I wanted to try a new Hakka place and came across some decent reviews online about a place called Hot Wok. As I was going to be in the area, I figured I'd give it a try so as to compare to other Hakka establishments in Toronto.
First off, the location is in a small plaza just outside of Kennedy Commons and is pretty hard to miss as it's in the corner of said plaza. The interior leaves a lot to be desired, but it's clean and well organized.
The one key difference which immediately set Hot Wok apart from the other Hakka places is service. The staff, which I assume to be a family was courteous, warm and communicative, and everything went well in the service department. 5/5 stars here.
When we went the restaurant was completely empty but there was a steady supply of customers who came to order take-out. This is a good sign that people enjoy the food and I was pleased to see that others were coming for the food.
As for the food itself, there are certainly better Hakka places around. My favourite being Great Eastern Esquire. The chilli chicken is not as good as other places, but the one key differential is that this place uses a lot of sauce for the dishes.
The food is adequate and there were no noticeable issues. The service was outstanding and the delivery was speedy. All in all, I'd recommend it if you want to try something new.