Tigawok Mini Bowl

In the narrow, high-turnover spaces that line the ground floor of Sawtelle’s One Westside shopping center, the newest player to enter the ring is Tigawok, a Chinese fast-casual concept powered by automated woks, a.k.a. “robot chefs.” (In reality, they look more like washing machines.) Each tiny, snack-size bowl costs between $3 and $6, with 18 unique entrées to choose from. As of writing, lines already form early and last throughout the day, with diners happy to line up for fairly well-executed, affordable Chinese cuisine. On my visit, I tried every single item on the menu (a feat that requires only about $85), and while not every dish won me over, I would recommend Hunan spicy beef, “Tiga cola” chicken and any of the vegetable sides, as well as the soy-braised Wagyu rice bowl and astonishingly good soup dumplings. Where Tigawok does distinguish itself, however, is on cost—and at a time when dining out is more expensive than ever, I’m more than happy to come back. For those in the Valley: A second location in Burbank is opening in the near future.