Wild Ginger

Very good tasty and staff are very friendly! I enjoy the draft beer from Hood River OR which is the beautiful place I just visited, I miss Hood River!

Came to this trendy looking joint during a business trip after a bartender recommendation (don’t listen to the French bartender at Mortons). First of all, the service was horrible from the start. While the table next to us was being swooned by the sommelier (older white couple), we had to flag the server down just to get drinks. She never asked us for second drinks the entire meal!
Food all tasted the same. We had the sea bass (mango style), green curry with beef, duck, string beans, Mongolian noodles, and BBQ prawns. I was really looking forward to the duck, but it was dry and skin was soggy. Sea bass was the best, but still pretty boring. Actually tasted more like snapper than sea bass. Noodles were soggy and string beans over cooked.
Save your money. Don’t eat here. Wild Ginger, take a trip to the Bay Area, and go to Burma Superstar to see how pan-​Asian fusion should be done.

Deciding to come here was a fairly random decision, that turned out to be one of the best random decisions ever made.
The Hanoi Tuna is superb, the dill and mustard really adding something special. The Fragrant Duck is cooked moist and delicious– though I didn’t prefer the skin-​on. The real star of tonight’s meal was the Seven Flavor Beef.
And the hot steamed towel at the end really made me feel taken care of.
P. S. The Mango Sorbet is really good, and I dislike mango. The Chocolate Torte is the only thing that I think is ordinary in my experience here.

I will now not give Wild Ginger another dime of mine to Wild Ginger, due to the worst treatment I’ve received by an on-​floor manager and general manager EVER. I had my rehearsal dinner, and numerous business and nonprofit lunches and dinners at this venue over a period of decades), but at the last nonprofit dinner I planned here, I had negotiated the contract so none of the beverages (alcohol and other) were to be part of the contract; rather, they were to be ordered by individuals and billed separately to those individuals outside of the contract. Numerous attendees bought wine (glasses and bottles) and received bills with no mandatory gratuity added (I looked at their receipts). I ordered 2 bottles of wine for a total of $ 550, and was charged a 20% gratuity. When I asked the server about the gratuity, I was directed to the on-​floor manager, who told me all beverages were subject to the 20% gratuity under the contract. He refused to listen to me about carving out beverages from the contract — and when I asked whether he was prepared to lose my business (after explaining that I’ve been a customer since they were under Pike Place Market and the events I’ve had at the restaurant) over an $ 110 tip, he said … yes. I nodded and left.
Over the following couple of weeks, I made 3 calls to the restaurant trying to reach who I was told each time to be the general manager, Nile Park … I left 3 voicemails, all of which went unanswered.
When friends or business associates suggest this restaurant, I tell them what happened to me and suggest that we go elsewhere. At this point, I will not schedule another event at this restaurant; there are many other options in the area, all with more consistent food and a higher level of service (although you couldn’t get much lower than what I experienced). If you choose to schedule an event here, be absolutely certain that your contract says what you intend, and that its terms are carried out.
There are substantial top level management issues at this restaurant (not to mention food consistency issues).

The food is ok. The place is not crowded. The décor and ambiance is dull
The place is pricy

Great spot for dinner when you need to cater to a lot of dietary restrictions. Our party had omnivores, vegans, and gluten free, and there are various special menus you can ask for that can cater to all of this. Truly impressive wine encyclopedia can also be shared on request.

I’ve had great ‘Wild Ginger’ experiences in the past, so we decided to go there for my daughter’s 18^th Birthday.
The food was o.k., but the portions were small, and the atmosphere was odd. The restaurant was not crowded at all, yet we sat waiting a long time for our food. I was hoping for a classy, somewhat elegant ambiance, and what we ended up with was a slightly chilly dinning room, and we were near the bar, where they were playing 80’s music (Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, etc.). Not that there is anything wrong with these tunes, it’s just that it was out of place (like listening to OPP at a wedding).
The jasmine tea was delicious at first, but then as you consumed it, it got stronger until it became unbearable. They brought a birthday dessert for my daughter, but didn’t offer anyone else anything until after she was finished with hers, which we thought was odd.
Maybe we hit it on an off day, but with other really good restaurants around the downtown Seattle area, I would be really careful coming here for a special occasion. Good luck.

