Bleu Ginger

My Ratings:
Quality of Food — 5 Stars
Quantity of Food — 5 Stars
Price — 2 Stars
Location — 5 Stars
Parking — 4 Stars
Service — 5 Stars
Speed — 3 Stars
My Opinion/​Story:
This was quite a fancy restaurant in my opinion. Quite expensive but dishes are oh-​so-​good! The wait-​staff were excellent, the location was fabulous. You wouldn’t think that this place exist in the area where they’re located. From the outside, it looks like a typical mid-​priced place but inside was just stylish. This was the place I would want to be taken to for dates or special occasion. Unfortunately, they changed management and name. Not sure if dishes are different as well. I wish I was able to take pics of the dishes I ordered there but that was pre-​yelp days. Only thing about this place was, how pricey their dishes were. Maybe that’s why they closed down.

ONE OF MY BEST BITES FOR JULY 2007 — JUNE 2008
Blue Lake Green Beans
It’s very sad for me to write this one because Bleu Ginger has now morphed into Ta Restaurant and the status of the Blue Lake Green Beans is murky at best. Even though they have the same owners, when we ordered the green beans on our last visit they came in a peanut sauce. They were good, but nowhere near the garlicky perfection of previous visits. It’s unclear whether or not they’ll make them the old style upon request. (But if enough people start asking for them maybe they’ll resurrect them?)

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW!!!
This is a notice to everyone that the place no longer exist. I’ve been told by them that their management and partnership has been changed or something. It’s now Ta Restaurant or something.
I went in to try the place out but then saw how it’s all Vietnamese food and didn’t really feel up for it, because I could just eat Vietnamese food at home. I just wasn’t in the mood. Nothing bad about them, it’s just me… I wasn’t in the mood for Vietnamese food.
I’m only here to notify people not to show up if you think the place still exist. However, please look up their new Unilocal profile and kinda go off on that yourselves.
I’m only giving it three stars because this isn’t a real review and I’m just matching the average ratings on this place so the stats don’t fluctuate so much.
Again, this is not a real review, I just don’t want people to drive all the way there and find out that it’s closed.

I remember when I used to eat here when it used to be an old school dim sum restaurant before it was totally renovated… now Bleu Ginger. It totally wasn’t what I expected, especially when the plaza it’s in looks like a near drive by shooting’s next target. The decoration to this restaurant is beautiful, spacious, comfortable, and quite calming with the tranquil music playing in the background and fancy feel. The menu has a decent range of prices for you to choose from, so my family and I chose platters from both ends… not to mention that you gotta pay $ 2 for each bowl of rice (the coconut is probably the only one worth paying for). Paying for rice!!! Now you know you’re in a more high end restaurant.
The food is nicely decorated, though I have to say overpriced. The rolls were okay. The lamb chops looked so deceiving delicious on the outside, but when it was cut open, it was 80% fat… and to think I paid $ 26 to add inches to my waist? Medium came out to be a rare, but there was no use of asking to recook the fat… so remember to order it more cooked than you want it. The only thing that made up for it was the taro mash that was served with the lamb. Oh yum! Creamy and tasteful. We also ordered the eggplant. Nothing special. Overall, overpriced for okay food. Upside was the decorations and good service.

eh… this place was so so
I’ve been wanting to try this since I live so close but just never got around to it. My friends and I had a big dinner party here (9) + 2 kids
We came on a Saturday night and there wasn’t that many people. Service was a bit slow although the waiters were really nice. Food was way overpriced and smaller size portion. It was pretty tasty but nothing to die for. The sea bass was good, egg roll appetizer was good but the 5 spice chicken was dry and lacked taste. Sweet potato garlic fries were pretty good but just seemed a bit out of place at a vietnamese restaurant? The lemon grass mango salad was my favorite! mmmm Our bill came to 368.00 for 9 ppl and we were all still somewhat hungry afterwards. Well. the guys in our group did order about 100 $ worth of alcohol though.
Overall it was good but not great. A bit overpriced. A few tasty dishes. I prob wouldnt go back for dinner but maybe for lunch?
Oh and I forgot to mention service was a bit slow and they brought all our main dishes and took forever to bring our noodles and rice. It was rather annoying

