Wild Ginger (Orange, CT) is sushilicious!

[kattyeyes]

We met our friends Scargod and his SO for dinner at Wild Ginger in Orange on the Post Road. My guy and I have been fans of this place for years and used to go for lunch fairly regularly. Till last night, we had never been for dinner.

We all agreed this restaurant is a hidden gem. We arrived around 6:45 p.m. and it wasn't busy--nor was it busy the rest of the night. Not sure why--the food is fresh and fantastic, service is solid, you don't have to shout over any noise to converse. It's a great setting for a night out. But let's talk about the food. Thankfully, we all like to share and were enjoying bits of this and that all around the table.

CLAM SOUP: clear broth with littleneck clams--both my guy and Scargod enjoyed this one. "It was just the right balance of everything--not overly peppered, not too clammy." It was a large bowl with four littlenecks.

KANI SALAD: The standard kani salad--just kani, spicy mayo and black sesame seeds. No cucumber strips (which I like), but simple and tasty.

SALAD MADNESS: I will always love this dish. It's one of my favorites there--seaweed salad topped with spicy tuna, surrounded by thinly sliced avocado (and formerly topped with a noodle "fence"--alas, the fence has been replaced by a cherry, which is kinda cheesy!). My only complaint, if there is something to complain about, is they used to serve this dish with a delicious mango sauce which made the dish unique--now they just serve it with dabs of spicy mayo. Still great--just used to be over-the-top wonderful with that mango sauce.

SPICY TUNA SALAD--Scargod's SO (who is not as fond of raw fish as the rest of us are) enjoyed the spicy tuna over a green salad.

CRISPY DUCK ROLL--duck tempura perfection with julienned cucumber all in a wonderful roll topped with eel sauce. Yum!

NEW YORK ROLL: a tempura roll with spicy scallops and asparagus inside, topped with chopped kani and shrimp
I have to say, I didn't see or taste any asparagus on the inside or notice any shrimp on the outside (how 'bout you, Scargod?), but this was a delicious roll. Slightly warm inside, golden crispy-crunchy outside. Very different. My guy has proclaimed this roll perhaps the best he's ever had at Wild Ginger.

SASHIMI: Scargod ordered tuna, salmon and scallops. We enjoyed a piece of the salmon. Very fresh and tasty. I'll let the lead snail tell you more about the rest.

TUNA CARPACCIO: I don't know if it's truly carpaccio (other places I've had it, the tuna is pounded thin), but I don't care about any of that because it was DELICIOUS, topped with fresh jalapeno, mango, tobiko and rice vinegar. By the end of the meal, both our SOs were no longer hungry, but Scargod and I insisted on sharing the carpaccio, THEN dessert. It's good to have a friend like this! OK, maybe not good for either of our waistlines, but...

BANANA TEMPURA: I know lots of Asian restaurants make this, but it was especially great here--four clusters of fried bananas with a hint of maple syrup, thank you very much. Our SOs each took a bite and we gladly devoured the rest.

All in all an outstanding meal--accompanied by a bottle of Cambria chardonnay and a glass of Shiraz--and great company, of course, which always seems to make a good meal even better.

Pics in order:
- clam broth
- kani salad
- salad madness
- spicy tuna salad

[kattyeyes]

More pics:
- assorted sashimi and crispy duck roll
- New York roll
- tuna carpaccio
- banana tempura

[kattyeyes]

Last pics!
- fish we DIDN'T eat
- a table for you at Wild Ginger?

[chefstu]

Great review, I'll have to try it.
When we're in the area we usually go to Wasabi down the road and have been very happy.

[Scargod]

Holy carpaccio, Catgirl! You make my reviews look shabby. Obviously you have been reading my reviews and are a good study, grasshopper! I am jealous of the pictures you took with your Panasonic camera. Next time I'm bringing the Nikon.
I would add that some of the food was surprisingly spicy, like the salad madness.
The sashimi at Wild Ginger was all fantastic and as good as I can remember having. As mentioned I had salmon, scallop and "toro" tuna.
The "crunchy duck roll" was very good, and I'm quibbling when I say it was not called "crispy duck roll".
The major surprise of the evening was when QC Catgirl noticed that her SO had a little lipstick on his wine glass. At first we were disappointed when the waitress brought back an empty glass , because the dirty glass was almost full. We were seriously impressed when the owner showed up immediately with a complimentary (second), bottle of Cambria, Katherine’s Vineyard, chardonnay. FYI, I think for $32, this chardonnay was a good value.
Kattyeyes has pretty well summed it up: the restaurant is nice (and quiet), the service stellar and the food sublime. I want to go back tomorrow and sample more of the menu! The meal was also reasonably priced. Menu and info can be seen here: http://www.nearhome.com/needfoodnow/c...

Thanks, Catgirl, for dragging us there and thanks for the CT chardonnay I am about to try!

[kattyeyes]

You *quack* me up--crunchy duck roll it is/was--I stand corrected.

I knew you would come through with the specifics on that Cambria chard (thanks!). I was beyond impressed with how the owner handled that situation. Let's hear it for quality control! Cheers and hope you enjoy your first taste of the Connecticut Wine Trail!

[Scargod]

Last night we ate at Wild Ginger for a second diner meal. This time Kattyeyes and BF were not with us. We went kind of early since we wanted an unhurried meal and still get back to the tennis by 7PM. We were the first customers of the evening. The owner was very courteous and we talked for a while and he waited on us throughout the meal. His service was superior.
If you have never been in Wild Ginger you might like to know that it is a very pleasant restaurant with an attractive interior and not overly kitschy as some Asian places can be. It is quiet and you can hear water flowing and there is a tank of koi.
SO had the dumpling soup and shared. The dumplings were soft and unctuous. The broth was good. The owner brought us chile sauce and also a powder called Shichimi Togarashi to put in the soup. This made it hotter and more flavorful. SO then had the spicy tuna salad. This is chopped raw tuna with spices mixed in. Very good and quite different.
I ordered the sashimi dinner which is about twenty pieces of four or five different fish. I had a couple I have never had before; white tuna was one. This was a very big, satisfying and pretty bowl of fish. It came with a simple but very fresh salad and a unique dressing that was slightly Thousand Island like, but not.
We had Cambria, Katherine's vineyard, chardonnay and SO had a glass of cab with her spicy tuna. He has a decent wine list that excels for an Asian restaurant. Note the bucket for the wine.
As is often the case we dig in and then go "oops!, we forgot to take pictures!" Some dumplings are missing and a piece or two of fish off my sashimi dish.

I hope you will try this place. The food is very good and I have been very pleased with the sashimi!

[Scargod]

More pictures of food from Wild Ginger in Orange.