Magic Wok

LOCATION
Tucked behind Smith Street Mall in Darwin CBD.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
The Magic Wok is one of Darwin’s oldest and most popular restaurants – and it’s Darwin to a tee; a relaxed, interesting and surprising cultural blend. On-the-spot Chinese wok cooking with classic Asian ingredients plus fresh local produce results in piping hot dishes of heavenly fragrance. The mix-and-match style catering guarantees superb flavour and custom dishes to suit all tastes. Vegans graze on tofu and colourful fresh vegetables. Seafood enthusiasts savour the fresh fish, scallops, prawns, octopus, squid and clams. Meat-lovers have a choice of traditional red and white meats plus game such as buffalo, emu and deer. Feeling adventurous? Those crocodile flanks are just waiting to be tossed into the pan! Like it hot? Add a hit of chilli. Prefer it mild? Pick crunchy carrots, broccoli and bamboo shoots with a dash of ginger. Fancy something original, different, or outright bizarre? The Magic Wok is your oyster!

The minimum $17 meal, a helping of up to 350g, is the perfect size for most, but if you’re ravenous help yourself to as much as you need and you’ll be charged according to the extra weight. So fill a tray with your selection, weigh, choose a red tag stating your sauce preference, and hand it to the chef. Watch flames fly as puffs of steam envelop the huge turbo wok, and after a few sizzling minutes of anticipation, the chef will hand you your dish. Add sesame seed sprinkles, crunchy noodles and a dash of chilli soy, order steamed or fried rice and a drink from the bar and tuck in. Spoilt for choice? Try turkey with Mongolian sauce, green snake beans, tender straw mushrooms, crisp water chestnuts, succulent pumpkin, purple cabbage, curls of leek, fresh ginger, a touch of red hot chilli, garlic and steamed rice… with a Bundaberg ginger beer and ice.

Merridy Anne Pugh