Magic Wok Duarte

When I visited a few weeks ago, it was one of those rare, chilly, gloomy, and slightly rainy days in SoCal. However, the moment I stepped into the parking lot, I could feel the vibrant energy that comes with a food fair. Although it wasn’t large—just four or five food stands—there was more than enough to sample. The seating was a bit limited, but some members of my group arrived early and managed to secure a covered table, which kept us dry from the rain. I made the rounds at each stand to see what dishes were available. I’m not very familiar with Indonesian cuisine, but I noticed many similarities to Thai and Filipino foods, which makes sense given Indonesia’s geographical location between the two. It was a great experience to try the fair for the first time as part of a group since we could taste a variety of dishes. I couldn’t remember the names of everything we tried, but luckily, one person in our group was of Indonesian descent and kindly guided us through the dishes, explaining the basic ingredients of each. I’ve shared several pictures of the dishes along with their names. The water spinach dish was decent, though it reminded me a lot of what you might find in Chinese restaurants—slightly overcooked and somewhat stringy in texture. The caramelized tempeh had an interesting crispiness, but its flavor didn’t quite resonate with me. There was also a dish where fish was wrapped in sticky rice and banana leaves, similar to tamales, but it didn’t appeal to me either. However, I really enjoyed the grilled chicken, which was prepared similarly to Filipino grilled dishes, especially when paired with a delicious peanut sauce, much like what you’d find in Thai cuisine. Most of the fried or empanada-like dishes were also good, and they even had their own version of lumpia that closely resembled the Filipino kind. My favorite part of the meal was undoubtedly the desserts. There was a refreshing pandan drink reminiscent of a Filipino dessert, and a delightful cupcake flavored with pandan and rose water. It resembled a Filipino dessert but was even better—soft, moist, and fluffy in texture. Another dessert featured coconut and molasses in a green sponge-like dough, which I relished, particularly for the contrast between the sponge’s texture and the crunchy roasted coconut. I tried several other desserts as well, most of which I enjoyed so much that I bought more to take home and share with my family. There were numerous dishes I tried, and it was my first time experiencing all of them, so the details are a bit of a blur. I’ll need to make more visits to become familiar with the names and ingredients. Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the food, and the prices were very reasonable. I had a wonderful experience and definitely plan to return. I’ve heard that it can get crowded around noon, so it’s best to arrive around 11:00 AM for good seating. There are parking spots available at the front of the Inn, as well as street parking nearby. Arriving early is a great idea if you want to secure a good table.