The opening last month of The Greak Wok, successor to longtime Wellesley restaurant The Wok on Rte. 9 east, had regulars of that former eatery excited to get back to their Chinese food routine. While The Wok, on the other side of town from us, hadn’t been part of our routine, we were curious to check out the new rendition, refurbished after the previous owners retired.
Mr. & Mrs. Swellesley, and a friend of ours, met at the restaurant on a recent Friday night at 7:45pm. The sushi bar at the front, and a good smattering of the tables, were occupied by patrons. Their chatter generated a festive but not overwhelming buzz. There was no music playing, and it’s easy to have a conversation. There are TVs at the sushi bar, so you could hang out there and watch a game.
We were seated toward the back in a cozy booth, so got a good quick tour of the revitalized white, red and brown interior on our way there. Bright pink flowers and artwork on the wall brighten the venue.
Eating on the late side, we were ready to order quickly, with an agreement that items would be shared. We ordered tekka and salmon maki (flavorful), chicken lo mein, edamame, grilled salmon teriyaki and Yang Chow fried rice (a colorful mix).
The portions were generous, though I still managed to gobble down most of the lo mein, which was flavorful and included enough chicken to satisfy. In my amateur hour moment, I was informed I shouldn’t be eating the edamame casing: Once I figured that out, I sucked down a bunch of the tasty pellets from inside.
While we didn’t identify ourselves to owner Amy as being with Swellesley until we were on our way out, it felt like they knew we were there. Or perhaps they treat all their guests this way. The staff treated us early on to a free appetizer of crab rangoon, which was creamy and crunchy. After the owner table tapped us, she let us know they’d be sending over ice cream for desert. It turned out to be a grand finale, with a chocolate doodle on the plate lit up by the staff, and the ice cream a delicious vanilla-ish flavor with crunchy stuff on it.
Our dessert at The Great Wok in #Wellesley was on fire pic.twitter.com/MjbyQaGzE9
— swellesley (@swellesley) March 2, 2020
And while I say that was the grand finale, that actually came the next day, as leftovers covered lunch, and tasted good the second time around, too.
More: Where to eat in Wellesley
Interested in sponsoring our restaurants page? Let us know: theswellesleyreport@gmail.com
I was laughing as I read your review! We visited the restaurant a week ago and had a phenomenal meal! Sushi was fresh and meal was delicious… We were wined and dined by Amy as well… couldn’t believe the complimentary crab rangoons and fried ice cream for dessert! She introduced us to staff and made sure all of our needs were met! It was a busy night in the restaurant but we never felt rushed! We will absolutely be back!