The Sprout

Wok To Walk Review

Postiwyd gan Dan (Sub-Editor) o Caerdydd - Cyhoeddwyd ar 01/10/2008 am 16:38
5 sylwadau » - Tagiwyd fel Bwyd a Diod

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WORDS: Daniel Grosvenor /?PICS: Paul Tinworth (Youth Editorial Group)

Wok To Walk
90 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1DW
www.woktowalk.com
Rating: 5/5

"Wok to Walk is not fast food; it's food served quickly. There's a big difference," franchise owner Zishan assures me as he prepares a meal in about the time it takes to pour a pint. "We're about quick, healthy, hot food. Each meal is cooked for an individual rather than made in huge quantities and crammed into containers." The fact that I can see what's going into my food, and none of it's coming out a tin or a freezer, means it's already surpassed most places on Caroline Street in terms of hygiene and nutritional value, and I haven't even tried it yet.

You probably haven't heard of Wok to Walk. That's because it's a 'chic city franchise': their other stores are in London, New York and Amsterdam. They specialise in rice and noodles, and you choose your own ingredients. It's like Subway, but with fresh food and articulate staff. Unlike Subway, you choose your ingredients from a menu, so there's no dilemma of pointing at things through glass and hoping they are what they look like. There's plenty of choice for vegetarians (9 of the 12 fillings are meat free) and it's all Halal.

When you get your meal ? which doesn't take long ? it arrives in a portable container, although there is ample room inside the building (with plans to expand this even further) so whether you eat in or out is completely up to you. There are no plates and the chopsticks (or forks, for the less adventurous) are inclusive, so nothing is tying you to the restaurant should you need to leave in a hurry. The containers only come in one size: big. So big, in fact, that I couldn't finish mine. Problem? Nope. I carried it home in its box and microwaved the rest for supper. For under a fiver I got two delicious, healthy, filling meals that I could expect to pay upwards of £20 for in an upmarket restaurant. Wok to Walk assures great value for money, while (and this is where they're unique) still ensuring the food is healthy and tastes good. They haven't seen the last of me, that's for sure.

The food was great, and I completely agree with Zishan's comment that it "isn't fast food": this is restaurant quality food at a fast-food price. Instead of feeling guilty about eating unhealthily, you leave feeling guilty that they've undercharged you. I would recommend choosing more than one filling, both because they taste great and because they're so cheap: the most expensive filling on the menu was £1.30, and the cheapest was 30p. I'd also advise using the optional fork, particularly if drunk.

Wok to Walk opened on Monday. They are open 12 noon till "quite late".