Golden Wok

Golden Wok shines in Greensburg

Golden Wok, the Top 100 Chinese Restaurant Awards winner is located in Greensburg, Wal-Mart Plaza, which is a major business and cultural center in Western Pennsylvania and is designated as one of the "Best Places to Retire" in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report. The restaurant is situated in a densely populated area, near the intersection of Greengate Centre Circle and E. Greengate Centre Drive. Thus, it is appealing to more passing patrons. In addition, the splendid scenery of Greensburg is also a great attraction to seasonal travelers, thus the influx of travelers will undoubtedly help boost the sales.

The restaurant shows a classical and extravagant exterior decoration. The dark colored but shining glass door and windows are really impressive, which makes the restaurant look super and special. With about 1400 square feet, it can accommodate 25 diners. Like most of Chinese take-out restaurants, its interior decoration focuses less on a luxurious appearance but a neat and warm dining atmosphere that can make you feel at home. Upon walking into the restaurant, the customers will see two lines of clean and elegant booths. The floor is spotless and maintained well. Like McDonald, the enticing pictures of house specialties are in clear view to persuade customers to try the dishes one after another. In addition, an open kitchen enables the customers to watch the whole cooking procedure. The kitchen is well equipped with a suite of cooking facilities.

Golden Wok:

Name: Golden Wok

Owner: Qiong Chen

Location: 1820 Greengate Center Circle, Greensburg, PA 15601

Cuisine: American style Chinese cuisine

Capacity: 25

Offers: take-out

Signature Dish: General Tso’s Chicken, Chicken in Garlic Sauce, Cashew Chicken

Year of establishment: 2006

Phone: 724-838-1818

The taste talks

The restaurant serves American style Chinese cuisine and the menu is from many regions of China with an emphasis on Szechuan cuisine. Among many of the popular dishes, General Tso’s Chicken, Chicken in Garlic Sauce and Cashew Chicken are ranked top three by the guests from all over the country. As one of them said, “This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in Greensburg. A large selection is offered, and they make some hard-to-find dishes. The portions are huge, and the price is more than right. I highly recommend General Tso's Bean Curd.”

Among the three well-known dishes, General Tso’s Chicken, a concoction of lightly battered chicken and steamed broccoli is the best seller in the restaurant. General Tso’s Chicken derives from the name of a general of historic repute, and has gradually won the heart of Americans. It is a token of Chinese Hunan cuisine. Through generations of development, it has been a big favorite with the Americans. This common dish may be similar in cooking procedures while different in flavor.

The homemade sauce is the secret of these palatable entrees. A sauce, gravy, or simple glaze can make or break a good meal. There is nothing worse than a lumpy sauce that tastes all too much like flour, covering your favorite food! Moderation is the key! The sauce is neither too ropy nor too thin. With the lightly battered chicken wrapped in the prepared sauce, it tastes a unique rich flavor.

In addition to General Tso’s Chicken, our crab Rangoon is also a crowd pleaser. Compared to other restaurants, it is neither too sweet nor salty and well caters to the preference of customers.

Considering that the elder may be more cautious to their health, and when they come to order, they often require tofu, vegetable-inspired dishes, or dishes with less oil and salt, the owner usually has the dishes steamed or boiled following their demands.

The most successful innovation is surely the sauce, which has been updated from time to time. Learning from other establishments and acquiring inspiration from cookbooks and recommendations from the customers, the sauce now tends to be more customer-driven.

Service makes it special

The restaurant provides both take-out and dine-in service. The restaurant is kept in order and clean, especially the open kitchen assures the customers of a healthy and enjoyable dining experience. In order to care about the health of the guests, the restaurant has always done a good job in the hygiene practice. Each day there will be someone cleaning the restaurant. A quote below from the Mystery Dining report is a strong testament. “The dining area was well kept and the tables were polished. Table settings were in appropriate condition, and the restroom was orderly and well stocked with supplies.

Bearing the motto “Customers first” in their minds, all the staff here are requested to serve with smile and be courteous to the customers. On the other hand, all the staff members also have developed a close relationship throughout years of operation. The owner treats the staff as his close friends, even family members. Whenever the staff have problems, owner Qiong Chen will help them out of trouble with pleasure.

The restaurant’s philosophy contains three elements: First, take the restaurant as the home and have passion about the business. Chen always takes care of the restaurant by himself, and runs the restaurant in his own way. Passion is the key to trigger the owner working on and sticking to his own business. Despite an intractable undertaking, Chen is optimistic enough to hold on his belief. Second, know the customers. Always keep their preference in mind and take accordingly strides. Third, keep constant innovation.

A Strong Belief In Mind

The owner Qiong Chen came to USA in 1993, and worked in various Chinese restaurants to make a living. Having accumulated several years’ experience in restaurant arena, he capitalized on his talents and wisdom to open the restaurant “Golden Wok”, in the hope of establishing itself a successful local brand.

The current economic downturn results in long time inflation, followed by the galloping prices and costs, which is really a big threat to the restaurant industry. Worst of all, the increasing competition makes the situation even tougher to handle. But, Chen is surely an optimist. He says, “We are confident to get through the hard times and we will continuously serve the community with highest quality food and attentive service.”