Blue Ginger Asian Bistro

Whenever I travel on business, usually to run a training class, I always ask my students where I should eat or what restaurants I shouldn’t miss. I also always try to eat in at least one sushi joint as well. During a recent trip to Columbus, OH, a few students recommended Blue Ginger Asian Bistro which is technically in Dublin, OH.

At first glance you might not think much of the place, being in a strip mall, although I’ve had some very terrific food in some very rundown strip malls so I’m not one to judge a book by its cover. Inside was definitely a different story. The decor favored a modern Asian design with dark woods and brushed metal tables. A sushi bar occupied one corner.

The menu was a basic Japanese-Chinese blend with a few Vietnamese items and Thai curries tossed in for good measure. The restaurant is an Asian bistro, so the mélange of cultures shouldn’t be too surprising.

I started out with an appetizer of pan dried duck dumplings which were served on a bed of mixed field greens. The dumplings had a slight crisp on the outside and were served with a sweet hoisin-based sauce. I found them tasty and filling, although not especially very “ducky”. Still, the order of 6 dumplings was very filling.

I then moved to their Triple Toro roll. I don’t see toro on sushi menus often, so I try to sample it when I can. Their offering was an avocado filled roll with toro, yellowtail and tuna draped over the top and finished off with a spicy mayo.  The toro melted in my mouth. The mayo brought plenty of heat on its own. I also found the roll a little salty, although interestingly not in every bite.

Feeling confident about their toro, I next ordered a toro sashimi. I received 2 very thinly sliced pieces served too chilled for my tastes. I find if the fish is too cold some of the flavor is locked away. I suspect the toro in the roll was a little warmer, perhaps from the chef’s hands during preparation. I lingered to let the the second piece warm up and it offered up a little more flavor. Certainly not knock me over toro, but this is Central Ohio after all and I was surprised to find toro at all.

I was just about finished when my server convinced me to try kampachi sashimi. I’m glad she did. The fish had a firm flesh like hamachi that gave way to velvety bites of the ocean. I’m very sensitive to salt but this had just the right amount to transport me to tropical beach.

I wrapped up the meal with a chocolate fortune cookie:

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

The total bill including tip (it was just me) was under $40. If I lived in the Columbus area, I would definitely eat there again and I hope you’ll give it a try if the opportunity arises.

Welcome to Crumb and Cork

Welcome to my new literary and culinary adventure. By day I am an IT professional (I write the Lonely Administrator blog) and technology author. But in the evening, weekends, and sometimes even during the day, I try to indulge my passion for fine food and wine. It's difficult to prepare gourmet meals with a tween and teen in the house but I try what I can. But this blog isn't necessarily about my cooking efforts, although it might be from time to time. I'm also not going to attempt culinary criticism. I certainly haven't earned that right. What I will do is offer my opinions and share my experiences of places I eat, wine I drink or anything else I think a modern "foodie" might be interested in. Over time I think you'll come to understand my perspective and you can gauge your own relationship to my tastes accordingly.

I hope you'll join me over a virtual glass of wine as we share our experiences.

The photo by the way is of my wife's crab quiche. I wish I was a better photographer because the crust was a perfect golden brown. Every bite had just the right amount of cheesy crab goodness. The kids loved it too!