Blue Ginger (Wellesley, MA)
True Asian Fusion
After several years of waiting, I finally ventured over to Blue Ginger in Wellesley with Dan and Melanie. Having heard so many good things from several different reviews, I had extremely high hopes and expectations. The drive from Cambridge took us about 45 minutes, which is hardly an insignificant amount of time.
Located in a small strip mall in downtown Wellesley, my first impression was not impressive. However, once we stepped inside, the magic began to unfold. Upon entering we were greeted by a friendly hostess and we were immediately seated despite our being early by nearly 15 minutes. Well almost immediately seated since Dan needed to first check the Red Sox score on the TV that was located in the bar.
The restaurant consists of a single, large, rectangular dining room. Although it was classy, the décor was decidedly understated albeit very blue. Unfortunately for us, that same Red Sox game that was keeping Dan captivated had also claimed the master chef himself, Ming Tsai, who was in attendance at the game.
Our waitress greeted us with a friendly smile as she stopped by to introduce herself and take our drink orders. We settled on a fruity bottle of cold sake, much to my chagrin since I prefer my sake to be dry and served warm. Next came the most difficult decision of the night - which items to order from the novel and exciting menu. We immediately noticed several true fusion dishes such as foie gras shumai and butterfish with soba noodle sushi. We ordered 4 appetizers and 3 entrees and settled in for what we hoped would be a meal to remember.
Our appetizers arrived soon after and we dove into our first appetizer, the Foie Gras-Shitake Shumai in Sauternes-Shallot Broth. Touted as a signature dish, the shumai was simply amazing. The foie gras was fresh, creamy, and extremely tasty and it was carefully preserved in its delicately cooked noodle shell. The combination was innovative and perfectly prepared.
Next came a large but ordinary looking plate of crispy fried calamari. However, after one dip in the accompanying Thai citrus lime dipping sauce, the calamari came alive. The sauce complimented the calamari beautifully and made the seemingly ordinary dish extraordinary. After we finished the calamari we dug into a beautifully plated
Ming's Tea-Smoked Salmon & Beef Carpaccio with Fresh Wasabi Emulsion that was topped toasted bread and fresh avocado. The Carpaccio was fresh but uninteresting and the toppings only mildly spiced up the dish. In general, we were unimpressed with it.
Our final appetizer was a medley of Avocado Stuffed Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu Dipping Sauce accompanied by multi-colored assortment of heirloom tomatoes. The final touch was a vinaigrette served in a hollowed out cucumber. The shrimp were over fried but the pairing with avocado was excellent. The presentation was again outstanding and this would become a common theme of the evening with each successive dish giving its previous one a challenge for the most aesthetically prepared food.
Our first entrée was the Sake-Miso Marinated Alaskan Butterfish with Wasabi Oil, Soy Syrup and Vegetarian Soba Noodle Sushi, which was another signature dish. The slightly charred fish sat atop a bed of spinach and was accompanied by two pieces of soba noodle maki, four pools of pureed wasabi, and some pickled ginger. We were all amazed by this dish. The slight charring provided a nice contrast to the buttery fish and demonstrated a careful eye from the kitchen. The soba noodle maki were unique and an interesting compliment to the butterfish. Finally, the wasabi was extremely fresh, sharply flavored, and very creamy. Once again a signature dish lived up to its hype and rightly earned its place on the menu.
Our next entrée, Seared Scallops with a Pumpkin Risotto, was not nearly as exciting nor flavorful as our previous dish. The risotto had an oddly sour flavor and suffered from an over abundance of cream. Pumpkin flavoring was all but absent from the dish. The three scallops were nicely seared but were unable to save the dish.
A generous portion of duck anchored our final entrée. Although the dish leaned away from the other fusion delights that we had sampled, it nonetheless was extremely tender and a joy to consume. The mango salad with shredded duck pieces was outstanding.
We managed to save room for two desserts and settled upon the Sesame Pecan Caramel Nut Tart and a Tropical Sorbets in a Toasted Coconut Tuile sorbet sampler of guava, coconut, and Hawaiian papaya sorbets. The sorbets were all freshly prepared and had a perfectly uniformly creamy consistency. My personal favorites were the coconut and guava sorbets. The pecan caramel nut tart was enjoyable but otherwise unmemorable.
Overall, Blue Ginger comes highly recommended. With its creative menu, outstanding signature dishes, and excellent service, it stands above most of its fellow Asian fusion counterparts. It represents true fusion, with multiple dishes combining foreign influences and preparation styles with solid Asian cuisine. However, it is fairly expensive (most entrees cost around $30) and one must carefully navigate the complex menu so as not to be disappointed. However, with a keen eye, an informed server, and an adherence to the list of signature dishes, you are in for a truly outstanding and unique culinary experience.
