California Wok
1450 Ala Moana Blvd,Ste 1251, Honolulu, HI, 96814
California Wok Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Honolulu for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1450 Ala Moana Blvd,Ste 1251
Honolulu, HI, 96814 - Phone (808) 947-1332
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :9:30 am - 9:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Jay P.
I like this place after doing some shopping and I'm craving Chinese food. My ultimate favorite is the House Special Pan Fried Noodle-- the vegetables and the sauce are very delicious and they pack is special when you take it to-go, keeping the noodles separate to keep them crispy when you're ready to eat. It's one of my favorite places to go and the staff are friendly. If you're eating in, there's outdoor seating and they bring your food to you. I've never been disappointed eating here and I love getting an order of crispy dumplings on the side. Although often times I either eat alone or with my friends, my visit today was with my mother. She ordered the sweet and sour chicken and although she was concerned with the prices (the house special is $14), she really liked the crispy-ness and taste. Served with broccoli and a side of rice, if I wasn't craving noodles so much it's a dish I might consider getting for myself. Definitely gotta stop by here if you're craving fast and cheap chinese. It beats going to Jade Dynasty and paying way more out of your pocket.
(5)Travis H.
First things first. I have been eating here for a long time. A really long time. I've worked in the mall for years so I go here pretty often on my lunch breaks. Sometimes I'll even order delivery when I get the craving for some Chinese take out. I've had some trouble here before as well. There was the time when they forgot my delivery order and only realized it after I waited an hour and called them. Or the time when we were brought the completely wrong order. Or the time when I ordered ahead for pick up (since my lunch breaks aren't very long) and they forgot about that too so I had to waste my entire break waiting for my food. Perhaps the worst experience was when they claimed to have brought the delivery order and rang the doorbell (I live in an apartment that has a locked gate therefore we have no doorbells) so I never received my order then either. Today my fellow Yelpers, was the last of many straws. I ordered the garlic chicken to go. When my order was ready I simply asked for a soy sauce packet. I was met with a blunt answer. "No, you cannot have. I have to charge you." They recently took the to go containers off the table (replaced with paper ones for dine in guests) with the bottled sauces so there was no way for me to take any sauces with me without spilling. She told me I could use the soy sauce on the table to which I reminded her that I was not dining in and had no way of bringing it with me. She simply turned away and moved on. It seems tedious and minor, but given how many times I've run into difficult situations here, I believe my patience has worn thin. The food isn't bad, but the service consistently is. When they make mistakes, you'll only hear excuses. Dare try to ask for extra sauce and you'll be met with a McDonalds like response. There are plenty of other Chinese restaurants in the area. So just take your business elsewhere to those who actually appreciate you.
(2)K- M.
Okay- so after reading the reviews (even though I knew this is where we were ordering from since they deliver) we decide on the house special beef and the king pao chicken (bc the boyfriends mom was eating I couldn't get it extra spicy like I'd have liked to, so perhaps another update in the future bc that's how I prefer kung pao chicken) some egg rolls and an order of hot sour soup. The hot sour soup- wasn't horrible but wasn't my preferred taste for hot sour spup... I won't order it again and I didn't finish my bowl. It could just be that I'm used to a different style or something. But this wasn't that good to me. Vegetable egg rolls- they were good but I've only had a few bad egg rolls in my life. To me it's not hard to make an egg roll. The sauce for it was only okay as well. I much prefer Mae ploy to whatever they served it with. But I would order them again. Kung Pao chicken- as I mentioned, perhaps I wasn't as thrilled bc I couldn't get it extra spicy like I usually do (boyfriends mom can't handle the spicy :( sad but true) so I'll reserved full opinion on this til a later date when I can try it again extra spicy. House special beef- was pretty darn Delish. The beef was tasty and tender. And definitely not your average Chinese beef. I will definitely order this again. Overall- the meat to veggie proportions were good. There was decent amounts of meat (hate when u pay for mostly vegetables) The delivery time was quick. The prices aren't bad, especially for ala moana area. And the fact that they have free delivery so when you don't feel like driving, cooking or eating pizza.... They definitely seem worth it so far.
(4)Diana Y.
Got delivery, took over an hour, no biggie. Wonton soup was so salty I couldn't eat it, even after I added water to it. Hot and sour soup had no flavor and looked like someone just thew it together in a min. The beef chow mein had no flavor, the beef was chewy. Most likely never ordering from them again. Yuck, my mouth is still salty.
(1)Jozlyn H.
Free delivery within 4 miles!! I love ordering from here for my office lunch! Not only are they a healthier version of Chinese food, but they deliver too! During the lunch hour, delivery takes a little bit longer but when they tell you 45 minutes..... the delivery guy is at our office door in a little under 45 minutes. Talk about awesome service! So far, everything I've ordered has been good. This last time I ordered the spicy garlic chicken. I saved half of it for dinner...... I guess since the chicken marinated longer in the sauce, it got spicier. Just the way I like it! Give me some spice baby! No MSG and they use mostly white chicken for their chicken plates. Their portions are just right too. Can't complain about this place :)
(5)Dewey T.
Delivery is pretty fast. Plus, it FREE! Food have always been consistently delicious. My first option for chinese delivery in Waikiki.
(5)Betty B.
I've been coming here since they first opened. The food has always been good except for the rare times that it wasn't "perfect." Today I ordered my usual chicken with mixed vegetables and it tasted terrible. It could be a new chef, or they changed the taste; according to my taste buds it was unacceptable. I will go somewhere else.
(1)Chelsea G.
Why is it called California Wok? Mystery left to be told... Healthy? I have yet to see the calorie count and nutritional information Located on the ground floor of the Ala Moana Shopping center next to Assagios, sits a bustling little Chinese take out, but what makes this place special is the idea of "healthy Chinese food" sounds like an oxymoron :) I fell in love initially with the chicken mushroom pea pods, which also includes mushroom in a light sauce that is similar to typical Chinese food sauces, although much less saltier. To my surprise, the dish wasn't watered down, and actually goes well with brown rice. My other absolute favorite dish is the house special beef steak!! Mix of beef with bell peppers and onions, also with a light but fulfilling taste! Best part is all NO MSG! Costs of a dish can range from $8-14 which isn't so bad for a quick take out lunch and "healthy" alternative. My only complaint, nutrition values to back up your claim please! Thanks!
(4)Aimee K.
I found myself on my own at the Ala Moana mall during my vacation so I made a full round of the food court which seems to shrink each time I visit. I couldn't find a single restaurant that appealed enough to lure me to the counter but I recalled seeing this Chinese place along the ground floor walk to the food court. My family dismissed it so I figured I'd visit so I could make a good case for the next trip. I was surprised and pleased, happily. It's nice to see a place in general that has its menu oriented towards dishes that are prepared with your health in mind. It's a lower key place since it's set apart from the bustle of the food court and the staff seem more relaxed and happy to see you. I ordered the chicken chow mein to eat in. They brought it to my table in under ten minutes and though the dish featured square cut noodles, think linguine, rather than round noodles, it's seasoned just the right amount with soy, cabbage, green onions and chunks of chicken breast. I cleaned up the whole plate without any problems, but only because I was quite ravenous. If I lived closer, I would go back no question to try more items! You hear that, Mom?
(3)Heather R.
First timer to CalWok; I ordered takeout, crispy dumplings and some egg drop soup. The service was good. Nice young lady took my order, not overly cheerful, but a good attitude nonetheless. My order was correct and my food remained hot until I got home (about a mile away). The dumpling were clearly pan fried, but weren't particularly *crispy* by any means; regardless, they were alright... Tbh, I enjoyed the shell better that the stuffing lol. The egg drop soup was yummy (although it's nearly impossible to mess up egg drop soup lol). Overall, I give CalWok 3 Stars; their service was satisfactory and the food was as well. Although it was not "amazing," I'll likely eat here again considering the convenience and okay quality.
