Blue Ginger

Blue ginger is a must for special occasions, it is on the expensive side but you will not be dissapointed! more

My husband and I had an excellent night at Blue Ginger last night. We have been there a few times now, and the food is always amazing. We have tried a different appetizer/entree each time and have loved every one of them. You can't make a wrong choice with the food here. Everything is great! I highly recommend the ""Foie Gras-Shiitake Shumai in Sauternes-Shallot Broth"". This is one of the best things I have ever tasted. The service was also excellent last night. The full staff was very friendly and engaging and just made for a wonderful experience. One of the things that impressed me the most was Chef Ming Tsai's personal interest in making sure every single one of his customers has a great experience. You can see Chef Tsai walking around the restaurant, visiting tables and talking with guests, and just making sure all of his customers are having a good time. He even brought out our entrees and we had a chance to talk with him personally. I highly recommend Blue Ginger for its food and for the dinner experience. After last night Blue Ginger has made it onto my short list of favorite restaurants in the Boston area. I definitely plan on visiting again and often. more

I have been to Blue Ginger on many occasions and prefer lunch to dinner for value. It is always crowded and the wait can be forever. The staff does have an attitude of sorts that I attribute to the ""line at the door"" factor, i.e. you do not have to be solicitous and charming if there is a line outside the door. Given Ming Tsai's fame, the restaurant suffers from this Rock Star problem. Of course, his famous butterfish dish is superb but I have had many of the entr?es and found them all delicious if a bit slow to be served. If anything, I sometimes feel like I should be rushing my meal because someone is waitingfor my table. more

wanted to share my ultra-disapointing experience on the heels of several recent reviews that also describe a decent meal spoiled by arrogant attitude of the restaurant staff. Dined here last a couple of years ago with my parents and 2 very-well behaved teenage boys. right away we got attitude from the staff - first they iognored us, taking 30 minutes before taking our order, then when we inquired about our entrees after another 30 minute wait after appetizers, were quickly rebuked by the manager who said, ""sorry -most our diners don't bring children and prefer to take their time enjoying the dining experience here"" baarf! our kids could have taught the snooty manager a thing or two about basic courtesy...Ming needs to get a clue as to how his showcase is presenting an attitude that won't stand the test of time as chefs who appreciate their customers will whiz by him (as is alreayd happening) - wake up ming and smell the mustard Pros: good food Cons: bad attitude - arrogance ++ more

The dish was Scallops in a Polynesian sauce with mixed vegetables. The sauce reminded me of a less-tasty version of French's Mustard. Thank god the portion was small so that I could choke it down with water and not alert my dinner host (who had been looking forward to coming here). If I hadn't been an invited guest, I would have sent the meal back. if I had cooked this at home, I would have thrown it in the trash. Cons: Overpriced, food not tasty more

I normally don't write reviews but I feel it's important to write this one. We have been to Blue Ginger many times...particularly for special occasions. I've yet to have a bad meal and tonight's meal was wonderful as well. However, when I made my reservations I was asked if this was a special occasion and I replied, ""Yes, our friends special anniversary"". Upon entering the restaurant, I approached the hostess and again mentioned that our friends are celebrating their special anniversary and asked if she would relay the message to our table wait staff. ""Not a problem"", she said. We ordered several desserts and I was very disappointed that all my efforts, my request was ignored. I left the restaurant quite sad and apologized to our guests. I will admit that I was delighted to see the restaurant filled on a Tuesday evening in a bad economy...but negligence is unacceptable! Cons: Not acknowledged a special occasion more

Truly a let down. Staff was unfriendly and cold, food was average at best. I do not know why they are so busy becuase no one really cares that you are there and absolutely no one cares if you do not enjoy your meal even when you leave you entire dish in front of you untouched. Maxwells 148 is about 2 miles away right past Wellesley College on Rt 135 and 10 times better. Pros: Pretty Cons: Loud, less than average food and terrible service more

Went here 5 years ago for a first date and had been excited to go because I had heard wonderful things about this place. The food was not good back then and has not improved as of my visit last night, either. Pros: decor, location, staff Cons: food tastes horrible more

