We went to Wild Ginger after partaking in the wine tasting at Vino Market. Vino tasted out an unusual South African white that was awesome! The name began with a "C." It was so good they sold out and I had to order some. Unfortunately, the weather has deterred me from picking it up. If you ask for it, Hunter and Dave will know what you are looking for.
Anyhow, we stepped into Wild Ginger fairly early and the place was fairly empty and could easily accomodate a couple without reservations. Later on all of the tables were filled.
Always a plethora of delectable menu items and specials. This time we both decided to have steak for the main course, so we ordered a bottle of Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy with the meal.While decent, not the best considering the price. We would have been better off choosing The Prisoner. Oh well, we wanted to try something we had not tasted before and sometimes disappointment ensues.
No matter, the food was fantastic. To start we shared the special lobster tempura roll with lettuce, avocado, and kani. Lovely.
For entrees hubby ordered the special teriyaki glazed NY Strip with asparagus and three oysters rockefeller.
And I had the filet mignon with fried wontons stuffed with wasabi mashed potatoes and served with a black pepper sauce.
My spouse's steak was HUGE and tasty (we had to take some of this beef home). And the glaze was very light, so the sweetness did not overpower the dish. The oysters were cheesy and satisfying. My filet was plain, but perfect and oh-so-tender. I liked the black pepper sauce that came on the side. I could use as little or as much as I wanted. Nice touch. The wontons were a cute side dish with hints of wasabi, but nothing that blasted out one's sinuses.
No dessert - we were stuffed and happy.
A couple of evenings later we popped into Osaka.
This time we ordered the Patricia Green Osaka Cuvee. Osaka managed to obtain its own blend from the famed pinot noir producer.
When we tasted it, the wine seemed a bit on the thin side and young (2009). Not what we were used to from other Patty Green offerings. We sipped and ordered the special appetizer to share: smoked duck spring rolls.
The spring rolls were amazing. The meat was slightly smoked. The wine paired very well with this dish.
For entrees, hubby selected the shrimp and vegetable tempura. Great shrimp, but he was dissappointed with the veggies. He was not expecting sweet potato or plantains and the broccoli and zucchini did not taste fresh.
I had the shrimp tempura roll. Always good. And the yellowtail and scallion roll.
This tuna roll with the soy sauce was the quintessential food pairing with the Osaka Cuvee. Absolutely incredible! I highly recommend this wine/sushi combination. It's difficult to pair reds with sushi and given our initally assessment of the Osaka Cuvee, we thought we were destined for disappointment. It was so nice to be overwhelmingly wowed.
1 comment:
Thank you for your kind reviews. River City Food and Wine has been very supportive of Osaka and Wild Ginger over the years and, believe me, it is both noticed and appreciated.
I am particularly pleased that you "got" the Patty Green Osaka Cuvee, as we chose this particular blend with food pairing in mind. The duck spring roll was the perfect choice, and pinot noir and raw salmon or tuna are a match made in heaven. If you get the chance to swing back to Osaka in the near future, try the Cuvee with the Patty Green Roll, which was, in turn, created to complement that wine. Feel free to ask for me, as I would love to meet you. Until then, have a Happy New Year.
Regards,
Mike Hinerman
Manager, Osaka Sushi & Steak
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