Tallahassee Asian Food Brings Twists to Tradition

The typical Asian meal might include rice, vegetables and a small serving of meat.

However, owner James Chan and his father merged these two seemingly different food choices together to make a one- of-a- kind dish.

The same family who opened Mr. Roboto’s operates Wang’s Wings, located near the cross section of Ocala Road and Pensacola Street.

“It’s not your typical wing shop,” said Chan. “We have Asian-inspired sauces like General Tso’s and Shanghai buffalo, which is our version of the regular buffalo wing.”

The list of Asian flavors continues, ranging from mandarin orange to ginger Seoul. The dipping sauces have their own unique flavoring as well. Customers can choose between regular ranch, a slightly spicy wasabi ranch and their newest dip, firecracker ranch.

“That one’s a secret,” said Chan about the ingredients of the firecracker ranch dipping sauce.

Open for nearly a month, Wang’s Wings has given Tallahassee residents something new and different to try.

“I like the atmosphere the most,” said employee Amy Ferguson. “It’s not just a regular wing shop. I get to talk people into trying new things.”

Mr. Roboto’s rented out the building where Wing Zone used to be, turning it into a new and unique place to get wings.

“The equipment was already here, so we brainstormed something that’s different,” said Chan. “We have some influence from Mr. Roboto, like some sauce flavors. But some of the sauces are completely our own.”

Even though Wang’s Wings has not been open for very long, it has been getting some business.

“I heard about the General Tso’s wings so I wanted to try them,” said Florida State graduate student Michael Butterfield. “It was nice to see an Asian-themed restaurant that was a little more modern.”

When asked about expanding the business to open more locations, Chan just smiled.

“We would like to, but we’ve only been open for a month, so we’re going to see how this one goes first.”

The menu may seem intimidating at first, but Ferguson said she believes people should not be afraid to try something new.

“I had a customer come in once, look at the menu, then leave,” said Ferguson. “He came back about 15 minutes later and ordered some wings. I saw him a week later when he came back and he was happy he had tried something different.”

Most customers agreed that the chicken wing flavors were their favorite aspect of the restaurant.

“It’s an Asian twist on an American favorite,” said FSU senior Orlando Lorie. “It was a new venue and I like to try new things. People who want to try food that has classic Asian flavor in a trendy new way should try it.”