(3)Cassandra K.
Free Delivery!! When you don't feel like cooking but you also don't feel like going out anywhere, why not go for some delivery Chinese food? I've never been to the restaurant but I've ordered delivery from here twice now and am very pleased. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large. The food has good flavor and on both occasions the wait time was short and the food was nice and hot when it arrived. I will definitely order from here again.
(4)Keala L.
NEVER EAT HERE! I got thee worst food poisoning here & so did a coworker of mine. The service sucks & it's super dirty. It's such a shame I have to give them a star at all.
(1)Tiki W.
They used to be good. I went back recently, got the Mongolian Beef entree for dinner. I don't know why, but it was the worst I have ever tasted. The bamboo slices and rice good, but the beef I had to spit out most of it because too chewy like rubber. No Mongolian would eat that. Yeah, only $8. plus rice, but wasted. Unedible. Better off at Jack in the Box! At least it's edible. Maybe they ran out of the good beef and used the tail. I don't know, but not going back again. Maybe better luck with the other dishes, but beware. If I didn't take it out, I would have taken it back. And no fortune cookie. If there was, it would have read " Mystery meat in your future".
(1)Yoselyn F.
While I love the food here what brings me back is the avocado smoothie. They have perfected the ratio of avocado and magic. The wait tends to be torture but def worth it. Be warned that on hot days the heat forms a Bubble if stifle around this joint!
(4)Christine M.
California Wok provides consistently fresh, healthy, delicious food at good prices. If you're looking for food made in bulk and kept under a heat lamp, look elsewhere! I love Chinese food and I haven't had a bad dish yet. The flavor in each dish is unique yet not overwhelming, the portions are generous and the service fast, friendly and reliable. Did I mention that delivery is free?!? By far, my favorite Chinese restaurant in Waikiki. Five stars!
(5)Lily L.
Since moving from the Mainland in January, I've been craving some greasy fast Americanized Chinese food. (The authentic stuff needs an acquired taste) After research, this is the only place I think that fits that profile. I am usually very hesitant to order from a mall atmosphere. But after a weekend of drinking I needed some delivery. I live very close & it might be why, but my food arrived fast (15mins) and very hot. Everything was neatly packaged and prepared. Egg rolls- came crispy and not too bready. The spicy mustard has a big kick. Fried rice- everything the doctor ordered! Big chunks of meat. Greasy. And crispy fresh veggies. Delish. *It could use just a touch of soy sauce. (But there's soy sauce in the bag) Sweet n Sour chicken- Perfectly cooked. Big chunks of white chicken lightly breaded. The sauce on the side it's too sweet for my taste. It's got pineapple chunks in it. *half portions are small, personal size* Mongolian beef- I asked for it extra spicy and they came through. Not the best I've had but good enough. All in all exactly what I was looking for. American tasty Chinese delivery.
(4)Amber B.
The decent veggie teriyaki bowl is saving this review right now. I am an ala moana employee and the huge sign at the register states "10% DISCOUNT ALA MOANA EMPLOYEE just show your work ID" So I did. The cashier denied me initially because my work building is on the other side of the center. I said yes but it's still part of Ala Moana center. She said sorry only THIS building, the owner said so. I said that's really strange and she said I guess I'll give it to you this time. She was nice but everyone behind in the kitchen was giving me the death stare! My food is good but I hope they didn't do something to it...
(3)Jazlyn B.
Decided to try the Chinese here. I ordered the crispy hot spicy orange chicken although it was disappointing that it wasnt spicy at all! I still enjoyed it though, It reminded me of the orange chicken at panda express. I noticed they advertise their food as healthy, although not too sure about that one haha. The service was really slow. My order took 20 minutes... They do free delivery and i noticed they were constantly packing plates to go which is probably why the in store service wasnt that great. I'll probably order home delivery the next time i order from them.
(3)A. Y.
The ginger fish and lemon (fried) fish are delicious. If it weren't for the not-so-friendly service, I'd give California Wok five stars. Great place for take-out, or free delivery if you live near Ala Moana.
(4)April K.
fast and healthy. what to get: vegetable fried rice and the bear's paw-- deep fried tofu with yummy sauce.
(5)Kent I.
We love this place! We always order and use their free delivery service - we tip nicely, of course! :) Our favorite dishes - House Special Beef Steak & Kung Pao Chicken (with extra peanuts and drenched with Sriracha!) Both dishes are so delicious. They always have a good amount of sauce which goes well with the rice. By the way, they offer brown rice, which I always get. Their delivery is super fast! We always order for lunch when we're too busy to go get lunch ourselves. Also have ordered delivery for dinner a few times. We love their food!
(5)Andrew L.
Decent food. Shit service. Shady practices at the register... They pretended not to know what I was ordering, even though I said LUNCH they rang up the order as a regular portion... A tray. As if I was buying for an office party. Crooked pretend-illiterate thieves. Not to mention, after asking me if I wanted to eat here or take to go... Who eats a whole tray of shrimp and garlic sauce on the spot ?????
(2)Kevin D.
Fast delivery great portions. Highly recommend. We had Mongolian beef sweat and sour pork won ton soup and egg rolls
(4)Tim M.
I've ways had good experience here. Especially the delivery. Hey it does take an hour but it's free and the food is very reasonable for good quality. Each order easily serves two unless you're a fat moke. But I must admit, it's better than any fast food burger, and comes right to your door.
(4)Laurabeth M.
I haven't tried the food, so I probably shouldn't be reviewing--but I thought you bubble tea lovers should know that the bubble tea here is GREAT, and it's half the price of the ones in Shirokiya. You're welcome!
(4)Dede C.
Every time I am on island I must come here with my family. My Mom (who is from Taiwan) and I love the shrimp fried rice a lot. We each order our own. We just tried the pan fried dumplings and they were delicious- pork. We had gone to another Chinese place near Ewa Beach where we live and we were very disappointed. The drive is worth it. Little pricy but tasty! Orange chicken flavor was good but chicken was a little crisper than we prefer. We will be back.
(5)Kim M.
California Wok is supposedly known for its "healthy" American Chinese cuisine. I was reluctant at first, but now I'm a believer. I remember receiving a California Wok menu in the mail, but never opening it until just the other day. Coincidentally, I had to meet up with a colleague for lunch at California Wok yesterday. I arrived at California Wok about 10-15 minutes before my scheduled lunch, so I could figure out what I wanted to eat. Still having no clue what to order when my colleague arrived, he -- a somewhat regular here -- suggested I get the Steamed Fish Fillet. STEAMED FISH FILLET ($12.29) The fish is prepared "Chinese style" with ginger and scallion sauce (a soy-based sauce including peanut oil). It also comes with steamed rice. (I chose brown.) The menu claims this fish to be "light and low fat," which I thought was both pretty interesting and believable. It wasn't oozing with fat, deep fried or covered in lard. Lol. It was steamed, covered in ginger, scallions and a light soy-based sauce with peanut oil. I was delighted with the portion size and price! (Ala Moana employees get 10% off purchases of $5+) Steamed to perfection, my fish was flaky, juicy and not dry at all. The flavors were simple yet delicious and healthy. I will definitely order this fish again. SERVICE Not exactly the greatest, probably due to the minor language barrier. If you're looking to strike up a convo with the staff, good luck. Not sure if this is kind of messed up to say or not, but it's how I feel -- the Chinese accent kind of gives this place a bit of a "legit factor." REGULARS Not sure how many regulars California Wok has, but there seemed to be a decent amount of people eating outside when I was there. (And it's not like I was there at prime lunch time, more like 1:30/2 pm.) VERDICT This place isn't half bad! Actually, I'm a fan. The steamed fish was better than expected and cooked very nicely. I also thought that the portion of fish given was generous for $12.29 (+tax and tip). And California Wok is in a convenient location! On the Assagio's level of the mall. Anyway, I'll definitely be back for the fish, but I'm also dying to try some other dishes that my friends have recommended. 31 Yelps Review Challenge - #30/31
(4)Rumel T.
