It's Only Wok & Roll But I Like It

- Name: Wok & Roll
- Location: 1821 Parental Home Rd #7 Jacksonville, FL 32216-4579
- Cuisine: Americanized Chinese food, Hunan Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, Szechuan 
- Offers: Dine-in, Take-out, Free Delivery (Limited Area)
- Signature Dish: General Tso’s Chicken, Bourbon Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, Hot Wing, Mongolian Beef
- Year of establishment: 2008
- Phone: 904-338-9533
- Owner: Yong rong Lin

In Jacksonville, Florida on the crossroads of a busy business corridor and residential area close to downtown lies a jewel of a take-out with the funky name of Wok & Roll. Here you can eat to the beat of every type of culinary music offered: Cantonese, Americanized Chinese, Hunan or Szechuan. Chief chef and owner Yong Rong Lin doesn't easily miss a beat. He's got the rhythm down pat and knows how to dish up just what his customers want. He even has the magical ability to know what they don't want due to his more than 20 years hands-on experience in the kitchen.

Some of the top signature dishes at Wok & Roll are General Tso's chicken, Bourbon Chicken, Black Pepper Chicken, each appealing to a different demographic. Bourbon Chicken is extremely popular with African Americans who dig the sweetness. Boneless chicken meat is pickled overnight and prepared with a drop of honey allowing the rich candied flavor of the soaked honey to rise to the surface.

The best selling menu offerings include the tried and true Beef and Broccoli, Mongolian Beef, Pepper Steak with Onion and Hot Wings. Because of the full gamut of Chinese flavors covering the entire country, every type of cooking method is employed with an abundant amount of sauces from oyster to duck sauce to chili based oil sauce.

For the particular health minded individual steaming vegetables, chicken or bean curd with mixed vegetables is an option. Less salt, oil and no MSG are part and parcel of the knowledge repertoire of accommodating a customers desire. The chef knows this only to well. Yet Wok & Roll caters to a beef loving customer at large. When these same customer's have special requests they are guaranteed to be met in the kitchen.

 Speed and Service is of the Essence

In a take-out environment speed is of the essence. You don't want customers waiting at the front for more than fifteen minutes. When we are out delivering the order, says chef/owner Y. Rong Lin, we can turn it around in less than thirty minutes. If it were the case where we took a longer time at the counter or by delivery, the customers would become frustrated or worse, they may not return. This established fact is something that Yong Rong Lin does not take lightly. Furthermore, the garden freshness of ingredients, purchased many times a week is the icing on the cake. Top quality produce and meats are used to insure a sustainable business.

Attention to detail is what is really emphasized in preparing take-out orders. The definition of that is a combination of speedy delivery times, fresh quality ingredients and comprehension of what a customer requests in the case of a special off-the-menu desire.

While a customer waits at one of the three dining tables accommodating around 10 people near the wait area our staff greets each person to make them feel welcomed and comfortable. They may order a drink while waiting or view the large eye-catching picture of the Great Wall of China reminding them that they've stepped into a Chinese restaurant. There is a symbolic message in the lettering that says, “Welcome to this Chinese restaurant”. Wok & Roll also does catering for all occasions.

How Clean is Clean?

To ensure total hygiene the 1500 square foot interior is cleaned daily. The kitchen is open to the public eye for all to inspect if they cared to. From the tiled floors to the wooden tabletops everything sparkles. The Health Department awarded Wok & Roll a Certificate of Inspection which is hung visibly at the entrance of the restaurant offering customers a welcome feeling of relief and trust.
The Challenges in this Economy

When queried about the issues and challenges Wok & Roll has undergone or faces in the future, Mr. Lin thoughtfully answered. “The entire economy is gloomy now. To a certain extent it affects our business because customers value their wallets and protect them with greater caution. The competition is fierce. On the other hand, we update our menu regularly and improve our services, promotion the speedy delivery time and offer other changes to attract customers. It turns out that we are also respected by customers who are returning in droves while new ones come into the fold.

The main philosophy of Mr. Lin is to guarantee quality. Whatever a customer demands Wok & Roll wishes to be able to deliver it. They also wish to offer all manner of conveniences to customers. Since the restaurant is in operation for two years, Mr. Lin has plans of succession.

What Does the Future Have in Store for Mr. Lin?

Backtracking to 1990, when Mr. Lin first landed in America he had the dream to find a good life and career. Like many others before him he encountered many difficulties. He encountered depression which he believes was unavoidable due to the vast differences of language, culture, lifestyle and cultural shock inherent in a brand new environment. Yet instead of being beaten down by his hardships he tried to find the silver lining within. He sought opportunities as he worked slavishly in a Chinese restaurant. “God blesses those who work hard” became his motto. After five years he thought it would be a good idea to start his own restaurant. That was in 1995.

The first try wasn't meant to be a success and the restaurant folded. Yet he did not quit. After analyzing the reasons for failure he struck out again. In 2002 a second restaurant was opened and it still runs successfully. Mr. Lin wanted to expand his business even further and when Wok & Roll appeared on the market he bought it.

He is a family man and balances his time between work and home life. For Mr. Lin both aspects of his life are important. He feels it isn't wise to sacrifice one for the other. He feels lucky that his family supports him. He is truly grateful to them for that.

Besides working hard, Mr. Lin thinks that key ingredients to success are patience and persistence. With his years of hardship behind him he wishes to pass the torch onto his son. He will retire in a few years to let his son carry on management of both properties. He believes that continued dedication to his customers will bring a windfall of luck to his family.