Wild Ginger

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1401 3rd Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

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(206) 623-4450
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Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Wild Ginger - Seattle, WA
Reviews
( 55 )
( 56 )
( 14 )
( 36 )
( 19 )

Best

I have been lucky enough to travel a lot with business and have eaten in many a restaurant in many cities...

Worst

The food is great, but the service is just O.K. Someone needs to remind the waitstaff to come back down to earth. It is as if the waitstaff is too snobby and not enough about ...

Just Ok 2/26/2011

Perhaps this isn't my type of restaurant. The food is just average. Seems a little expensive for what you get. Overall was not impressed. more
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Disappointing, but love the Triple Door Lounge 5/23/2007

My first experience at this restaurant made me wish I had bought the same items at the Thai place around the corner for approximately 1/10th the cost at Wild Ginger. A few months later, I was invited here again and was able to ascertain that they actually have a handful of yummy items and am wiser about squeezing the true value out of this place. There is one item that I find truly amazing: Young Mountain Lamb Satay. Forget about proper entrées, stick with a few orders of this! A couple of ginger martinis and some skewers of this heavenly lamb make a delectable mix. If you're feeling extravagant, I'd highly suggest the duck entrée that comes with fluffy buns. Bottom line -- The majority of this restaurant is hype, so go into the experience with low expectations and try out the items I mentioned above. Even better yet, pop down to the lounge in their basement and enjoy the satay and martinis with better atmosphere! Helpful hint: If you feel like replicating the lamb satay yourself, you'll find the recipe on the Wild Ginger web site! more
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I've tried for the last time 10/26/2006

I have been in Seattle for 26 years and visited the restaurant about 5 times total - going back to the original location. I will not be back. As most people do, we look for experiences that exceed our expectation and when that happens, we reciprocate by returning often. Even though I seem to see some glowing reviews - I have been dissapointed every single time I have visited Wild Ginger. I guess I have kept hoping to be wrong but for the money, which can be substantial, I will not invest more on that wish. As most know here in Seattle, there are so many restaurant choices that it doesn't make sense to just go to a particular place bacause it is hyped - it needs to actually deliver to earn it's place on the top spot list. The only area that has not been dissapointing has been the wine service. Sometimes a bit more gushing than I have the attention span for, it has been pretty consistent. To be specific here are the issues we have had: 1. Uncomfortable seating - lounge area particularly (seats were too low and reclining to be comfortable) Also too wide to allow 4 a side to fit comfortably and still converse without shouting. 2. Noise overall is a real issue. 3. Pushy and impatient service related to food item selection - the pricing and portion sizes are confusing and we felt pushed while making the decision. The result has been that we have over-ordered and hence over spent for what we expected. The food quality was just not that great to allow us to excuse the situation by saying "oh well we can have left-overs". 3. Inconsistent food quality - I have had hot and sour soup three different occasions and it was different every time. Same applies to my spouse and guests that have been with me. 4. Increasingly "young" staff at the front lines. I do not believe that the menu suggests "Arnies" level host and wait staff. 5. Restrooms were really a mess - just one of those distasteful things that influences the experience in a negative way. So as not to ramble further....we regret not feeling good about supporting a local business but all of the issues above suggests a lack of attention at the management level. Top restuarants do not let even the restroom escape their attention. Good luck to WG and in the event that someone in management sees this and actually acts on it I hope it is helpful. more
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Wild Ginger, eh... 8/11/2006

I've only eaten at Wild Ginger twice, and It's not likely that I'll go back willingly. The food was alright if not slow slow slow to come out of the kitchen. The service, however, was pretty great. The waiter never batted an eyelash when we ordered "the cheapest Chardonnay on your wine list, please." In fact, we had a fabulous conversation with the wine steward about New Zealand wines and learned that they produce screw top wines because there are no cork trees in New Zealand. We also learned that corks are not necessarily the way to go. ten percent of all bottles of wine go bad because of cork issues. People do love the ceremony of uncorking a bottle, though. My biggest complaint is that this place is an acoustic train wreck. Both times, the noise level was so loud I couldn't even carry on a conversation with the people I dined with. There are enough great Thai restaurants in this city that no one needs to settle for Wild Ginger. more
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Sleaziest Waiter Experience Ever 7/8/2006

