Wok in a wink

Geetu Vaid

Fresh, crunchy and healthy; direct from a sizzling toss in the wok to the plate in five minutes flat — this is the promise that made us walk into WokMan, the latest addition to Chandigarh’s “food street”  in Sector 8, inner market. The compact and neat set-up is a pan Asian specialty takeaway joint having some authentic Thai, Singaporean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese dishes to choose from. 

The eye-catching display of fresh exotic veggies and other ingredients reflects the owner Dilsher Sukhija’s endeavour to remove the tag of unhealthy, calorie-loaded and unhygienic food from fast food. And freedom from “junk food” label is not the only thing here, WokMan also allows the foodie in you the freedom to choose the ingredients that go into your order. Thus, for a Wok meal one can choose from one’s choice of protein (chicken, fish, cheese or tofu) and any five veggies (from shiitake mushrooms, water chestnut, zucchini etc). These can be rolled in a tangy, sweet or spicy sauce of one’s choice and teamed up with rice or noodles as per your taste. 

“We want the customers to have the freewill to choose with a three-step process with which they can improvise, innovate and personalise the entire experience,” says Dilsher. 

All this mix and match, however, doesn’t come at the cost of authentic taste and cooking techniques be it the undercurrent of basil, lemongrass, basil, coconut milk, chilies and other spices in Thai dishes, or the delicate balance of sauces in the Chinese and Japanese recipes. 

For those in a mood to taste signature dishes, Japanese Mapo Tofu rustled up by Chef Kailash is a must try. The melt-in-the-mouth soft tofu is wok tossed in a special sauce comprising garlic, ginger, soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and a host of other spices. Thaosuey is the signature Burmese dish and Singapore chilly fish is ideal for those wanting to pamper their palate with exotic tastes. A toss in the wok to sear the ingredients quickly and locking in the flavours while preserving the crunchy freshness is what adds a special touch to different items on the menu. There is also a touch of fusion to light up your platter. Fusion dimsums wherein these steamed delicacies are tossed in the wok with spicy chilli plum sauce adds an extra zing. 

Coming to the price factor, the combo of starters, main dish and a slush is not going to burn a hole in your pocket. The starters are in the range of Rs 180 (veg) to Rs 240 (non veg), meal for Rs 250 (veg) to Rs290 (non-veg) and slush is priced at Rs 120.

“We have carefully designed our food in consultation with leading dieticians and choose fresh ingredients to ensure that we deliver a wholesome, quality meal,” concludes Dilsher. 

Combo to try out

Phad Thai noodles, Mapotofu or King pao chicken and Vietnamese tossed potatoes. Wash it down with Thai basil and orange slush

Meal for two: Rs 400-600