NEWS: Restaurant robots

[Jenise]

From Eater:

The Robots Are Coming for Chinese Food Next
Automated wok cooking machines prepare traditional Chinese dishes at reasonable prices at new LA restaurant Tigawok

by Kristie Hang Jun 27, 2024, 11:35am PDT
Photography by Wonho Frank Lee

VeteranVeteran restaurateurs Tomas Su and Kelvin Wang have opened the first-ever robot-powered Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles, called Tigawok, which debuted in Sawtelle Japantown on May 31. Su describes the quick-service restaurant, which uses automated robot chefs to prepare dishes within minutes, as “if Panda Express and Chipotle had a baby, but offered more traditional Chinese cuisine.”

Wang, owner of Beijing Tasty House in San Gabriel, has 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Su has worked in restaurants for over 15 years, including at hot pot chain Boiling Point, as a co-founder of popular boba chain Sunright Tea Studio, and at chic Orange County tea spot Omomo Tea Shoppe. Together, the pair aim to create an affordable new Chinese fast-food option rooted in traditional flavors.

Bah.

Interesting choice of parent restaurants. Panda Express and Chipotle are two of my least favorite chains.

-Paul W.

Bah.

Interesting choice of parent restaurants. Panda Express and Chipotle are two of my least favorite chains.

-Paul W.

Can't say I'm a comprehensive connoisseur of fast food, but when we're on the road, Chipotle is a name we look for, certainly more palatable than Taco Bell in the same general category. At least the food at Chipotle is relatively clean and unfried. It may not be the freshest farmers market level, but it does resemble food, unlike so many of the chains that just resemble plastic frozen products.

[Jenise]

Rahsaan--ditto. But Paul I'm with you on Panda Express. Terrible--the last time we fell for it we were killing time while waiting for our number to be called at a day clinic. The stir fries were pretty bad but even worse--plain steamed white rice was devoid of typical rice character. No flavor, no texture. My guess was that it's not even cooked on site but provided that way from their central supply source.