ARE ROBOT WOKS THE FUTURE OF DINING IN LOS ANGELES?

WE TRIED TWO ROBOT-POWERED RESTAURANTS TO DETERMINE THE BEST.

- BY JENN HARRIS

A SELECTION of dishes, top, from Robowok restaurant in Los Angeles.

Photographs by JENN HARRIS Los Angeles Times

ARE YOU ready for a robot restaurant revolution? In Los Angeles, two robot wok restaurants with nearly identical menus, packaging and promises of fresh, affordable food fast are vying for our hearts, minds and stomachs.

Shrinking wallets, skyrocketing operating costs and an increasing need for variety and convenience have laid the groundwork for an epic robot restaurant battle.

On one side, a homegrown brand from two entrepreneurs in the San Gabriel Valley. On the other, a mysterious new local contender fueled by an army of hungry Trojans. Let the battle begin.

Tomas Su and Kelvin Wang opened Tigawok on Sawtelle Boulevard in the summer of 2024, calling it the "first-ever robot-powered" Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles. Su cofounded the Sunright Tea Studio chain of boba shops, and Wang owns Beijing Tasty House in San Gabriel.

They recently opened a Tigawok in both Burbank and Irvine, and there are locations planned for Chino Hills and Lake Forest.

Robowok is a restaurant that opened inside the Campus Plaza across from USC in September, and its origins are somewhat of a mystery. The website lists five stores, though I couldn't find any others in Los Angeles. I called the number on the Robowok website. The person who answered said I had the right number, but they weren't interested in speaking.

Before I could ask any questions, they hung up.

An online search revealed a restaurant with a similar name, Robo Wok, in Melbourne, Australia. And a RoboWok "rice and noodle studio" in Ontario, Canada.