One Big Family at First Wok

First Wok Chinese Restaurant

Location: 295 Princeton Hightstown Road, Unit 1, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

Cuisine: Mandarin, Cantonese, Szechuan and Saturday/Sunday Dim Sum brunch

Capacity: 160

Square Feet: 3,650 square feet

Offers: Dine-in, Take-out, VIP room

Signature Dish: Lamb with Hot Sauce, Fresh Lobster with Ginger and Scallion Sauce, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Crispy Shredded Beef with Szechuan Sauce, Chinese Broccoli with Filet Mignon, and Chicken Lettuce wraps

Year of establishment: 1996

Phone: (609) 716-8323

Owner: Sonya Ma

People can find First Wok in one of the most bustling, upscale shopping centers in Princeton, New Jersey. Owner, Sonya Ma, explains that the location is one of the key factors in her restaurant’s success. The shopping center is like a hub for the local residents, housing three ethnic restaurants, a large upscale supermarket, a gift shop, a gourmet coffee shop, and a dance studio, to name just a few. The traffic flow in this shopping center is always very high. Another perk is that the shopping center is located at Princeton Junction, which is the main train station for commuters traveling to and from New York City and Philadelphia. The restaurant seats 160 people, with an area sectioned off for private parties, which can hold up to 50 people.

Sonya first took over First Wok in April 2008. Her uncle had originally opened the restaurant in 1996 and retired when Sonya stepped in. Her uncle did a fantastic job running the restaurant for twelve years. As such a jovial, hard working, older man, he built a very large and solid customer base and the restaurant is well known in the area—and Sonya has done a great job making improvements and continuing the restaurant’s success.

One of the first improvements Sonya made was with the restaurant’s interior. She completely renovated it. Originally,  the interior décor of First Wok was mostly made up of light greenish colors, Sonya had the restaurant wallpapered beige and white to lighten the dining room up and give it a warm, cozy, and clean look. The tables are traditional Chinese cherry wood donned with white table clothes and napkins. The walls are decorated with reproductions of famous Eastern and Western paintings and soft piano and jazz music is played during service and the lighting is kept dim to suit Americans’ taste. The renovation was a lot of work, Sonya explains, but it was well worth it.

The Food

When Sonya’s uncle opened First Wok in 1996, the restaurant served only Mandarin food and when Sonya took over the business she saw that the regular customers were very fond of the menu as it was. She wanted to change the menu, but didn’t want to omit any of the existing dishes as customers came back for them again and again. Instead she decided to add to the menu, and so far it’s been a success. She added Cantonese and Szechuan dishes to the menu and now offers Dim Sum on the weekends.

So of the signature dishes on the menu are the Lamb with Hot Sauce, a dish great for heat lovers, that combines a Mongolian sauce and a Hunan sauce. Another dish is the Chicken Lettuce Wraps, which are chicken wrapped in lettuce—an appetizer that her customers continuously return for. And finally there’s the fresh lobster that is taken live from a tank in the restaurant and cooked in a ginger scallion sauce. Other popular dishes are the Shrimp with Garlic Sauce, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Steamed Fish Filet, and the sizzling seafood dishes.

Healthy dishes are also offered at First Wok. Sonya explains that in the Princeton area, many of the residents are very health and weight conscious. The kitchen prepares each dish with very little oil and salt, and all dishes are light on the sauce. “Restaurants are everywhere,” says Sonya “you have to demonstrate to your customers that your restaurant is special and that you care about your customers’ needs.”  Lots of steamed dishes are offered such as the steamed fish, steamed chicken or shrimp with vegetables with sauce on the side for customers to use at their discretion. Sonya specifically recommends the Sautéed Snow Pea Tips and the Chinese Broccoli cooked in Oyster Sauce. Additionally, Sonya confirms that MSG is not permitted at First Wok and the restaurant receives a food delivery each day and that all of the restaurant’s food and ingredients are all always fresh.  

The Service

“It is very important to have the right people to work for you,” explains Sonya, “and it is also important to treat them very well.” The staff at First Wok is like family, many of the employees have worked there for twelve years, since the restaurant’s opening. And because of this, many of the staff members have formed friendships with the regular customers. Sonya explains that this is ideal as it gives the restaurant a very comfortable, home-like atmosphere that keeps both the staff and the customers happy. Expanding on this, Sonya explains treating the staff like your own family is critical for building a strong team. By doing so, they will treat your restaurant like it’s their own. “I heard people say character is what you do when no one is watching.  It is fortunate we have the exact right character at First Wok.  Everybody is dedicated to his work and our staff has genuine care for our customers.”

Sonya also explains the importance of communication between management and staff. They have a meeting with everyone every Friday to discuss any problems or complaints and emphasize on they are doing well.

As for the treating the customers, Sonya firmly believes that only impeccable service is acceptable. “If you drive around, you can see a Chinese restaurant in every shopping center,” says Sonya. “Why would people come to your restaurant and not the others? You must provide high level and consistent service to the customers and make them feel that they have good dining experience each and every time. Our most important asset is the trust we have earned from our customers over the years and we don’t take it for granted. For instance, we prepare a large number of take-out orders which are always triple checked by our kitchen staff, front desk and with customer.  As such, our error rate is almost zero.  We work very hard to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

The Owner

Sonya Ma considers herself very lucky. Her uncle started the business successfully and now she has taken it over as a young woman, full of energy. She studied international business in China and earned a master degree in the United States and she is very knowledgeable about marketing and she knows who her target audience is. She explains that many Chinese don’t understand how important marketing is.

Sonya is very busy with running her two restaurants and maintaining a happy family life with her husband and two children. She enjoys her busy life and even finds time for her passion – ballroom dancing.  You may run into her at some of area dance studios.