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Ginger
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
546 Church StToronto, ON M4Y 2E1
Neighbourhoods: Church-Wellesley Village, Downtown Core
(416) 413-1053
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Ginger
Review Highlights
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"...the others, a great spot to grab a quick bite on the go." In 4 reviews -
"The yam and avocado rolls are terrific and I'd recommend..." In 3 reviews -
"...Church) to anyone looking for good, cheap Vietnamese food." In 3 reviews
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25 reviews in English
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Review from A.J. S.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I liked this place. They had a pretty good vegetarian selection, and the people were pretty nice. I was pretty mich looking for something new and I found this place kind of randomly. The way this place works is that you order up front, they give you a number and they bring you food to you. The service is really rather quick, and they did a good job of keeping our orders straight and together. I ordered a tofu dish, and the tofu turned out to be cooked well, a lot of places screw up tofu, but these guys did it very well.
I think given the opportunity I would go back in the future. -
Review from Johnny W.
North York, ON
Its been awhile since I visited Ginger and my friend wanted to have dinner there.
This time around I got #67 - The Chicken veggies /w Crispy noodles.
Very quick service and within 10 minutes we got our food.
PRESENTATION - It look like congee when it's not suppose to. Usually it is on the dryer side. The chicken pieces are WAY to chunky.
TASTE - Compared to what my friend had (the beef veggies), the chicken was dry and flavorless. And I know its "fast food", but the tasted quite "rushed". My suggestion - Take your time...it wasn't even busy~ Noodle bowl at Spadina (if you can tolerate their poor air quality due to the heavy smoke) has better taste.
VERDICT
DATE SPOT - Not exactly a spot to take your date on, unless you're looking for a quick way to leave them.
LARGE GROUP - If you're uncomfortable with small talks or simply want large gathering to end ASAP (you may dislike or have no interest in knowing people) choose Ginger.
FAMILY & FRIEND SPOT - Bring those odd family members or ex-friends of yours to guarantee a short and forgettable moment.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2012
Visited twice in 7 days.
Great food for the price you pay for.
They gotta fix their lights on their… Read more »
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Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Restaurant: Ginger
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Location: Downtown
Address: 546 Church St
Price Range: ~$10
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very Good 5: Excellent
Food: 5
Service: 2
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 3.5
Extra information:
*Couple locations within Downtown
*Small portions
I am craving Pho right now cause it's raining so hard and it's freezing outside! So I am going to mess up the order and write my quick review for Ginger. At first I wasn't too sure about walking away from Chinatown for Asian food...but what the heck, I saw Ginger at couple locations within Downtown so I decided to give it a try.
At Ginger, you order at the front and pay, and they will give you a number sign where you place it at any table tht you wish to sit. And then they will bring you the food. Once you sit down with the number sign, the food doesn't take very long.
Also, keep in mind that they have a water and sauce station beside the cashier. They have the typical Sriracha sauce and the Black sauce you see all the time at Pho places. Their sauces were kind of watered down but not as much as other places I've been to. The Hot sauce container was empty when I went to get some and as I was holding it for a second, someone noticed it immediately and refilled it.
Ordered: RARE BEEF PHO5/5
*Small bowl of pho with rare beef for $5.50
*They don't have many options for what can go into your pho
*They give you a Japanese udon spoon (something I wanted to point out)
*Unlike other Pho places, bean sprout and basil leaf is already served on top of your noodle
*Their pho is VERY SMALL IN PORTION!!
*Soup wasn't very oily and it had good beef flavor
*Vegetables (bean sprouts and basil leaf) was very fresh
*There was 5 pieces of rare beef in my Pho
*Beef was just an okay quality
*Again, very small in portion but for what you pay- it's ok
*Small was NOT enough for me (and I don't really eat much when it comes to Pho)
*Ordering Large next time!!
