WILD GINGER : 3 ½ STARS

WILD GINGER

48 Great Neck Road

Great Neck, New York 11021

516-487-8288

By Angela

For all you Queens folk on your way home from a day of shopping or work and hungry but not up to cooking, or for those meeting friends for fun and easy dining, try Wild Ginger. It is tasty Asian fusion in a beautiful setting. This Asian oasis has a waterfall at the entrance, huge faux palm trees beneath a skylight, Chinese characters painted on the seats, 30X15 ft. Asian-style murals on one of the walls, and an open kitchen. The tables are spaced comfortably and the bar, while in front of the restaurant, has plenty of seats.

At Wild Ginger, the food is a fusion of Thai, Chinese, Malaysian and Vietnamese, the waiters are usually friendly, and the bar is full-service. Their specialty cocktail list is extensive, including a wide variety of sakes and martinis.

I have been back to Wild Ginger many times and while not every dish is delicious, I have found the overall experience to be well worth the trip. The sushi is fresh and the rolls include traditional favorites and a few innovations. The scorpion king (an inside out roll of spicy tuna, cucumber, lettuce) is delicious. The seaweed salad with mango is a refreshing combination of sweet and spicy. The spring roll has good texture, both crunchy and flavorful. The crab cakes are tasty and actually full of crab. The Vietnamese summer roll is a lively combination of fruit and vegetables in cooked rice paper. The sesame chicken is crunchy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside. The udon noodles - smoky, aromatic and chewy, without being overcooked, are so delicious they are almost addictive. The wok-glazed ginger duck is amazing and the seared rare tuna with soba noodles is terrific. However, the fried rice, shrimp pad Thai, and Singapore rice noodles are average at best. Moreover, the desserts, while plated beautifully, are inconsistent in quality. The sorbets are cool, flavorful and refreshing, but the cheesecake inedible.

As you can tell I have visited often enough to have tried many of the menu items. So go, enjoy the food, love the ambiance and have good food in a beautiful setting.

Things you should know if you are interested in checking out this spot:

$$$

Lunch: daily, noon until 3:30pm;

Dinner: Sunday through Thursday, 5pm until 10:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 5pm until 11:30pm.