AVOID!!! Cockroach haven. Cheap, cheap, cheap! The first time I purchased $40 worth of food, the shrimp dish had only 6 pieces of shrimp... the rest was all fillers and then they charged an additional .50 cents for a take out container. The second time I found a cockroach in our food. When I pointed this out to them, they accused me of putting it in the food just to avoid giving me a refund. The Hawaii health inspector will close them down soon enough. Panda Express is much better and I'm not fond of them! Their customer service is a thousand times better and there's no cockroaches in the food.
(1)Yung V.
I come here all the time to get a quick fix on what's considered a healthier version of Chinese Cuisine. My favorites to order is the Pan Fried Noodle, House Special Fried Rice (which has beef, shrimp, and mixed vegetables inside), and their Lemon Chicken. They also have bubble drinks with assortment of flavored to choose from, all freshly made with the Pearl bubbles with or without.
(4)Alex B.
As a college student I get sick of school food and needed something well priced that could get delivered. Not only was it delivered within a decent time it was good food, a lot of food. Which is exactly what I needed. The steamed veggies were delicious and the chicken fried rice was fantastic! Two thumbs up from this college student.
(5)Brycen B.
One of the top places that I go to on my lunch break since I work at Ala Moana, just because they get their food to you fast and at a good price (and they're only a couple doors down from where I work). The workers there are usually very nice, but once or twice over the past 6 months or so I had been on the receiving end of bad customer service from them. It's a certain lady that works there that can get a bit cranky at times when it gets busy and I'm not usually the type to be bothered by such negative vibes but she does make the atmosphere feel a bit awkward. The people who work there cash registers are usually all women who speak broken English, but that never really mattered to me as they can still take your order. They have outdoor tables if you don't want to take out and bring your food to you in a timely manner. I usually get the sweet & sour chicken from Cali-Wok, if not that the hot spicy orange flavor beef. The say that their food is "healthy" but I'd think otherwise with some of their menu items. The prices aren't that bad either, especially for Ala Moana. If you work at Ala Moana you also get 10% discount. Without discount though, I believe that a half (mini plate) was $7-8 with tax, and a full would cost you $10-11. The portions are HUGE, too. A half order could fill you up. Overall, California Wok is a great place to eat at for a great price if you want to get your Chinese food fix. Keep in mind that you can also call in orders!
(4)M G.
Its nice to know when I order delivery my food won't show up at all :) Been waiting for more than an hour now~
(1)Andre D.
I agree, the food is really good but since I seem to have developed an allergy to some ingredient in Chinese food, I have stayed away. The young girl is such a nuisance, with her very loud voice. If she needs to study, perhaps she should do it elsewhere so that customers can get quick, efficient service. Each time I've gone there, I felt unwelcome.
(2)Alyson Y.
Aside from being located in the least desirable corner of Ala Moana Center (traffic, smell and low foot traffic), California Wok is somewhere I would go out of my way to order from. After working full-time retail at Ala Moana Center for about four years, I have eaten just about everywhere in Ala Moana Center and California Wok would be my #2 (after Poi Bowl). California Wok has good prices (especially during lunch), delicious food and they claim it's even healthy for you. I always ordered the Beef Broccoli with rice and no salad. The salad there has always upset my stomach (and I don't have a sensitive stomach). The lunch prices are pretty heavily reduced and its still large enough to be filling. The food comes out fast and you can even call ahead if you're still shopping in the area. If you do order from here, I would get it to go. The tables outside are dirty, normally covered with ants and in a noisy location. Eating in your car or at home would be more comfortable. They even deliver for free, if you make an order of over $15 and live within a 3 mile radius of the mall - which is an amazing deal considering the hassle it can sometimes take to find parking at the mall and battle traffic in town. I gave them a 4 out of 5, only because of the location (and questionable salad).
(4)Liliane E.
Healthy/low fat Chinese food? Yes sir, and I'll have another! My husband and happened upon this place while exploring Wikiki, what a pleasant surprise. We ordered the spam egg foo young (don't judge me!) which came with rice. We decided to split it and then find something else to eat on our journey back to our hotel. When the food came out, we were surprised by the portion size. Huge! So glad we only ordered 1 item! The egg foo young was fresh, pipping hot, a little crispy and loaded with veggies and huge pieces of spam! Sooooo good! Don't be scared by the fact that it looks like you're eating in a parking garage, because once you have your first bite you realize... who cares! This food is awesome! We finished the egg foo young and we were stuffed for less than $10. Great prices, awesome food, and excellent customer service.
(5)J H.
I really like this place. Fast, food is very tasty. Prices are good. I've tried almost everything on the menu. Go for anything!!
(4)Jason M.
Really good semi-healthy chinese food. I go here at least once a week and tried all the chicken dishes. My favorties are the cashew chkn, chkn salad and cha cha chkn. also, i get the sigapore rice noodles. i have no idea what it is, but it's good!
(4)Penny Lane R.
Food sucks we didn't even eat it spent almost $20 took one bite and threw the rest away almost was going to drive back to the restaurant to ask for refund but it was too late the broccoli was brown it looked like day old left overs and didn't have any taste we will never go back there again and hope everyone who reads this thinks twice just go to panda downstairs it's cheaper and better you can see what you are choosing not just hoping you pick a good choice hope they go out of business soon so no one has to waste money like I had!
(1)Nessa J.
Got them to deliver the food to our house. Our first time trying, but when we got our food. The wontons weren't even warm. It was cold and stale. The seafood noodle soup was hot but the noodles were super soggy. The Hong Kong Two Delights were slightly warm. Overall the taste was good. Maybe next time we'll go there to eat. I recommend not to get delivery from here.
(2)Jennifer T.
Generally, the food is good and not too expensive. I usually get lunch special shrimp with mixed vegetable comes with rice - fried, white or brown and soup or spring roll for about $8.50. Not too shabby. Quick service. Only real con - you eat in the parking lot, so I call this place parking lot Chinese:)
(4)C L.
Food was ok. There was very little space to sit inside and there are more tables & chairs outside. However, this 'outside' is actually a parking garage to the mall. They also really do not clean the tables out there. It looked really dirty so I used a baby wipe to wipe down our table, the wipe was filthy, literally black, and there was so much old food stuck to the table, it was almost impossible to get off. I would recommend taking your food to go.
(3)Random G.
Holy crap. I tried to order for delivery and the idiot that answered the phone lied and lied. At first, he said "because of the flash flood, the driver's phone didn't work." Bulls*** number 1. So I told him to pull up and honk and I can come out. He replied, "I don't think he will deliver because of flash floods." OMFG what a complete moron. Then I said "what? That doesn't make any sense." And so I asked, "So he's delivering food and he won't deliver a mile away?" He responded with, "Other people ordered first." I was shocked and appalled at this interaction. So, in frustration, I hung up. But, my craving for Mongolian Beef overcame me and I called again to speak to a manger, instead I got a different guy and kind of with an attitude asked why they wouldn't deliver 0.7 miles away. And he took my order. Now, I'm worried that they might spit in my food so I may not even respond to them when they come. They don't know my apartment number.....
(1)Mayumi L.
Horrific service. The young daughter of the owner slammed a customers change down. Never eating here again.
(1)E B.
Great tasting food Order their chicken fried rice!! It is delicious and enough for me. Many write that the location is bad but eating their food is worth it. My family loves their lemon chicken and #37. I keep forgetting what it is but it has vegetables, noodles, meats from chicken, beef, and crab. Either way they are awesome!!
