DRAPER — Ahh, great Chinese food. It's good when you've got it. It's not when you don't. And if it's not in your neighborhood, you'll go get it . . . if you know where to go.
Well, this week, a reader hooked me up with a Chinese place that is fantastic and really accessible. It's not that near to my house, but it only took me minutes to get there. Thank you, Travis, for sharing Peking Wok in Draper with all of us.
Travis wrote and told me about a great Chinese place that makes your food in hot woks — to go or dine in — right in front of you while you wait. No heat lamps. No cut-and-pour pre-fab packages.
I was impressed with our meal. The vegetables weren't overcooked. The sauces were light, without the heavy starchiness you find so often. Food cooked with oil was not heavy and greasy. In short, Peking Wok creates real food.
We had the hot-and-sour soup to start, with potstickers and egg rolls. Hot and sour was hot and light, not too starchy, with a flavorful broth. The egg rolls were fine, but the pot stickers were really comforting — light wrapper (not doughy) and a generous savory filling.
For dinner, we moved on to beef broccoli, Kung Pao with shrimp, sweet-and-sour pork, and from the Vietnamese menu, chicken with lemongrass over rice.
No complaints on any of the dishes, except the Kung Pao. It was a little skimpy with the shrimp. The flavor, though, was fantastic.
My son Ethan is the sweet-and-sour king in our house, and he raved about Peking Wok's. The breading is thin and airy, and the meat is good quality and tender, and is served with the right proportion of onions and peppers.
I would order the lemongrass chicken and rice over again in a heartbeat. The subtle flavor in a sauce-style dish was soothing and exciting at the same time.
Now, I'll warn you: you don't get a ton of ambience if you dine at Peking Wok. It's more like eating at a fast-food joint, like a Subway or another chain. It's a serviceable room with plenty of tables, and it may be more convenient to camp out than take out. But it's sort of a shame the room doesn't beg you to hang out and just "be" for awhile, because the product is so genuine, you feel like you almost should.
No big deal. But I tend to notice stuff like this. The real fun while you're there is watching the food and the way it's cooked. It's almost like a graceful dance, combined with efficient execution. It's hot and fiery, with amazing sounds of sizzling food and rhythmic clinking of tools and woks. It can be hypnotic.
I'll agree, Peking Wok serves all the expected favorites — but it's doing them so well that makes all the difference.
Peking Wok scores high marks for quality, flavor and value, with the added bonus that wherever you are in the valley, it's a pretty straight shot down I-15, and you're there in a flash.
Prices for appetizers range from $1.95-$4.95, lunch specials $4.65, combo plates $5.85, family meals (two selections served with ham fried rice, 2 egg rolls, and egg flower soup) $11.95, individual dishes $3.95-$5.75.
Peking Wok
*** 1/2 (out of five)
Lunch hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Dinner hours: Monday-Saturday, 4-9:30 p.m.; Sunday 4-8 p.m.
Location: 11483 S. State St., Suite F, Draper
Phone: 553-8927
Fax: 523-3556
Payment: checks with I.D., major credit cards
Reservations: none needed
Other services: takeout, gift certificates
Stephanie Tanner-Brown is a freelance writer and designer who reviews restaurants for the Deseret Morning News.
E-MAIL: stephanie@desnews.com