By Hannah Feder

Wong Gonzalez’s “Cashu Pork Nachos.” Photo credit: Hannah Feder.

Richmond is home to a wide variety of restaurants, including burger joints such as Burger Bach and Carytown Burgers and Fries, Mexican restaurants such as En Su Boca, and Asian restaurants like Foo Dog and Fat Dragon. But what happens when one combines two of these genres into one restaurant?

That’s what Wong Gonzalez, located in downtown Richmond, aims to do. The restaurant considers their food to be “Mexicanese,” which is a “blending of Asian and Latin cuisines.” With a menu filled with dishes such as “Spicy Chorizo Fried Rice” and “Cashu Pork Nachos,” Wong Gonzalez manages to create a delicious and flavorful blend of two amazing cultures.

At a first glance, this blend of cuisines may not seem like a great combination. Collegiate’s Laney Reed (‘18) admitted that she “was not sure if a blend of Mexican and Asian food would go together, since they are very different,” and Lauren Brizzolara (‘18) stated that “the Asian-Mexican mix may seem weird to some.” But after one meal at Wong Gonzalez, eaters usually realize how delicious the two cuisines are when combined.

When asked what inspired Wong Gonzalez’s combination of Mexican and Asian dishes, Chris Staples, owner of EAT Restaurant partners, says the idea started while he was the general manager at the sushi restaurant Wild Ginger. Staples states that “Chef Ken [Liew, from Singapore] had a kitchen staff composed of primarily Latin and Mexican line cooks. Each of them had to be trained on both the technical side of cooking Asian food…. and the subtle skill of cooking with Asian spices, proteins and sauces….They started making ‘family meal’ dishes for the staff using spices and ingredients from their own background….with all sorts of cool Chinese and Mexican flavors thrown in there.” Staples had an opportunity to try these dishes, and noticed that the “true blending of cultures” was “delicious, fun, and unique.” He then began to wonder if other people would appreciate these dishes, and eventually created Wong Gonzalez as a place for people to experience the same blending of cultures he did.

“General Wong’s Fried Chicken Burrito.” Photo credit: Hannah Feder.

After going to Wong Gonzalez countless times with my family, I decided to bring along some of my friends—some of whom had been to the restaurant before and some who had not—to get their opinions on the place. Although our evening started out odd, as we had difficulty parking and were scammed into paying a stranger $11, once we got into Wong Gonzalez we were excited to sit down and order. Despite the restaurant being fairly busy on a Saturday night, Brizzolara stated “the staff was really nice and was happy to answer any questions about the menu!” The service was also very fast, and we never had to wait a long time for any of our dishes.

To start off our meal, we ordered the “Cashu Pork Nachos” to share, and they were gone in minutes. Consisting of cilantro, onions, tomatoes, queso, and pork, they were a perfect blend of flavors without anything being too overpowering. Then, it was time for our main course. I, along with Match contributor Libbie Alexander (‘18) and Reed, ordered “General Wong’s Fried Chicken Burrito,” which consisted of glazed fried chicken, rice, onions, and peppers wrapped in a burrito. Fellow Match contributor Frances Melvin (‘18) ordered the “Spicy Chorizo Fried Rice,” which consisted of pork sausage, bell peppers, jalapenos, edamame, and other vegetables mixed into fried rice. Brizzolara ordered the “Wong Gonz Silver Fish Tacos,” which included two tempura fried white fish tacos featuring a pineapple habanero relish, strawberry yuzu sauce, lettuce, and coconut on top. Our dishes came out fairly quickly, and we all were excited to try our food. The burritos were amazing, and Reed remarked “everything she ate was delicious.” Melvin said her food was “incredibly tasty” and was glad that “the portions were big enough that it allowed her to have leftovers the next day.” Melvin also added that the food was “very affordable”, and I would agree, as most prices on the menu are ten dollars or less.

Brizzolara’s “Wong Gonz Silver Fish Tacos.” Photo Credit: Lauren Brizzolara.

Throughout our meal, we constantly were observing the atmosphere of the restaurant. The space is somewhat warehouse-like, and all along the walls are giant photos of people that represent a blend of Latin and Asian cultures. Wong Gonzalez also has a large bar area on one side of the restaurant, which allows for a mix of sit-down diners and bar-goers. There usually is a DJ on the weekends, placed on a platform above most of the tables and bar, which gives the restaurant a lively atmosphere, as there is always entertaining music playing.

Because Wong Gonzalez is in the city, there are usually a wide variety of people in the restaurant each night. There are always quite a few college students among the restaurant goers, but there also are usually families and groups of older people too. Wong Gonzalez has something for everyone, no matter how old, and it is always an exciting place to try new mixtures of flavors!

Melvin’s “Spicy Chorizo Fried Rice.” Photo credit: Frances Melvin.

Featured image credit: Wong Gonzalez.