It takes an exceptionally bad experience for you to still hate a restaurant 14 years after the experience. I had that at the Wild Ginger. I aggressively encourage people to not go there. My wife and I went to dinner before the Seattle Symphony back in 1992. We were pretty poor and that was our big splurge. While we were ordering, our waiter asked us "What vegetable would you like with that?". We didn't realized the entrées came with vegetables and my wife said very clearly and loudly "Oh, I didn't realize it came with vegetables". The waiter heard and said something to affirm our understanding that he was asking about vegetables with the entrée. We both ordered and when our orders came we had two entrée sized plates of vegetables. The bill came and sure enough, we were charged for entrées AND two vegetables. The bill took all of our available cash for the evening. The waiter very clearly heard us and mislead us hoping to get a bigger tip. That is easily the sleaziest experience I have ever had. I told the manager about this who hemmed and hawed and offered to cut the vegetable cost from the bill but failed to understand the key point: his waiter lied and misled us. Oh, and by the way, the food was singularly OK. Not worth the prices, even aside from the deceitful waitstaff. more
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Wild Ginger - Blah 6/29/2006

I used to really like the atmosphere and food at the old wild ginger location. However, I really dislike the new wild ginger. The food is blah as the quality has gone down hill. The flavours are poor, the balance of hot-sweet-sour-salty is all whacked out, and it's really greasy. The space and atmosphere is sterile and corporate. Heck, I'd even go eat over in Bellevue before I ate here again. :) more
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Always The Same 6/2/2006

I've eaten at Wild Ginger at least twice a year since around the time it opened so may years ago. Somebody is always having a birthday there or celebrating their latest achievement of average consistency and I keep accepting invitations to meet and eat at the FAMOUS WILD GINGER! And every time it's the same food. Those overcooked green beens with soy sauce...weeeeee! And some sad seafood or other meat with goo sauce. For CHRIST'S SAKE people. Update the menu or add the Golden Arches to your logo. more
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Over-rated and past its time 5/30/2006

There was a time back in the 90's when I used to love Wild Ginger. Before I moved to Seattle I'd go everytime I visited town and loved their interesting takes on Asian dishes. Since then the menu hasn't changed a bit in a decade, the new location is so loud its often hard to hold a conversation, and the food is often disappointing. Having said that its still pretty solid, I haven't had anything that was actually bad here ever, and the 7-flavor beef is still a favorite of mine. more
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Good food for the downtown crowd 4/18/2006

I always enjoy Wild Ginger, but rarely think of going there. This time was no exception. The food was very good; I liked the summer rolls and the little fried Vietnamese egg rolls that come with lettuce, sprouts, and tangy sauce. Enjoyed the lamb bambu, the peking-style duck, the noodle dish on the 25 for 25 menu and the chunky coconut sorbet (hey, I eat a lot). I was reminded that WG is popular with the power crowd in Seattle: Gary Lock was there, and a lot of the big firms take potential employees there for interview lunches and dinners. Maybe that's why it's not on my radar... I'm running with the PB&J set these days. more
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Oh wow 4/14/2006

I just returned from lunch at Wild Ginger and oh my was it good! As long as I've lived and worked in Seattle, I'm somewhat ashamed to say that today was my first time eating here! It was fabulous and I will go back. I had the Wun Tun Mein, which is a soup with egg noodles, scallions and tiny dungeness crab stuffed dumplings. Two of my diningn partners had the duck and the other had the pork - I tried both and they were excellent. We also had a pot of jasmine green tea and we all shared a scoop of mango gelatto and a scoop of coconut gelatto afterward. Heaven! more
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Eating at the bar here is great! 4/14/2006

A few times I've found myself downtown on a tight evening schedule. WG doesn't open for dinner until 5:30 or 6, I think, but you can eat very well from their reasonably extensive satay menu in the bar. You'll be served quickly, too. So siddown, have a beer, relax and eat! more
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not the best, but good 4/9/2006

I've only eaten at once near the Opera House, so I can't honestly say if this is the best. But I liked the meal I had at Wild Ginger. Really close to the Opera House, Wild Ginger is best described as Vietnamese Fusion. (but there's also a Thai flavor to it) I had both satay, and a beef dish--but I don't remember what it's called. While flavored well, the meat was overcooked and pretty rough on both accounts. There was a noodle dish I loved and the manila clams were to die for! more
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Wild Ginger 3/28/2006

This restaurant is across the street from Benaroyal Hall. The food is good, but nothing spectacular. I think that the food and drinks are overpriced. There are so many other terrific restaurants in the area where the food is much better. Bottom line, with all of the choices Seattle offers I would not spend my time or money eating at Wild Ginger. more
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Saturday Lunch Keeps the Ginger Promise 2/27/2006

