Wokcano is a hip and fun Chinese fusion restaurant in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. They also have locations in downtown LA and West Hollywood. It's called the "Late Night Hip Spot," as it stays open until 4am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and 2 am all other nights. Late-night dining in Pasadena is indeed rare and this is a great option.
I didn't come here late, but for an early dinner. I totally stumbled onto it by accident. It looked cute, it was time for dinner and I was hungry, so in I went. The place is cool and fun. It looks a little more tiki than Chinese. There are little tiki huts over the booths and large gold buddahs sit everywhere. All the tables were set with fresh and colorful daisies. The kitchen is open and the whole place has a sort of buzz going on. There were a lot of tables of young professionals meeting here for an early dinner. The place continued to fill up as I ate dinner.
My waiter came by right away and got me a beer and a small sushi starter. He was very friendly and attentive. I ordered maguro (tuna). The maguro came very quickly, and the fish was nice and fresh. Wokcano has a large sushi bar that seemed popular. They offer the complete line of rolls and dinners that any sushi restaurant offers. I noticed that they have some great sushi lunch specials for under $10.
But hey, didn't the name say WOKcana? I wanted to try one of their wok items. So I ordered the honey-walnut shrimp cooked in a wok. The entree cost was $14. The order was again quick and came to the table in a jiffy.
The presentation was great. The shrimp were golden brown and they were mixed with honey glazed walnuts. They even had a fresh orchid as garnish on my plate. The best news was that the food tasted as good as it looked. The shrimp were not overcooked and the honey-glazed walnuts were a nice mix to the shrimp.
They of course give you a fortune cookie with your check, only this cookie was dipped in white chocolate. It too was delicious.
Wokcano is a fun place, it looks great, the service is quick and friendly, and the food is yummy. I was thrilled to find a place that stays open so late. I will have to file this one away in my brain so the next time I want really great Chinese food at 3am, I will know where to go! Okay, so I might not make it at 3am, but I know I will be back!