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Saturday, April 5, 2008

Finally tried Ming Tsai's restaurant in MA




Blue Ginger on Urbanspoon


I have always liked Ming Tsai's East West fusion style as it is very cool and different. It is so out of the ordinary. I always look for new and interesting meals, recipes and things to try.

Ming always portrays something out of the ordinary either through his methods, techniques, his shows, recipes, tips and much more.

Plus the fact that he started out wanting to be an engineer in college, went to Yale University, was a professional squash player and then turned his interests toward to the Culinary world well I think that is even more "kewler!"

Read more http://www.squashtalk.com/html/news/may04/news04-5-187.htm

I've liked his style for years and like that he only has one restaurant and pours everything into it (compared to then other chefs like with the Food channel etc etc who have several). I don't like to go to franchise type restaurants if I have my rather, and avoid thai and other restaurants that have several of the same sort of chain. I like to go to the original places that have the same chefs, style etc. Sometime the food is better at one of the places then the others.

With Blue Ginger, what transpires is made from one place and one place only. I kind of like that. and eventhough I originally come from Providence RI and have gone to Boston and RI frequently, we never tried this place. But what spurred me onward was this blog and more recipes and restaurants that I am trying. So we finally went to eat at Ming's place Blue Ginger with my mother and sister.




We went at lunch time. I was the only male in the place though. It was pretty full, not packed and has a nice airy feeling to the whole place. Not noisey at all. The decor inside is bright and it has an award winning design I have found. I was surprised to see so many chefs working at the chef/grill/wok stations.

There are so many restaurants whether you like it or not always have the same menus to try. Sometimes there new specials etc which is good too. Here at Blue Ginger the menu is always changing and also reflects what food is at hand and fresh too. This gives a restaurant more versatility and freshness. Plus the waiter/waitresses have to be "at the top of their game" to know and tell the customer what is the best for them even for that day.

The waiter was excellent. I thought about trying a beef entree but the courteous waiter suggested (with no reservations and hands down) that I needed to try the butter fish. His recommendation was good enough for me. My mother would try the the Asian style salmon and my sister another entree. We ordered an entree or two.

I did not have my camera as I left it back in Kansas. So I had to think "outside the box". Why not use my Treo's camera? I have started taking pics with my pda camera and although they are not great pics, its at least a visual representation from these words. So I could show more about this review in a visual more meaningful way now and in the future for this review and the rest of my blog's entrees.


The butterfish fish entree was not only pretty to look at it was magnificent.
It tasted like "butter!". I think I heard that this fish is better due overfishing as it is chosen because of the popularity and use of the redfish, used in so many Cajun recipes.


It even had some little green fish roe caviar on it which was kind of cool. Many might not notice it and the waiter was even hesitant to tell me about when I asked what it was (I have been to Russia and had red and yellow caviar but this greenish tined roe or caviar was much smaller). Very nicely presented with great plating. The look/ plating , the unique tastes and everything just fabulous. I would rate this meal 9.9/10 (probably the highest I have ever given a recipe).




My mother really like the salmon.

My sister loved her dish too.

Plus the price was most affordable for all the food we got and the quality.



On the way I out I bought a copy of his book "Ming's Master Recipes" (he has a already signed it and was not there but it would have been even better) mainly because there are different recipes then I had seen.

I had a gift to remember the place by until when I come back. The cranberry teriyaki sweet potato I made was great and the glaze on lamb was good too. More about this trip to Ming's with more specifics coming soon with photos on my website

http://www.ming.com/blueginger/bluegingerEvents.htm
Technique for mincing garlic
http://www.ming.com/techniques/April.htm


Now from an email and link I see it is expanding.
Blue Ginger
(781) 283-5790 www.ming.com... 583 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482
reviewed by
Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS(dreric1kansas@aol.com), The Traveling Gourmet

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