It had been quite some time since I had dined at Wild Ginger, but as my friend and I tried to decide where to have lunch the Chicken Chieu salad called out to me. We arrived at 11:30am, just as they were getting lunch service rolling. We approached the hostess station and asked for a table for two. The young hostess lead us into the windowed bar, which was completely empty, and to a table that was pushed up against a wall. This was the only mis-step (Why would you seat anyone up against a wall when the entire dining room and every window table is available). We asked for a different table and were seated next to a south facing window. Our waiter approached us soon after and asked if he could get us a glass of wine or anything else to drink. We settled on a pot of Jasmine tea, which he said was a superior choice to the Ginger Mint tea (loose leaf vs bagged tea). We were happy to have that guidance and waited for our tea. When he returned with our tea he took our order. Although I have many delicious favorites on the Ginger menu--Seven Element Soup, Tuna Ananda, Fragrant Duck--I ordered the Chicken Chieu salad--a crunchy cabbage-based salad that is at once spicy, salty, sweet and sour. It has the elusive umami. My pal ordered the Papaya salad. Clearly the kitchen was on its game. Timing was perfect. We were not rushed, nor did we ever feel forgotten. When the salads came we noted how they looked alike, but after a tasting trade we discovered how different they were. After cleaning our plates, our waiter tempted us with coconut gelato. OH MY GAWD! This frozen confection seriously rivals Tom Douglas' Triple Coconut Cream Pie. Served with Mango sorbet, the meal left us with the feeling of having been somewhere sunny and warm and deeply relaxing. This dining experience kept the Wild Ginger promise. Here is a http://www.wildginger.net/ to their Web site...under construction. more
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Wild Ginger is amazing every time 2/15/2006

Just got back from a lunch at Wild Ginger, and I felt the need to state what is probably very obvious to most Seattleites: that place is incredible. It almost doesn't matter what I order at this point, because everything I have ever had there is absolutely scrumpdiddilyumptious. My favorites are the Hanoi Tuna, the Chilean Sea Bass, and the Tuna Manada. But the satays are also really good, and I even went so far as to try the duck today. All were typically tasty. The place isn't cheap, but it's well worth the price. more
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wild ginger's private room with amazing food 12/14/2005

wild ginger has a private room upstairs that i recently went to for a small wedding reception of about 30 people. it had been set up with a long table down the middle that was wide enough for four people to sit at each head of the table and 15 (?) along each side. dedicated servers roved around taking drink orders and offering nibbles as guests arrived and then narrated the various courses as they were served family style. i've reviewed wild ginger before so check out my posting to learn more about the food but i thought the setting was outstanding for a small gathering. the waitstaff was charming and pleasant but not at all overbearing more
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I love it here 11/29/2005

This is a great restaurant. I like sitting in the bar area muchbetter than the main dining area. more
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Two hours for lunch 11/22/2005

Lunch today at Wild Ginger was awful...our group of 7 was seated at 11:45 and ordered the three course lunch at noon. The appetizers took about 15 minutes to arrive, but then we waited a full HOUR before the main dish came. We asked about it a couple of times, and were told that it would just be a couple of minutes (each time). We finally told the concierge at the front desk, and the waitress then came by and said they lost our ticket and would comp us for the meal. We were supposed to have a dessert course, but by then it was almost 1:45, we had been there two hours and we had to go back to work - so we just left without saying a word to the waitress who seemed to have disappeared. Needless to say, we didn't leave a tip. This is not the first time this has happened...I don't think I want to go there until they make some improvements. I understand it gets very busy at lunch and mistakes can be made, but waiting an hour to tell us our ticket was lost is not acceptable. Oh yeah, the waiter who took our order had alcohol on his breath, which might explain why our ticket got lost. I'm not kidding. We all smelled it - I can't believe he was even allowed to work at one of Seattle's 'nicer' restaurants. more
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Simply one of my favorite restaurants 10/7/2005

While I no longer live in Seattle, Wild Ginger remains one of my favorite restaurants. The sometimes unusual but always tasty food pairings are served by attentive but not fussy wait staff. The satays are great but my favorite is the duck. They have a respectable wine list. I have never been disappointed at the Wild Ginger. more
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A Symphony, Then Pan Asian -- Impressive Date 9/21/2005

The dining room here is large, elegant, yet casual, with clean lines and an Asian influence. On busy nights, waits for a table can be long. If you are on a date, just hang out at the bar until your table is ready, relax and have fun. Ideally, it is best to make a reservation. They are located right across the street from Benaroya Hall, so it is a great spot to dine before or after a show. I have not ordered anything here I didn't like. The food is great. The are servers professional and can help make a good entree choice. When I come here I always feel like the whole experience was a treat. more
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Menu for Wild Ginger


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Editorial

  • Yummy Asian Fusion dishes with great flavors and good kid service. Wild Ginger is a high end Asian eatery but worth paying the higher...

  • 5/18/2012 Provided by KidScore
Additional information
  • Hours: Sun 4pm-9pm, Mon-Sat 11:30am-11pm
  • Payments: Master Card, American Express, Diner's Club, Discover
  • Neighborhoods: Central Business District, Downtown
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