An aroma of eastern spices constantly lingers at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Market Street thanks to the Asian modern mix at J. Wok. This clean and casual East Village restaurant is easy to find, and if the smell doesn’t draw in diners, the 4.5 foot wide swinging wooden door will.
Dim, IKEA-style hanging lights illuminate the 30-seat restaurant while soft indie rock echoes softly throughout the space. From high, steel bar counters, customers can peer through full-length windows and watch the hustle of downtown. If a more intimate dinner is desired, diners can cuddle up in a cozy bench at one of many dark oak tables. For a quiet dinner and an attentive, cheerful server, this place is perfect on a weekday night. However, marketing and events coordinator Vanda Smittant said the place is popping Friday through Sunday.
Weekend service aside, most of the food is spectacular. The Thai iced tea with boba was refreshingly sweet and creamy and would put pep in anyone’s step. Traditional hot green tea is served in adorable ceramic elephant teapots and simple, circular teacups.
The Asian tapas could be described as traditional Korean food with a twist and range from $2.25 to $3.75. The papaya salad is a mixture of young, green papaya, shredded carrots and sliced tomatoes tossed in a light peanut sauce. The Sea Monster consisted of perfectly cooked octopus on a bed of delicate, purple seaweed and lettuce. It was hard to decide if these small plates looked or tasted better.
For a main course, traditional Asian food including Pad Thai, chow mein and poultry sautéed in curry and Kung Pao sauces are available from $7.25 to $12.25. The J. Wok Spicy Noodles are absolutely amazing. The chow mein was thick, well cooked and infused with a wide assortment of crispy, bright vegetables, chicken, beef and shrimp.
Guests who are burned out on traditional Asian cuisine should have no fear; they can mix it up with an Asian sandwich, barbecue selection or a Crispy Roll starting at $8.75. The Crispy Roll necessitates explanation: It is a large wonton roll the size of an el Trujillo’s Taco Shop burrito packed with rice and the customer’s choice of yellow curry, red curry, spicy basil or Kung Pao chicken. This Asian burrito is diagonally sliced and placed on a bed of lettuce and a clean white square plate for an impressive presentation. However, the first bite of the Spicy Basil Chicken roll was surprisingly unimpressive. The majority of flavorful sauce had been absorbed by the rice and / or drained toward the end of the wrap. The ends were a bit more flavorful and thankfully not so dry.
For dessert, the J-omg is a must. This wonton of sorts tasted as if it had been dipped in sugar and butter, rolled up, fried and then baked. The server did warn to order it in the middle of the meal because it takes extra time to prepare.
Although J. Wok has an edgy Asian ambience and for the most part outstanding food, it does not serve alcohol. This could be a good or bad thing depending on how diners feel about bringing their own bottle. For customers purchasing $12 of food or more there is no corkage fee, but if any less is spent and personal spirits are brought, diners have to pay the difference. This might be an appropriate place for the younger crowd as there will not be sloppily waving beer bottles.
Overall, J. Wok deserves 3.5 stars out of 5. The majority of the food is creative, delicious, beautifully presented, served in large portions and highly affordable. The restaurant is clean, well decorated and trendy as opposed to tacky, but also a little chilly. The service was impeccable on a tranquil Tuesday night; however, others have had different experiences. For those hungry for Asian cuisine and heading downtown, J. Wok’s a great place to give something new a try.