As usual, following on the heels of Tetsu N., I present to you my version of our lunch at Bleu Ginger…
Another VC (no, not Viet Cong, Venture Capitalist) that I work with has taken me to this place a few times in the past, and I had the same impression as Tetsu N. when you walk in. You look at the run-​down strip mall outside, and wonder what happened after you walk in when you see an upscale dining environment inside. A lot of detail was put into the design, ambiance, and overall feel of the restaurant that works well together, and they really integrated a lot of bleu into the place, but not sure where the ginger comes in…
Tetsu N., after hearing from others, that our last visit to a similar Vietnamese place (Fuel) is actually a gay place, was bringing out his A-​game in homophobia, hoping that we weren’t at a gay Vietnamese place, but I assured him that it was blue inside, and not pink.
Foodwise, the rolls have always been good, and the lunch menu is pretty good too. Look at Tetsu N’s review for the specifics. I haven’t been here for dinner yet, so no comment, but would like to give it a try on a night when they have the jazz music going.
The waitress was the same cute waitress that has served me everytime I have been here, which started from 2+ years ago. It was a bit busy in there, so service was a little slow, but since I have seen her before, she is usually pretty attentive and always has a nice and cheerful personality.
For the type of place it is, it wasn’t too bad on pricing, and what Tetsu N. forgot to write in his review is that we paid a little over $ 20/​person including tip, for the fusion rolls, two lunch plates, dessert, and teas.

I really wanted to try something different today, so Michael C. recommended Bleu Ginger since another company affiliate has taken him here a few times.
Located in a strip mall that looks like it probably has some good cheap eats places, I was surprised to walk in and see a very upscaly type of environment. The front door is actually on corner of the restaurant, and when you walk in, you are confronted by some colorful floor-​set lighting, a temporary wall that is nicely curved in a series of waves, and the hostess podium. But it’s easy to see further into the restaurant.
There is a large main seating section, a bar, and a rear seating section. The tables are spaced fairly wide apart to make walking around fairly easy. the booths up against the walls had high backs and looked comfortable, while the center tables looked like they were designed to be moved around. Perhaps adding seating when necessary or removing them for hall activities. Apparently, there is also live jazz music here on occasion.
For business meetings, dates, or just when you’re in the modd to go a little up-scal’ish, this place fits the bill just fine.
For the food, it was lunch, so we had some simple dishes and the appetizer. I had the Poached duck thigh with egg noodle served with pickle green. Michael C. had the Grilled BBQ pork and shredded pork. For appetizer there was a Fusion Roll, and for dessert, their signature Crème Brulee.
The duck noodle dish was much better than I thought it would be. It had a slight gamey taste which I normally don’t like, but the way they integrated the duck into the soup and bok choy made for a very mild and delicious combination that was added to with a strange fruit that I don’t recognize. It was about the size of a cherry, but slightly elongated with a dark color (reddish, perhaps, or purpleish, but nearly black it was so dark). It obviously had a seed in it that was removed. The soup was watery as opposed to creamy, as you would expect from a Vietnamese noodle. All in all, much much better than anticipated.
Michael C.‘s dish has both bite sized pieces of grilled pork and thinly sliced pork mixed with possibly shredded daikon giving an almost noodle like effect. All this on a bed of vermicelli, and a side of that slightly sour slightly sweet sauce that is typical with this type of dish.
The appetizer was a waitress recommendation. She is very cute, by the way, and according to Michael, has worked there for at least two years. She was very friendly and seemed very professional, though a little slow at coming around to our table. Anyway, the appetizer was their signature Fusion roll, which is small, deep-​fried salmon mixed with avocado and other standard fillers for fresh soft Vietnamese rolls. It was very good, but next time, I’ll probably try one of the other rolls.
The dessert was probably the best part of lunch. It was Vietnamese Coffee Crème Brulee. The bowl was tiny, but the custard portion so very thick that I think the size was just right. The toasted sugar was the right thickness, and the rick creamy taste absolutely perfect. A normal sized porrtion would have been way too much.
The plate-​ware, incidentally was probably carefully picked out. Pure white and interestingly shaped dishes really show attention to detail.
You would expect pricing to be a little higher in a place such as this, and their pricing certainly didn’t feel outlandish for lunch, but I still think the price should have been a little lower. For dinner, I’d probably expect to pay around $ 30+ or even $ 40+ before drinks were added, but for lunch, maybe a little less than what it cost today.
All in all, what I experienced today was A-​OK. Not the best, and I’m not exactly a fan yet, but I’m willing to come here again, preferably for dinner with a customer, to get the full experience and possibly become a fan.

