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Wela

4.8 (13 reviews)
Closed • 4:30 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 1 month ago

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Duck Breast Curry
Danielle P.

Checked out this new spot with my girlfriend for dinner - so great! Very chic and Chicago/New York feelings. The interiors are clean, elevated modern with some fun pops of color/texture. So happy to have another great ethnic food spot downtown, Saffron is my long-standing fav but this will definitely now be in the rotation! Our waiter was attentive and provided great recommendations; we went with almost everything he suggested. My girlfriend got the Melancholy which was delicious, I got the Ginfluencer which I thought was decent...not a ton of dimension but the drink was still good. The star of the show was the Hamachi crudo with the apple basil sorbet - wow! I would never have expected the cold icy pairing to be so yummy with the raw fish! We also got the Pomelo salad which was delicious, Moo Hong and Duck Breast curry. Everything was truly phenomenal, such good flavors and just the right portion sizes, we crushed it all. We had to close out the dinner with another of their house made sorbets, Yuzu, and it was the perfect ending to a 10/10 meal. Pricing was fairly high, but also where I'd expect a meal like that to land and definitely worth it. Can't wait to go back!

Yuzu Sorbet
Michele V.

Wow, this place is so beautiful inside. The decor and colors are warm and welcoming, so gorgeous inside. Our server was really kind, gave wonderful suggestions and was attentive to us our entire meal. The food spoke for itself in flavor and image. It was exquisitely plated and the details were seen. We chose the stuffed chicken wings for a starter and they were crispy and tasty. Perfectly sized and tender. The mains we chose were delectable - the pork was incredibly tender and the jus that came with it was plate lickable. Our server came to clear it and we had a hard time passing it up. The curry with chicken was so flavorful, with a hidden spice level that kicked us in the back of the throat. I was not expecting the heat, but it was a good heat. Our green beans were garlicky and lovely and to finish our dinner we did the yuzu sorbet which was a perfect citrusy palate cleanser. This place will be a hit in Milwaukee. The owner came out to greet our table and was just so lovely. Please try!

One bite crab cake
Ricardo A.

We went during the first few weeks of it opening it and knew this would be a busy space in the city! They had a long wait so thankfully I had some reservations but they were still clearly getting into the rhythm of things. Thankfully our server was able to set us quickly and get our food and drinks in promptly. The food was amazing. Highly recommend the branzino and the crudo's that they have available. Their cocktail selection was okay for me.

Creepy Lychee
LaTia S.

I visited Wela on Halloween night, which was a Saturday. The staff was friendly and welcoming as I took my seat at the bar. I was handed 3 menus as there was a special menu that was ending that night. The decor was simple and inviting. I did choose a specialty cocktail from their listed menu because it was only right to have a "creepy lychee" on Halloween. I was afraid that the drink would be too sweet for my taste, but it was very well balanced and delicious. If I weren't just visiting I probably would've petitioned to make it a permanent staple. For food I chose the branzino two tone and BAAAAABBBYYY it did not disappoint it was a 10/10 with one sauce being slightly spicy and the other being a little sweeter, the fish is served whole, butterflied and filet. The skin is nice and crispy too, I completely devoured the entire thing I also got the soy green beans which were equally delicious, the blistered green beans are served with a fermented black garlic and tofu paste that is so yummy! This place is a MUST try, I promise you will not be disappointed. Now parking can be a bit challenging as the restaurant is close to the market.

Mushroom Rawaeng Curry
Alano V.

A new modern thai restaurant opened by folks who make EVERYTHING you see on the menu from scratch and with fresh ingredients. The restaurant is stunning, very sleek and nicely decorated. If I remember right, they kept pretty much similar lay out from the restaurant here previously, Bavette, with the open kitchen and bar. Seating style definitely similar. Very unique selection of thai dishes that all sounded so good it was hard to make a choice!! I started with a spirit free drink, Thai'd Up--amazingly refreshingly with a subtle punch from the arbol and ginger beer combo that was sooo tasty. Lemongrass made it smell amazing before you even tasted it! Also tried the pear pressure--sooo interesting cause of the cardamom and like a tad sour but still tasty!! I loved their personal twists on the drinks, from cardamom green tea, lemongrass foam, & burnt palm sugar--their drink menu alone deserves its separate visit for sure. Not a huge alcohol selection at the bar! Our first dish was the sticky rice stuffed chicken wings--would have loved it even more if they paired it w a sauce but still delicious on its own!! Tasty thai seasonings and cooked to tender perfection, we ordered another plate cause we were celebrating my birthday lol!!! Next was the grilled beef platter 16 oz strip loin which came w 2 different sauces, green sweeter w subtle kick and brown one w a real punch, and the third was salted breadcrumbs I think?? SOO GOOD!! Great quality meat and was very tender!! The mushroom curry base itself was so tasty!! Rich coconut milk base. I know how tricky mushrooms can be so wasn't quite the texture I liked--the king oysters were pretty tough and the more enoki style mushrooms under those were mushy. Great flavor though!! It will be interesting to see how this place does, was very busy by the time we left!! Amazing service too btw, loved our waiter!!

Ginfluencer
Jenna K.

