It’s been a couple of weeks back since Nick Whage opened his spot the WAYA Kitchen. And as I wasn’t able to try a lot of things when it was opened due to the massive amount of people there resulting in long waiting lines, I finally made it back. I am meeting Lars and we decide to have some snacks before heading over to the Ruby Leni’s Grand Opening.
The place, of course, hasn’t changed much and it’s a clean and hip style with wooden tables and an open kitchen where the magic happens. I love the terrace right in front of the joint which is actually spacious and invites you to sit outside when the weather is nice and enjoy your beer open air.
We’re having KimchiJohn (Jeon), Maple Chicken Poutine and Choripán. The clear favorite here is the Maple Chicken Poutine with perfectly fried chicken bites and a well balanced composition of salt and sugar without anything being overpowering or being sticky. I like the fries even though they could be a bit crunchier for my taste. But the Frittenwerk can definitely go home!
The KimchiJohn could do without the cheese curds. It’s a personal touch and Nick’s take on the well-beloved Kimchi pancake which could use a little more punch in my opinion. The Choripán is a Chorizo sandwich with Chimichurri, guacamole and coriander. Definitely a nice touch while I could have used a little more salt and seasoning in the guacamole. You can argue however that the Chorizo is salty and aromatic enough on its own so the guac is more of a balancing ingredient, so it might be just me.
All in all a good job and basically the logical continuation of the WAYA street kitchen idea. It is basically street food brought back to a restaurant without having to stand in the rain or eat from paper plates. The styling is fresh and the location is just lovely and all the work that was put into the location shows. If you like crossover street food dishes in a nice environment, I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t like this place.
Keep it up, Nick! Good luck and all the success in the world!
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