Top Wok Chinese Takeaway, Newcastle Upon Tyne

...not had anything from the Top Wok Chinese Takeaway in Newcastle before. I was assured that their food was nice, so I began browsing the menu.

Okay, so there's nothing about this menu that stands out compared to other Chinese menus; the basic dishes are offered, along with a few meal deals and family 'banquets'. With all that selection, I didn't have a clue what I fancied, but thankfully my step-dad suggested we split the 'Treasure' ...
...with the little seeds on top of the fried bread. Though I'll admit they were a little greasy. The Chicken Satay was the next thing in my mind to try. Holding the pointy stick at either end, I took a bite. The outer layer was rather sharp and crispy, practically cutting into my lips. Though, the inner chicken was again quite soft and definitely edible! The Spring Rolls were quite a tasty little treat too, filled with vegetables I couldn't work out. ... more

Before I kick-started the diet, I decided to allow myself one last treat. The family were ordering in Chinese so I thought I'd have something. I've always loved Chinese, though I'd not had anything from the Top Wok Chinese Takeaway in Newcastle before. I was assured that their food was nice, so I began browsing the menu.

Okay, so there's nothing about this menu that stands out compared to other Chinese menus; the basic dishes are offered, along with a few meal deals and family 'banquets'. With all that selection, I didn't have a clue what I fancied, but thankfully my step-dad suggested we split the 'Treasure' Banquet' from the Appetisers. This seemed like a fair idea so we ordered that, and got myself a portion of Chinese chips too.

We ordered the food at around half seven, and by quarter to eight there was a knock at the door. I didn't actually see the Delivery guy so I cannot tell whether they were actually Chinese or not, though it's always good to have an actual Chinese takeaway delivery person - makes the experience all the little bit more 'real'!

"£20.20!" The delivery guy asked for the money, but this made my mam think. That wasn't right at all! She wispered to my step-dad that this was incorrect, and the next thing we know, the delivery guy changes his mind to £17.70. Had he heard my mam correcting him, or had he suddenly realised that he'd made a mistake in his calculation? Well if he was trying to con us into paying more, it hadn't worked!

£17.70 isn't really that much, in my opinion, for everything that we ordered; crispy won tons, egg fried rice, shredded beef peking sauce, treasure platte and chips. The menu itself is split into nineteen parts. There are a selection of soups at £2, including Hot & Sour, and Crab Meat and Sweetcorn. The Appetisers cost from £2.50 right up to £4.80, with options such as Crispy Seaweed and Deep Fried Squid. There are Chicken dishes on offer, including Lemon Chicken and Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, all priced at £4. The Fillet Steaks cost £6 and the Beef dishes in the same section cost £4. There is a section for all the Chinese Mushroom dishes, priced from £4 to £5.10, and include dishes such as King Prawn with Chinese Mushrooms. For those who like their pork, dishes such like Pork and Cashew Nuts will cost yu £4. There are many King Prawn dishes starting from £4.70 but reaching as high as £8.50, with options like King Prawns with Ginger and Spring Onions. The Seafood dishes cost from £4.80 up to £6.10 and include Scallops and Mussells. The curry fans among you can have a dish from as little as £3.90, whether you fancy Pork or King Prawn. If the Chinese Mushroom dishes don't appeal to you, you could always order an English Mushroom dish at the same price. The Fried Crispy Noodle dishes are all within the £5 range too, as are the Soft Thick Noodles. There are special Duck dishes, suchh as Duck Orange Sauce, for £5.30, and several Egg Foo Yung options too. If the Chop Suey dishes don't grab you at around £4.50 a piece, you could always just go for a traditional English dish (which comes with chips) for around £5, such as omelette or roast chicken. The £4 fried rice dishes are varied, including egg fried rice and vegetable fried rice. If you don't like to eat meat, there's a special Vegetarian section too, which costs as little as £2 for soups and £3.50 for dishes like Sweet and Sour Mixed Veg. At the bottom of the list there is a section for side-orders, which are the cheapest, ranging from just £1.20 to £2.60, and include options such as Bamboo Shoots, and Pineapple Fritters.

*Each order comes with Fortune Cookies! (I feel a Freaky Friday moment brewing!)

Now, by the time our order had arrived, I was feeling quite hungry and couldn't wait to tuck in. After the Platter was split, on my plate aside my chips was two BBQ ribs, Satay roast chicken, two spring rolls, two prawn toasts, two won tons and a curry parcel. The plate was packed! But everything looked so delicious, especially alongside the Sweet and Sour Sauce we were given. I sat at the table, raring to eat.

The first thing I tried were the chips. Now, for some reason, I've always favoured Chinese chips over others, I'm not sure why. These particular chips did thankfully live up to the expectation; incredibly light and fluffy on the inside with their crispy 'shell'. They weren't too greasy either. I decided to try the BBQ Ribs next. They didn't spell too 'grilled' but looked as if they had been. Taking a bite into the meat, I wasn't too impressed. It was quite tough and far too chewy. It didn't taste of much either; a very bland experience here. Though I had a little more hope for the won tons, which looked like little sweets in wrappers, with the ball of chicken in the centre and the twisted crispy pastry on the sides. Dipping the crispy parts into the sauce and giving it a crunch, it was definitely delicious but quite tasteless if the sauce wasn't there. The chicken however was quite soft and thankfully not too tough at all. More to the point, it did taste as chicken should! The Prawn Toast too was as delightful, with the little seeds on top of the fried bread. Though I'll admit they were a little greasy. The Chicken Satay was the next thing in my mind to try. Holding the pointy stick at either end, I took a bite. The outer layer was rather sharp and crispy, practically cutting into my lips. Though, the inner chicken was again quite soft and definitely edible! The Spring Rolls were quite a tasty little treat too, filled with vegetables I couldn't work out. They were filled with such a mild yet prominent flavour. I wasn't very pleased with the final part though; the Curry Parcel far too spicy. I don't normally mind spicy foods though for some reason this just didn't taste right.

I thought that since I felt so hungy I would have polished the lot off, however I barely managed half. Thankfully, it was quite an enjoyed meal and most definitely worth the cost (saying that, I wasn't the one who paid for it!). The rest of my family were quite pleased with their meals too, which is always good!

The Top Wok Chinese Takeaway in situated in Whickham Industrial Estate on Swalwell Bank, Newcastle Upon Tyne. Although it's closed on a Monday, it's open Tuesday - Sunday from 5:30pm until 11:00pm. Delivery charges cost as little as £1 for a 3 mile radius, but can be as much as £1.50. They ask you to allow up to 45 minutes for delivery too.

Would I order again from the Top Wok then? Well, never say never, but no time soon!

© Amy 2008

(picture to come) 

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