Located just off of the Delmar Loop on Melville Avenue, Vegas Wok is a quaint restaurant for those that crave authentic Chinese food. From classic steamed dumplings to a variety of fried rice, lo mein, mei fun and noodle soup, Vegas Wok has a wonderful selection to choose from.

My first time there, I tried the braised pork rice noodles. The broth paired well with the white radish and chewy beef that came with it. While there were more noodles than I expected, the dish was delicious and I ended up taking the extra broth home. I also tried the fried dumplings. The texture of the fried dumplings adds an extra factor of yumminess that you just won’t find at the Danforth University Center’s Wash U Wok station.

Grace Bruton | Student Life

My second time there, I had a dinner combination plate. The dinner combination plates like orange chicken or szechuan shrimp come with white rice and either a spring roll or crab rangoon. I have not personally tried the spring roll, but my acquaintance Martin “Beyta” L. and I highly recommend the crab rangoon. All four corners are perfectly crunchy and crispy. Inside, the cream cheese will flow smoothly and naturally in your mouth. After eating the orange chicken with rice, Martin exclaimed, “This is way better than Panda Express!”

After a delicious meal, I spoke to a Vegas Wok employee Ivan Chen and asked him for any recommendations. Off the menu, the most popular dishes were the pork with garlic sauce on rice, tomato and egg with beef and the szechuan shrimp. Ivan also said that when he first came to St. Louis, he felt that the city lacked decent Asian food.

“If you want Chinese food or Taiwanese food, students coming from American college[s] with American food can try [it] here,” Chen said.

Vegas Wok offers the Asian community a genuine taste of what may be home. Although some of us are far from home, I find Vegas Wok’s comfort food like a piece of home away from home. The owner of Vegas Wok also gives welcoming and friendly presence for customers.

Grace Bruton | Student Life

So, if you love Chinese food or miss the cozy Chinese food from home, you should try out Vegas Wok. Vegas Wok is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Instead of a Bear’s Den or Village dinner, take the short walk to the Loop and enjoy Vegas Wok!