Always a fan of Ming's TV shows, a couple of friends and I decided to trek out to Blue Ginger before I left Boston. We were promptly seated as it was a weeknight and the place wasn't too busy. However, the first thing we noticed after sitting down was the outdated and non-descriptive decor. It reminded us more of a typical suburban establishment rather than a highly touted culinary destination. The food did not impress neither: my table ordered the tasting menu of 5 courses, of which only the butterfish got a consensus of delicious from the table. The tuna tartare was something you could have had anywhere. Although I enjoyed the Foie Gras shumai, the accompanying broth with shallot was way over-seasoned. The other dishes--which included a lobster filled fried wonton and Surf and Turf--were unimpressive. The plating and presentation were something out of your average TGIF--uncoordinated and uninventive. The creme brulee dessert weren't set properly neither, wrapping up a disappointing dinner overall. Pros: Not much, other than the possibility of meeting a celebrity chef Cons: decor, plating, quality more

I took my husband here for his birthday dinner...and everything about it was wonderful! We had the Alaskan Butterfish and Lobster dish and they were both amazing. I have never tasted anything quite as perfect as I did last night. Even the fried calamari with lime and cilantro dipping sauce was wonderful and tangy. It was one of the best meals of my life. The atmosphere was comfortable and romantic and the waitstaff was so friendly. My husband and I just left smiling and in a culinary bliss. It was also very exciting to see Ming mingle with the customers...he is so relaxed and pleasant and it definitely translates into his food and restaurant. I can't wait to return. I will be dreaming about my Alaskan butterfish until then. Pros: everything Cons: nothing more

Don't believe the hype. Fine dining is about outstanding service, and sophisticated contrasting flavors with interesting textures; there should be a ""Wow!"" moment during the meal. Pros: Quick seating Cons: Lousy food, horrid service more

APPERTIZERS Pros: tuna poke, open kitchen, desserts Cons: wait time, make reservations more

Now that the restaurant is virtually twice its original size (as of 5/10/08), the restaurant will undoubtedly be noisier. However, most of the new space is located in the bar area and private dining areas. When I went to the re-opening last weekend, it was my third visit to Blue Ginger. I just have to say that all three times I have been there have been in my top ten dining experiences ever. I would first like to proclaim myself as an aspiring foodie, and have dined at some the finest restaurants in Paris, Venice, New York and Boston. That being said, Blue ginger has my absolute favorite tuna tartar. They use good quality tuna precisely cut, well flavored with citrus, and served on a unique and flavorful crispy rice cake. Boston's own Radius used to rival Blue Ginger's tartar, until I went and the tuna pieces were all still connected to each other by a string of fat. The foie gras dumplings are amazing, mild yet flavorful. I would also highly recommend the spring rolls, and even the panko-crusted buffalo shrimp (I bet you have never had a celery fry before). As all the other reviews state, the butterfish really is amazing. It literally melts in your mouth and is well marinated, yet still manages to retain some of the fish's flavor. More often than not, mild fish like this can be easily overpowered by sauces and seasoning, in which case why spend $38 dollars when you can just drink a bottle of teriyaki sauce for two dollars. The lamb is great. I once had a steak dish that has since been changed, but just goes to show that they can cook and season meat well. Every dish I have had was above average. The service is far above par, although the water guy wouldn't allow the water in my glass to go below the rim. Running out of space so: Great food and service; worth the price. May even get to meet the chef, who is a really nice guy. Pros: Food, Service, Chef actually present Cons: Kitchen open to see. Don't like seeing my food prepared. Adds noise. more

After watching Ming for years on East Meets West and Simply Ming, I couldn't resist a field trip out to Wellesley on my first trip to Boston. My local hosts and I drove out about 30 minutes on a rainy Friday afternoon for lunch and found the restaurant not too crowded at all. Our waiter was very nice and responsive. This was probably due to the fact that, as I turned my head halfway through our meal, I spied Ming Tsai chatting up a table of lunching grannies. We started with the crispy calamari, which came with a delicious thai dipping sauce, and ordered the wok-stirred paella, schezuan pepper cheeseburger, and indonesian curry vegetables. We also ordered the fresh ginger ale, which was really good. It was the perfect balance of ginger, sweetness and carbonation. Definitely had to refill. All three dishes were very flavorful and the fusion flavors mixed blended together very well. I think the winner was the cheeseburger out of the 3 dishes. The roquefort cheese and pepper classed it up and made it really tasty. We even got Ming to stop by and chat a bit and take a picture. He is really the nicest guy. So the review may be biased by the latter experience, but I do think the food, while not being the best meal ever, was pretty darn good. Better than my experieces with Oliver and Collichio by far. We got away with an $80 bill for 3, which I think is pretty reasonable, and leftovers to satisfy another meal. Wish we had room for dessert. Try the restaurant for a weekday lunch to save $$ and waiting. I would definitely make another visit. Pros: Delicious food, good service, excellent ginger ale. Cons: A bit out of the way. more

