Today I lunched at a little local place in Oak Ridge called Magic Wok. This may very well be the epitome of "local hole in the wall" dining, at least in this area. It's about 10 minutes from my house, or 30 minutes from work, located in what must have been some sort of diner or cafe in the long ago before times. If I had describe the place in a single word, that word would be "dilapidated".
You go inside, and it's pretty cramped. There's a bar that divides the place into 1/3rd and 2/3rds respectively, with the kitchen area behind it. The menu has been there since the Carter Administration and may have changed slightly since then. There are exactly 8 items on the menu: Fried Wonton, Egg Roll, Dish with Rice, Fortune Cookie ($0.10), Coke, Tea, and some other beverage that escapes me now. The 4 booths and row of bar stools provide the only seating available at this place, and the booths look like they were acquired from a closed down Mexican restaurant. Oddly, the plants on the table were fairly nice.
Upon entering you will be greeted with a hearty "Hello! Spicy Chicken?" which is less of a question and more of a statement from the sassy old woman who is the sole chef of the establishment. This is Spicy Cashew Chicken, though you can request the cashews be left off. I have seen people order Beef & Broccoli, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Not Spicy Chicken, and Extra Spicy Chicken, but it's all cooked in the same 3 pans with a heaping helping of MSG for deliciousness. In fact, sometimes you get extra broccoli in your Spicy Chicken if the person ahead of you ordered a broccoli dish. Now that is service, let me tell you. The water comes from the sink's tap, and the soda comes from a bottle or a can. I've never seen anyone order the tea, so I have no idea what kind it is.
The food is, simply put, amazing. The Spicy Chicken (why would I get anything else?) is probably the best damn generic spicy chicken I've ever had in my life. The Fried Wonton is full of some sort of yummy meat paste. The Egg Rolls are very large and tasty. The rice you get with your Dish with Rice is the same generic fried rice you've had a thousand times at other little Chinese Restaurants, but it does its job of filling out the meal and absorbing that yummy sauce.
The price is, shall we say, right. For $10, Charlotte and I were both stuffed full of delicious food, and for a buck more we could have also had 3 Wontons or an Egg Roll. You know, if we wanted to be truly decedent. We tipped the couple who runs the place a couple of bucks, but I was told later not to do it as it might seem "rude" or something. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I'll keep it in mind.
All in all, I'd give the place 2 smiley faces on a scale of 5 frowny faces to 5 smiley faces. It ain't fine dining, but if you like Chinese food and are willing to put up with the limitations of the menu, I'd advise you to check it out.
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