Wow! An absolute vibe. The space is beautifully designed and intimate, low lighting that instantly sets a relaxed atmosphere yet upscale. The drinks were fantastic. I am not typically a gin cocktail girl and loved the Ginfluencer. The Meloncholy was also great with white the tea foam. We started with the Chive Sticks and Chicken Wings. The sauce with the chive sticks was delicious. The chicken wings were different and very good. I do agree they could use a sauce on the side. For my main I got the Sinhol Curry which had one pepper sign next to it and for me it was super spicy!! Both my friend and I got it and the spice level was too much for both us. I also tried some of the Beef Jaew Glaze which had two peppers and it was not as spicy to me but still had heat. While everything is made in house and from scratch you are not able to modify spicy level in a dish. I got a side in string beans which I thought were great! Overall food and drink were delicious! Four stars due to service. Service started off great with two servers and they helped us through the menu and options. However it declined after the main dishes were served. I had to ask a random server for more water, all of us were completely out. The restaurant was near closing and pretty empty yet server was nowhere to be found. Server stopped and said would pack up food to go, further delays and then asked someone else to box up food. Server said would grab a bag and then went to clear a different table, we stood up to leave and server again stated I'll go get a bag. At that point we were ready to leave. While we ordered apps we were there for over two hours, of which 20 minutes felt like we were waiting for boxes and to pay.

Reel Old Fashioned
Jesse J.

Caution Generally we like spicy food, Mexican, Sushi (wasabi), jerk etc and maybe Thai is just a different spice/heat profile?! P ordered 1 pepper and couldn't eat it I ordered 2 pepper and started coughing before I could swallow my first bite. Other than that drinks and apps were highly creative and appreciated. Unfortunately for us once you eliminate the rated items the menu shrinks to the point of not enough to choose from. Service was slowish but excellent and ambiance lively and welcoming.

Beef salad. Great flavor.

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1 day ago

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10 days ago

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14 days ago

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19 days ago

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1 month ago

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6 days ago

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2 days ago

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2 months ago

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18 days ago

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1 month ago

Fantastic food, service, experience. And the food, all 4 of us were delighted and surprised.

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Review Highlights - Wela

“My girlfriend got the Melancholy which was delicious, I got the Ginfluencer which I thought was decent...”

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4.2(29 reviews)
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Liked the vibe - reminds me of shakers cigar bar but without all the smoke (like, a bit spooky,…read moreold, maybe haunted but also very cool). We stopped here after dinner, so we stuck mostly with the cocktails. Unfortunately, nothing on the seasonal menu really stuck out to me. I stuck with the "traditional" cocktails (spicy watermelon bubblegum, and then banana daiquiri). Hubs went for the halo halo food (which was so cute! All the typical ingredients but served in cubist fashion), and the paired drink. The paired drink was supposed to have different layers of flavor, but they all mixed together quite a bit. Tasty, just not the "layered" experience we thought. I think they almost do themselves a disservice comparing themselves to the aviary - that is a crazy high bar to meet. Granted, maybe we would have been more impressed if we had more of the seasonal cocktails despite them not seeming interesting? Probably wouldnt go out of my way to go here again, but it is a cool vibe and the cocktails were good.

A fun spot to have a couple of expertly crafted cocktails located in the Dubbel Dutch hotel…read more Reservations are needed. Nightmare was a good start-Rye based and as the menu states, served room temperature (warm), while the French 75 a hit as well. The Dealer's Choice option as either a single or combined version is fun. Choosing a set # of liquors, flavor profiles, tastes and level of alcohol was a chance to list your favorites but leaving it up to a master-and ours were both memorable.

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Mother’s - Fried Tofu (gluten friendly!)

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4.1(27 reviews)
3.0 mi•Bay View

First time here. It's a historic building on the south end of Bay View. A big old white building…read more(previously called the White House) with a small parking lot on the south side. We had reservations at 6:00 on a Saturday night. (It was cold, a little drizzly, and windy out.) The front entrance has several steep steps, and when you walk through, you are literally at the host station. They were going to seat us right behind the host station, but we knew it was going to be a problem as people went in and out. We asked to be seated a little farther from the door, and after a bit of discussion (it sounded like this was going to be a little issue), they were able to find a table for two in the parlor. So glad! Got settled in right away with menus and waters. Our server did a good job of getting us up to speed on the menu, the service, and the cocktails. They did a very good job throughout the evening (thanks, Roberto). We settled on the Window Seat (Beef Tallow and Rosemary Washed Vodka, crazy but true) and the Night Clubbing (with espresso-infused Campari). Both were very good choices. We decided that we wanted to start with three dishes and then regroup if we needed more. These included the Bok Choy Salad, Cumin and Cinnamon Braised Pork Shoulder, and Venison Tartare (Dijon Ice Cream?). The Bok Choy Salad was a real surprise, with the entire collection being so bright and flavorful. The dates had a meaty quality. The dressing with Nuoc Cham was savory with just a bit of heat. We both decided that we could have made an entire meal of that. The Pork Shoulder came next and was a good portion, with the meat tender and flavorful. The Quinoa Polenta was interesting, but I can't say that it was something I would seek out. I have had Beef Tartare before, but this was a first for Venison Tartare, so of course I just had to order it. What struck me first was that the entire thing (not just the Dijon Ice Cream) was very cold, almost frozen. I tried a couple of bites, and it was so cold that unless you let it sit in your mouth to thaw out, it was somewhat tasteless. I spread it around the plate to thaw out, and it was a big improvement. It's a good-sized portion, and even after loading up on the three pieces of bread, there was still plenty left (maybe a couple more pieces of bread?). There were a couple of desserts that we would have loved to try, but we were full and had a performance to attend. So we will have to wait until next time. Really enjoyed our first dinner. Loved the inventiveness of the menu. The staff all seem to really care about the business and the diners. With the placement of the front door and the draftiness of the dining room, we will likely book our next dinner when the weather turns warmer.

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4.5(14 reviews)
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0.6 mi•Walker's Point

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Wela - thai - Updated November 2026

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