Wonton Asian Kitchen opens in Winter Park

Ready for Winter Park’s newest Asian eatery?

Wonton Asian Kitchen recently opened at 1230 W. Fairbanks Ave., giving Winter Parkers a new spot to grab egg rolls, wontons and dumplings.

The minds behind Wonton Asian Kitchen sought to give the community something they didn’t have before: a place where locals could branch out and try new Asian foods.

“It’s comfort food with an Asian flair to it,” General Manager Brenton Childers said. “People — not only in this town but across the country and the world — they want to eat adventurously, but they want to feel comfortable when they do it. This is going to be a perfect environment for that.”

Wonton hopes to entice hungry patrons with a variety of Asian dishes that may seem familiar in concept. This includes items such as the bulgogi taco and the banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich topped with a choice of protein, cucumber slices, pickled carrots, cilantro, jalapeños and sauce. 

One item Childres expects to be a big hit is the “Short Round.”

“One thing I haven’t seen in a lot of Asian eateries is sliders, if any,” Childers said. “Baos and sandwiches of that nature — these are very familiar sliders. I think what makes them unique is they’re almost comforting. They’re similar visually to a sloppy joe, but with Asian flavors. Together, it works really well.”

Another way Wonton hopes to set itself apart is the freshness of its dishes, Childers said. Every vegetable is chopped, and every wonton is made in-house. Sauces are made from scratch and don’t come from a bottle.

It’s about giving customers a fine-dining experience and having them out in 15 minutes, Childers said.

“We are doing our very best to source local products to make all the food in-house,” Childers said. “We want the freshest, highest quality stuff that we can offer people.”

Winter Park has built a reputation as a fine dining haven, and that’s exactly why Wonton Asian Kitchen wanted to open its first location here, Childers said.

“Outside of Orlando, Winter Park is one of the better places for food,” Childers said. “There are restaurants all over this town for a reason. People here appreciate great food. They enjoy good food. They’re not going to accept anything less.

“I’m not really from the area:  I’m from outside of Winter Park in the Altamonte area, but any time I’d travel for good eats, it was going to be in this area,” he said. “We really don’t think we could have picked a better location.”

It’s exciting to see a concept that’s been about three to four years in the making come to life, Childers said. The previous occupant of the building at 1230 W. Fairbanks Ave. was a beauty salon. 

“When they leave, they should never want to eat anywhere else – this is the food that they remember, the food that they can’t live without,” Childers said. “When you go out for lunch, whether it’s five minutes of your day or 30 minutes of your day, it’s a treat, it’s a break. You’re getting away from the norm and treating yourself.

“When you go out for that, you want to have the best experience you can have,” he said. “You want to think, ‘You know what? Those five minutes were worth it. I’m glad I took that time.’ That’s what I want people to think about when they leave our restaurant.”