Ordered: SHRIMP CRISPY ROLL 4/5
*Individual Deep fried shrimp spring roll for $1.75
*Their spring rolls are very thin and long
*Served with sweet sauce on the side
*Comes hot and crispy
*Filled with whole shrimp pieces (not diced)
*Reminded me of shrimp dimsum (deep fried ones) you get at Chinese restaurants
*Little expensive for it's price but very delicious
As I polished my small bowl of pho and the shrimp crispy roll, I still wasn't satisfied! I was eyeing food that other people had ordered and their rice dishes looked a lot bigger so keep that in mind.
Summary: I think I've been to 3-4 Pho places so far in Toronto and Ginger def has the best Pho. Despite their small portion size, the flavor makes up for it. Just make sure to order large when you drop by, and maybe two if you are a guy. Ok, now I really want Pho. -
Review from Katie Z.
Toronto, ON
4/28/2012
I went to this Ginger a couple weeks back with a group of friends. The service was good but the food was a bit bland and oily. I will try other locations and see if its better there.
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Review from Alice T.
8/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
By far the nicest ginger location, I actually walk past the one on Yonge near Bloor to go to this one a few blocks south.
I like that it's cleaner and serves passionfruit juice... Actually I'm not sure if the one on Yonge serves passionfruit juice too.
I like the vermicelli with chicken & spring roll, though I've also had the pork. I found the pork to be a bit fatty where as the chicken uses white meat. I've had better spring rolls and I tried both the chicken and veg but for the price point ($6.95) I'm still giving it 4 stars!Listed in: Favourite Grab & Go Places
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Review from Jenny H.
Toronto, ON
1/8/2012
This is one of those places where you have to go at least 50 times before there is a glimmer of recognition from the staff. Even then they don't seem glad to see you. However this is the only disappointment here so I keep going back.
It is also the kind of place there should be more of: walk in, choose from a menu on a board behind the cash fast-food style, pay, take a number, sit down and stare mesmerized by the wallpaper on the wall that appears to be garish Christmas gift wrap, and have your meal dropped in front of you in a few minutes. Easy. No sitting at a table and going through the pain of waiting for iffy service. Usually no tipping as there is no real service, and none needed. You get your own cutlery and glass of water etc., and you are in and out in a short time. No attitude - the staff simply ignores you after your food is served.
I have tried many items from the menu and was never disappointed. The food is decent and consistent here. I enjoy all the veg dishes especially. The curried lamb with rice is excellent for under $10. If you are a fan of lamb, you will know how hard it is to find lamb on a menu of a casual restaurant.
Jenny -
Review from Heather S.
1/5/2012
Decent place to get some Vietnamese cuisine. The service is quick, the food is good, and the prices are cheap. The Vietnamese Iced coffee was sooo good.
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Review from Angela L.
1/4/2011
The counter service, casually cheesy decor, and cafeteria-like dining area isn't the most appealing, so my favourite thing to do is to call ahead for take away. Regardless of whether you have the foresight to call ahead or not though, the staff are always very efficient and the food takes no time at all to come out.
Ginger doesn't have the best pad thai (in fact, it lacks any vegetable substance and should just be called "sweet and sour noodles") and don't even have any stir-fried glass noodles on the menu (which is my all time favourite thai dish), but the variety of salad rolls they offer alone is enough to keep me coming back on a regular basis.
Jicama, yam tempura and avocado, and shrimp are in my opinion the best, but it's always fun to mix and match. On days when you're feeling like a lighter meal, a few fresh salad rolls paired with a hot and spicy soup can be most satisfying for the taste buds. -
Review from Min Min T.
Scarborough, ON
11/1/2010
Located at the corner of Church and Wellesly, this Ginger gets a lot of business throughout the week. It's a popular place for take-out* or a quick sit-down meal. You won't find yourself waiting long; like most Asian restaurants, Ginger ensures that speed, as well as good food, is also a priority.
The staff here are awesome and very efficient, always hardworking and willing to do whatever you need to perfect your dining experience. Like the other locations, condiments (i.e. lime, hot sauce, salt) and water is available at a self-serve counter near the cashier.
