Wild Ginger

04/09/2008 Posted by wseattlek

We had a large dinner for my work here in the private rooms. Every single dish I tried on our group dining menu was great. The service was fantastic. I also love the decor and bar in this restaurant. Good service and not too pushy...they are well trained. A little on the expensive side for Thai, but worth it for the quality of food. I have been to Thailand and this is on par with food I had there! I have also heard good things about their happy hour. Lots of parking nearby as well.

Pros: Great authentic Thai food, good service

Cons: A little crowded and loud on the weekends

01/17/2008 Posted by jayg32

Unless you look like Donald Trump and have his money, this is not the place for you! Unless you are dressed to the nines you won't get seated even with a reservation which they claimed we never made! The food was good but too pricey! Parking in downtown Seattle is a nightmare so avoid if possible!!!!!!!!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

01/01/2008 Posted by connielc

After making dinner reservations two weeks ago for New Year's eve, my husband and I dressed up for a celebratory evening out and were looking forward to the fantastic Asian cuisine for which the Wild Ginger is known. We arrived only to find that the reservation I made somehow didn't make it into the system. We were told to wait in the bar while they found us a table. After twenty minutes at the bar, during which an order for drinks and appetizers was taken but didn't show up, we were shown to the worst table in the house (an overly brightly lit table on the second level by the servers' staging area, which was subject to the cold drafts caused by people constantly opening the main door). Somehow, the order we placed at the bar for appetizers and drinks was also lost, so a second server asked us for our order again. When a better table opened up, I asked to be moved to that table. During the process of moving us to our third location, our appetizer and drink order was somehow lost again, so we placed the order a third time. The main server we had for the rest of the evening was apologetic and kind, but frankly, they should have at least provided us with appetizers or perhaps one of the main courses on the house, after such an unpleasant beginning that almost ruined the rest of the evening. Food-wise, the restaurant is stellar. We ordered the pheasant's chicken satay and potstickers for appetizers, and then moved on to the duck (a house specialty, for which the restaurant is known) and tuna manada for the main course. The duck was tender, succulent, and well-complemented with an outstanding plum sauce. My husband raved about the tuna manada preparation, featuring sashimi-grade seared ahi tuna. All in all, the food was worth the wait, but frankly, I'm not eager to go again for an expensive dinner out. For a $200+ special evening out, I expected the service to be equal to the food. That it wasn't made the restaurant an overrated disappointment for New Year's eve.

Pros: Stellar food, hip ambience

Cons: Abysmal service, expensive

12/23/2007 Posted by cookinkathy

I ate there on 12-22-2007- I shared the food with my husband- the only thing different -I ate was three shrimp from the Satay bar. Seattle's Wild Ginger restaurant has 11 health citations this year-2007 Please read the Seattle Post article before you eat here. I made the reservation two weeks ago and we were seated in an overflow area near the bar- an area usually for customers without a reservation. The room was cold, seats uncomfortable. The food tasted good- but I am staying near the bathroom today!

Pros: good food

Cons: poor sanitation- need tyo keep the food cold before cooking

11/02/2007 Posted by munny76

So, Im not a foodie. Just someone who likes to go out for dinner once in awhile and will pay for good food and good service. Came here with friends couple of months ago and waited in the back bar for our table. The bartenders were fun and made us comfortable. When we were seated in our booth (for 6) we didn't wait long for our stellar waitress. I did 12 years in the industry and can be picky about certain things, but she was spot on and fun. We shared 5 or 6 dishes including chicken satay as well as the herb crusted halibut. Which god willing will be on the menu still when I'm there this weekend! All in all, worth the money for atmosphere and definitely food!

Pros: Great Food!

Cons: Maybe parking...

10/16/2007 Posted by aleksandr111

This place has pretty good food (the tofu appetizers are especially tasty!) - but it is by no means extraordinary and is highly Americanized. It caters to people that generally don't really know any better. I don't mean to slam it, it's fine, but you can do WAY better for WAY WAY less money. It's basically a place for business people to conduct lunch meetings and to feel comfortable and enjoy "Asian food" - good luck finding any "Asian" people here. Service was fine, prompt and attentive, but our server was decidedly unfriendly. I found the alcohol here quite nice - a good assortment of mixed beverages and healthy pours for singles and doubles. Go into it thinking it's a pricey Asian-themed restaurant with a great bar and you'll do fine.

08/14/2007 Posted by discofox

Wild Ginger has been one of my favorite restaurants for a few years now, and I am continually impressed by their attention to detail and wonderful service. There is always plenty of staff on hand, and everyone I have encountered there has been friendly and knowledgeable. The food is amazing. I've sampled many things on the menu and not yet have I been disappointed with my choice. I love the fragrant duck, the seven flavor beef, the emerald prawns, the potstickers, and the kom-pot short ribs. They are a busy restaurant, especially for dinner, but the service is pretty quick and efficient no matter what time of day you're there. I love to go in at lunchtime because it can be a bit less crowded and I generally haven't needed reservations for lunch. I don't let any of my friends visit me without taking them to Wild Ginger!

Pros: service, food is amazing

Cons: parking downtown can be expensive

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/14/2007 Posted by spankmehard

Wild Ginger has a great location for the arts and performances crowd. The 5th Ave Theater, Benaroya Hall, and Triple Door are just a short walk away. The restaurant environment is huge (for Seattle): private rooms, two floors, a couple bars, and a large lounge. The lights are dim and the environment has a slight splash of class. Service, unfortunately, has been a gamble and my last waiter was inattentive, unfriendly, and made “give me” gestures with his hands when asking for our used plates. The food selection has also been a gamble, but most of the time I’ve been satisfied. The Laksa Soup is great and has a Thai curry like flavor. Most of the lamb entrees are tasty. The service says that the plates are meant to be shared, but keep in mind the portions are roughly half the size of what you’d expect at a typical Chinese restaurant. The cocktails have been strong and well mixed. This place is made for large groups. However, if you want to have a special dinner here, make reservations far in advance. This placed gets packed and noisy fast on Friday and Saturday nights.

Pros: Large Group Dining

Cons: Downtown Parking, Inconsistent Service

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/07/2007 Posted by anniel00

I went here a couple weeks ago with some friends and had an absolutely delicious delicious meal! Although Asian Fusion is not my top choice of restaurants, this place did it excellently! Our service was also fantastic. We had about 3 servers waiting on us - and although that might seem like too much - they weren't pushy or anything. One of them encouraged us to try the dessert and when we still turned it down, she brought some out for us for free! Her excitement and enthusiasm makes me want to recommend it to everyone!

Pros: great food! great service! great ambience!

Cons: a bit too pricey but still worth it once in awhile

05/01/2007 Posted by jawz

Yes I make a 6-digit salary and yes I spend relatively freely. However there is a point where a meal that costs several hundred dollars for friends and family should be considered exceptional. I think the price exceeds the exceptional rating while the food and atmosphere merely meets it. I heard that this restaurant was one of the best in the US and definitely one of the best in Seattle. I agree. But is it worth the excessive pricing? I am still out on that one. I didn't feel I was ripped off, just let down. I have eaten at some of the world's finest restaurants and the overall experience for most is worth every penny. This one just seemed to miss the mark. I don't know if I would add something to the atmosphere or merely lower the price to put the experience on par. I would probably own my own restaurant if I knew the perfect mix. Try Wild Ginger yourself, but expect to roll through some serious green. Maybe it will be perfect for you and worth the experience, but maybe you can figure out what is missing from making it a GREAT dining encounter versus merely a good one with great food.