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WOK on! No wonder the talk of the town is the arrival of Wok Station, a deliciously Fusion Asian addition to the culinary scene, which has started delivering a stunning array of street favourites in comfortable surroundings.
No wonder that despite the thunder and lightning in the skies and the torrential rain pouring down last Thursday evening the place was buzzing with the live-kitchen team at its energetic best.
It was helped by the fact that Galleria Mall has superb parking and most of the time you can comfortably pull up in spacious bays in front of the host of eateries. It is becoming one of my favourite shopping destinations in the kingdom.
And, one of the hottest offerings is Wok Station and, as soon as you step through the doors, you know you’re in for something special, a casual dining ambience with five-star restaurant fare at stunningly competitive prices.
The maestro behind the cuisine is Executive Chef Simon Chen, an Indian of Chinese heritage, who is putting his family’s traditional recipes to amazing effect, taking into account local tastes for less spicy offerings … but with an extra chili factor for those who prefer it hot.
He’s probably the youngest looking 37-year-old I’ve ever come across and he put his youthful looks down to meditation and, of course, a lifetime of healthy eating.
And the more health conscious consumer obviously likes his style of steam cooking and stir-fries from a menu inspired by the traditional cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar and Thailand.
“Wok Station is here to satisfy Bahrain’s craving for bold flavours, new experiences and dining convenience,” said Chef Simon, who has designed the menu. He added: “Many of the recipes have been passed down from generation-to-generation, thanks to my parents and grandparents, and they are still full of goodness and as tasty as ever.”
The unique and interactive ‘Create Your Wok’ menu (BD2.500 – BD3.700) allows guests to make their own dishes, choosing their preferences and then watching it come alive in the open, interactive kitchen, recreating the experience of dining in a bustling South-East Asian marketplace.
The à la carte menu ranges from soups, salads, appetisers and dim sums to signature dishes, desserts, juices and a premium selection of teas made in a pot.
Food connoisseurs can try Chef Simon’s personal favourites from a special menu and there is also a selection of dishes specifically catering for children too.
The good lady wife Kathryn went for her eternal favourite spicy starter of Tom Yum Soup with chicken, shrimps and vegetables (BD1.900) but, as a man of adventure, I went straight to the Chef’s Specials and chose the Cellophane Noodle Soup, a classic Hakka-style clear soup with an exquisite earthy flavour of tofu and shiitake mushrooms and a sunken treasure of crystal clear noodles (BD2.200).
The Grilled Asparagus appetiser, drizzled with sweet soy, and cooked just right, not too hard, not too soft (BD2.900) was another fine choice and the Java Grilled Fish, a fillet marinated with java sauce, (BD3.500) proved that perfection can be wrapped up in banana leaves.
The menu features an array of signature noodle and rice dishes, all priced BD3.800, such as Chiang Mai, a traditional chicken curry topped on steamed noodles and Chow Mein, with Chinese mushrooms and other exotic vegetables, and those old favourites Stir-fried Crispy Chicken with Fried Rice and Sichuan Chicken with Kung Pao Sauce.
The Wok Station’s star attractions, however, in my opinion, are the delightful dim sums. These are packages of pure pleasure in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes created by Chef Simon, who arrived just five months ago in the kingdom.
He started his career with a six-year apprenticeship at the celebrated China Garden in Mumbai before enjoying a spell at the Wok of Life restaurant in Oman and being in huge demand for creating the Asian menus for several five-star hotel restaurants back home in India, including the Sheraton and a restaurant that recently received a Michelin star rating.
Not surprisingly, his fabulous fare has proved a powerful pull ever since the Wok Station opened its doors to diners and take-away orders, none more so than the dim sums, a style of Chinese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions with an array of ingredients placed in home-made dumpling wrappers made of flour, milk and water, served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.
Dim sum dishes are usually served with tea, which has its roots dating back to when travellers on the ancient Silk Road needed a place to rest. Teahouses were established along the roadside and people later discovered that tea could aid in digestion, so owners began adding various snacks and nothing proved more enticing than dim sums.
The Wok Station is carrying on the tradition in fine style. Its Crystal Steamed Dim Sums as well as Fried & Pan-fried Dim Sums (all priced BD2.800) are tasty sensations, particularly the Har Gow with vegetables, Chicken Steamed Buns and the Shaomai Minced Chicken with Crushed Pepper.
The crème de la crème on the Chef’s Specials are the Fee Yuan Dumplings, a delicious concoction of seafood and carrot, and the August Moon Dumplings, steamed snow white chicken and radish which are well worth ravishing, both priced BD3.200.
Chef Simon insisted we try the Fried Ice Cream with Thai Mango (BD2.200) before departing as a naughty but nice dessert and we managed to share one helping, we were too full for one each!
It reminds me of a game the Szecowka family used to play on summer holiday, where one player took the role of Simon and issued instructions to the others, which should only be followed if prefaced with the phrase: ‘Simon says’.
Well, be assured, if you are pulling into Chef Simon Wok Station you have to do what the great man says, and don’t forget to check out his special ‘Devil Sauce’ for a journey to culinary heaven. It’s so popular regular diners have been begging him to bottle it up and sell it over the counter.
Chef Simon would not reveal the ‘family secret’ list of ingredients, only to tease that it contains a rare chili only found in one location. It is truly sensational and worth heading back just for the dip. Mr Heinz had to start somewhere!
Call 77570570 for more details and see Chef Simon’s YouTube interview with Stan by scanning the QR code or by visiting www.gulfweekly.com or our Facebook page.
