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Wok Box
Categories: Restaurants Fast Food Restaurants Chinese Fast Food, Chinese [Edit]
10119 Jasper Avenue NWEdmonton, AB T5J 4X6
(780) 444-2269
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Wok Box
13 reviews in English
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Review from Brittany K.
Edmonton, AB
2/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
As far as fast food-y type restaurants go, Wok Box reigns supreme in terms of taste, flavour and health factors. I love "Asian Fusion" and although it's all pretty westernized here, it's still delicious. Both meat and vegetarian options, with noodles, rice or veggies, and plenty of different sauces, too. I mega-appreciate the nutritional guide online, because there's a huge sliding scale for some of their dishes. Some meals, like the teriyaki stirfry, are actually really good for you! Breaded chicken? Not so much. (OK, I probably could have guessed that one.)
So why not 5 stars? Well, it's not hyper local, which also bums me out. It definitely feels like a franchise when you walk in - employees that don't seem too committed to the job, sort of a sterile feel to the whole place.
I also feel like the amount of food isn't worth the price. I stopped by for dinner downtown the other night when I was starving but in a hurry. I felt OK after my meal, but not totally satisfied, and for $13, I feel like I ought to have been served more food.
Bonus points for wi-fi, even though it's a weird place to have wi-fi. -
Review from Rose-marie L.
Edmonton, AB
3/1/2012
This place is packed over the noon hour on weekdays, We simply avoid it. But today we had a late lunch and decided to give it a try. I actually liked it. The service is mediocor, considering there was only two other people in the restaurant. We still had to wait close to 15 minutes just to get the food, after ordering. Some other guy was washing the floor, kind of thought they could wait to do this until after 2:00 pm or so. But who knows? What I do know is I will be back for more Pad Thai only after 1:30 pm on a weekday.
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Review from Mark L.
8/30/2011
I've heard people rave about this place; I guess I should have looked it up on Yelp. It's quite pricey and bland. I had a tofu noodle with peanut sauce and vegetables. The tofu was quite dry and flavourless. The noodles were not flavourless, since doughy counts as a flavour (I guess). I should try to say something positive: there were lots of carrots!
I also had the naan bread as an appetizer. Well, it was actually just pita bread. I have nothing against pita bread, but it wasn't even good pita bread.
Unless I've got a craving for carrots I probably won't return to the Wok Box.Listed in: 30 day challenge
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Review from CJ C.
2/4/2012
Food was delicious as usual. The red curry chicken is my favorite. Service was ok, but incredibly slow. Took about half an hour to get my meal after I ordered and the place wasn't even half full. Maybe they were just having a bad day. $15 for a regular size meal and a soda. Not a bargain. They have lunch size portions, but they aren't really large enough for an adult.
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Review from Jeanette B.
Edmonton, AB
10/16/2008
I'm not exactly sure what is so great about Wok Box either. I was excited when I first found out about it, thinking I'd love it, but it was underwhelming.
The food is supposed to be prepared very quickly, yet I had to wait at least 15 minutes for my food. I like the Chinese take-out boxes, which are obviously a gimmick, but they make me feel like I'm in a Seinfeld episode.
I had some kind of pork... dumpling I think, and it actually tasted amazing. The more I ate it though, the less tasty it was, because it was actually very greasy. I also had some kind of stir-fry rice, veggies, and chicken--it was all right, but nothing that flavourful or tasty at all.
I also thought this place was overpriced. You're better off going to The Garden Bakery or another Chinese food restaurant and getting plates to share--you'd get more value for your money.
I think I will try this place one more time, just to see if I have a better experience, but mostly I think this place is a gimmick. -
Review from DineoutGal A.
Winnipeg, MB
12/30/2009
I don't get this place at all...and now I noticed that there's one that will be opening up in Winnipeg. I had the small pho and the butter chicken here - both were terrible. I fell for the cute name and adorable Chinese take out boxes but soon learned it was a total gimmick. I think you'll have better Asian food in a mall food court than this place. The pho was super bland - tasted like they used some diluted chicken stock (which is not right) and it was very oily. The butter chicken tasted off too...I could barely eat it. Sad, since I hate wasting food but had to throw it out.
You're better off going to an authentic Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai place if you're itching for Asian food. -
Review from Marj G.
Edmonton, AB
7/26/2010
The food in this place is terrible. And very expensive for what you get. Like another reviewer said, you don't really know what they are. They supposedly serve ethnic cuisines (Thai, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese), but the taste of their food doesn't resemble any of these cuisines. I love Asian food because each Asian cuisine has its own unique flavour but they just managed to ruin that. I had their new Lemon Grass Curry Chicken on rice, and it tastes really awful. And they charged $9.99 for a short box that was more than half-filled with rice!
Stay away from this place. Not worth it at all. -
Review from Terra S.
Edmonton, AB
11/19/2010
My 1st time ever to a Wok Box...I had the DanDan noodles and Green onion cakes...since I've never had either before for a comparison they both were just fine for me on this super cold day.
