What To Have

David at the Duck and Dumpling has expanded the menu a little bit. Those of you familiar with the old menu will remember the 2nd page additions. They’re back, this time though he has some different offerings. I recently enjoyed one of the specialties of the house. Roast Duck Breast. With the name being Duck and Dumpling you should of course expect the duck to be excellent, which is exactly the case. The slow roasted duck breast is sliced and sits atop a bed of bok choy and roasted (sliced) potatoes. The potatoes are crispy which adds a unique texture to the dish. The duck is juicy and soft and cooked perfectly. The whole thing is topped with a wine and cherry reduction, adding the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish. Don’t pass this one up.

-Matt

This trip to the Duck and Dumpling was what I consider one of the very special meals David fixes. Tonight, he went into the back and conjured up some Vietnamese Pho. This soup is on of my favorites. It’s broth based with noodles, sprouts and onions. Sliced beef and meatballs are added to make it hearty. Traditionally a lime is squeezed into it and I like to add some hoisin and pepper sauces. I like this dish any time of the year, it’s not too thick to be served during the summer, but hearty enough to be served during the winter. If you have a chance, be sure to try this very traditional Vietnamese dish.

-Matt

To feel defeat at the hands of a chef is a rare and wondrous thing. As soon as I walked in to Fins tonight, Matt (the bartender) said he knew what I would be having as my entrée. I figured they were having an unusual special and I was in for a treat. I was not disappointed. This trip to Fins started as so many before have, with the sashimi plate. The regulars were there, tuna, salmon etc… along with a newcomer, some of the Thai red snapper. The addition made this a large dish but it also added an extra dimension simply because the taste and texture was so different from the sashimi’s I normally have. Sliced think and folded in a long row, the Thai snapper had an almost oily taste that differentiated itself from everything else. An excellent experience I must say and this was only the beginning.

The special of the evening was big eye seared steak. My only words are wow. He started with the biggest tuna steak I’ve ever seen served. It was the size of an 8 inch pizza at the very least. The steak was seared ever so slightly with a crust of salt and cracked pepper. Then it was topped with huge sliced mushrooms and diced bok choy. The finisher was a slight drizzle of spicy oil (I forget the type of pepper but it wow it was good). To say the least, this was amazing.

Unfortunately I was unable to finish the whole meal, the addition of another type of sashimi to start and the extremely large tuna steak did me in. But I’ve never felt less regret about leaving food behind.

-Matt

I’ve been here for lunch a few times and I am never disappointed. I don’t usually mention money with my dining experiences but I feel I have to with this one. A great meal for under $10. While that is by no means the most impressive part of my meal today I thought I’d get it out of the way…On with the food!

Today’s lunch was Wild Ginger’s version of sesame chicken. I honestly don’t remember what they called it, but I believe it was L13 or L14 on the menu. Lunch combos start with a small salad or soup. I had the salad because it was fairly hot outside. It was fresh and the ginger dressing was not to overpowering. The main course consisted of rice and the chicken mixed with vegetables. There are a lot of things to like about this meal. I liked the chicken was tender, good quality and not over-breaded. The sauce was unlike most heavy sesame chicken’s you’ll find in the mall. It wasn’t too sweet or thick. I also liked the amount of chicken vs. vegetables. There wasn’t too much of either and I didn’t feel like they relied to heavy on the rice. All in all, I’d give this experience a thumbs up and will be back.

-Matt

Once again, my venture to the duck didn’t disappoint. David is doing a new small app that he’ll occasionally send out from the kitchen. Hopefully this one will make the next version of the menu. This app is made of the following: fresh crab, edamame, peeled orange chunks and red onion. The whole thing is drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette. This small salad epitomizes summer and exudes freshness. The balance of the orange and the vinaigrette with the firmness of the edamame and crab meat makes this work exceptionally well. Perhaps next time you’re in you’ll get lucky and David will send some out.

My main course is one of my all time favorites at the duck. Pineapple Calamari. The calamari in this dish is scored so it curls up a bit when it’s quick woked with a mix of bell peppers. A sweet pineapple sauce and small chunks of pineapple are then mixed in. The course is then served in a hollowed out pineapple shell. I really enjoy this, the calamari is light and refreshing, nothing chewy here. I’m generally not a cooked pineapple fan, but this is one dish I never miss when it’s on the special’s list.

-Matt