Food is 3.5 stars. Service is 1 star. Or 0. I've actually heard servers tell customers they have no idea what each type of sushi is on a platter. Well f*cking learn it then. It's your job. It's not hard. The sushi and other items I've had there are pretty tasty. But the service is constantly a disaster. From the servers and the cooks. I went as part of a group of 6 and 3 of us got all our food,... more
Still worth a stop for lunch . . .
We always order the lunch special served in bento box as it it plentiful, fresh, nice display, good value and allows a choice of combinations. The miso or tom yum soup to start is flavourful - go for the tom yum for an intense flavour and some heat. They provide water with fresh lemon which is a nice touch. This bento had a large, fresh, BC strawberry as the...
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Arrived and ordered a beer, then glanced at the menu. Wow! The photos of both the Sui Mai and Har Gao looked fantastic. And I live in Hong Kong, so I know what I'm talking about. I was delighted to find such authentic Sui Mai in Canada. Or so I thought...
Ordered the Siu Mai to get started, as I...
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We stumbled across Blue Ginger whilst in Nanaimo this week, and returned several times simply because of the quality and creativity of the sushi...tempura soft shell crab sushi...chicken satay sushi...just delicious!
I agree with other comments saying it isn't authentic Japanese, but then it doesn't claim to be a Japanese restaurant! The selection of sushi and sashimi is outstanding, together...
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Wontons were too hard to eat, haw gow was good, Geoza were rubbery hard and cold. The pad thai used thin noodles. drinks were small.
This is by far, my husband's favourite restaurant. They serve incredible sushi, best in town. They have a lunch special that is only $11.50 and it includes soup and salad with the main course.Try their Chicken rice bowl or their nasi goring. I love Wonton soup and when I'm sick I crave it. I've tried all the restaurants in town... more
We always love the Blue Ginger, great sushi!!! Sunomono was a little too sweet for our liking but otherwise fantastic!
Our family went to this restaurant a couple of times for dinner while we were visiting in Nanaimo. The servers were friendly and the food quantity and quality were better than the other restaurants we tried there. We enjoyed the Singapore Laksa and the Wor Wonton Soup, so delicious and all 6 of us were fully satisfied. We also tried... more
I always crave blue ginger when I am in nanaimo. It's nice to see the renovations being done. I think the menu is too large which may be why consistency of food is a problem. Definitely try some of the fusion rolls. They are fantastic! Nasi goring is also delicious.
The place might have been the hot spot when it was new but they left it for too long and only recently have they started renovating the place (good that they got rid of the stagnant "pond" with the little bridge in the foyer)....I still like a couple of their dishes like their Nasi Goring and Kung Pow chicken but... more
Service......what is that! Food below average and sloppy. Same dried out koi pond with dated decor. Place is getting tired. Go elsewhere there are choices.i will not be back.
I ordered the single chicken satay skewer just to taste before my meal. The waitress brought me the full order version, I told her I just ordered the single one and she replied she was sorry and it was her mistake. When I got my bill I was billed for the entire order of skewers. They were delicious to add... more
I've dined at Blue Ginger about 10 times in the past 5 years. The first few times I went I was blown away by the unique rolls, hopping atmosphere and great service. Apparently this place has been going downhill since...
I took my girlfriend to Blue Ginger for her birthday tonight. Almost immediately I felt that something was different. The...
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We sat down for a dinner of sushi rolls at the blue ginger and were sorely disappointed.
The presentation of the rolls was quite nice however ALL if the rolls were covered in a goopy chipotle mayo sauce! Grose!
Service was OK, price was average, but we did not finish our meal and will not be returning.
If the owners...
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We stopped in to use one of the coupons from our Entertainment Book ("Enjoy a complimentary lunch entrée with the purchase of another entrée of greater or equal value." It turns out that it's only good to a maximum of $5. There are only a couple of sushi dishes that are $5 or less; most of the menu items are... more
Went to Blue Ginger again this evening - once again a great experience! Have been there since our first time in December MANY times. Eric is always there giving suggestions to have and try new things.
