Zac G.
Yelp
(4+ stars if you stick to sushi, 3.5 otherwise)
I was surprised and disappointed when Chinese Kitchen abruptly closed as it was one of Greensboro's better Chinese takeout spots. Black Ginger opened quickly in its stead late last month and while the concept is different, it is a worthy inheritor of this location.
For the unfamiliar, Black Ginger isn't visible from Dolley Madison Road proper. It instead may be accessed via Tomahawk, Mapleleaf, or Milner Drives. For those who know the spot from its Chinese Kitchen days, the interior has been pleasantly refreshed. New booths and better lighting make for a clean, bright, and contemporary space.
Black Ginger's menu skews Japanese. Bento boxes, miso, and an impressively large sushi menu (including deep fried rolls) are among the offerings. However, there are also Thai curries and a few Chinese standards (Kung Pao and orange chickens and Mongolian beef). Vegetarians won't be put out trying to eat here, either.
For our first visit, my wife and I went with a chicken bento box and a steak house fried rice respectively and split a tornado roll. The tornado roll, a fried sushi concoction featuring spicy tuna, cream cheese, pineapples, jalapenos, and a wasabi cream sauce, was easily the highlight of the meal. It was crispy, the flavors balanced nicely (my wife, who hates wasabi, found no complaint with the sauce), and there was plenty of it to go around. Sushi definitely seems to be Black Ginger's strength, and their other rolls merit future investigation.
The rest of the food was more uneven. The bento box included a nice salad with a ginger dressing that featured hints of citrus. Accompanying gyoza (fried unless you request otherwise) and cucumber roll were fine, but the chicken was a bit rubbery. The steak fried rice offered a welcome medley of vegetables (corn, peas, carrots, and onions) and made for perfectly satisfying comfort food though I would hesitate to call it exemplary.
What is exemplary is Black Ginger's service. My wife and I were greeted warmly upon entry, our server capably answered questions and brought food out with a smile, and staff checked on us throughout our meal to ensure that we were enjoying everything.
For the quality and quantity offered, Black Ginger's pricing represents a good value. Bento boxes (protein, vegetables, sushi, gyoza, salad, and rice) range from $9 to $12 depending on the protein, and many entrees are priced about the same. A lot of the fried and specialty sushi rolls go for around $12, including the tornado.
Given how recently the restaurant opened, Black Ginger is off to a good start. Some dishes are stronger than others, but stellar service and a bountiful sushi menu make it worth trying. Now if only they'll add cold sesame noodles.
