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Wild Ginger
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Restaurants Vegetarian Asian Fusion, Vegetarian [Edit]
112 Smith St(between Pacific St & Dean St)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Neighbourhoods: Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill
(718) 858-3880
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bergen St (F, G)
Hoyt - Schermerhorn Sts (A, C, G)
Borough Hall (4, 5)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
102 reviews for Wild Ginger
Review Highlights
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"I wouldn't get the black pepper seitan though." In 11 reviews -
"General Tsao's Soy Protein is the bomb." In 4 reviews -
"The Malaysian Curry Stew was awesome." In 5 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
102 reviews in English
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Review from Bob D.
Houston, TX
4/26/2012
Great restaurant. I ate here this afternoon for a late lunch. The place was empty and I was a bit concerned. But the good reviews from Yelp gave me comfort. The reviews were spot on.
I started with the miso and mushroom soup. Very nice size portion and very tasty. The soup was hot, the mushrooms and tofu fresh, and the broth delicious.
Next came the salad with ginger dressing. The greens were crisp and the dressing flavorful. Nice size portion as well.
For my entree, I ordered the stir fried tofu and veggies (snap peas, cauliflower, carrots, lotus fruit, celery, and more). The tofu was cut thin (1/4") and in 1" squares. All was mixed with a light brown sauce with hints of sesame, garlic, and ginger. After tasting the dish (it was very good) I added some hot sauce. The veggies were very fresh, not overlooked, and the tofu cooked perfectly (not overdone or hard/dry). Served with steamed brown rice. My only complaint is the portion was average, not at all like the soup and salad. Would have been nice to have a bit more, especially since this was the priciest of the items on my menu. But overall very good and at a fair (for NY) price.
I will definitely be back! -
Review from jenderon t.
Durham, NC
5/5/2012
We were wandering around the neighborhood and decided to go here as the reviews were good. Perhaps we have a much more refined palette than we thought but frankly, Wild Ginger was just okay. For whatever reason, whenever an asian restaurant creates a great ambiance like Wild Ginger, the food always suffers. Either it's really bad or it's just okay. Wild Ginger provides just okay which makes it a little insulting as their pricing is a bit much for just okay.
I probably should've said something when they asked but I guess being asian, myself, I figured no one would listen anyway. It wouldn't take much to elevate the food, organic ingredients and more time to increase the flavor. They already have the presentation down. I just wish the presentation in the food and the decor caused the taste to be better. -
Review from Scott B.
ASTORIA, NY
4/22/2012
Really Good
I hate vegan/vegetarian food in most instances. I'm the type the groan internally when a vegan friend suggests it because I'm a huge carnivore, but generally I try to be polite about it and try it out. This place was a pleasant surprise. The food was tasty and well put together. Nicely presented too. The appetizers were particularly good, and I could well see myself going back and just ordering 2 or 3 appetizers in place of a main. The other 9 people we were with enjoyed their food immensely too. -
Review from Jen F.
This is the sister restaurant to Dao Palate which I love. I ordered mushroom Miso soup and Pad Tai. The Pad Tai here was spicier than it was in Dao palate but it was a good thing not a bad thing. Just different. The mushrooms in the Miso soup were also different, I liked the mushrooms Dao Palate used. The decor is nice, the staff was attentive, place is clean and has outdoor seating in the back. They have an "A" rating from the health department. No complaints, good vegan food!
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Review from S M.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 5/9/2012
Still loving this place. It's my go-to weeknight delivery order. So quick, service is friendly and the food is delicious!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2012
So delicious. I order delivery from here at least once a week! It usually takes 10-15 minutes from… Read more »
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Review from Matt H.
Brooklyn, NY
5/5/2012
Since my wife is a vegetarian we rarely get to share dishes at restaurants, but here we can share everything - what a treat! General Tso soy is the best.
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Review from April S.
San Diego, CA
3/18/2012
This place is cute, people are friendly, and the food is delicious. What else is there to say?
Well okay there's a little bit more to say. General Tsao's soy protein - dude, I don't even know. It's damn fantastic. I don't live in NYC, came here twice last time I visited, and every time I think about General Tsao's my heart rate goes up and I salivate. And it's been weeks. The soy protein texture (i know, it sounds weird but it isn't) is firm and juicy and meaty (better than a chicken nugget) and the sauce is the perfect mix of sweet/spicy. Plus, it comes with nicely blanched broccoli with which you can cleanse your palate (to maximize your General Tsao's flavor experience).
