Vegetarian Ginger 128 Montague Street, 2nd Floor
(at Henry Street)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
718-246-1288
Vegiboys Rating (2.5/4)
The Montague Street strip in Brooklyn Heights, with its innumerable restaurants and shops, makes for a fun spot to check out the Brooklyn Heights scene… And along the strip, there is perhaps no better single place to people watch than the dining room of the Chinese restaurant Vegetarian Ginger, set on a corner above the intersection with Henry Street. The second floor dining room lacks much character – the main space has a bit of a cafeteria feel to it – but a handful of tables at the front of the restaurant look out from the large, neon-lit second story window onto the bustling scene below.
After settling into our table’s perch above the Brooklyn masses, we found the restaurant’s service to be friendly, though a bit confused. Our request for iced teas (found on the menu) was met with total bewilderment – about 15 minutes later we were given hot green tea with lemon served in chilled glasses (which proved to be unfortunately unpalatable in that condition). After this initial beverage beffudlement though, the experience hit the more even-keel of relatively standard Chinese-food fare.
We began with a fine miso soup that gave us exactly what we would expect. An appetizer of Crispy Soy Protein had the taste of fried flash-frozen fish sticks with a duck sauce dip.
Brian’s Smoked Teriyaki Setian was also exactly what we would have expected (slices of seitan in a marinade of teriyaki sauce), with a bed of sugar-snap peas and a topping of sesame seeds. My Sweet Citrus Protein meal followed a similar formula: seitan marinated in a sweet sauce (flavored heavily with salt and anise), with a bed of kale and a topping of almonds.
While we didn’t dislike any of our food, we didn’t find anything particularly outstanding or unique. At almost $25 each, the cost was on par with other vegetarian Asian restaurants in the city, so we had somewhat higher hopes for the kitchen. Though fun to people watch on the streets below, we wouldn’t necessarily return to Vegetarian Ginger, especially with so many of Montague’s Street’s other restaurant choices beckoning nearby.
Restaurant Review: Vegetarian Ginger
128 Montague Street, 2nd Floor
(at Henry Street)
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
718-246-1288
Vegiboys Rating (2.5/4)
Both entrées were beautifully presented with carved garnishes on the plate. The meal ended with a plate of well-appreciated orange slices served upon delivery of the bill.
While we didn’t dislike any of our food, we didn’t find anything particularly outstanding or unique. At almost $25 each, the cost was on par with other vegetarian Asian restaurants in the city, so we had somewhat higher hopes for the kitchen. Though fun to people watch on the streets below, we wouldn’t necessarily return to Vegetarian Ginger, especially with so many of Montague’s Street’s other restaurant choices beckoning nearby.
Food (2.5/4)
Atmosphere & Service
(3/4)
Value (2.5/4)