A new go-to spot for spaghetti has recently opened up in Valencia for the Santa Clarita community: Wow Spaghetti. The newly opened local restaurant shows a fresh take on the familiar favorite dish while offering Santa Clarita an exciting new menu.
Wow Spaghetti fuses traditional Italian dishes with Korean cuisine. The goal of this combined menu is, as owner Benjamin Lee shared, “that all people whether they are Asian, Italian or other locals, could come and enjoy the traditional spaghetti and also get a taste of the unique Korean cultural recipes incorporated into them.”
According to Lee, the more popular items on the menu are the Creamy Kimchi Spaghetti and the Bulgogi Spaghetti. “They [the pastas] take parts of Korean cuisine that are pretty popular and well-loved worldwide so those have been a recent customer favorite,” he added.
Jenny Lee, the co-owner and manager of the restaurant’s day-to-day operations also shared her input on the menu. “We really care about the balance. Our goal was to have people enjoy the creative fusion flavors but still be able to taste the familiar spaghetti. Having new customers come and try something new and watching their reactions is my favorite part.” She also noted the establishment’s willingness to change the menu based on personal preferences: “We have vegetarian options and customers can make their own pasta if they want to too. Balance and inclusivity matters to us.”
West Ranch freshman Ellina Oh can attest the variety of the menu. She described the menu as “super diverse,” and explained, “I like how they mix Korean food into the authentic traditional spaghetti. It feels comforting since I grew up with Korean food and I like pasta too. I love the fun twist.” Similar to Lee, Oh highlighted the flexibility that the menu allows. “I do really appreciate the option for more picky eaters to create their own menu,” Oh expressed, also noting how the side dishes are filling and sufficient for a meal themselves if customers don’t like spaghetti.
All sauces and pastas at Wow Spaghetti are handmade by Lee himself. “It is very labor intensive and all takes around five hours, but it really upgrades the quality of our food,” Lee added. “This is probably my favorite part of the process though. It’s what makes the dishes so good. I want customers to experience good quality pasta in a convenient way so this is very important to me.”
Wow Spaghetti was first opened in Orange County but soon established the Valencia location. The very beginning of the store started with Mr. Lee’s friend contacting him with a dream; “My friend wanted to open other stores away from downtown in more intimate towns and he was really sure it was going to be a success. He was super passionate about franchising so he and I talked and eventually we partnered up to make his dream come true,” Lee recalled. “It meant a lot that he believed in me personally to carry this restaurant here to Valencia, which made opening Wow Spaghetti special.”
Lee also noted the reason behind the choice of location: “there are no simple yummy spaghetti places—let alone ones with homemade/handmade pasta and sauces. People had to go to full-service dine-in restaurants for spaghetti before and I thought by opening a more accessible spaghetti restaurant, people would love it and it’d be a huge hit.”
Wow Spaghetti is highly open to community engagement. At the end of November, they had a special promotion for Thanksgiving: a student exclusive deal where junior high and high school students could come in and receive 20 percent off their order if they had a valid student ID. “We’ll definitely do more promotions like this for students,” Lee highlighted.
With the unique combination of two iconic cuisines, community engagement and dedication to their cause, Wow Spaghetti is already making a statement in Santa Clarita’s food scene. From customer favorites to stand-out side dishes, there is something on the menu for everyone at Wow Spaghetti. Wildcats, make sure to try out and support this new local restaurant!