Everything was outstanding. We went on a Friday (march 7, 2008) night and from the hostess to what I believe was the manager both were friendly and attentive.. Our waiter was fast and friendly... We enjoyed the Tuna app. the flavors where all exciting even the bitter green puree that went with it balanced out the sweetness and richness of the raw tuna and sweet vin (i assume) it was tossed with along with the spicy crunchy sushi rice cake was perfect blend of diffrent flavors and hot and cold.... The Butterfish my wife enjoyed; quote ""melted in her mouth"" and she loved the idea of the vegetarian ""sushi"" roll that accopanied and tasted just like real sushi specially with the soy and wasabi sauces included.. I did not have the whole dish, but again I loved the idea of hot grilled sweet fish with the spicy wasabi sauce served with the cold wakami seaweed salad... I sucked it up and got the lobster though expensive (where isnt it now). But wow the spicy and richness of the sauce was AMAZING!!!! and was amazing with the sweet lobster meat and as my waiter explained the ""fried rice"" served with it was cooked with the extra lobster meat and lemongrass and was incredable mixing with the sauce... My one or two drawbacks are the dining room is yes small and crowded, bland, and my lobster was small (pound and a half) they said. but the open kitchen was fun too watch specially being a foodie, and the preperation of the lobster was unique and flavorful.. Yes the price is up there but if you really enjoy food and undertand what Chef Tsai is doing its worth the treat!! Pros: food, service Cons: price, dining room more

Food is very delicious, but is quite a bit over-priced. I'd rather go somewhere else than coming back. more

Food is very delicious, but is quite a bit over-priced. I'd rather go somewhere else than coming back. more

Don't be misguided by the celebrity Chef Ming Tsai. I should not have set high expectations from them. It is supposed to be a fusion of eastern and western food. However, it get neither right. The food, although with good presentation (looks delicious), the taste and texture of the food is horrible (at least based on what I ordered), no better than a dirt-cheap Chinese takeout. Pros: Good presentations of food Cons: taste, service, everything more

Perhaps we ordered the wrong things or because we had a late dinner reservation, but Blue Ginger was good, but not incredible. Having lived in the area for the past 4 years, I finally got a chance to go out to wellesley and have dinner at the much-hyped Blue Ginger. Having heard from friends who had delightful experiences a few years back, I expected much the same. We did get seated very promptly (not much a fan of the decor, but it seems to fit the restaurant somehow) and our server was good. Our appetizers, jumbo tempura shrimp and a shrimp? spring roll of sorts were okay and my girlfriend's dish, a curry noodle dish had excellent coconut battered shrimp, but tasted more like something we could find at a semi-decent thai restaurant. However, the bright spot was my dish, the Alaskan Butterfish served on a bed of seaweed salad and wasabi oil, etc...it was amazing!!! If anything, I would go back for this dish alone (minus the not so tasty soba noodle sushi rolls served with it)!!! Overall, Blue Ginger is packed and still so popular and I have no doubt that it has amazing food, I'd like to give it another try and order some new things. Having heard stories passed on from others about Ming Tsai showing up for a bar mitzvah party, etc...it still makes me think Blue Ginger is a great restaurant in Wellesley and definitely worth the visit out of boston, if not only for the food, but the charming town it's located in! Pros: fun location, open kitchen Cons: decor more

My wife and I were expecting a nicer place, higher quality service, and better food than what we found. Expect to be uncomfortable if you arrive early - the ""waiting area"" has rather uncomfortable seating and is right near the main entrance. Our server was rather disinterested in her work, though did fine with the basics. The calamari was decent - nothing special. The lamb I had was good, though the Shanghai noodle cake was dry and burnt. My wife's shrimp dish suffered from an excess of lime that overpowered everything else on her plate. For what yuo get, this is ridiculously overpriced. Pros: Open kitchen Cons: Lack of value, so-so food, sterile decor more