(5)W Q.
Flossie the tropical storm is here today, it's rainy and windy. Too lazy to walk to get lunch in waikiki. California Wok delivers to Waikiki! $15 minimum order, got here in 25 minutes. They serve lunch until 4pm. Takes credit card over the phone. I ordered 3 lunch plates, $8 each plus .50 extra for each hot & sour soup (worth the extra .50!). Got the crispy orange chicken (delicious! get this!), szechuan beef (it's ok would get something else next time), and garlic shrimp (great!) all with fried rice. $27 plus $5 tip for the delivery guy. Nothing spilled, everything packaged nicely, double bagged. Nice and hot. This is a better deal than Panda Express at Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, plus this place delivers to Waikiki - can't beat that for the convenience! If you live in Waikiki this is a great option for good cheap chinese food DELIVERED to your door.
(4)Leslie S.
Shrimp and mixed vegetables, wonton soup and mixed vegetables are healthy and yummy!!!
(5)Ha N.
I get the salt and pepper shrimp and the house special steak. YUM. The fortune cookies are stale, but that saves me the trouble of looking at a lame fortune anyway (theirs are ultra lame for some reason).
(4)Mark M.
This place is a rip off. Last night I ordered General Tzo's chicken, half order, with fried rice. It cost me about $8 and some change. Tonight I ordered General Tzo's chicken, half order, with fried rice. The lady at the counter tells me that fried rice is an extra $2.50 Wait, what? How does the price go up that much in the course of a day? I have no freaking idea. And I'm adding California Wok to the "Places I'll Never Eat Again" list.
(1)Natasha G.
TWO AND A HALF STARS (2 1/2) GREAT food. H O R R I B L E Customer Service. So If you find the taste and quality of food better than the service, then this is the place for you. I still always order from there, I put up with lousy service for the awesome, reasonably priced food that I can have delivered. ----I first heard of this place by getting their menu in the mail. Then I had one of those nights where you do not want to cook and I tried them out. I was thoroughly impressed the first time. 13 minutes and the delivery man was in front of my door. The second time, it took a while. Some 50-55 minutes and the third time around an hour as well. What I like is their food, Their food is delicious and reasonably priced. When you order it to go or delivery, Everything is packaged very nicely and secured. A++ on that. I do wish they'd include their fortune cookie every time but we only received it once out of the four times we eaten there. I do find their customer service seriously slacking though. Grade F-. it is hard to speak and understand the employees due to the heavy accent and language barriers. But during delivery Sometimes they just pull up in their cars and don't even bother getting out, I've also experienced hat the drivers do not answer their phones when you try to call them back and even hang up on you while your talking (The driver had called to say he was here but I was standing in frond of my building and didn't see him, turns out he was at the wrong building) And they make you Tip them. I had signed my receipt and given it back several different times and each time they go "oh, oh No tip?" R U D E. Make's you feel like the Delivery wasn't free after all!! And if you ever go IN to the actual restaurant, you'll be met by a very rude, un-attentive, giggly immature teen girl who could care less about your presence. I walked, waiting for my order to be taken as she stood behind the counter a foot away laughing and chatting very loudly in Chinese with what I assume are her siblings. She didn't pay attention to me until an older woman who I assume is her mother snapped a her. I said my entire order, well tried but before I could finish, she cut me off only to ask me something I was about to say anyways and that was "full, not half" and after I continued to finish stating my order, She had me repeat my self because *ahem* she was't listening.
(2)Diane E.
Needless to say, the manager NEVER contacted me to even acknowledge my complaint. Boo! I'll never visit ANY of their restaurants again...which is too bad, because I was a pretty good and consistent customer.
(1)Liane C.
California Wok is a different type of Chinese food. Healthy Chinese food is the correct word. For our first time here, not bad at all. The only thing that was a little weird was the orange chicken. That was not orange chicken. The beef and broccoli was very fresh. I would go back to try other things.
(3)Skye T.
The first time I came here I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had heard from a friend that they serve healthy Chinese food, and since I love Chinese food and occasionally love pretending to be healthy...I figured I'd give it a try! Most of the plates are around $8-$10, which may be pricey for some people, but to eat anywhere in the Ala Moana food court will cost just as much so that didn't discourage me much. However, UNLIKE almost every restaurant in the food court, this place accepts credit cards!! This is a huge deal for me because I rarely carry cash on me, and my bank does not have a machine located in or around the food court so if I have to take out cash I'm forced to pay the outrageous service fees! Which basically adds on $2-$3 to the cost of my meal! Booo! Also, once I got my food I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size, so that made it even more worth the high-ish price tag for me. The service here has always been fast and friendly for me. I've never had to wait in a line of more than one person to order, and never more than 5-10 minutes for my order to be ready. The workers have always given me warm smiles and thank yous, as well as shown patience when I am not quite sure what I feel like ordering. There is about six or seven tables ranging from two to four seats per table available for patrons to eat at. All of the tables are outdoor but covered by the shelter of the mall and attached parking structure. I've never seen any flies or ants hanging around either, which is nice. I love the food! The first plate I ever tried was their Vegetable Chow Mein. With the first bite you can immediately tell that they use much less salt and oil than your average Chinese restaurant. At first I thought this made it a little bland, but the veggies help to add flavor and with each bite I learned to love it even more. Now when I eat "regular" chow mein I feel sick thinking about all the oil and salt I am consuming! ( I'd still eat it though ;] ) I'm not sure if the food is actually healthy, as the words on their promotional window state, but I could easily believe that it is healthiER than standard Chinese fare. So, I will continue to eat here when I am in the area and craving some Chinese grub!
(4)Jamie G.
First time ordering delivery, food was fresh and hot. We ordered chicken teriyaki bowl, shrimp with vegetables and crispy dumplings. Everything was super delicious and delivery was FREE! I highly recommend this for a great dinner on a hot night when you don't feel like cooking.
(5)Andrey Y.
This place gets a 3 star for food, but a 5 star for service/convenience. I typically order 2-3 things and it sometimes takes only 15 minutes from the time I get off the phone for them to arrive at my door. Now, it is easily a 10 minute ride from inside the mall to my place at waikiki. So unless they have everything pre-made, I'd say its prettygood service. I'm a huge fan of black bean sauce stuff, and theirs is actually pretty tasty. The food overall is average but super convenient when you want delivery. 365 Challenge: #40/365
(4)Alex S.
Great lunch specials, recommend the sweet n sour chicken or orange chicken. Never had delivery done so can't say anything about that Tip, they do have a mall discount. Lunch specials also have the fried rice option, it's like they dont want you to get it since they only ask if you want white or brown rice. You also need to order slow since they'll ask if you want full or half order. They will cut you off if you're still talking. But food is good so i do come back
(4)Arthur S.
Ive only been here once or twice. I can't admit that this place is better than a dine in Chinese restaurant in fact most of it is pretty similar. I wouldn't really call it authentic, because the menu doesn't sound authentic at all and although its not authentic i still find ONE dish at this Americanized Chinese restaurant to be quite tasty. Most people would consider delivery or fast food Chinese places to be unhealthy. California Wok is similar but also different. SHRIMP IN CHEF'S SPECIAL SAUCE:I know that doesn't sound authentic AT ALL. But at least i could argue that its served in a healthy manner. This dish consist of breaded shrimp in a tasty sweet mildly hot sauce. There's also a serving of broccoli on the side, so get that healthy serving of daily vegetables. Carbs are off to the side, usually in one of those small white takeout containers. So if your a carb conscious freak like me then you can always decide to ditch the rice. PRICING: ehhh not so bad. probably around 8-12 bucks a plate. A few bucks more expensive than your L&L or Panda Express chains. SEATING: A little limited. They have outside seating so don't expect seats during busy times of the day ie; lunch,dinner. If i worked at Ala Moana this would be my go to Chinese place, but since i don't i think I'm better off looking outside of the mall.