I first visited Wild Ginger about 16 years ago in their former location, which was much smaller.
At the time, the food was exceptional, and I think things like their wine list are still outrageous and worth thumbing through. Its a book. Its gorgeous, and wines going well back into 1970 range, spanning the globe and some vintages probably even earlier. The service was very good, with a friendly, comfortable waiter who was soft spoken and kind and not at all pretentious.
Here’s the thing. Maybe its not even fair… Wild Ginger just doesn’t have that special feeling anymore. The food is still pretty good, but not what I remember by any stretch, and there’s something corporate about it, though to be fair I don’t care for large loud eating places and this has become exactly that. The Szechuan green beans were my favorite by far, cooked just barely past perfect with a touch too much fish sauce.
Hopefully that encompasses what I’m trying to describe here, the people are great, the sancerre is top dog, yet there’s a loss of artistry in the food that just makes me a bit sad. I suppose that is often why these celebrated places last so long, they are too good to throw in the towel, yet that original spark is not really there anymore. Its a special spot for me, that holds sweet memories, and like lots of things, you can’t go back to that first time.
The duck was ok, the baby bok choi was ok, the chicken salad was ok– nothing really stood out for me and I’m sure my leftovers are languishing away in my hotel fridge. Oops.
I’m glad we went, for the memories, but I’m ready to make new memories elsewhere.

It’s been a few days but this review needs to be written… first off, I wish I remember the name of my server, but he was in the back room on December 10^th… he handled a large party of ten and my table of three… I was on time, but the two folks I was meeting were very late… he was awesome about the whole thing…
Then I threw him the next curve ball of being on a vegan diet… didn’t skip a beat, brought me the «vegan» menu which had a TON of options on it, and explained different modifications that could be made to other dishes… handled our table perfectly, with the right amount of presence…
The seven flavor tofu (which replaces the beef) was awesome… the spring rolls with the pineapple dipping sauce were beautifully assembled, and had the right amount of flavor… everything came out quickly and the whole experience was pleasant…
Thank you so much Wild Ginger! I will be back without a doubt

I’m a Seattle part timer with a condo just around the corner from WG. When I first came to the area I stayed in a hotel a few blocks from the Pike Market area. While there I asked for recommendations for live music and «good food».
What came back was Triple Door for entertainment, WG for dinner, not because they are in proximity to each other but because they are both very good at what they do. I tried them both that trip.
I like Asian food but not overly so, however I now cannot go to Seattle and not eat at WG at least once. And everytime I do I swear this time I will try something different than Seven Flavors Beef and Sichuan Green Beans.
Prior to WG I was, at best, indifferent to green beans and not much of a beef eater. It’s been about 10 years since that first visit, maybe 15 or 20 dinners or lunches, and I still haven’t changed my order. Not bragging; given how good what I do order has been, how could much of the rest of what they serve not be?
Add to that great service, very reasonable prices, a terrific Cadillac Margarita, and life at WG is pretty damn good!

I came here for dinner today. The restaurant was much larger than I expected, and it was really nice inside! Service was pretty good once we ordered, but it took a realllllly long time for our waiter to come around to take the order.
Thai Chili Margarita (²⁄₅) — I generally like spicy margarita, but I wasn’t a fan of this combination of flavors
Potstickers (³⁄₅) — The filling was nice, but the wrapper was overcooked
Wild Ginger Fragrant Duck (4.5÷5) — Served similar to Peking Duck. Perfectly cooked duck and very tasty.
Panang Curry Beef (⁴⁄₅) — Nice flavor, but the portion was pretty small.
Mongolian Noodles (³⁄₅) — Fine, but forgettable

The food was okay. It was expensive for Asian food. Tried the beef short rib for appetizer. Two slices that you would get in any other fast food place for $ 16 and it would come with rice, salad, and a soda. plus more than two… That seemed too pricey to me. The Pad Thai was reasonably priced for restaurant food.

This place has a great atmosphere and excellent service. I made reservations for my party of four during restaurant week this past April. I’m not sure we even ordered from the restaurant week menu because the regular menu sounded so good. We had the seven flavor beef, shrimp pad Thai, and Thai noodles; the omnivores in our party shared family style. Our vegan friend had spring rolls, lemongrass satay, and seven flavor tofu with brown rice. The seven flavor beef was my favorite. It was tender and juicy and seasoned just right. For dessert we had the coconut gelato and blackberry sorbet. We were totally stuffed and had a huge bag of left overs! Definitely satisfied.

Asian fusion taken to a whole new level of yum! A lot of items on the menu appear to be Thai, but they aren’t strictly so and have hints of American and other Asian styles. We started with vietnamese spring rolls (fried), and then entrees of seven flavor beef and wild ginger fragrant duck. Service was attentive and food was served within 10 minutes.
The spring rolls were fried perfectly, and the outside skin was very thin. Before even dipping into the sweet/​sour sauce, there was a natural sweetness inside the rolls. They were also cut into great bite-​sized halves for each pickings. Then next came the seven flavor beef, which was truly the star of the show. Every piece of beef was covered in a splendid mess of sweetness, savory, little minty and maybe some magic too! It paired nicely with the plain rice. The duck was also star worthy, but I do wish the skin on the duck was more crunchy. The duck meat itself was tender enough, but there wasn’t enough oiliness as is typically done in Chinese restaurants. It might seem ridiculous that I’m asking for more oil, but it really does add more flavor than just the sweetness from the sauce.

