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| - Judging from its exterior (stale yellow wood siding, shady parking lot), I was sure I'd never eat at Golden Wok. I was even more suspicious of their advertisement of combined Thai and Chinese cooking. However, as I passed by one day, I noticed that the outside window declared that they served Hainan chicken rice, a traditional delicacy rarely mentioned outside of larger urban areas. I gave it a try, and now I swear by Golden Wok for my Thai cravings.
Champaign diners go nuts for the pad thai here. I'm also a fan of this popular noodle dish, but for my review, I'd like to pay homage to another favorite dish from this modest little store: the tom kha kai.
The tom kha kai soup comes in generous portions, with lots of chicken, soft mushrooms, bright chili flakes, slices of scallion, and a few pieces of ginger and lemongrass (shouldn't eat those last two, but at least they're testaments to the broth's beautiful flavor). Soups at Golden Wok are spooned over jasmine rice instead of noodles. This dish easily served as 3 meals for me, and is irresistible given its price ($7.35).
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