(3)Jack M.
If given option I would give zero stars. My girlfriend and I ordered take out from this "chinese" restaurant tonight and couldn't have been more disappointed. Please spare yourself and order from somewhere else.
(1)Raych D.
This is a cute little restaurant that's fast and efficient. I have to admit whenever I'd pass by here I never gave it another look or thought to ever try their food. But 3 years ago my ex reassured me that this place has really good HOUSE SHRIMP! and since then I always do takeouts for their famous special house shrimp. Its not the most portions that they give but it is very darn good! I tried the beef broccoli also and that is alright but nothing fancy about it and the beef is always undercooked and they never give enough beef in it. They have tables outside if you don't do takeout but be advised people passing by the mall always stares at you while your eating.
(3)Tamra P.
I will start off by saying that maybe I tried to go too healthy. Chinese food is not my favorite cuisine. It was pretty much eat here or a protein bar in the car so I opted to try it. Plus there was seating so I could eat somewhat civilized on a table while I did work on my laptop and returned phone calls. Anyway I had the shrimp and vegetables. It would have come with rice but I passed. It's funny when you try to do low carb, you realize how much cheap filler most local food is with the two scoops rice or noodles. I literally had a few shrimp and a few vegetables. No flavor. In fact, I think raw vegetables and steamed shrimp would probably have had more flavor. Sad. Maybe I was trying to go way too healthy for Chinese food at an already "healthy" Chinese food place.
(2)Mae D.
Delicious! Healthy! Great value! And they deliver! Enough said!
(4)Scott H.
Better than Panda but also more expensive. Its a good alternative to going into the Food Court which gets crazy. There s some seating outside the place, I usually carry out since I live near here.
(4)Nicole K.
In the days when pizza is pretty much the only thing delivered to your door, I was happy to find that I can also have Chinese food delivered. It was around 8 p.m., and my friends and I were at the Waikiki apartment dying to eat something. Being college students, we had had pizza every day for the past so many days, so it was time for a change of pace. While pizza is definitely not friendly on the waistline, we thought that Chinese food would be just as bad. But my friends had been recently ordering from California Wok. The name took me by surprise as the only thing I could think of was Shitty (City) Wok from South Park. They had a menu and everything ready to order, so I browsed through. I love hot and sour soup, so I got that. And I also got their veggie teri bowl. It did looks like they had many other healthy options, but I didn't feel like eating meat that night. I know right, surprising. Hot Sour Soup (Chicken) 240 Calories. 1.5 Gram Sat. Fat. $6.59. White meat chicken, egg, tofu, woodear, in a delicious broth. And yes, it was delicious. I was debating getting soup because if they're going to deliver, it's probably going to spill. But what the heck right? Teriyaki Vegetable Bowl 330 Calories. 0 Gram Sat. Fat. $5.89. So much flavor, and so many veggies. I loved it. The teri sauce is also very generous. And I forgot to mention the best part. Delivery is free! And they deliver in record time. Their servings are pretty big, and especially if delivery is free and it's healthier than pizza. Good stuff. Yelp 365: 018 of 365
(3)COURTNEY K.
When I lived in Waikiki I my bf and I ordered delivery from here often. The food was always hot, tasty, and delivered fast with a smile. I have never eaten at the restaurant. We liked the hot and sour soup and the garlic pork.
(5)Gemma R.
Lesson learned, orange chicken isn't the same everywhere. California Wok delivers so that is why we ordered from here. Smart idea? NO. everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals but I ended up with some overly sweet, not spicy at all, dry chicken. What I thought I ordered was spicy crispy chicken. It was a very big order so they do good when it comes to portions but the taste was very bland. I'll try something different next time.
(3)Alex H.
The vegetable teriyaki bowl was good. Fried rice tasted great as well... It wasn't greasy! The only con to my bowl was that there was way too much teriyaki sauce. For a place that prides itself on healthiness, I would think they'd tone it down a little bit instead of dousing it with sauce. The egg rolls were also quite greasy and a little bit bland. I'd eat here again if I had a hankering for Americanized Chinese food. Definitely not authentic, but I don't think it's really meant to be. However, I'd likely take it to go or get it delivered because the seating area is literally in the parking lot.
(3)Jennifer S.
First time visiting this place. Bad part- Took forever to find parking. Very busy area to find parking. not fun circling. ordered to go and it took 20+ minutes to get food. Good Part- Took the sechuan prawns and it was great. IThis is the first time I found seschuan in honolulu and it was good and healthy. Next time order ahead of time and run in to pick it up!
(3)Racquel S.
Healthy Chinese Food?? Is it really possible.. well so they say they are! I learned of this place while I was walking around Ala Moana Shopping Center and didn't quite know what to eat. I haven't been here for a while since then. I don't really know much about the menu other than the Lemon Chicken Plate. Which is the only thing I order from here because the first time I ordered it I never wanted to take a chance with anything else. I didn't want to order something bad and have it cancel out my whole experience, if there is such a thing. so this place is a typical Chinese Restaurant where you order from different types of meats, noodles and etc. So you have an option of ordering from a half size or full size, sometimes they only offer you one size like the Lemon Chicken. For an order of Lemon Chicken is about $10 and it comes with 2 pieces of Chicken sliced in 8th's on top of some lettuce to drain out the oil. And it a cute little Chinese take-out box you can have white/brown rice. The time wait can be a little annoying because they can make it brutal even when you do a phone order. But when I do crave me some Lemon Chicken this is the only place I can get my fix because the chicken is not drained out with the lemon sauce, you can dunk it in the sauce yourself. I hope this review is a bit helpful for I only critiqued it on some delicious flaky Lemon Chicken. :) Oh and of course they claim to be a little bit more on the healthier side because they cook on canola oil.. yeah thats it the oil changes everything :{
(3)T. L.
I like this place, its clean , ( been in the back lol ) , and the food is good here. They use chicken breast not thigh , and also brown rice as a choice as well. Everything I have eaten here has been good so far. Nothing to do cartwheels for but worth a visit as a healthy alternative every once in a while. All around good experience !!!! :-)
(3)Gabriel T.
I always pass by this place when cruising around the mall and never got a chance to try it until recently for a lunch break. I like how it is close to the stores I mostly visit (Champs, Gamestops, escalator leading up to Macy's). When I stepped into the front, I noticed that they have a lot on the food menu. This place promotes and emphasizes healthy Chinese food to the tee. They give 10 percent off to Ala Moana employees which is awesome. I like how they have a sign about it right next to the register. My first meal here I tried the Chicken Fried Rice which was pretty good. It's not as oily and greasy and other typical fried rices. They also give you a fortune cookie along with your meal. I like their fortunes better than Pandas. Their prices for the food is aight and just a tad bit up there but hey it's Ala Moana. The staff and customer service is good. Since these is a Chinese joint, I wondered how they have their stuff sooo:long." Yelp 365 Challenge #109/365
(3)Michelle O.
This is one of my fave take out places & I probably eat here every 10 days or so. My usual order is the steamed fish that is prepped w/a soy sauce and buried in julienned ginger & green onion shards. The steamed veggies (bok choi, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, snow peas) are a great pair w/the fish & I usually ask for it to be prepared w/o the light sauce. Sometimes, I also get an order of the steamed dumplings which are really filling. All main entrees come w/a small side of rice (white or brown) and it never takes more than 10 mins.
(4)Jill B.
Considering the fact that ordering 3 half entrees (which come with rice) including tipping our delivery person was less expensive than 1 medium pizza from Papa Johns.... California Wok isn't a bad decision when you're looking for an economical, convenient, and quite tasty delivered fare. Some of my favorites are the Sesame Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Lemon Chicken, & Orange Beef though I'm sure anything on the menu would be delicious. Plus, delivery is free for orders over $15 which is also really nice. Just found the website - californiawokhawaii.com
(4)Shannon T.
