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# Wokcano erupts with creatively Asian cuisine
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/wokcano-erupts-with-creatively-asian-cuisine/
- Published: 2008-09-04T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:55:30.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

WOKCANO IS A GREAT FIND. A GOOD sushi bar, great Chinese food, a beautiful ambiance and a great late night venue. When the world discovers this place it is going to be packed. The outside walled-in patio is spectacular and a great place to sit under the sky on summer nights.

WHERE: 1413 Fifth St., just south of Santa Monica Boulevard.

WHEN: Lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Open until 2 a.m.

BEST DISHES: The sushi bar downstairs is as good as any except those few gourmet Japanese restaurants, such as Kiriko on Sawtelle and Olympic. There is a great selection of exotic rolls. As is usually the case, I prefer the spicy tuna and the yellowtail rolls. But don’t ignore the Chinese dishes. I found the black pepper beef mignon delicious, and a great bargain at $12\. I took enough home for another meal. The steak was cut into tender pieces with sautéed onions and just the right amount of pepper in the brown sauce. The Peking Duck ($26) was a bit of a disappointment because I prefer the steamed buns instead of pancakes, but the quality of the duck was excellent. The spicy seafood soup was wonderful.

BEST FEATURES: Just having a good Chinese restaurant in Downtown Santa Monica is wonderful. But this one has the added feature of a broad menu of excellent Chinese food, a sushi bar, and a place to go for music and a late night drink and snack. Finally, the prices are very reasonable, and we dined like kings for about $25 per person.

WORST FEATURE: I didn’t find any negatives here.

WHAT TO DRINK: This is a chance to try well known sake brands. I had the Nigori unfiltered sake last time I was there. This tastes similar to unsweetened coconut milk, and looks the same. The wine list has all the usual suspects on it without a lot of discrimination, but it has the advantages of breadth of selection, and a variety of wines by the glass, which is a big plus for me, because I like to try three or four different wines at a restaurant like this with a great selection of different foods.

BOTTOM LINE: Get there soon, because in time, even though it’s a very large restaurant, it will be standing room only.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 4, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090408.pdf?ref=smdp.com)