I had heard so much about Vox Kitchen and finally made it there with my girlfriends for dinner. First of all, I highly recommend making a reservation because when we arrived, there was a line of people waiting for a table, but because we had a reservation, we were immediately whisked off to our table.
I was a little surprised that the menu is rather small. However, having a small menu has its advantages as it didn’t take us long to order. First of all, if you have the Yelp app, make sure you check in to receive a complimentary Lychee Lemonade, which was refreshing without being sickly sweet.
We started with Spicy Cucumber Salad ($6) which sounds way better on the menu than it actually was. Its description of cocktail cucumber, garlic pickling, dry and fresh chiles sounds mouth-popping, which lured me to order. However, the cucumber discs are only drizzled with the marinade, not infused enough to impart flavor, even though the marinade was absolutely fantastic on its own.
Garlic Chicken Wings ($10) on the other hand, is simply delightful. Crispy chicken wings are seasoned with pressed garlic and black pepper, creating the most delicious coating ever. I’m a huge fan of chicken wings and I can safely say, these rank in my top 10 of all time. I couldn’t get enough of these and would’ve been psyched about ordering more!
We are excited about House Garlic Noodles with Grilled Prawns ($14) — (salmon $16/ rib-eye steak $17/ mushroom $13) simply because, well, who doesn’t love garlic? The noodles were decent, though not intensely garlicky. The shrimp were well executed with good smoky flavors, and not overcooked. It was a solid dish, although not fantastic.
Saltado Shaken Fries (filet mignon $16/pork cheek $15/shrimp $15) is a bit of a misnomer. We thought it would resemble poutine of sorts, however, when it arrived, it was simply, beef lomo saltado, the ubiquitous Peruvian dish of stir fried strips of beef with red onions, tomatoes, and fries, all tossed together in Vox’s house special green sauce, and served with rice pilaf. It was decent, though does not possess that “wok hei” (that high heat char produced by a wok) which is synonymous with lomo saltado.
One of my favorites of the evening is Sate Mushroom Clam Soup ($15). This hearty stew-like soup is dotted with clams, onions, enoki mushrooms, and potatoes. There might have been sate sauce, but thankfully it did not overwhelm the delicate soup whatsoever. This is something I would order on my own if I ever dined solo at Vox.
I’m excited to return to Vox Kitchen to try other menu items, and to indulge in those stupendous chicken wings. It might take me a while, but I promise, I’ll be going back again!
Vox Kitchen
16161 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Tel: 657-231-6493
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