I enjoy going to a restaurant where the staff greets me warmly when I come through the door, serves the food with an easy smile and thanks me for my business when I leave.
I hope to visit a restaurant like that soon, but for today I’m at Tasty Wok BBQ & Noodle House.
Tasty Wok is not new but recently moved to a new location.
On my most recent visit, I was…well, greeted isn’t the right word. I was noticed, eventually, by an unsmiling woman who pointed to a table that she presumably wanted me to sit at. This dour person turned out to also be my server.
Because it was a cool day, I ordered the Beef Brisket (Beef Stew) from the section of the menu listed as “snacks.” And for my entree I selected the House Pan-fried Noodle.
My entree was delivered fairly quickly and there was no sign the brisket was coming. I was nearly finished with the noodles and ready to ask for a takeout container when a bowl of the stewed meat was set on my table. So much for it being a snack.
As I moved the bowl in front of me I noticed that the meat seemed to move. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The jiggling was from the ample bits of flavorful fat that still clung to the beef. I could have been happy with this as an entree with a side of rice or maybe some noodles.
Instead I had filled up a bit too much on the pan-fried noodle dish with various meats and undercooked broccoli (stalks only, no florets). The crinkly noodles had a not-unpleasant greasiness.
On a previous visit I had a house special fried rice, or at least I think that’s what it was. I had made the mistake of asking the man who waited on us for a recommendation. He seemed slightly annoyed to be asked, and a mound of rice with shrimp, pork and chicken was the result. This time the greasiness wasn’t as pleasant.
My companion’s Noodle Soup with Roasted Duck was considerably better. The duck had a nicely crisped skin and the meat was moist and tender.
When I teach Server Training, I state that people are more likely to frequent a restaurant with mediocre food if the service is exceptional, more so than the other way around. The food at Tasty Wok is fine, but I don’t find it good enough to put up with an indifferent and unwelcoming staff.