No complaints from me -
Review from Paula K.
10/7/2008
I don't get it. I just don't get it. Why is this place so popular? Wok Box specializes in Asian cuisine prepared quickly (something like 90 seconds or less), served to the customer in a fancy box with a wire handle -- sort of like the old-fashioned Chinese takeout boxes. Unfortunately, it often turns out that the customer is paying more for the packaging than for the food.
The bulk of Wok Box's menu are stir fries of different kinds, where the customer can choose a base of rice or noodles, and a protein of beef, chicken, prawns, or tofu. I often find the sauces are too strong and garlic based -- as in, you'll still be tasting it the next day. Prices are a bit on the high side. I tried the pho (Vietnamese noodle soup ) one time -- just once. It was far blander than its Chinatown counterparts.
I have a friend who is ga-ga over the butter chicken, and I will admit that it is quite tasty. The naan bread is the generic, spongy variety, but the sauce is almost perfect (albeit quite spicy). -
Review from Maria F.
10/21/2009
I personally don't like Wok Box. Their food is not bad but too expensive for what it is. I will take Oodle Noodle instead of Wok Box any day of the week.
Wok Box on Jasper avenue is a popular destination for downtown office workers during their lunch brakes. I have never seen this place empty, there always seems to be a line up.
The food is fresh and is always cooked right before your eyes, but it simply does not cut it for me. I have tried Pad Thai, Orange Chicken and Black Bean Stir Fry, and they all tasted exactly the same to me. There are always celery, carrots, broccoli and cashews in all the dishes, and they all taste a bit bland. Add a price tag of $10-$12 for this mediocre food, and you have got yourseld a not very good restaurant. Sorry, Wok Box. -
Review from Lauren N.
12/5/2009 1 photo
In writing this review, I am putting my personal livelihood at serious risk, since my boss LOVES the Wok Box and might actually fire me for not giving them a five star review if he reads this ...
But I'm gonna do it anyway (after all, we Yelpers have obligations to the people)! I decided to try the Wok Box one day, and it wasn't disappointing, but I personally think it's overrated. I would prefer the stuff in Chinatown any day over Wok Box.
I ordered the teriyaki chicken chow mein with the thick, chewy noodles. I liked the noodles because they were chewy, and they put lots of stuff into the mix too. The sauce is good, but they put way too much, which makes it kinda salty. You have to have a drink with your meal here, otherwise you'll get seriously thirsty. I do like the little takeout containers they have though, they make the meal more fun!
The medium portions are pretty big, so you get a lot out of it. But I still think it's overpriced (and I used a coupon too). I also don't like how smoky it gets in there. This location is small and cramped, so when you're waiting in line for your food to be ready, you're just standing in chow mein fumes. Smells good if you're starving, but it gets to be too much after awhile. Plus your clothes might smell like it when you walk out. -
Review from Nicole B.
Edmonton, AB
3/19/2010 1 photo
This is the first Wok Box I ever visited. At the time, I thought it was pretty good. The atmosphere is nice and the restaurant itself is pretty great.
But as I began to experience real ethnic food (in Thailand, and from family friends from out of the country), I began to see just what Wok Box was missing. Authenticity.
They have decent food but ti's not all it could or should be. They do a lot of different styles of food - Thai, Indian, Asian - but they don't do any of them extremely well.
My new pet peeve has come from places that serve ethnic food but tame it down to please the masses. I love Indian food but I hate when it's not properly spiced because they want even the wimpiest pallets to eat all they can eat. It's frustrating! How will anyone ever know what it really tastes like?!
Wok Box a lot of different things but they should really focus on one genre of food and do it well. Because right now, they do a lot and they do it with mediocrity.
They are a decent place to eat - especially for fast food but they aren't as authentic as I would like them to be. -
Review from Jennifer P.
Edmonton, AB
11/6/2008
I don't get the hype over Wok Box. I remember when they first opened up. It was thrilling to have a new quick lunch place downtown and it was a convenient stop on the way home from work when I didn't feel like cooking dinner. Everyone flocked there, and the place was packed at lunchtime. If you didn't get there early or after the noon rush there was a big line-u[. I liked it for a few reasons: the cute oh-so-nostalgic old-style chinese take-out boxes they serve to-go orders in, from back from when "doing Chinese" was exotic. I also liked watching the chefs cook up the food in giant, sizzling woks right before your eyes. There was an enthusiasm and everyone was excited about the flourishing new business. But I really don't think the food is all that good. There are a bunch of pre-made sauces. You pick your sauce, carb (rice or noodles), meat or tofu, and it's all thrown together with vegetables, cooked a set amount of time and served up steaming. It's pretty assembly line, and once I got over the cute little take-out boxes, I decided I could take Wok Box or leave it. The sauces are too saucy and sweet, the butter chicken was mediocre, compared to the authentic recipe you can get at serious Indian dining establishments (like Dhaliwal). The people who love the butter chicken here don't know how good butter chicken can be!