Received a menu in my mailbox and thought it looked good. Called for delivery since we live within 4 miles and they refused because it was "too far".
(1)Chris V.
Decided to stop by for lunch on Friday. I bought sauteed chicken & cashews from here once before and I thought the food was okay. Truthfully, the food hasn't changed. I like California Wok because the food was freshly prepared and there are a lot of customers. There must be something good if there is that much turnaround of people. I got to speak with a few people waiting for their orders and they said, "everything is good here." Another gentleman said, "the salt & pepper shrimp and steamed fish dishes were must try's." I definitely be back to try more. See you at California Wok.
(3)John O.
Had delivery...pretty much the WORST chinese food I've had...ever!
(1)Jessica B.
I tried California Wok for the first time today and it was delicious! The service was great and the food was ready in seconds! I had the shrimp with black bean sauce. Once I opened up my food, I couldn't stop eating! The vegetables were amazing and there was a good amount of shrimp to satisfy my hungry stomach. Can't wait to each some other entrees.
(4)Sharon V.
Well after a craving all week for chinese food I visited my favorite chinese restaurant: California Wok. Well, it USED to be my favorite. I have not visited in a while and I was very disappointed. I ordered my usual Vegetarian Fried Rice which was good, but I ordered my all time favorite dish: Sweet and Sour Chicken. Whoever made this dish tonight put too much rice vinegar in the sauce. The sauce is usually sweet and very good. The fortune cookies that they give you with the meal were "very stale tasting". I told the girl behind the register. I am not sure if she understood me. Oh well, I guess I will look for another and hopefully better Chinese restaurant for my future cravings.
(3)James H.
Food is good.. I enjoy eating the house special fried rice, although on my last visit there wasn't to good. Customer service isn't the greatest but I guess it's because all the workers are from China, literally! To get back to my bad experience, they forgot to include the Chicken into my fried rice... I called back to let them know what happened and they asked me to return it and they'll remake me an order. I refused because after a long day of work, I'm finally open tired and hungry. So they eventually offered to give me $1 off my next meal! YaY!!
(1)N m.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I should've known better. I had gone here once a long time ago, and remember waiting a really long time and having a hard time communicating with the counter girl. The food was... ok (Cha Cha Chicken). The price was not cheap for Chinese food (and it's even more ridiculously overpriced now). But I tried it because of the "healthy" advertising. Needless to say, I never went back. Until..... now. Time dulled my impression, and I was desperately hungry for a take-out "healthy" meal I could track my calories for. After ordering, it brought back my forgotten memories of waiting. And waiting more. And waiting MORE. (It should've rang a bell when I was deciding and someone was complaining about waiting 23 minutes and getting charged extra for something...) Then I remembered realizing that this isn't really "healthy" food as they claim. It seems great because they show calories for certain dishes (on the menus), but if you read the fine print, almost all of those assume the dish is shared among three people. Heck, Panda's would be just as "healthy" if you split it three ways (and it tastes better -_-). The twenty minute + wait was really annoying, like it was the first time. I saw people come after me that got their food before me, and that didn't help. When I checked on the status of my order, and asked for a refund if they didn't start on it, she rushed back and got it going. I guess my refund request just didn't matter if they decided to start on when I asked about it 20 minutes after I ordered it. I can't review on the taste of the Asparagus Chicken dish I ordered, because I was too annoyed to eat it and threw it in the fridge to eat another time. But man, that Jack in the Box that I got on the way home was da bomb! (At that point I was too starved and grouchy to care about calories!) =D TLDR; My recommendation: Don't bother patronizing this place! The food is mediocre, the "healthiness" is deceptive (I'd wager the sodium is through the roof), the service attitude is lacking, and the wait time is obscene!!! Oh, and the place is hot and pretty ghetto... not the kind of restaurant you want to be in when you're waiting over 20 minutes for your food!
(2)Troy J.
One of my favorite places to eat. They do offer brown rice, and many other healthy options. They charge about the same as every else in ala moana. I like the Singapore noodles, and shrimp with chefs special sauce. Be aware they sometimes take a long time, and the service is typical CHINESE.....McDonalds has better service.....
(3)Shirley Mina Y.
Day 013/365 Yelp Challenge 2011 Myy favorite things to order from here are the steamed chicken dumplings and the shrimp fried rice. I remember when their shrimp fried rice was served in the metallic foil tray with the clear plastic cover on top. Recently, it's been served in a not-so-environmentally friendly styrofoam tray. Their prices seemed to have gone up slightly since their recent restaurant renovation. You also have to have a minimum purchase in order to pay with a debit card, otherwise, it's a cash only purchase. They do accept phone orders and will have your food ready by your requested time. They do have a TV but it's a plasma that shows their menu above the counter. It's not for watching television on. I've also seen customers leave their assorted plastic bottles for recycling, on top of the restaurant's trash area. I'm not sure if they get recycled, but at least sone of the eco-conscious public are trying.
(4)Coty G.
I first ate at California Wok about four years ago. For some reason, I didn't return back to this little food establishment until maybe a month ago, and I've been back at least five times since then. I'm a bit addicted to the Chicken plates. California Wok bills itself as being a healthy and low fat Chinese food alternative. This was incentive enough for me to try this place out once again since I love to eat Chinese food (luckily for my waist, I don't eat typical Chinese food too often). My favorite dishes at California Wok include the Chicken and Broccoli and the Cha Cha Chicken. As you can see, I love my chicken! The Cha Cha Chicken is a mixture of Chicken, mushrooms and spinach. Both dishes are absolutely wonderful. If you order the Chicken with Broccoli, I would recommend ordering a full plate as the broccoli is pretty bulky and will take up most of the portion. On the other hand, the half-plate of Cha Cha chicken is pretty filling. Entrée dishes can be ordered as either half or full plates. Half-plates cost about seven dollars, whereas full-plates are a little over nine dollars each. A little pricey considering you can get larger portions at your favorite (and traditional) Chinese restaurant for about 6 bucks. You pay the extra three bucks at California Wok for the "healthy" factor. All entrée plates come with a side of white or brown rice and a fortune cookie for good luck! If you're in the during lunch time than I would highly recommend ordering from their lunch menu. At about $6 you get an entrée (about half-plate in size), salad, side order of rice and a drink. Pretty good deal, don't you think? According to the California Wok website, they use "fresh vegetables, low sodium soy sauce, 100% cholesterol-free canola oil and by preparing each dish to your dietary preference." They had better be using healthy ingredients if I am going to pay that three-dollar premium! If you're in the Ala Moana area and want a healthy alternative to Panda Express than I would recommend checking out California Wok. It is located near Assagio's and is right next to the American Saving Bank Ala Moana Branch. California Wok 1450 Ala Moana Blvd # 1251 Honolulu, HI 96814 (808) 947-1332
(3)Jonn D.
Rating: 2.5/5 Date(s) visited: about half a dozen times. Food: 3/5 Service: 1/5 Atmosphere: 2/5 Price: 3/5 Parking: 3/5 This is surely a "Customer fixer-upper." Fix the customer service, and everything will fall in to place. The food is somewhat good already, so if you fix the customer service, this place should get at least 3 star's and up from its customers. I would call this a "Last Resort" restaurant in my book of reviews. It's sad to say, but this place can be so much more. What would help, is that the people at the counter need to learn English and basic customer service skills. Food: Not bad. I actually like the food, minus the customer service. Service: Did I mention the customer service sucks?! Atmosphere: Feels very cheap and unorganized. There are no inside seating, just a couple of tables outside. This place is mainly for take-out, in my opinion. Price: Reasonable. Parking: Mall parking, so it's hit or miss.
