Houston’s newest line cook does not call in sick. It runs on code. iWok, a robot-powered Asian-fusion fast-casual spot, is set to launch just outside the Texas Medical Center on Jan. 30, serving made-to-order Chinese-American bowls cooked by automated woks and robotic arms instead of a traditional back-of-house crew.
The first Houston outpost lands at 2328 W. Holcombe Blvd., just west of the Med Center, and is slated to start service Jan. 30, according to the Houston Chronicle. The Chronicle describes a setup where pre-cut ingredients travel into electric woks while robotic grippers add, stir and plate each bowl on a precise timed program rather than relying on big batch pans.
The concept comes from CEO Michael Ma, CMO George Liu, COO Stark Liu and culinary director J.D. Yang, hospitality veterans who previously ran a popular Houston dumpling operation, the Houston Business Journal reports. That outlet notes the team is angling to scale iWok into a nationwide chain in the vein of Panda Express, while keeping everything cooked to order by robotic stations for consistency.
How the kitchen works
iWok bills itself as a “Future Kitchen” that marries bold Asian-fusion recipes with automation to keep each bowl fast and reliable, according to iWok. The company says the system locks in exact measurements and cooking times so recipes can be replicated across machines, while human staff handle prep, customer service and quality checks instead of hovering over stovetops.
Menu, boba and the dining room
The opening menu stays tight on purpose: roughly a dozen Chinese-American standards such as orange chicken, Mongolian beef and mapo tofu. The Chronicle also notes that even the boba drinks are handled by a swiveling robotic arm on site, so both bowls and beverages come off automated lines…