The Facts
Name: Blue Ginger
Address:
583 Washington St.
Wellesley, MA 02482
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Website: Blue Ginger
Cost: Appetizers $9-$16, Entrees $21-$38, Desserts $7-$9
After several years of waiting, I finally ventured over to Blue Ginger in Wellesley with Dan and Melanie. Having heard so many good things from several different reviews, I had extremely high hopes and expectations. The drive from Cambridge took us about 45 minutes, which is hardly an insignificant amount of time.
Located in a small strip mall in downtown Wellesley, my first impression was not impressive. However, once we stepped inside, the magic began to unfold. Upon entering we were greeted by a friendly hostess and we were immediately seated despite our being early by nearly 15 minutes. Well almost immediately seated since Dan needed to first check the Red Sox score on the TV that was located in the bar.
The restaurant consists of a single, large, rectangular dining room. Although it was classy, the décor was decidedly understated albeit very blue. Unfortunately for us, that same Red Sox game that was keeping Dan captivated had also claimed the master chef himself, Ming Tsai, who was in attendance at the game.
Our waitress greeted us with a friendly smile as she stopped by to introduce herself and take our drink orders. We settled on a fruity bottle of cold sake, much to my chagrin since I prefer my sake to be dry and served warm. Next came the most difficult decision of the night - which items to order from the novel and exciting menu. We immediately noticed several true fusion dishes such as foie gras shumai and butterfish with soba noodle sushi. We ordered 4 appetizers and 3 entrees and settled in for what we hoped would be a meal to remember.
Our appetizers arrived soon after and we dove into our first appetizer, the Foie Gras-Shitake Shumai in Sauternes-Shallot Broth. Touted as a signature dish, the shumai was simply amazing. The foie gras was fresh, creamy, and extremely tasty and it was carefully preserved in its delicately cooked noodle shell. The combination was innovative and perfectly prepared.
Next came a large but ordinary looking plate of crispy fried calamari. However, after one dip in the accompanying Thai citrus lime dipping sauce, the calamari came alive. The sauce complimented the calamari beautifully and made the seemingly ordinary dish extraordinary. After we finished the calamari we dug into a beautifully plated
Ming's Tea-Smoked Salmon & Beef Carpaccio with Fresh Wasabi Emulsion that was topped toasted bread and fresh avocado. The Carpaccio was fresh but uninteresting and the toppings only mildly spiced up the dish. In general, we were unimpressed with it.
Our final appetizer was a medley of Avocado Stuffed Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu Dipping Sauce accompanied by multi-colored assortment of heirloom tomatoes. The final touch was a vinaigrette served in a hollowed out cucumber. The shrimp were over fried but the pairing with avocado was excellent. The presentation was again outstanding and this would become a common theme of the evening with each successive dish giving its previous one a challenge for the most aesthetically prepared food.
Our first entrée was the Sake-Miso Marinated Alaskan Butterfish with Wasabi Oil, Soy Syrup and Vegetarian Soba Noodle Sushi, which was another signature dish. The slightly charred fish sat atop a bed of spinach and was accompanied by two pieces of soba noodle maki, four pools of pureed wasabi, and some pickled ginger. We were all amazed by this dish. The slight charring provided a nice contrast to the buttery fish and demonstrated a careful eye from the kitchen. The soba noodle maki were unique and an interesting compliment to the butterfish. Finally, the wasabi was extremely fresh, sharply flavored, and very creamy. Once again a signature dish lived up to its hype and rightly earned its place on the menu.
Our next entrée, Seared Scallops with a Pumpkin Risotto, was not nearly as exciting nor flavorful as our previous dish. The risotto had an oddly sour flavor and suffered from an over abundance of cream. Pumpkin flavoring was all but absent from the dish. The three scallops were nicely seared but were unable to save the dish.
A generous portion of duck anchored our final entrée. Although the dish leaned away from the other fusion delights that we had sampled, it nonetheless was extremely tender and a joy to consume. The mango salad with shredded duck pieces was outstanding.
We managed to save room for two desserts and settled upon the Sesame Pecan Caramel Nut Tart and a Tropical Sorbets in a Toasted Coconut Tuile sorbet sampler of guava, coconut, and Hawaiian papaya sorbets. The sorbets were all freshly prepared and had a perfectly uniformly creamy consistency. My personal favorites were the coconut and guava sorbets. The pecan caramel nut tart was enjoyable but otherwise unmemorable.
Overall, Blue Ginger comes highly recommended. With its creative menu, outstanding signature dishes, and excellent service, it stands above most of its fellow Asian fusion counterparts. It represents true fusion, with multiple dishes combining foreign influences and preparation styles with solid Asian cuisine. However, it is fairly expensive (most entrees cost around $30) and one must carefully navigate the complex menu so as not to be disappointed. However, with a keen eye, an informed server, and an adherence to the list of signature dishes, you are in for a truly outstanding and unique culinary experience.
The Facts
Name: Blue Ginger
Address:
583 Washington St.
Wellesley, MA 02482
Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Website: Blue Ginger
Cost: Appetizers $9-$16, Entrees $21-$38, Desserts $7-$9
posted by Mike at
9:00 PM