Their other dishes are good too, at least the ones i've tried - scallion pancake, crispy tofu skins, and especially the Fisherman's protein (the faux-seafood is bouncy and has nice seafoody flavor). We got an order of Jade Mushrooms (sliced oyster mushrooms) once and I thought they could have been cooked a little more, but otherwise everything's good to go.
Look. If you're searching for "authentic Asian" cuisine, why go to a cute and chic vegetarian fusion place in Cobble Hill? "Authenticity" is vats of live fish on the street in Sunset Park - awesome, but it's not for everyone and that's fine. And if you're seriously looking for everything to be like real meat, then go eat some real meat. Bottom line, the food at this place tastes good and that's that. Get the General Tsao's for me. -
Review from Anikha R.
We went for a little Valentine's Day lunch here. The food was vegan and it was very nice. The spring roll was very impressive. Cute decor.
Just one server for a slow lunch time hour. The food came very fast. Plus the lunch special prices were reasonable.
Annoyed with the woman's bathroom door lock. They just need a new lock and fix the mirror decoration, minor things, but yea, I noticed... -
Review from Mischa A.
2/22/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Nice place.. The food was really tasty and there were a good range of options. the feel of the place is defiantly not a lunch time joint which makes it really nice.. Food was made quick which is always a bonus at lunch...
Now, I would vote this place 4 stars... But I have to vote down on the service... the service wasn't just slow it was non existent.. I had to ask for more water after the glass had been empty for 15 mins at least, and still, it took another 5 mins to be refilled... and even though I think there was only one server, there were only 3-4 tables of people (2 people per table)
Would I go back, yes I would... I know that sometimes there is a valid reason for sucky service.. but if I go back, and sucky service still exists... -
Review from Grace P.
Manhattan, NY
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
_ PUMPKIN SOUP
Clear soup, not pureed, with cubes of pumpkin and a tiny sprinkling of cilantro.
Tasty, not salty = good! Proving that soups, and food in general, does not have to be salty to taste good.
_ TOFU SALAD
Very simple salad: greens, long beet shavings, dressing and a sliced chunk of soft tofu.
Although it was refreshing, I could make it at home and will try the more exciting HIJIKI SALAD next time. (I could also make this at home, but not as quickly.)
Nice decor.
Loving the menu options, will return! -
Review from Abbi A.
Brooklyn, NY
3/30/2012
I've never eaten anything I was disappointed with here. My husband and I are vegetarians, and I do not eat dairy. I always feel safe and satisfied eating here. The food is reasonably priced. The portions are a good size. We love the summer rolls and the wontons. The king oyster mushrooms are fabulous!! The pumpkin soup is hearty and delicious, and my favorite entree is the basil soy protein. MMMMMMmmmm!
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Review from Lisa L.
Brooklyn, NY
1/19/2012
I had a hankering for some Thai food because I know I won't be able to find anything in my new neighborhood at the bottom of Brooklyn.
So I stopped here. It was not a bad idea at all. I loved the atmosphere. The space was dimly romantically lit and the music was not loud. It's great for a date or just to relax by yourself. I've been to their other location in Williamsburg with my boyfriend and we both enjoyed the food and the interior there, too.
Tonight, I ordered the bibim-bap. The pumpkin soup that comes with it is delightfully light with toothsome chunks of pumpkin floating in a sweet flavorful broth. The cilantro with its assertive presence is what made it for me. Bibim-bap came not too long after the soup. It's not a traditional recipe of course but, the vegan version is as good as it'll ever get. Although, the kimchee in it was only so-so.
I'd say if you're feeling really hungry and you want to try something super healthy, go to Wild Ginger and order yourself the bibim-bap. Oh yeah, this restaurant is kosher in case you're wondering. -
Review from Lea A.
I'm a carnivore. I love my meat. But, after attending a conference with a couple of staunch vegetarians, they convinced my husband and I to have dinner with them at Wild Ginger. Now, I had really zero (maybe even borderline low) expectations as my experience with vegetarian food has been minimal or just "meh" at best.
However, Wild Ginger provided one of the best meals I've had in New York! What a surprise!
Our friends and I shared some dumplings and fried tofu: they were divine, and the dipping sauces were super tasty. My hubby and I both ordered a bowl of their version of "bi bim baab" which is basically a rice bowl with everything but the kitchen sink on it -- it was incredibly tasty. I enjoyed my entire bowl and it felt hearty and flavourful!
However, what blew my mind almost more than the mains were the desserts. We shared a vegan pumpkin "cheese"cake that was essentially indistinguishable from the real thing. If I hadn't known we were in a vegan restaurant, I would've thought this was a genuine, rich cheesecake! Then we had some peanut butter "bomb" -- it was huge! Actually, the cheesecake was, too, so keep in mind that they don't skimp on the dessert portions.
If I were in the Brooklyn area again, Wild Ginger would be something on my radar. I encourage everyone to try it out, veggie fiend or not!Listed in: Asian Sensations, Concrete Jungle
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Review from Kim R.
New York, NY
11/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful, relaxing room with really soothing GOOD music. A great place to decompress. With the high-back wooden booths you can almost pretend you are at a resort somewhere. Good place for meetings too because it is so quiet.
Lunch special prices are under $10. Regular menu prices are pretty reasonable. Good selection and you won't miss the meat. Portion sizes are generous. Staff is professional, competent , and pleasant.
I had the soba lunch special. It is served with a spring roll & miso soup. Everything was hot & fresh. The flavor was OK. But the noodles were drenched in oil. I heard the lemonade was "the best" someone had "ever had". Perhaps that person is not used to having real lemonade. My drink was made with fresh lemons. But it was amazingly sweet. With all this oil & sugar I am reminded of why there are fat vegetarians out there.
But because of all I said at the start, I will come back. Maybe the next selections will be healthier. -
Review from Catherine H.
Falls Church, VA
3/16/2012
Gluten free comments
Macro plate is delicious! Kale and carrots were crunchy, broccoli was very crunchy - next time I order it I will ask for the veggies to be well done.
Avocado salad also delicious and very healthy (romaine, sprouts, avocado, citrus i think, soy cheese) although the ginger dressing isn't gluten free. I split with friends so they got dressing on the side, and I got GF dressing. There are three GF dressings/sauces - mango (didn't try), spring roll sauce (tasty, clear sweet sauce w cilantro), and red sauce (too salty, gross).
Not everything on the gluten free menu is actually gluten free - I ordered the gluten free mushrooms and they came breaded so I had to send them back. The waiter explained at a lot of the appetizers had been changed.
My friends said pad Thai and pineapple fried rice were both good (neither is GF).
So my complaints are
1. Update the gluten free menu. Seriously.
2. A place with so many gluten free options ought to invest in a $5 bottle of gluten free soy sauce (tamari). A lot of the entrees on the GF menu said request no soy sauce. How hard is it to serve GF soy sauce? They sell tamari in every grocery store in the soy sauce section. -
Review from Gabrielle B.
Brooklyn, NY
11/19/2011
I went here recently with my boyfriend. I was scared at first because looking in the windows, it appeared to be closed. However, the front of the restaurant is kept dark, and there's a curtain in front of the door you must pass through to get into the restaurant.
We were seated by a window. The decor was distinctly asian and the restaurant as a whole had a very nice vibe to it.
We came for the lunch special, and ordered a starter of curry samosas. The samosas were delicious, and it was the mint chutney that was spicy, not the samosas themselves.
The miso soup was delicious, as was the coconut rice we had to replace the brown rice. We weren't given raisins with the coconut rice, but it was still yummy, if slightly bland. I wish I had ordered fifty of the spring rolls, they were very good.
My boyfriend ordered black pepper seitan with Chinese broccoli, and his only complaint (if it's that even) was that seitan is apparently spongy.
I ordered the basil soy protein with zucchini, asparagus, and peppers. This dish was very flavorful, but the soy protein was extremely filling.
I'd like to go there again sometime and order something new. The experience was amazing.
Also, credit to the very patient, kind waiter we had who was quick on his feet. -
Review from D B.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2012
We were hungry, the menu looked good and there wasn't a wait at 7pm on a Saturday night in Brooklyn. I now know why. This place is just so-so. If you like greasy mediocre thai-like vegetarian food then sure, give this a shot. But if you are hoping for a tasty, healthy alternative to a meat-lovers place, this is not the spot.
Our waitress was nice so I didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't good, even when she asked us. She seemed really excited about our appetizer orders and the dessert - which was a vegan chocolate cake from baby cakes. It was super sweet and though I know it was called "crumb" cake, it was kind of hard to eat because it fell apart.
For $50 it felt like a waste of money. -
Review from Kyle S.
Irving, TX
10/17/2011
Some friends and I were in town for a design conference and wanted a break from all the noise. Walking just around the corner we found this place and instantly the quiet calm of the restaurant was the first thing I noticed. It was a much needed break from everything going on.
We started with a few appetizers, the edamame and the seaweed salad, both of which were amazing. For the main course I had the pad thai and it was one of the best I've had. It almost had a licorice flavor with the way the basil and the pad thai sauce mixed together. The tofu in the pad thai was seriously my favorite part.
Our waiter couldn't have been better. He was the nicest, most helpful, waiter I've had in a long time. And this coming from someone who was born and raised with southern hospitality. I would go back just to have him as a waiter again, it was that good of service. -
Review from Sushma A.
Manhattan, NY
2/29/2012
The decor is little dated I feel but honestly its a neighborhood restaurant so not expecting much. The food is some of the best vegan food I have ever had. I really enjoy their creativity of flavors and everything I had here has been spiced/seasoned just right. Problem with a lots of Asian vegan food is that they can go overboard on the salt. I think the choice of dishes are really interesting (or at least I haven't I had them elsewhere) It has been quiet at the times I have visited so I have always had good service. Overall a good find!
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Review from Jess P.
Brooklyn, NY
3/6/2012
Great, clean, and good for you food. I love eating here and getting takeout. I also like the way I feel after eating from Wild Ginger. Prices are great, and food is always reliable. Love this neighborhood go-to.
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Review from Darryl R.
Roseville, CA
3/14/2012
Food was good but not as flavorful as other Asian vegetarian cuisine in NYC. The yaki soba was not yaki soba - the soba was boiled, not fried soba noodles like true Yaki soba. The bi-bamp-bim was supposedly over coconut rice, but the rice lacked any coconut flavor. The food was good and reasonably priced, but somewhat of a flavor disappointment. Atmosphere and service were very good.
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Review from Marisa L.
8/7/2011
I am not a vegetarian but I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner here. They served us a salad that I didn't expect as part of the prix fixed deal I had from bloomspot deal. We requested steamed dumplings instead of the regular fried option on the menu and it was no problem. I liked that they were green, probably made with spinach. I ordered vegetables and tofu with brown sauce and it came just as I ordered, without peppers or onions. The tofu was cooked to perfection, slightly crispy on the outside and firm on the inside. The brown sauce was light yet tasty, not nearly as boring as it sounds. We shared green tea ice cream that tasted as authentic as you can get without going to Asia, without any additional sweetener.
Service was good, even if I couldn't always understand the waiter. -
Review from Alex S.
Brooklyn, NY
7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really enjoyed the food at this restaurant, and they also had fabulous service. I have a wealth of dietary restrictions, and instead of being annoyed, the person helping us went out of his way to make excellent suggestions. Usually this means sweet and sour sauce, stemmed vegetables, and brown rice, but the kitchen was extremely creative, and ended up serving a really excellent spicy sauce made of ginger and scallions. Everyone was just very nice, and the food was great and quite inexpensive. They also have an excellent, appropriately-sized lunch special.
I saw Jason Schwartzman here once. I didn't say anything because no one likes that person. That doesn't earn it a star or anything, but I thought it was at least worth mentioning for some reason.
I also like the franchise in Manhattan. It's a solid place all around. -
Review from Brian G.
Brooklyn, NY
7/12/2011
I love this place so much. I made the subway ride up from Brighton Beach about once a month now when I visit my friend who lives in the area. I really love that the food is so healthy, delicious, and hearty!
We always get the BiBamBop with Hot & Sour Soup. The desert is incredible!!! Peanut Butter Bomb is one of my favorite desserts out there!! SOOO GREAT! -
Review from Quincy T.
This place is officially my hot pick of the week. It shocked me into loving it despite me reluctance to enter.
Outside, from across the street the place looks boring. The menu said vegan and I said no....i wanted meat but I gave it a try. (fyi, if you go there at night watch out for the black bench next to the mirror...i almost missed it)
Once inside my excitement grew, everybody was having a good time and the atmosphere as welcoming. There was indoor and outdoor seating....i suggest outside. The wait staff here are quick, courteous, funny, and not to mention helpfully detailed. My glass was always full, the drinks do creep up on you though so watch out (you can get sake or non-sake drinks).
Start with the seafood salad and a breeze tini.....follow up with either the mango soy protein or the black pepper seiten. I took some home with me and I must say the taste didn't diminish one bit.
This place is really top notch.
*cash and credit(except discover)* -
Review from Metsuc K.
Brooklyn, NY
11/25/2011 11 Check-ins Here
Amazing Vegan food. I mean even if i were not a vegan which im not, id go eat here the food is so awesome. The spinach dumplings are incredible, the hijiki salad is the best ive ever had..and the curry with pumpkin outragously dlish!
I cant understand why it has a B health rating. The place is meticulously clean and the food comes out piping hot and the service is quick and friendly. All i know is that this is some of the best food in Brooklyn. I love it and you will too! -
Review from Nico P.
Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY
9/19/2011
I find the best vegetarian food is cooked by people who specialize in it, and Wild Ginger is a shining example. They've got a diverse selection of veggie dishes with strong flavors and great textures.
We've ordered delivery from their LES location before but this was our first time dining in. The service was excellent -- kind and gracious and speedy. We were a group of four and they turned all of our orders into family-style dishes and also tossed in two miso soups gratis (only two of us ordered dishes that came with soup).
We shared the spring rolls and the samosas, two very tasty and light appetizers, as well as the mango and spinach salads, both of which were really fresh and flavored well.
The Malaysian Curry Stew was awesome. The seitan is perfectly prepared, the coconut curry is so flavorful, and the pumpkin and potatoes were cooked just right, firm but not tough.
We also split the Yaki Udon -- really amazing flavors and also excellently cooked, and the tofu teriyaki (strips of tofu filet with broccoli spears in teriyaki sauce, over a bed of bean-sprouts and onions) -- so fresh!
Grab some dessert too. The green tea ice cream has such a strong flavor while remaining really sweet and creamy and delicious. The soy-based mint chip ice cream was excellent too. -
Review from Holly M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/17/2012
WARNING: NOT ALL VEGAN!
With the name "Wild Ginger Pan-Asian Vegan Cafe," as advertised on their website, and, since the front page of the website also touts "Our menu is 100% vegan - no meat, eggs, or dairy products used," I expected the food to be all vegan. After ordering online tonight from the Brooklyn location, my food arrived with a menu revealing that a few items, including one I had ordered, have whey; again this information differs from the menu listed on their website, not to mention their name.
When I called to double-check, the woman who answered told me the item did have whey AND was vegan... troubling. I insisted that whey was not vegan, and, after consulting someone else at the restaurant, she apologized and admitted the mistake.
The food really is good and MOSTLY vegan... but I feel ok speaking for vegans and taking issue with any restaurant labeling their establishment as vegan, expressly claiming such on their homepage, and then having menu items that are not. Also annoying that there was no warning on Seamless (online ordering) that the items contained dairy.
So, enjoy, but know that some items DO CONTAIN DAIRY. -
Review from Swati R.
Brooklyn, NY
12/31/2011
I've been to the one in Williamsburg with friends - which I enjoyed extremely. Our table was packed with non-vegans, actually we had only one vegetarian on a table of six. However everyone was satisfied with their dishes. Delicious! The watercress & soy cheese wontons and the peanut butter bomb were excellent! I love the spices in their dishes as well. And another personal plus - the restaurant in Cobble Hill is just a block away from my apartment! I will become a vegan by default due to the good food and proximity of Wild Ginger =) !!
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Review from Blair M.
Brookline, MA
7/12/2011
I'm a very adventurous eater, but when I'm hungry and looking for a great place to eat, a vegan restaurant is never at the top of my list. After my meal at Wild Ginger last weekend, it moved up a few notches - or ten.
We arrived at the restaurant for our reservation, and were greeted by the host as if he received telepathic messages that we were about to cross the threshold. Another yelper described the decor as peaceful and I have to agree that is the best description. Granted, it was a little empty but the vibe was just right. I was slightly envious of the patrons sitting on the lovely back patio, and kept longingly stealing glances wishing I were as well.
We opted for the crispy tofu skins, which were remiscient to me of eggrolls, and cooked very well. Of course, anything fried increases its chances of deliciousness but I enjoyed them thoroughly. We also sampled the Seitan Skewers. They were tasty, but I didn't finish them and the satay sauce wasn't like traditional satay, albeit decent.
Went with the Orange Seitan over Broccoli for the main course. I've never really had seitan before but was DELIGHTED to find the consistency much firmer/meatier than tofu. It really did taste like chicken, and the sauce was yummy but they could have scaled back on it a little.
Dessert: Pumpkin Cheesecake. How did they do that?!? NO, really - HOW DID THEY DOOOOOOOOO THAT. *heaven*
Wait staff was very attentive and EXTREMELY professional and courteous. My experience at Wild Ginger made me hope that vegan restaurants in Boston can provide me with the same nomnom-i-ness. -
Review from Ashley F.
Brooklyn, NY
1/7/2012
I dig this place. It has a nice, zen ambiance when you dine in, but I mostly do takeout and they are quick and friendly. I love that it's vegan with tons of interesting options. My sister and I are huge fans of the jade mushrooms--seriously addicting. But I also like the veg dumplings, general tsao's soy protein, and the various salads. I'd skip the Fisherman's protein though. The peanut butter bomb for dessert is amazing. I'd give it five stars except I think it's a tad expensive for what it is.
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Review from Barbara K.
Brooklyn, NY
2/10/2012
very good!! I am not a vegetarian but this place is sure to please anyone.. I will be going back for sure..
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Review from Jenny B.
New York, NY
6/12/2011
My boyfriend and I visited Wild Ginger for the first time last night and had a fabulous experience. The decor and ambience is really great. Lots of bamboo and soft lighting. Very romantic! The music was also top notch. It ranged from Malian music, to delta blues, to the Vivian girls. Good mix!
The food itself was piping hot and tasted super fresh. We tried the fried tofu skins for an appetizer which was a pretty hefty amount of food. I could eat that and a miso soup and be full! The flavors in all the dishes are amazing and nothing was bland. We had the Jap-chae noodles and the Singapore style Mei-fun. Both were flavorful and they give you a good amount. We had leftovers to take home.
The service was great. The waiters are all really nice and attentive. The food came out fast, too.
Overall, a great experience. Would recommend to vegans and non-vegans a like. My boyfriend and I aren't vegan, but still really enjoyed the food and will definitely be coming back! -
Review from Alice C.
5/7/2011
3.5 stars
My boyfriend and I were in major disagreement over what we wanted to eat, but somehow we decided on Wild Ginger after perusing the many other restaurants on Smith.
Interior is very dim, with some tables by the front, booths down the narrow middle, and more seats in the rear.
He ordered the sweet citrus soy protein ($13, comes with a bowl of rice and soup/salad), and I ordered the jap chae ($11). The soy protein sounded extremely unappetizing but was surprisingly good and meat-like. The jap chae was okay (noodles cooked longer than I prefer), and included fish cake things that were extremely.. fish cake-y? No idea how these crazy vegans make it feel so real, but it really was impressive.
Overall, food is good (especially for vegan food) though slightly more than I'd like to pay.. good thing I have a boy to take care of that kinda stuff for me (jk! sorta..) :) -
Review from Kathryn H.
Whittier, CA
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
nice cool place to have good food with good friends. Can't complain. It's a vegetarians haven :)
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Review from Megan M.
Brooklyn, NY
8/14/2011
In all my years as a vegetarian (15 and counting), I've never been to a vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Shocking, I know. After getting a failed attempt to see Harry Potter 7B (it's been out a month and it's still sold out!!?), my husband and I decided to walk around the Hills (Cobble and Boerum) in search of good eats. We passed by a bunch of places that just didn't feel right, when we came upon Wild Ginger. I was surprised when my husbands suggested going in, but delighted.
Literally, I was squealing with delight realizing that I could eat EVERYTHING ON THE MENU!! Do you know how many times that has happened in my life? Once! That time. It was awesome. Srsly, I've been talked out of throwing vegetarian birthday parties and having a vegetarian wedding reception (because it wouldn't be fair to my guest? Apparently they wouldn't have anything to eat?), so this was quite an experience for me. It took us a quite some time to decide what to order (normally my husband is a big meat eater, and I'm used to having to decide between two or three things on a menu), but the waiter (Tom) was quite nice.
More points because he would politely ask "may I?" before filling my water glass (I went through three glasses while pouring over the menu). Ian (my husband) eventually ordered tofu teriyaki (which he was surprised to find that he enjoyed) and I had the bi-bim bap which was AMAZING. Seriously, the mango salsa bits in it were some of my favorite parts, and I don't even really like mango all that much. My leftovers still tasted great the next morning for breakfast, unheated.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the seaweed salad that we split and I can't stop thinking about.
The food was amazing, the service was great, and the atmosphere was nice (Bob Marley music, mixed with James Brown and some old timey 40s stuff? All good in my books).
I cannot wait to go back here. Hopefully we'll have Tom again as our waiter. -
Review from Corine P.
3/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Be prepared to drop some serious coin when you eat here. Just doesn't seem right for Vegan food.
In any case, I would highly recommend the Black Pepper Seitan. Also got the bimbimbap and I would probably never get that again. Their mango lassi was uber thick! had to water it down with water.
Will probably to return to see what their veggie samosas are all about. Who knows, maybe my rating might change then? -
Review from Shana O.
Brooklyn, NY
5/9/2011
For starters, let me just say that I wanted to love this place, but it's just NOT good at all. I have been to many vegetarian/vegan Asian restaurants, such as Vegetarian Ginger, Dao Palate and Vegetarian Palate, and I really wanted to try Wild Ginger after hearing about it for a few years. I saw that they started delivering to my area on SeamlessWeb, so I gave it a try and I'm disappointed that I even did.
One positive thing I can say is that the General Tsao's dish IS good; I did enjoy that dish and that was the one highlight of the meal. Unfortunately everything else we ordered ranged from terrible to barely passable. The Mango Chicken was flavorless and boring and the Coconut Rice it came with tasted more like Curry Rice, the Curry Samosas were just okay, the Scallion Pancakes portion was not worth the price, the Soy Nuggets were decent and the seitan in the Seitan Skewers have this really odd texture reminiscent of sausage.
One person said that this place had similarities to Dao Palate and they are absolutely correct. I know Wild Ginger says they have never been affiliated, but many of the dishes taste exactly the same and look the same as well; the nasty, sausage like texture of the Seitan Skewers is exactly the same as the Seitan Skewers from Dao Palate. This leads me to believe that all of these subpar vegetarian/vegan Asian Fusion restaurants get their supplies from the same distributor; I believe some of the dishes are already prepared and the restaurant just heats them up and serves them to the public. I can't state this as fact of course, but it is what I firmly believe from my experiences.
I'll be saving my money for Vegetarian Palate. That is the only restaurant of this type that I have been to that has an original menu and tastes different (and better) than the rest. Oh, and Vegetarian Palate's Mango Chicken? It's amazing. -
Review from Mina A.
Glendale, NY
8/7/2011
I was really excited to try out this place after reading the yelp reviews. I was staying in Downtown Brooklyn and looking for an Asian-inspired restaurant to eat at. Turns out there are several on the same street as Wild Ginger, which only made me regret going here even more.
The restaurant gets two stars for decoration and service, both of which were great. I don't understand the great reviews on Yelp about the food. My boyfriend and I thought the food didn't have ANY flavor. On top of that, we both got sick after eating here. We ordered a couple items on the menu and the only thing we liked were the spring rolls. I was disappointed because I was really craving vegetarian food and wasn't expecting the tasteless food at Wild Ginger to give me the runs.
P.s. The "ginger ale" they have is not really ginger ale, but some other mixed concoction. Try it and see! -
Review from Omari M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/15/2011
It's cool food but everything seems quite bland in its flavors. It's alright
