Tigawok

Less than a year and a half after debuting in LA’s Sawtelle neighborhood, the robot wok-powered Chinese fast-casual restaurant Tigawok opened its first Orange County location in Irvine’s Walnut Village Center at the end of September 2025, neighboring bustling tea shop Omomo, Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine, and Stacks. Describing itself as a “mini bowl specialist,” Tigawok initially sounds like a somewhat unique concept, but turns out to be more familiar: It’s effectively upleveling the classic multi-item Chinese combo meal experience (previously offered down the street at Sam Woo BBQ Express) with several noteworthy tweaks that may appeal more to some customers.

Nicely decorated with dedicated bench and stool seating for roughly 30 people inside and dozens more at communal tables outside, Tigawok has guests grab trays and walk a straight line from the entry to the cash register, selecting items by looking at roughly 20 display bowls above holding dishes. Unlike traditional Chinese fast food places, everything here is a la carte: You begin by choosing or skipping white rice ($2.30) and fried chow mein noodles ($3.30), then select as many protein and veggie mini bowls ($4 to $7 each) as you prefer. There’s no way to assemble a super-cheap three-item combo like old Sam Woo’s, but $13 here gets you two protein and vegetable mini bowls, white rice, and a fountain drink. We loved the option to skip the starches and focus on less carb-heavy items.

Another change to the classic Chinese fast food formula: Tigawok has reduced the liquid levels in its dishes enough that items such as garlic eggplant and green beans aren’t dripping with oil or sauce during each bite. While many of the items are fried, or occasionally even deep-fried (like orange chicken), none of Tigawok’s dishes are super greasy, and some dishes offer deliberately unfried alternatives: Lemon-topped “zesty shredded chicken” didn’t look much like its display sample but tasted healthy, while chilled garlic broccoli matched the display and had clearly been steamed rather than sauteed. In any case, those looking for a low-oil, inexpensive meal will be able to find it at Tigawok.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tigawok has changed some fundamentals to deliver its experience. Chinese fast food staples such as egg rolls, spring rolls, and soups are nowhere to be found on the menu, though we didn’t miss them at all on our visit. Mini bowls with several soup dumplings or steamed pork buns are available as somewhat healthier alternatives.