Ginger Red

Style: Chinese
My Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://gingerred.com/

Likes: Large portion sizes, very friendly staff and willing to recommend items, pleasant decor

Dislikes: The building is hard to find behind another strip mall

I love good Chinese food. When there is a plate full of meat that is thickly tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce surrounded by crisp vegetables and rice, I am all in. That is exactly what we had at Ginger Red.

This is the first restaurant I have reviewed since we moved to Mechanicsville, VA. We have not been eating out as much because I am trying to eat healthier and we are saving up to buy something to decorate the walls in our very bare apartment. However, every once in a while, there is a need to splurge!

Walking in, we were greeted very quickly with bright smiles and bright red walls. The restaurant was very crisp and clean and we were seated in a corner with lots of windows with sunlight streaming in. There were blinds, but they were not needed.

Our server was one of the nicest wait staff we have ever had. She was sweet with a gentle innocence and eagerness to help out. When we told her we were new to the area, she told us about some of the specials they have on different days of the week. Wednesdays are half of sushi! This makes me excited for future visits. 

Brad ordered the classic Happy Family dish. This was presented with so much fun and flare! It came out on a sizzling skillet and was plated on a cast iron plate in front of us. The vegetables, including the snap peas and baby corn, were crispy and flavorful. Brad was excited because the dish was cheaper than most Chinese restaurants, even cheaper than “the cheap take out places.” The portion size was also larger than the cheaper places.

I ordered the Szechuan Pork, consisting of stir fried pork and vegetables in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with sweet and spicy notes. It tasted fresh and flavor exploded over my taste buds. The portion was so large, that I only ate half of it. I think it is nice having a second helping for the next day. 

Ginger Red, we will be coming back to you for sure. I can’t wait to try more!

Good-Bye Ichiban, Restaurant Review

Style: Asian
My Rating: 4.5/5

Website: http://www.ichibannewtown.com/

Likes: Different Asian Varieties, Best Sushi in Williamsburg, Gorgeous Asian Themed Décor, the best All-You-Can-Eat Maki Lunch

Dislikes: Can be a little pricey, Service is sometimes slow

Brad and I have been going to Ichiban since it has opened up in New Town a few years ago. When you first walk in to this restaurant, the décor strikes you as elegant and calming. It has an Asian feel with pagoda door frames underneath a rose glass ceiling. It is simply stunning.

Once we are seated and have overcome the stunning décor, we sit down to order. There are so many different choices. They have a small amount of Thai dishes, some Chinese, and others Japanese. In my opinion, their most impressive menu section is their sushi. They have cooked, uncooked, sashimi, nigri, seaweed wrappers, soy bean wrappers, and so much more! Even better, they have a maki lunch during the weekdays, and you can get all you can eat sushi from a pretty decent variety. See the menu below.

When we walked into the restaurant this evening, we had a bittersweet notion that this was to be our last time before we moved. Since it was the last time, we ordered our favorites and had some large portions. I ended up taking home half of a meal.

We started out getting one roll of sushi each. Brad ordered the Godzilla roll, which is a deep fried roll with salmon and tuna inside. It is cut to six pieces and topped with fish roe, spicy creamy sauce and scallions with special tammy sauce on the side.

I ordered a Phoenix roll, which has shredded crabmeat with Japanese mayonnaise, avocado, and rice then deep fried.

As a main course, Brad ordered the House Special Duck. We have found that this entrée is tastier than the Kow Loon Duck, and it is also less expensive. We like this dish because the duck is quite savory, and the sauce is spooned over the textured and deep fried crust. The vegetables that are served with it compliment the taste of the duck and are always crisp without being overly crunchy.

I ordered the Mu Shu Beef. I always thought it was odd that they offer this in beef or chicken, but not pork. Anyhow, I love this dish. The texture of the vegetables provide a slight crisp to the beef and the plum sauce to spoon over it gives it a sweet, tangy taste that tickles the tongue when the pancake wrap has been bitten into.

We did not order the Firecracker Beef at Ichiban tonight, but this also one of our favorites.

Although I praise this restaurant, the customer needs to be patient. The service is often slow, especially when sushi is ordered. It is fine when there is time to kill, but this is definitely not a restaurant to go to if you are trying to grab a bite quickly before a movie, the theater being next door.