Love the menu and choices because if you don't want sushi you can choose something else.
Can't wait or the next visit it try...
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At one time I thought it was the best restaurant in Nanaimo. But we've stopped going there for many reasons such as: a far too cocky and over-confident bartender had the audacity to tell us a "pint" was 16 ounces, poor service as documented by my fellow Canadians on this website, over-priced drinks and wines and intermittent good-bad food.
Lunchtime at 11:30am - restaurant had 3 tables only ! -only 1 waitress who was a complete mess - understandably- and 20 minutes of sitting twiddling my thumbs waiting to order !
The restaurant was dead ! I have been coming to this Restaurant now for 5 years and the service has always SUCKED ! Call me crazy for keep...
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It is said that the sushi at Blue Ginger is comparable to the sushi at Nori' but I can't comment on that as we did not have sushi. But the restaurant has an eclectic menu including some Indonesian dishes which warmed the cockles of my Dutch roots. It has a nice, quiet location with some great views.
I would say Service by the waitress was great and she was fully communicative and was sorry about the situation.
Here's the kicker.
It took an hour and 10 minutes just to get Avacado Rolls and basic Tempura and there were only 3 other people in the restaraunt.
From the start, the menu I was holding was a sign of...
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We always enjoy coming to the blue ginger restaurant. The food is fantastic and we always get great service. Try the happy rolls they are fantastic.
The first time we went to Blue Ginger was New Year's Eve. Was very impressed with the service and the food. Have gone back several times after that and have sat at the sushi bar to watch and talk to Eric.
He is fantastic! He is always gives great service and his sushi is beyond fabulous.
My husband is a...
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The menu is good and the food tastes good too, but upon closer inspection I noticed that the floors were very dirty and the place needed a good clean. Unfortunately this put me off a bit. I decided not to mention it to the very young serving staff as I knew they would not respond well to criticism. Would go... more
Very slow service, took 15 minutes to receive our waters and another 10 to get our drinks! Food also took 45 minutes. Server never acknowledge the slow service and was not attentive to our table. Every table that wasn't in use was covered in dirty dishes. The restaurant wasn't busy and three servers were working which was shocking! It was... more
We have eaten here before and been quite satisfied but tonight my daughter phoned 45 minutes before she left work to order sushi to pick up on her way home.
When she arrived,two servers were so busy talking to each that they never bothered to acknowledge a customer was waiting for service. After a few long minutes of waiting, they...
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This place has been going downhill for a while now. My wife and i decided to give them another shot and we were unfortunately quite disappointed. Took them a while to seat us even the place was empty. The washrooms were freaking discusting and it took the waitress way too long to take our order. Did i mention the place... more
Always great food every time we've been. If you go you have to have the tempura soft shelled crab.Servce is always good prices are responsible.
Blue Ginger is a family owned, modern Asian restaurant. Sushi is a specialty. It's not fast food, so don't go to Blue Ginger if you're in a hurry. Try the simple tuna roll, or a California roll, or Ikura (Salmon eggs).
The service...needs some work. However the food is always amazing, they have great sushi and some of their other dishes are fantastic it is one of my regular restaurants
The sushi here is quite delicious, had a chef's choice platter and enjoyed all the rolls that came on it. The sashimi was good and fresh.
Service left a little something to be desired, I don't know if the girl that served us was brand new or something, but there were only a few tables and we were left waiting...
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We, like many others, use to love to go to the Blue Ginger knowing fully well that we would have service that would be slow, but the food would be worth it. During the last couple of years the changes in the kitchen have greatly affected the food preparation and presentation but we thought that over time they will get... more
We love to sit at the bar and watch MoMo make the sushi, fresh, and very tasty. Owner and staff are very friendly.
We love sushi, and this place was great! Lots of variety....knowledgeable, friendly staff. We had some rolls AND a stirfry.....yummy!
The sushi was the best I've tasted in the region and the other dishes we ordered were quite tasty. The service was friendly, very competent, and enjoyable. The prices were quite reasonable and I will be back many times in the future. Best Asian restaurant in Nanaimo for my taste.
