lo mein noodles and a mix of tempura vegetables.
Almond cookies dipped in chocolate, fried bananas with caramel sauce, Asian doughnuts tossed in cinnamon sugar and chocolate brownie sundaes are among dessert possibilities. But it was the ginger ice cream with candied walnuts and caramel that caught my attention. This treat came with a serving of two scoops of creamy delight — not too sweet and full of flavor.
Give credit to management for its forthrightness in stating that the restaurant is not peanut-, shellfish- or gluten-free and that while its kitchen doesn't use MSG, some ingredients used may contain trace amounts.
As for the ambience, overly bright recessed ceiling lights compete with the attractive illumination from Edison bulbs in hanging blue glass fixtures. Also, the volume on the recorded pop music sound track was more than ample. Toning down both would immediately enhance the space.
• Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of restaurants it cannot recommend.
Wok n' Hot
464 Redington Drive, South Elgin, (847) 695-5003
<b>Cuisine:</b> Contemporary Chinese
<b>Setting:</b> Modern space
<b>Entrees:</b> $11.95 to $14.75
<b>Hours:</b> 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday