Inside: Blue Ginger

Healthy, flavorful and fresh are adjectives that describe hip Asian bistro

By Kara Markley

Special to Metromix

Blue Ginger is a colorful blend of cultures, a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant with modern and traditional dishes from Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines. The sushi is fresh, delicious and expertly rolled, and the prices won't hurt your wallet.

You can add into the mix chocolate fortune cookies, beautiful, elegant décor, excellent service and a diverse menu.

This is a wonderful place for lunch or dinner whether you're looking for something new and unusual or simply craving some standard favorites.

Food: The only difficult part about ordering here is narrowing down your array of choices on the menu. Everything sounds good, so it's hard to pick just a few dishes. Luckily, it's easy to order à la carte.

Blue Ginger serves many amazing and unusual entrées, all without MSG. They also have, hands down, the best won ton soup you've ever tasted. Though most of the menu is devoted to sushi, a few other fan favorites include the crispy snapper, crab cake appetizer, seaweed salad with mango, pad Thai, fire wok, mild mango sauce, Udon noodles and the Vietnamese salad. Everything is fresh, right down to the vegetables in the soup (something that's normally neglected). Blue Ginger is vegetarian-friendly and has plenty of choices for vegans, too.

Don't pass on the specialty sushi rolls. You can choose from an extensive list of unusual seafood and vegetarian combinations not readily available at other Asian restaurants. Order several rolls à la carte for a great value that will truly fill you up.

Libations: The drink menu won't disappoint, and although there is a full bar, the focus is definitely on sake. Try the mango sake-tini for an interesting new flavor combination. Standard beverages are available, but we recommend ordering a warm pot of fragrant Jasmine tea to accompany your meal, and then browsing the sake list.

Décor: Blue Ginger, despite looking rather small and commercial from the outside, has a lovely atmosphere and elegant décor. The dining room features peaceful and beautiful art, elegant furnishings, soft lighting and comfortable booths, all with an Asian flair. The ambiance is calming and peaceful, and the high-backed booths provide a bit of privacy. You may also choose to sit at the bar, or large groups may have a high table reserved.

Crowd: Business is good, but reservations shouldn't be needed unless you are worried about a short wait on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Service: Professional, quick and polite sums up the service at Blue Ginger. (Bonus points go to the chef for creating a special, vegan soup just for us.) You may become confused by the many sushi options at first, but the waitresses politely answer all of your questions. Blue Ginger also offers a catering service for events and businesses.

Insider tips: Enjoy happy hour specials from 2 to 6 pm, Monday through Thursday.

Bottom line: Unique, fresh options, excellent sushi and an elegant atmosphere make this a must-try for all lovers of Asian fare in Columbus.