Chinese takeout restaurants are one of America’s favorite ways to dine out. Often found as a small storefront tucked into a strip mall, they serve up a kind of Asian-style comfort food great when no one feels like cooking. First Wok in Sunnycrest Mall Urbana at first glance seems no different, a joint that’s been steadfastly serving up Chinese dishes for over 20 years.
But in fact, it’s a hidden gem in the deep array of choices of Asian food offerings in Champaign-Urbana. Family-owned, the kids that grew up behind the counter doing homework now take orders. Open six days a week, a whole family leans in to make this restaurant a mainstay in the Urbana area. Asked about the history of the restaurant, our server and the daughter of the owner, related growing up behind the counter. “It’s pretty typical to see kids behind the counter studying. This is what we do,” she said, now a third generation in the business started by her Fuzhounese grandfather back in the 1990s. Her mother and brother serve customers, too. “We work, it’s our livelihood. We have this restaurant.”
When I went on a mild Saturday night in February, there was plenty of parking at Sunnycrest Mall. Dining in is an option, but the majority of the business here is takeout with brown paper bags behind the counter redolent of stir fry and Asian spices, waiting for pick up. For call-in orders, “15 minutes!” is always the response.
The restaurant itself was very casual with a utilitarian dining area, just four booths giving plenty of table space for the generous main dish portions and all extras: sauce, rice, appetizers. Diners who eat in enjoy the food served on stylish, attractive plates. For this review, my husband and I dined in at the restaurant. An imposing happy jade Buddha and friendly lucky figurines on the counter promised good fortune and a good meal.
The front counter had plenty of very stylishly printed paper menus. Behind the counter was a menu board listing many of the dishes with stock photos. As is typical at a Chinese restaurant, there was a dizzying array of choices for a meal. Diners can choose dishes from the categories of appetizers, soup, fried rice, chow mein, chop suey, mixed vegetables, lo mein, angel hair, egg foo young, vegetables, sweet and sour, pork, chicken, and beef, seafood, moo shu, a special diet menu (of steamed food), special combinations, Szechuan- and Hunan-style dishes, and chef’s specials. On the wall to the left of the order counter, the staff had printed choices for the house specials.
The kitchen was long and narrow behind the counter, and the rhythmic, confident sound of steel utensils tossing ingredients in large woks promised good things to come. It smelled delicious.
First up for our order were roast pork egg rolls ($1.75 each).
Delivered steaming hot to the table by our server, the egg rolls were crispy, large, and plump with cabbage filling. The filling was mostly vegetables with a small amount of pork. Served with sweet and sour sauce, they had a satisfying crunch into a soft interior. The flavors were subtle but good.
We also ordered crab rangoon (ten pieces for $7.25). The crab rangoon was the star here at First Wok. Served with a soup-bowl size container of sweet red sauce, they were golden and crispy. The creamy cream cheese and crab filling was generous and the perfect balance of sweet and savory. They came out piping hot from the fryer in a portion of ten pieces, which was more than enough to satisfy two people.
Chilled drinks were available, the usual bottled soda and water, but First Wok did include some unusual Asian canned selections of sparkling fruit-flavored water and a milk-based drink. The white peach flavored water was refreshing but very sweet.
I chose the dragon and phoenix delight ($13.95) as my entree, a serving of spicy Szechuan shrimp and vegetables in sauce paired on the same plate with General Tso’s chicken. The mythical name of this dish, the marriage of fiery dragon and the elegant phoenix, added to my enjoyment of this selection. Special mention needs to be made of the shrimp served at First Wok. The shrimp were large, plump, and perfectly prepared, not overcooked. They were tender and succulent, and the restaurant gave generous portions in the dishes. The dragon had green peppers, snow peas, carrots, onion, broccoli, and whole shrimp enrobed in a brown, spicy sauce. The sauce portion was just right, enough to flavor the dish but not overwhelming. It was not overly thickened, making for a silky coating on the vegetables and shrimp. The spice level was on the milder side, nothing challenging here, just a little heat that gave a pleasant dimension to the dish.
Next to the spicy shrimp dish, the phoenix beckoned. This side of the plate had a serving of General Tso’s chicken, fried chicken in a thick, sweet chili sauce. No heat here, just flavor. General Tso’s chicken has attained some fame in the Chinese take-out world, as it is only served in the U.S. and its origin is something of a mystery. Regardless of the origins, the dish as served at First Wok was nicely crispy, with a tasty browned breading of appropriate thickness encasing tender white chicken meat. The sticky sweet sauce complemented the fried chicken pieces. It was a nice contrast between the spicy shrimp and vegetables. The dilemma: which part should I eat first? A large portion of white rice accompanied this entree. The rice had fluffy grains cooked so they were clearly separated from one another, a hallmark of good Chinese-style rice. The rice was perfect for soaking up all the sauce.
My husband chose the house special angel hair ($12.25) as his entree. This simple noodle dish had a good depth of flavor. Vermicelli pasta was combined with shreds of Chinese roast pork, egg, small shrimps, and minced vegetables with just the right amount of flavorings came together in a delightful dish. The noodles were cooked so they were done but gave a nice toothiness when eating. The flavors came through with a tasty combination of smoky pork and shrimp notes. The portion, as we noticed with all our selections, was very large and would satisfy any hungry eater. We ended up with some to heat up the next day.
We decided to splurge and try another dish, on the advice of our server, who told us her favorite dish in the restaurant was the triple delight ($13.95). It was not on the printed menu, so we’re glad she told us about this one that must be asked for specifically off-menu. A dish of mixed vegetables, including broccoli, white meat chicken, and beef slices with more of the perfectly-prepared large shrimp in a flavorful silky brown sauce, it had good Asian flavors that didn’t overpower the ingredients. The vegetables were fresh and cooked so they had texture and flavor. We especially loved the broccoli, which was bright green and not overcooked. This dish came with pork fried rice, which again had nicely separated grains, this time absorbing the flavors of the stir fry for a nicely salty, soy-based taste that complemented the triple delight sauce. As we had come to expect, the portion was generous, and we had more leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Our meal ended with a generous portion of fortune cookies. Remember, always choose the one with the ends pointing toward you!
We felt we got an excellent value for our money, both from the size of the dishes and the quality of the food. It was a very satisfying dinner out. Don’t overlook First Wok restaurant. There is a reason it has stood the test of time: the food was good and prepared with care and an emphasis on quality.
First Wok Chinese
1815 Philo Rd
Urbana
T-Su 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.