“Wok it like I talk it”

An Interview with Ken Zheng, owner of Top Wok Chinese Restaurant

 

Address: 1401 N Lake Park Blvd Unit 40 Carolina Beach, NC 28428

Phone Number: (910) 458-5958

Website: http://www.topwokcb.com

County: New Hanover

Owner: Ken Zheng

Interviewee: Ken

Interviewer: Harris Hord

 

The Restaurant

Top Wok Chinese Resturant is the only Chinese food restaurant located in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. Top Wok has been located in Carolina Beach since 2002. Originally found in Federal Point Shopping Center, it can now be located in the Snow’s Cut Shopping Center. As soon as you cross over the bridge into Carolina Beach, Snow’s Cut Shopping Center is your first right. Once you are there you see the large bright red letters, enticing you to come in and enjoy a delicious Chinese meal. Top Wok is decorated with Chinese decor that provides a pleasant atmosphere for one’s dining experience. However, if you want to eat in the comfort of your home or somewhere else. Top Wok offers Carry-Out in addition to Dine-In services for their customers’ convenience.

        

 

Images of Top Wok Chinese Resturant. Top Wok Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurant, www.topwokcb.com/menu.asp.

The Menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top Wok’s menu has a wide variety of tasty food to choose from. Their menu is comprehensible and easy to use. The family platter options are helpful for pleasing a crowd, the lunch specials are delicious and a great deal, the chef’s specials are scrumptious, and the menu has health and diet sections for those interested in getting fit. Some of Top Wok’s most popular dishes are General Tso’s Chicken, Lo Mein, Mei Fun, Crab Rangoon, Chicken Teriyaki, Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken and Broccoli, and Beef and Broccoli.

Owner Ken Zheng lists off the most popular dishes at his restaurant:

 

Chinese dishes from Top Wok’s website. Top Wok Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurant, www.topwokcb.com/menu.asp.

 

The Owner

Ken Zheng is the owner of Top Wok Chinese Food restaurant. He is a father of two and he and his wife own and operate the business. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Zheng and asking him a bit about himself and his business. He graciously took a moment out of his lunch break with his family to answer a few of my questions for this project. Ken is a Chinese man whose family hails from a small town in Fujian province in South China. He opened Top Wok Chinese restaurant in 2002. We discussed what its like to run a Chinese restaurant in the coastal town of Carolina Beach and how he operates his business day to day.

In this audio clip, Ken discusses the opening of his business, his day to day routine, and the differences between traditional and Americanized Chinese food:

Running a Chinese Restaurant is a lot of work. Ken is been running his Top Wok for many years, working long days, and preparing countless tasty meals for the people of Carolina Beach. Ken and I talked a lot about the differences between traditional Chinese food and Americanized Chinese food. He spoke about how he had to alter recipes to cater to an American audience and how certain means of preparation change when you are catering to an American palette. The points Ken brings up about appealing to American tastes and altering recipes correlates with our class discussions and course content.

In this audio clip, Mr. Zheng speaks about working at his sister’s restaurant before selecting a location to open Top Wok Chinese Resturant:

There was an absence of a Chinese Restaurant in Carolina Beach before Ken Zheng opened Top Wok in 2002. Before Top Wok opened there was a period of time where people had to travel across the Snow’s Cut Bridge into Wilmington to get Chinese food. When Ken decided he wanted to open his own Chinese restaurant after working for his sister, he found the perfect opportunity in Carolina Beach. Top Wok now provides amazing meals to the locals and tourists of Carolina Beach year round.

In this audio clip, Ken explains how he named his restaurant:

Top Wok is a great name for a Chinese restaurant. It is simple and to the point. Ken Zheng’s restaurant is on top when it comes to Chinese food in New Hanover County.

In this audio clip, Ken Zheng explains differences in regional Chinese food:

Ken Zheng’s family comes from a small town in Fujian Province in China, from one southern coastal region to another. Ken confirmed the generalizations of regional Chinese cuisine that we learned about in lectures and readings throughout the semester. Food and culture go hand and hand. It is always fascinating to learn about the unique regional differences in cuisine across countries, continents, and cultures.

 

Fujian Province on a map. “Fujian Map.” ChinaHighlights, 22 Apr. 2015, www.chinahighlights.com/fujian/map.htm.

Carolina Beach, North Carolina on a map. “Carolina Beach, NC.” U.S. Beacon, www.usbeacon.com/North-Carolina/Carolina-Beach.html.

 

Interviewer: Harris Hord                                                                                                                                                                                                  Interviewee: Ken (Owner)

                                   

The Takeaway

The reason I chose to interview the owner of Top Wok is because Top Wok is the closest Chinese restaurant to my home and my favorite Chinese restaurant. My family has ordered from Top Wok countless times. The food is always delicious and consistent. I have eaten at other Chinese restaurants before and none compare to the amazing food and nostalgia I have surrounding Top Wok. I always get the “Happy Family” from the Chef’s Special portion of the menu and steamed dumplings. My family orders from the restaurant at least twice a month and we are never disappointed. This project was special to me because I got to learn about the inner workings of one of my favorite restaurants and meet and learn about the man who runs it. I feel like this experience will allow me to appreciate Top Wok’s food even more in the future now that I have a better understanding of the Chinese restaurant business and the man behind my local Chinese restaurant. Reflecting on my interview, I realize how much I have learned about Chinese food and culture and how I can now have thoughtful conversations about these topics. I appreciated this hands-on learning experience greatly. I will always remember this experience as it challenged me to document the oral history of a hard-working member of my community and owner of one of my favorite restaurants.