(2)papaya s.
Long story short, there was a huge ROACH in our takeout order of cha-cha chicken! And the restaurant refused to take responsibility for it, which leads me to believe that this disaster could very well happen again. We had ordered a number of dishes for our family dinner -- lettuce cups, steak and veggies, noodles, rice and cha-cha chicken. We had all eaten our first servings when the roach was discovered at the bottom of the chicken dish. Of course, we couldn't eat another bite. We called the manager the next day and took in the evidence, along with an entire order of uneaten steak and veggies. When we arrived, a couple of teenagers were manning the register. They couldn't understand our basic English requests to speak to the manager or an adult. (This has always been a problem there.) Eventually, they got someone from the back and the "manager" came out and made a bad situation even worse. First of all, there was NO apology ever given for the mishap. In fact, the manager was argumentative and defensive, insisting that the restaurant is clean and that she would show us a receipt for cleaners as proof. She went on to argue that this could happen at any restaurant. Finally, she refused to refund our entire order, although she did refund us for the tainted chicken dish and the uneaten steak dish. We'll NEVER be back to this place. Mistakes happen, but when customers are treated rudely and no apologies are made for disgusting errors like this, a restaurant doesn't deserve business. Plus, you know it's bad when the underage workers at the register squeal "ewwwwwwwwwww!" at the sight of the returned food. Even they wouldn't eat it! Think twice, people!!!
(1)Katie N.
What more can you ask for "free delivery" with purchased of $15 or more. On the plus side their food is fairly decent!!!
(4)Cory H.
California wok is great!! Good healthy Chinese food. Can't go wrong! Lunch menu is amazing!! Try their orange chicken, house fried rice, chicken fried rice, or shrimp with mixed vegetables! Mall employees get 10% off. =]
(5)Christine C.
I work nearby, so I usually get the lunch special as take-out. They run $7-9. I usually get the Cha-Cha Chicken, or Shrimp with brocolli. It comes with brown or white rice and a salad that has amazing dressing. Love the House Fried Rice, as well. Delicious!
(4)Kathleen G.
i have eaten here i think at least 3x. the food's great. I got the garlic shrimp and i like how it's got celery and so spicy. i think it's pretty cheap. i was satisfied. the california wok soup is also good. but since there's only outside seating and it's mostly good for take out, those kind of keeps it away from getting more stars.
(2)Matt R.
not very impressed. 1) Delivery took 20mins longer then given time 2) all the sauce in my tofu w/mushrooms spilled out; soaking the bag, my table and parts of my floor. 3) Chicken Katsu + lemon sauce DOES NOT make lemon chicken 4) All my fortune cookies were smashed hence becoming unfortunate cookies 5) The Mongolian beef w/water chestnut and tofu w/mushrooms were tasty though
(1)Wayne S.
Love the kun pao chicken.
(3)Anson G.
Bottom Line: They try to pass themselves off as healthy Chinese food. Oxymoron or what? When I first stopped here, I was kinda hoping for a Wok Star type of place. However, they're just a made to order Chinese stir fry place. They claim they're healthy, but I think that just means they don't put as much salt, and they use Canola oil instead. Note: they use a prodigious amount of Canola oil at that. I had "Bear's Paw" - a fried tofu and green onion dish covered in black bean sauce. Another item - chicken fried rice (you mean there was some fried rice in that grease?) Chicken Won Tons - crispy and almost tasty. I had to dunk it in mustard or sweet and sour sauce to get any real flavor from it. The upside to the relatively high priced plates are that they are large enough to share. The food is so-so, but at least has the value of bulk going in it's favor. I may give them another shot, but if I do eat here again, it probably won't be my own idea. Note: My Yelp mentor says real Chinese food is healthy - so this stuff must be the real deal. . o O ( I wonder...since food produced in China is technically Real Chinese food - does that mean anything they export from China is healthy? ) ;)
(3)Anthony N.
Where do i start? i used to have it delivered like 2x a week! literally! well, for a month or two... anyways! i ate there one day and found a hair in my fried rice!! so i just took it off and threw it on the ground. then continued eating, then another hair came! and again, i took it off! then, a THIRD!! R u fricken kidding!! 3 pieces of hair in my fried rice!! I then took it to the lady and told her about it and she basically told me that i dont have proof!! and i asked her, "wat do u want me to do? go and pick it up off the ground?!" and she basically said yeah! which pissed me off so i just left the food on the table and walked away... Lesson learned. next time i find hair in my food, i will leave it in there, and then take it to the staff!!! how rude! damn Chinese lady!! ive never found 3 pieces of hair in my food ever!! and all i wanted was a new plate.. was that too much to ask? for a restaurant to say Healthy Chinese food?!?!? i dont think so!!! If i could give a negative score i would!!
(1)Miki S.
California Wok recently reopened after being closed for renovations. I went by to re-check it out the other day but I didn't see a difference other than the their new energy sucking t.v. menus that replaced their old menu boards, which in my opinion were fine. Everything else looked exactly the same and truthfully pretty sloppy for something that was closed for a month or two. The condiment stand was disgusting and I opted to use my own sriracha when i got home. Ants and sauce everywhere. The rag it was sitting on was probably the same rag they put out the day they re-opened. The food tastes the same. I like that all the meats are not fatty and they do not use msg which gives me major headaches. I will probably be back since it is conveniently located between the employee parking lot and the "secret door" that takes you up the elevator behind bubbas.
(3)Keesha G.
Ive ordered from this place twice. They deliver. I had the House special beef. It is fillet mignon at 13.35 for the full order. Only 260 calories. I ask for mine to be spicy and they did it. It was delicious both times and they are not stingy with the meat. The dish had sauteed peppers mushrooms and onions and the meat was really good. For the price, its worth it. My meal came with brown rice. I also had their won ton soup. It is really filling on its own. A small cup is loaded with fresh mushrooms and spinach with the won ton dumplings. Its really good. Too bad for those with bad experiences because I had two good experiences like four months apart. They even remembered from before that I liked my dish spicy. Ill order again for sure.
(4)Loren L.
Keep on Wokin' Checked out cause it had signage, "healthy Chinese food" and cause we were hungry. Well here goes, the prices are on the elevated side for "basic" Chinese dishes. I ordered Mongolian Beef and the wifey ordered Bean Cake over spinach. The beef dish looked and tasted like Oyster sauce Beef. The bean cake dish was alright. The chef does wonders with cornstarch. This place is primarily a take out joint, with outdoor seating. Will I be back? probably not... "will keep on wokin'"...
(2)Ellen Mae V.
The food is decent. Nothing special and nothing particularly different. The actual restaurant is is in a mall and faces the parking lot, so it's not much of a dining experience. The only thing that keeps me coming back is the fact that once in a while, I'll have an insatiable Chinese craving at 8:00pm and will be too lazy to busy too cook. THEY DELIVER within the area if you order $25 or over.
(2)Brittany M.
I love it! The only Chinese food that I can eat and still feel great afterwards. Not greasy or gross, just delicious. I make the drive from Hawaii Kai all the way to the mall and back (with traffic, of course) just for this stuff. I've tried and loved their O Won Ton Soup, Crispy Fried Won Tons, Shrimp Chow Mein, and more. My hubby swears by the Chicken Cashew with brown rice and our friend always gets Hot Spicy Orange Chicken with brown rice. The eating area isn't great, so do take-out. The mall's food court is close by and the beach is just a short walk/drive as well. They also deliver if you are close enough.
(5)G H.
Good house special fried rice.
(4)Emily L.