I ate at this place a few times and would NOT recommend it! The chopsticks were dirty and the dipping sauce cold.When I pointed this out to the waitress she got us new ones and guess what? It were cold also..She seemed surprised but so was I as I would have thought she would have checked b4 she served.I have... more
We've tried this restaurant several times over the last few years and have concluded that it's just to rare that the food and service are acceptable to continue. My wife had a curry dish that came with nan bread ($2.50 extra) and it was inedible because it was sopping in grease...mentioned it to the waitress, and it wasn't offered to... more
The best sushi I've ever had, I love the happy tuna it's my favorite :)
Our first impression of the restaurant was seeing empty bottles and boxes at the front entrance and it appeared not to have been cleaned for some time. Certainly not the type of ambiance one expects when entering a restaurant. It turned us off so much that we did not eat there.
It's all right, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there again.
I had the nasi goreng, which the menu describes as “Indonesian fried rice with baby shrimp, prawns and chicken sprinkled with peanut and shallots”. The fried rice itself was delicious, but they put too much fruity c@!p on it- the fried rice already contained pineapple...
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Our B&B recommended the Blue Ginger and it was okay. We wanted Sushi and wanted something close so it fit the bill. The servers seemed a bit busy when we first arrived, but it was pleasant enough. I found the the special roll to be a bit saucy for my liking. I usually get nervous when a restaurant has a... more
Quite a beautiful restaurant in north Nanaimo. Entrance oner a bridge is unique locally. Sushi was fresh and well plated.
loved the sushi. Great selection, decent prices, high quality food.
A great variety of dishes are available on their menu, service is prompt, food always delicious.
After being recommend to Blue Ginger, I can say that I would never suggest that anyone step foot in the door. The place is filthy, bathroom needed an overhaul 10 years ago, so I am sure you can imagine. The servers were wonderful but nothing can make up for the insulting owners when I questioned my sashimi platter. The owners... more
nice quiet place, clean and pleasant people serving you
slightly above average asian foods. Interesting restaurant layout.
Great Sushi at Blue Ginger! My wife and I eat here when we get the chance as we know the sushi is awesome and the service is great. Who knows who you may bump into there? Maybe Ryan Reynolds may be sitting and eating right beside you!
Asian fusion is the draw - sometimes I feel like Thai food, sometimes sushi and sometimes Chinese. All are available. I've see the other reviews that are less than stellar but have to say we've never been disappointed.
the decor is a bit worn out and dated, ive only had the rolls there, none of the other options on the menu, the speciality rolls are phenomenal, definetly an interesting take on sushi. However the standard california rolls/dynamite rolls, etc are nothing special, can defintely find better elsewhere. LOVE the big crunch roll! service is so/so.
Enjoyed the meal and the service; came well recommended
A let down, not very authentically Japanese at all.
Hey if you will eat Sushi in a dirty place you are asking for trouble. Try the new place across from Terminal mall -- much better.
When we visit Nanaimo we love to go to Blue Ginger. The seafood is always fresh and we love the innovative sushi rolls. The Happy Tuna is our favourite. I was surprised to read some disappointing reviews because it has not been my experience there at all. It is a asian fusion restaurant with lots to choose from. The owners... more
You can count on The Blue Ginger to prepare tasty, fresh food. The variety of Asian dishes seems endless with everything from sushi to ginger beef to their fabulous signature rolls. My favorite is the Mango Salsa Roll - delicious!
We were there recently and tried the lunch special. Once again, excellent food and such a variety to choose from,...
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Great food! Stunningly poor an slow service even when not busy!
Previous lunchtime visits to this restaurant showed it to be costly for the quality and quantity of the offerings. $4.00 for a bowl of quite undistinguished miso soup, for example. Our recent visit commenced with said soup, which had been seriously over-salted. Our server on being advised of this said, helpfully, "It depends on who makes it" and walked off. Charming, and so professional.
The...
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When in Nanaimo and looking for a great Sushi Restaurant this is my choice