Editorial Review:
Good fortune smiles upon him
By Tim Weisberg
Dine Out
There's no denying I'm a big fan of Chinese food, but I'm finding fewer and fewer quality Chinese restaurants these days. Nearly gone are the Polynesian palaces of my youth, replaced by storefront takeout joints that focus on volume rather than quality. Gone are the days of the gold Buddha statue, the illuminated fountain, the red cloth napkin and the teapot on the table. Now, it's one or two hard-back booths under fluorescent lights and a constantly ringing phone behind the cold, unfriendly counter. And I won't even mention the buffets.
But recently, I discovered a Chinese restaurant that has renewed my faith. It's called Sweet Ginger, and it's located across from the Burger King on Route 6 in Fairhaven. It might be hard to notice when you drive by, but once you've tried it, you'll never forget it.
The main reason for my joy is that this is simply the freshest Chinese food I've had in years. Think about it. Between the takeouts and the buffets, when was the last time you actually had Chinese food that tasted like it was just made, instead of steamed and soggy? Trust me, there's a huge difference.
We arrived on a recent Monday evening during the dinner hour, and about half of the 20 or so booths and tables were full. We were seated immediately in a booth in the corner of the bright dining room. The decor can best be described as minimalistic Asian; small touches reminded you that you were in a Chinese restaurant, while not going full-on with the theme. There is also a small bar on one side of the room, as Sweet Ginger offers both the standard American and traditional exotic libations. Jennifer and I each chose a soft drink ($1.85), while Adam had milk (95 cents).
Our server was very pleasant, but I wonder if she was new. For example, while she brought a basket of rolls to our table — fresh dinner rolls, not the usual stale torpedoes you find in the bag from the takeout joint — she didn't offer glasses of water. There was also a bit of confusion with our order, and the bartender (who appeared to also be the manager) actually delivered our main course. Still, the service was always attentive and friendly.
To begin, we ordered a Pu Pu platter for two ($15.45), in order to sample a bit of everything. The highlight of this platter was the best boneless spare ribs I've ever sampled, but I also was quite pleased with the offerings of beef and chicken teriyaki, fried pork wontons, crab Rangoons, fried shrimp, chicken fingers, chicken wings and spring rolls. It of course featured the traditional bowl of flaming blue Sterno, along with the nice touch of skewered pineapple chunks and cherries sticking out from either side.
We added a side order of egg rolls ($3.35) because we're huge fans and sample them everywhere we go. The two generous cylinders were packed full, and a perfect add-on. Because I was feeling under the weather, I also opted for a cup of hot and sour soup ($2.75), which actually arrived in a good-sized bowl. I wonder about the size of the large version ($4.35). It too was deliciously fresh. My only complaint was that it was more sour than it was hot.
For my main course, I decided on the Dragon and Phoenix ($9.65) from the chef's specialty list, a combination of General Gao's chicken and shrimp. It arrived in a white square porcelain bowl, on a bed of steamed broccoli, and featured about a dozen large chunks of battered chicken breast and a half-dozen battered jumbo shrimp. The General's sauce, which was certainly tangy, wasn't as spicy as I would have preferred. I wonder if you need to ask to have the flavor "ramped up" at Sweet Ginger. I'm certain they'd be happy to comply. But other than that, this was a first-rate dish.
For her entree, Jennifer chose the chicken satay with Japanese udon noodles ($7.35), which was a bountiful and beautiful dish. While she found it very tasty, her only complaint was that it seemed to be a bit light on the peanut sauce, which was her very reason for ordering the dish. But she was pleased with her choice to try the udon noodles, something new for her.
Young Adam still has yet to discover the joys of Chinese food, so he wanted dinner off the "American Classics" portion of the menu. Listed among offerings like a cheeseburger and fries ($2.75) and fish and chips ($5.45) was the chicken finger and fries dinner ($5.75), which was the perfect choice for Adam. Except that, when it arrived, he was disappointed to find the strips were the usual Chinese chicken finger, prepared in the tempura style. Still, he enjoyed his fries and some of the Rangoons from the Pu Pu.
You'll find all the Chinese classics at Sweet Ginger, from the various beef, chicken, pork and seafood dishes to offerings of Chow Fun and Moo Shi. There are also a number of chef's specials like the Imperial pork chop ($8.75), Mongolian steak ($10.25) and the Wonderland Lover's Nest ($11.60), featuring shrimp, scallop, fish and imitation crabmeat sauteed with vegetables in a crispy taro basket. There are also numerous combination plates that top out at $7.75 apiece. I highly recommend you visit Sweet Ginger's Website before visiting, to get an idea of the many choices you'll have.
Although we didn't partake in dessert, there was a flip-card menu on the table that featured a few offerings priced below $5 each, including my personal Chinese restaurant favorite, green tea ice cream.
Our total came to $51.40, and there were plenty of leftovers for the next day. I'm happy I found a fresh, exciting new Chinese restaurant in an area where I frequently find myself in a hungry state. And although they don't deliver, if you're in the mood for chowing down in front of the TV, everything is available to go as well.
Dine Out's reviewer visits restaurants unannounced and at his or her discretion. The Standard-Times pays for the meals reviewed. The reviews merely reflect one diner's experience. Ratings range from 1 to 5 stars.
(17 Reviews)
