Cuisine, curiosity, and the Wonder of it all

Voravut Ratanakommon got to have brisket from Tejas Chocolate & Barbeque from Tomball, Texas, the other night, without ever leaving Medford. That’s because he hit up the soft opening for Wonder, the newest restaurant at Station Landing with one of the newest concepts in dining.

Wonder hosts 20-30 virtual kitchens, if you will. Hungry customers could order from Barrio Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona, Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem fried chicken, or any one of a variety of smash burgers from Burger Baby in New Bedford, all from 49 Station Landing.

“We started Wonder with the belief that a remarkable dining experience should be readily available to anyone who wants one,” reads the company’s mission statement.

Thursday, March 5, during Wonder’s official grand opening, Ratanakommon said he really didn't know what to expect when he first heard about the place.

“I had no idea what it was about,” he said. “When they said it was kind of like a food hall, I thought, I like food halls.”

But it’s not a food hall in the traditional sense where there are kiosks offering up a variety of different foods from a variety of different chefs. Wonder is one brightly lit, colorful store front with only a handful of seats, large shelves for pick-up orders, and a massive kitchen behind it where cooks prepare everything fresh, according to Senior Operations Leader Fabian Rojas.

“I think it will do great,” he said, shortly after cutting the ribbon and making the grand opening official. 

Rojas said whatever people are craving, their inspired chefs can make it happen.

In seats tucked behind the shelves sat “just two girls from Medford liking the food.”

Tracey Boos and Jackie Rivera stopped by Thursday to see what the fuss was about and unwrapped a spread that included a cobb salad, French fries, and Buffalo wings.

“The salad is pretty good,” Boos said. 

The pair were on the edges of a steady flow of traffic that moved through the space in a loop past a stand where Julissa Sepulveda of Mix It handed out samplings of the local Harpoon Ale, and James Caterino and Joseph Papa of Mike’s Pastry handed out boxes of cannoli.

Catherine, Charlotte, and Caroline Tran also skirted the fray, grabbing a table with their mom Denise to try out the cannoli.  

“Extraordinary,” said Caroline, when asked if they were good.

Charlotte simply nodded, smiling and licking her fingers.

Ryan Song and Che Woodmansey also stopped by on opening night. The pair posed for a picture with Mix 104.1’s Karson Tager, one half of the “Karson & Kennedy” morning show.

“We listen to his show every morning without fail,” said Song. 

“It’s funny to see what he actually looks like,” Woodmansey added.

Song said they wanted to see what Wonder had to offer and were pleased to see it was a lot.

Marketing Operations Director Corey Hardersen said they are proud of the Wonder concept and what it offers. He also noted that they are opening a lot of stores very quickly. The Medford shop is just one of eight openings in the greater Boston area. The others are Belmont, Burlington, Watertown, Framingham, Natick, Newton, and Canton.

When asked if he was worried at all about opening so many stores in such a short period, Hardersen smiled.

“Every one makes me nervous,” he said. “It means we care. I would be terrified if we weren’t nervous.”

And after three visits, two to Medford and one to the Belmont location, what is Ratanakommon’s opinion of Wonder?

“It’s pretty cool what they’ve done with the concept,” he said. 

The brisket was wonderful, and the poke bowl he had on a previous visit was also a winner, he said.

“It’s a lot of food for the price,” he added. “Literally, it’s like a pound and a half of food, and I can eat, so I’m very happy with that.”

Wonder is open Sunday - Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. and people can order here, Medford Food Delivery & Takeout | Wonder, download the app, or order at one of two computers located just inside the door under a sign that reads “Hope you’re hungry, Medford.”