Met a friend of mine in Pasadena for Saturday brunch at Woon. Both of us had been anxious to experience this location, and it was worth it.
Noon at Woon on a Saturday will make you Swoon with culinary delight...if you are lucky enough to score a table and don't mind a little more noise than usual.
You order ahead at the counter and keep your fingers crossed that you are able to score a table.
Luckily, we were able to secure a two-top table with a bench and chair, among four or five tables with the silver "RESERVED" signs. Woon does not take reservations, but apparently you can call in ahead to secure your spot.
This family-owned restaurant is quite welcoming. Light, bright, lots of colorful art and decorations, with an above average noise level at this fast-paced Chinese spot in a busy part of Altadena's restaurant row.
We decided to share a few of Woon's brunch offerings:
"Bacon N' Eggs" Fried Rice (vgo): House smoke pork belly, Napa Cabbage, Scrambled Egg, topped with Chili Oil Fried Egg and Chinese Chives. This dish was five star. The pork belly is incredible, seasoned to perfection with a hint of spice. The rice, cabbage and egg all balance out the heat. Perfect to share or indulge alone.
Cold Sesame Noodles (v): Homestyle Chewy Noodles, Marinated Tofu, Pickled Cucumber, Sea Moss Seasoning Togarashi and Herbs. This dish was only average for my taste. The noodles were fresh and tasty but the tofu lacked a lot of flavor and wasn't memorable enough to try again. Not sure if it works as a cold dish for my liking.
Bolo Bao w/ Black Tea Cream: A delicious pastry! The right amount of crispy outer crunch with freshly baked interior, almost biscuit-like. The black tea cream is spot on, reminding me of an English scone and cream. Although, this version of cream is less fluffy and more liquified, and not as plentiful inside to offset the ratio of bread to cream. A bit more cream would have made the pastry five star.
Woon Milk Tea (v): House-made Milk Tea made with Bamboo Temple Black Tea, mixed with Oat Milk and Sugar. This is a fantastic drink. Full of color, flavor, foam and presented in social media-worthy fashion. Quite delicious and vegan-friendly, although I wish there was a little less ice cubes.
Overall, my experience at Woon was quite solid. Not enough to quite push me to a five-star rating, but I would return to try other options on the menu aside from the Brunch offerings.
The space is great, but can be quite noisy, especially on weekends with lots of families and strollers. The bathrooms are also well-kept and clean. Parking adjacent to the building or across the street at the pharmacy.
Check out both locations (Pasadena and Historic Filipinotown) but know that only Pasadena serves up the Weekend Brunch Menu (Noon to 2pm). read more