As a vegetarian, I can't say much for the pho. However, I agree with Kat F. that you can never go wrong with the curried eggplant on rice . The sauce is absolutely delish and I must applaud the fact that the eggplant - not mushy or overcooked - is always grilled perfectly. I wish I could figure out how they make it! The portions are just good enough that you won't slip into a post-lunch food coma, but dammit, Ginger! WHY WON'T YOU GIVE ME MORE OF THAT HEAVENLY CURRY SAUCE?! In the end, I often find myself eating white rice on its own, or just chucking the remnants out. The curry:rice ratio here isn't exactly the best.
The fresh rolls are decent, but as other Vietnamese people have told me, nothing compares after you've had the real deal in Saigon. I agree that I haven't had many amazing fresh rolls in Toronto.
A 5-minute walk from the subway and a decent meal for $10 if you're on the run.
3.5/5 stars
*Served in Styrofoam. No biodegradable containers here. When I worked upstairs, there were a few occasions where they let me take the dish upstairs and bring it back down. Not sure how likely they'd be willing to do the same for others. -
Review from Wendy H.
Toronto, ON
4/27/2009
Of all the Ginger locations, I'm pretty sure this one's my fave (and not just because it's a log roll away from me). I used to frequent Ginger 2 on Gerrard before it changed branding, but since I moved to Church, I haven't looked back.
It's cheap. It's fast. It hits the spot. It's usually pretty busy. It's ... fragrant. I usually go for the same things - 90% of the time it's the chicken noodle soup, or occasionally one of the chicken and rice dishes. The yam and avocado rolls are terrific and I'd recommend treating yourself to a fruit shake every so often! That's right, big spender - they're worth it.Listed in: Why Living In The Village Is…
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Review from Tong J.
Four Stars for their friendly and efficient service. The food is always consistently tasty. It's cheap. Good portion of food.
When I don't feel like cooking and don't want to trek very far for a meal, Ginger is the place I normally turn to. Love the Charcoal Grilled Pork, it reminds me of what my grandmother used to make when I was younger. Definitely a fan!
I wish that they would have better ventilation inside the restaurant. Just hate smelling like grease and covered with smoke afterwords.Listed in: Asia On My Mind
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Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
6/9/2009
I'm 100% loving this place. It's clean, it's cheap and it is tasty. it's not amazing tasty, but you put it together with cheap and clean and it's good enough for 4 stars for me.
It's a bit of an unlikely place for the village but I tried it today with a friend and it hit the spot.
You go in and order at the counter, they give you a number you take with you to the table and then they will serve it to you- VERY quickly.
I ordered the shrimp cold rolls, my absolute fave and only order at viet places. and it was so cheap and nicely done that I just kept going back to the counter to order more- I ended up going back for more so many times we had 4 numbers on the table when I left!
I like this place because you can sit around and have a long conversation, or just grab a quick bite alone. The type of service makes it really easy to do any type of meal you want and did I say it was cheap?
Had this place been in a different area I migt not have given it 4 stars. But I like how its the different one in the village and neither a full serviced sit-down meal nor a quick standing shawarma/hot dog meal either. tough to get that convenience in the village.
yay. i'm a fan. -
Review from Nicholas K.
Toronto, ON
10/3/2009
This place is the MacDonald's of Asian cuisine ....and that's not a bad thing. It is what it is. This is the place for a quick in and out or take away. NOTE ...if you do stay in and eat, when you walk out your clothes will stink. ...especially if it's busy and they are cooking a lot.
The food is good and the prices are great. Recommend for a quick lunch or late night snack. -
Review from Ashley S.
Toronto, ON
4/1/2009
Ginger on Church and Yonge...
The Good:
- the service is somewhat fast because it does cater to those working around the area
- when done well, the jackfruit shake is super good
- lots of variety...from soups to grilled chicken
- you can call in ahead to save time
The Bad:
- they only fill up the cup 75% of the way!! sometimes even closer to 65%!! (for the jackfruit shake!!!)
- I ordered what i thought was hot and sour soup but it was all noodles and like 2 pieces of chicken!! and nothing like what I thought hot and sour soup was!!
- their Viet pho also was bland and not worth it at all! -
Review from Damon K.
Toronto, ON
6/6/2009
I've never eaten at any of the other Ginger locations. But I seriously enjoy this place for the quick and cheap food. If I ever need a quick bite before work, I always eat here. The staff is friendly and efficient.
