Tucked in Boston suburb of Wellesley, Massachusetts, Blue Ginger has presented itself as one of the most well-known Asian Fusion around.
With the concept “East meets West” (which is also the name of his popular cooking show), Chef Ming Tsai has brought together his root of traditional Asian Cuisine with the Western flare he picked up at the “Le Cordon Bleu, Paris,” creating imaginative Asian fusion dishes that earned him fame and accolades for the last 15 years. Notably, he once won against the Iron Chef America, Bobby Flay in 1998, sealing his position as one of those celebrity chefs and since then has appeared on numerous TV shows.
We visited on Saturday afternoon to try out their Lounge Menu. Walking in, we were greeted with the calming oriental decor, meticulously designed according to suggestions of a Feng Shui Master. Contrasting to the decor, the ambiance is quite electric, with many people already at the bar, chatting away with one hand on their early drinks.
From the eclectic menu, we decided on a few mouth-watering dishes. First, the Hawaiian Bigeye Tuna Poke with Crispy Sushi Rice Cake and Peppercress-Tosaka Salad (17 USD) which is one of the highlights that we never failed to order every time we visit. Fresh raw tuna with Asian seasoning and peppercress-tosaka salad made this dish really refreshing. Chef Ming, of course, spiced it up with his twist – the fried sushi rice cake at the bottom which provided the textural contrast and married the whole dish together perfectly.
Another must-try is Miso-Sake Marinated Alaskan Butterfish with Soba Noodle Salad (24 USD). The perfectly executed butterfish melted at the first bite. Miso-sake sauce, salty yet sweet, was indeed an excellent match with the buttery fish. Topped off with the lush green Edamame cream, it became one of the best butterfish dishes I have ever tasted.
Crispy Pork Belly with Ginger-Peach BBQ and Korean Pickles (14 USD) ended our meal on a high note. The crispy pork belly skin with the melt-in-your mouth pork meat gave you the palatable mouth feel. The sweet and tangy BBQ sauce with peach aroma and a spicy hint of ginger exemplified what Ming does best – marrying East and West flavors together seamlessly.
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