Let me just preface this review by saying that this restaurant is quite expensive for what you get so be prepared to spend 20+ a person and not leave full. You are 100% paying extra for the atmosphere and the restaurant location here, not for fresh fantastic food, which in my opinion warrants taking a star off.
We ordered the green beans, 7 spice beef and the green curry chicken. The 7 spice beef was quite good. The flavor had a lot of complexity and we all liked the crunchy texture. Unfortunately, for a «large» which is honestly about the less than size of standard meat entrée at a Chinese restaurant it is 20 $. Also, you’re paying for a plate that is over 50% bean sprouts and onions, which is misleading. I’ll admit, I really liked this dish but to pay that much I expect a full portion of flavorful beef because for just about the same price I could buy myself a nice steak dinner with sides.
I had mixed feelings about the green beans. I thought the flavor and sauce was fantastic, but I found the texture and color of the green beans to be off which leads me to believe that they were old, not fresh. Also, our plate came out pretty cold which I thought was off putting.
The portion of our large green Curry chicken was so laughable for a 15+ dollar plate I couldn’t believe it. Also, you can find much more flavorful thai curries at a real thai restaurant for half the price (or for that price you’d at least receive a huge bowl with a side).
Overall, Wild Ginger didn’t disappoint in flavor, but for the price and quality of the ingredients they use I would personally go elsewhere.

Recently, I tried their catering option – an easy way to beat the lunchtime surge and without the upcharge that many places stick customers with. Ordering is easy: there are a few tiers to choose from, and even the basic one is more than generous for the largest of appetites. (For a party of 6, we easily had an extra meal’s worth.) Wild Ginger catering has a few veg options, though the menu tilts toward poultry, meat, and some seafood. Food was ready on time in the front packed in resealable, recyclable tins that are easy to serve from. The order comes with plates and serving utensils upon request, so nothing more is needed than to have it delivered (or pick it up to save some $) and enjoy the variety of dishes.
Will return!

The sauce for the green beans is really good! Though sometimes the green beans themselves taste. a little old? I can’t really describe the texture. that the beans are grainy when you eat them but that usually happens to not fresh green beans. It’s expensive here for lunch or for dinner and they book up really fast. Definitely recommend making reservations, even if you have a party of 2. They have a cute bar area, open seating with full menu but service is kind of slow there. I’ve been here a few times for lunch and once for dinner — it’s not something I would choose to eat at as a first choice but it’s not bad. If you have money to spend that’s great!
Dinner– ordered pad thai, green beans, 7 spice beef = ~$ 50 plus tips.

This Wild ginger is the better of than the one in Bellevue.
I been to this one multiple times and each time, walked away happy. The food is quite good so are their sauces (hot sauce, fish sauce with fresh Thai chili peppers). The kung pao chicken, very good and the Szechuan green beans are quite good as well.
Their seven flavor beef is also really good along with a couple of specials that they had (black pepper chicken and tilapia)
My only complaint is their small and large are very similar in size… I know they tell you they are in different ounces but in what? Vegetables? Or protein? The protein seems to be very similar in size.

The place was hopping even though it was fairly early for dinner. So rather than waiting 45 minutes for a table, we sat at the bar.
We tried the papaya salad and I have definitely had better in my hometown. The papaya wasn’t sliced as thinly as I’m accustomed, so the dressing didn’t soak in very well. Also tried some of their chicken skewers. Was not impressed at all by their food.

Tried the seattle rest week here for the first night.
I can say I’m a HH regular at the bellevue location but this is my first time to the seattle one.
Ambiance was pleasant but everyone was attentive and the server was kind.
I chose the duck sol for my appetizer, lamb and ginger ice cream
Duck sol– prob the best between the app and the main course. Crispy flakey outside with a savory center, reminds me of dim sum
Lamb– was tender but cubed in a way that reminded me of pork blood cubes. Also had to cut the cube in smaller bites as it was too tough to chew on all at once. Sauce was too sweet and didn’t compliment the meat that well… something more savory would have been more ideal
Ice cream was good but not very gingery. As a huge fan of ginger I am a little disappointed but I did NOM the ginger garnish which was delish.