The food kicks ass and is delicious and they have something for just about everyone so you can't go wrong.
Would recommend this to anyone in the Church and Wellesley area. -
Review from Kat F.
2/11/2009
Of the five Gingers in existence (two on Yonge, one in the Annex and one on Queen West), the one at Church & Wellesley is clearly the best. Even though Ginger is a franchise, each location has its own menu and item availability varies from location to location.
I love ordering a couple of yam tempura and avocado fresh rolls ($1 each!) and the curried eggplant and tofu entree. All of this and a drink is still under $10. Brilliant! -
Review from Luis H.
Toronto, ON
11/4/2011
Offering bland, watered down dishes of popular Thai and Vietnamese food, this location is ideally located at the very popular intersection of Church and Wellesley Streets. Besides having average soups and salad rolls, the food is bland, lacks flavor and the dull decor contributes to my rating of two stars for this eatery. The restaurant feels more like a fast food version of Asian food than a typical sit-down, casual restaurant that offers diners time to dine and socialize.
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Review from Downtown D.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2010
I went to this place last year so can't recall exactly what I ordered - either curry chicken or rice or some type of rice dish.
Large portions, no table service = no tipping required and under $10. -
Review from Eugene M.
Toronto, ON
4/6/2011
Good place for a quick bite. I'm sure its nice in the summer when they open the windows.
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Review from Spiro P.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2010
Yeah, this place is cheap. Cheap food, cheap prices, and cheap service--these are three things that you are going to find at this restaurant. I believe that there food is filled with MSG. Also, there are no many vegetables in their pad thai. It is served with sprouts, egg, and tofu. It's just so boring.
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Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
9/26/2008
I have a feeling that Ginger means something different in Vietnamese, my theory is that it means Restaurant. I think this because at last count the City of Toronto has about ten thousand Vietnamese restaurants all named Ginger and most of them are completely unaffiliated. This particular Ginger on Church Street is quite good and fast, which are really the two things you are looking for in take out Asian food. The restaurant is nicely decorated in a utilitarian meets brushed steel sort of motif. The basic menu is essentially what you would get at any of the other 9,999 Ginger's in the city with one very large exception; the pork bun. For those you of unfamiliar with the Vietnamese terminology, but just means lots of vermicelli noodles, it is not a pork bun, which probably wouldn't be very good anyway. The pork is marinated in a sauce that can only be described as ambrosia and the fact that the whole deal costs less than $7 makes it an excellent place to get a cheap meal. I would recommend Ginger (on Church) to anyone looking for good, cheap Vietnamese food.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Joey C.
Toronto, ON
9/7/2010
I'm not hard to please when it comes to Thai food because I love it so much (I could eat pad thai for breakfast lunch and dinner)
So I would go back to Ginger, but I wouldn't run back if that makes sense. It kind of has the "spring rolls" feeling and taste.
I had some soup (forget which one), and I remember thinking it wasn't amazing.
I know that's a useless review - but its a review nonetheless. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
10/17/2008 1 photo
The Church street Ginger franchise is the newest that I know of in the city and by far one of the swankier ones, even if it still maintains that cefeteria vibe of the others. My heart will always be with the Ginger next to the Brass Rail on Yonge, but this one is a nice addition to the Church Street Village and just like the others, a great spot to grab a quick bite on the go.
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Review from Peter D.
Toronto, ON
7/23/2011
food is pretty mediocre. I like the one on queen street more.
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Review from Norman S.
2/16/2009
on church street i wouldn't expect cafetaria style service so i was a little surprised but we were in a hurry for lunch so it worked out fine. as with any cafeteria style place you expect it to be cheap but you never know if it will taste good. so i was really surprised how good the food was here. we ordered lemon grass chicken, charcoal beef, and veg pad thai. the chicken was very good, great sauce. the beef was thinly sliced short ribs grilled perfectly and the marinade was great. the pad thai was good but a little too sweet.
overall they really do a great job of preparing it fast, tasting good, and keeping it inexpensive. good place for a causal meal with friends or family.
