Today we went to Charly's Wok and a got a delicious stir-dry.
Hello, again. My dad and I, and sometimes my mom comes along too, have been going out on the town to find some of the best not so well known cheap eats, mostly family-owned, restaurants that we can find. We go out almost every day, finding some new little place, or big place, to tell you about and review the food and prices.
About a month ago my dad and me wanted to try a little Asian restaurant called Charly’s Wok, but they were closed the day we went, and we ended up trying a restaurant right across the street; Mr Vegan. I actually wrote about the place instead, and you can read it here. But, today we decided to try Charly’s Wok again, and this time they were open! They are located on Niza 168 in Díaz Ordaz, and if you visit them don’t be dismayed by the size of the place, because there is a lot more room on the inside, and plenty of room to sit.
As you’re walking in you’ll notice a couple people standing in a glass box, and if they’re cooking you’ll know why, and if they’re not, you’ll know why soon. The burners they use to cook the stir-fries are giant, and the flames they create are so big that they roar. Basically, imagine the burner on your stove times 10. And why are they so big? Because unlike sautéing where there is always some sort of liquid at the bottom of the pan, cooking wok-style is made to evaporate all the liquids in the pan and concentrate the natural flavors of the ingredients. It is impossible to get these flavors on a normal-sixed, or even commercial burner. You must have a wok-sized burner and flame.
Charly’s Wok is a lot like a buffet, except you don’t actually get to touch anything. There is a big board on the wall behind the counter that shows all your different options, and the steps you take to assemble your stir-fry. First you choose a base of either rice, egg noodles, udon noodles, or vegetables, and then you get to choose as many, if any additives such as steak, chicken, and so much more. There are over xxx options! After that, you choose the sauce(s) you want in your stir-fry, and lastly, you get to choose toppings, if you want any at all.
The menu is so big, and it was so hard for me to choose. Even more than usual! But, finally I went with egg noodles, though later on I wished I had gotten udon noodles, steak, broccoli, zucchini, and some green onions. As for the sauce, I got a mix or oyster sauce and a spicy Vietnamese sauce, which wasn’t even very spicy, and I ended up adding lots of siracha to it. When I got my carton the first thing I thought about was how I’ve never seen those little boxes in Mexico, or at all for that matter. I’ve only seen them in movies where people get Chinese takeout. Anyways, the second thing I noticed was that they had brought me chopsticks, which im not very good at using, so I had to ask for a fork. But, once I got a fork I had to taste it right away. The flavors exploded in my mouth, and though they were kind of simple, they were still strong, and super good! As for texture, the noodles weren’t mushy at all, and the broccoli was cooked to perfection. The zucchini was cut into really tiny squares, so I couldn’t really tell what the texture was like, but every so often I would get a bite with zucchini, and it was really good too!
My dad ordered udon noodles as his base, and then he got both steak and chicken, mushrooms, and mixed peppers. For sauces he got the same as me, a ix of oyster sauce and the Vietnamese sauce. But, after he ordered and saw how dry the pan was that his stir-dry was being cooked in he asked more sauce to be added, because he loves concentrated, savory flavors. Once he got his carton he picked it up, and immediately, in broke Spanish, asked if they had a scale. I ended having to translate for him, and they brought out a little scale. Turns out, the cartons weight over 650 grams! Anyways, once my dad took a bite of his stir-fry he said that the chicken was perfect. It was actually un-seasoned, but that’s what made it good! The sauce and the rest of the ingredients all-together were quite salty, and on the verge of being overly salty. So, the blandness of the chicken breast went absolutely perfect with everything else, and it worked together really nicely. The beef, on the other hand, was pre-marinated arachera, so it was salty on it’s own, and my dad says it would’ve been much better if it was also unseasoned, and that’s the only thing he would change about the dish. He liked the meal as a whole so much that he ate all of the almost ¾ kilo stir-fry, and even tipped it at the end to get every last bit.
The owner of the place, Carlos, is actually quite young, he’s 28, but he’s very passionate about his food, and he loves doing what he does. But not only that, he also attended a culinary school in Riviera Nayarit. So, with experience plus passion, I can assure you that his food is amazing!
Also, as you may know Cacao Magico, located in Puerto Magico, is one of the country's finest chocolate shops. They are the only place that sells ruby chocolate, a naturally pink chocolate with a bitter yet sweet taste to it. And as we were sitting there eating a employee from Cacao Magico walked in and got 6 orders to go for the staff at Cacao Magico to have as lunch. So, if chocolatiers working at a high-end chocolate shop enjoy Charly's Wok, I'm sure you will too.
If you enjoyed this article, and would like to recommend a place that you know about, then please let me know. Or, if you are an owner yourself of a place that you would like to see written about, contact me.
And to see the rest of my food reviews go to the Dining Out section here in Vallarta Bay Times.
Charly's Wok WhatsApp & Phone Number: 322 214 5344