Had chicken moo shu for lunch and my co-worker had the house chow mein. All through my meal, I kept eyeing her noodles b/c they looked so damn good. Thick (not quite udon thick) with shrimp, meat and veggies...mmm! Oh yea, back to my own lunch, I love the bulky mix of cabbage and eggs and the sheer ritual of making a mini-Chinese burrito for myself. What I didn't enjoy was the lack of chicken and even if there were, they had been breaded and deep fried. Maybe I need to look elsewhere for to get my moo shu on.
(3)Olivia D.
I heard that California Wok had cheap lunch specials. I tried the shrimp with vegetables plate from the lunch menu today and it was just okay. I've eaten here a couple of times before and nothing blew me out of the water flavor-wise. California Wok basically serves bland American-Chinese stir fries. For less than $8, I got two scoops of rice, eight medium shrimp and some broccoli, Chinese peas, carrots, mushrooms, water chestnut. Oh yeah, and an iceberg lettuce salad with no dressing, but a side of hoisin sauce. Ew! You might think that's a good deal, but it was very little food. So little food that I had to go upstairs to Shirokiya to buy more food, setting me back another 5 bucks. Then three hours later, I had to buy a third lunch because I was starving. So I went to City Cafe and bought a turkey sandwich and shaved ice for $9. So because I tried to save money by ordering California Wok's lunch special, I ended up spending $22 on my three lunches and I am still hungry!
(3)Elizabeth W.
Really baby far the worst Kung Pao chicken I've ever had. I had to go back and verify I got the correct order. No flavor.
(1)sky i.
When I'm in the mood for Chinese takeout but don't want to add on extra inches around my waist, I order from California Wok. Not only are most of the dishes fairly tasty, there's an added bonus where most of the items have their net carbs, caloric and saturated fat content listed. My favorite dishes are: Kung Pao Chicken Chicken w/Mushroom and Peapod Cashew Chicken Hot Spicy Tender Orange Chicken Sesame Chicken Shrimp with Chef's Special Hot Sauce Shrimp w/ Lobster Sauce Hot Spicy Orange Beef But alas, not all their food are hits...here are some misses and probably should be avoided: Most of their beef dishes Most of their vegetable dishes tend to be very bland with the exception of the Oyster Broccoli Any of their fried rice Another drawback is the lengthy wait for takeout delivery, average waiting time 45 minutues, more during peak lunch and dinner hours.
(4)Jon L.
California Wok is a chain of restaurants from California that touts health conscious Chinese cuisine. This location is their only Hawaiian outlet. The food here overall is not great. The portions are decently sized at a good price, but the taste was bland. If you are looking for a healthy option in Ala Moana, this should not be terribly hard to do as there are so many dining options available. I would recommend California Wok only if you insist on having healthy food that is Chinese. Still again, I think it would not be terribly hard to find a Chinese restaurant that would meet both of these criteria.
(2)Jessica S.
If there's one thing that's hard to get in Hawaii it's good vegan-friendly take out. This place makes the best veggie fried rice, with the option of brown instead of white for even an healthier meal. To top it off, I work less than 2 minutes' walking distance from this place and if I call in my order as I'm clocking out for lunch, my food is always ready and waiting on the counter by the time I arrive!
(4)Mariko D.
NO STARS, but am forced by Yelp to give 1 star!!! Been there several times over the years despite unfriendly service to eat "healthy" Chinese food, but after yesterdays experience never ever again!!!! I have never experienced food poisoning before but I got it bad here! I had gone to eat on my lunch break (szechuan beef) and 2hrs later was on the floor in the fetal position vomiting, diarrhea, fever which got up to 102F. 13 hours later I still have all the above symptoms but now also includes headache due to dehydration, I can't even hold down liquids. If this persists I will have to seek medical attention. Please don't go!!!
(1)Edwina K.
After the Ala Moana fireworks, we herded back across to the mall parking lot. What can we do to pass the time away to avoid the long lines of exodus? Eat! We parked right in front of California Wok. The doors were still open - yeah! This was our first visit: healthy chinese food? really? chicken, white meat only? brown rice? Too bad I wasn't that hungry. I would have tried more than 1 main dish. I wish I have had read sky's review - I was hesitant on the sesame chicken but now I know to order it next time. We ordered the crispy dumplings (6 pieces) and chicken & broccoli (my husband's staple dish - why?). What can I say, he's a vanilla guy & I'm a mint chocolate chip gal:-) I tasted the entree and wow, not bad. White meat chicken, tender broccoli, with NO brown sauce - my kinda dish. The dumplings were ok. I would come back here. It's nice to know I can get "light" chinese food somewhere. However, there may be a Chinese restaurant that balances authentic & healthy already. Let me know!
(3)J K.
As I write, my husband and I are eating California Wok. We are eating the shrimp with salt pepper, bbq pork fried rice and szechuan beef. They were all really yummy and tasty! I like their fried rice dishes, singapore noodles, cha cha chicken, garlic chicken, shrimp with chef's hot sauce, shrimp with salt pepper, szechuan beef, house special beef steak, mongolian beef and shrimp in lobster sauce. The ones I did not care for were the egg drop soup and moo shu chicken. They were pretty tasteless. What I like is that you can substitute sauces. Their garlic sauce is really yummy! And the BEST thing is they deliver! We always get our food delivered and they are faster than any pizza company. Although they are a little pricey, their portions are pretty generous. You get what you pay for!
(4)Alyssa M.
good food but a bit pricy! try the char siu fried rice & chicken chow mein. the beef broccoli...the broccoli has a little crunch still & isn't soggy like most.
(3)Brent K.
This restaurant cannot be placed in a weirder location in Ala Moana. While the restaurant itself looks kinda sketchy, the food that comes out is really good. It's a semi-healthy type of Chinese place and has an assortment of menu items. Ordering 2-3 plates and a side of noodles or rice is actually perfect for 2 people... but then again I eat a lot so it might be good for 3 people. :P If I can remember what I ordered here, I'll post back later. It was some kind of chicken dish.
(4)Patricia E.
BEWARE!!! Delivery items are a different story and gamble. When its good - its good. But many times the food has been delivered re-heated. A simple item like soda has expired dates on the cans. Then your order gets lost in translation when it changes hands. Then when you call them to tell them, the rep will always say 1 of 2 things "Thats ok, we didn't charge you for the item you didnt receive anyway" WHICH THEY DID! or "its a new size and everything is there" WHICH IN FACT IT ISNT!
(2)Karma B.
This is pretty cheap chinese food (quality wise). But it's fine. I ordered a basic Chicken Fried Rice which was okay. The chicken was plentiful but prepared with the skin on it -- not necessarily my taste. But it was tasty. No real place to sit. There are some tables outside in the mall parking garage. Overall, not crowded, super fast service. Fine, cheap, chinese food. Don't expect gourmet.
(2)Jirarat S.
The first 2 or 3 times I ate food from here, I didn't like it. Later, I figured out that I had been ordering the wrong things. For example, I like lemon chicken (PF Chang's style), so I ordered it here and it wasn't what I thought. It was like chicken katsu with a lemony sauce. I thought it would be bite sized pieces of white meat chicken in a sauce with some veggies but it was just chicken and sauce. I finally found some things I do like and I'm glad I did because it's convenient and cheap when I don't feel like cooking (which is most of the time, actually all the time). I usually get a half order of garlic shrimp and a full order of steamed chicken with mixed veggies and a side of brown sauce. I like the veggie mix cuz it has broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, baby corn, snap peas, and boy choy...you're not just getting cabbage. The steamed chicken entrees are pretty healthy and still tasty. Each entree comes with rice and all of this is enough for 3-4 meals for me. The total cost is about $19 so that averages $4.75-6.33 per meal...not bad at all. I should just eat here everyday.
(4)Craig E.
This place used to be good, and used to offer goot hot chinese food by delivery. They must have changed managers, you can no longer count on speedy delivery, it often takes more than an hour and the service is extremely rude. Avoid at all costs.
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