Bleu Ginger is a nice restaurant in somewhat odd location.
Food’s tasty although it can get expensive if you order the big meals.
We typically order the appetizers, asian noodles, and small dishes.
Friday is the best time to come if you like Live Jazz performance.
The restaurant is very well furnished and service is nice. –SD

Very similar to straits food wise in my opinion. The good thing is the place is very spacious and they have live bands on certain days. I think this would be a good place to go on a date if you’re trying to avoid the «to be seen» places such as Santana Row or PA.
Food is tasty and portions are decent. Not to die for though.

I LOVE this place and was shocked by some of the bad reviews. The food is consistently good and service has always been spot on. Definitely busy during the day due to all of the companies nearby. The crowds thin at night, which is fine by me – I’m going for a good meal, not to be seen.
The strip mall it is located in in no way represents the inside of Bleu Ginger – very nicely appointed and comfortable. The Bleu Ginger rolls are worth the visit alone.
Try it!

The food is hit or miss. It’s either really good, or kinda weird. I have tried:
*monsoon rolls: really good and fresh
* 5 spice chicken: really flavorful and tasty AFTER you get around the skin and fat. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like eating chicken skin or the fat.
*mango samosas: This one is in the weird category. They were not at all what I was expecting. The flavor was a bit odd and it had a squishy texture. I know they are mango samosas, but I think it would be samosas with some mango, not all mango.
*spicy basil chicken: really, really good. I loved this dish, even as leftovers for lunch the next day. The bowl is huge with a ton of food, so for $ 9.00 this was a pretty good choice.
*Malaysian curry: This one is also weird. There was a lot more vegetables than actual curry sauce, which wasn’t so bad. The problem was that it didn’t taste like curry. It was rather… fishy. It was as if the base of the curry was fish sauce instead of coconut milk.
Overall, the food is pretty good. But the service is really slow after you eat. On my last visit, I waited at least 20 minutes from the time I received the bill to the time I signed off on it. And even then, I had to flag someone down to ask them to run my card. This restaurant is super close to my work, so it shouldn’t take 1.5 hours for lunch, but that last half hour was just to pay the bill!
In conclusion, I would definitely go back to Bleu Ginger, but I would stay away from certain dishes and give my credit card to the server right away.

This place is really nice, especially considering its strip mall location. Bleu Ginger serves fusion Vietnamese food. Their salmon spring roll and chinese sausage fried rice are particularly tasty. So is the Vietnamese iced coffee and the Vietnamese iced tea.
I went back in a big group for dinner and I wasn’t as impressed with the entrees — it was still good, just not fantastically good and worth the drive. The restaurant was also surprisingly empty on the week night we were there. I guess their business survives on the lunch crowd.

Bleu Ginger is located in a run down strip mall. When we went through the entrance way I was surprised how nice it was inside, tho a bit dark for my taste. Ordered was the shrimp, stuff porkchops, and spicy chicken along with rice and tea. Dessert was cake, fried bananas. Portions were kinda small but we were full after eating and it was quite tasty. Prices were on the high side but service was great.
Might be a good place to take someone on a date (once). Even tho service and the food was good I don’t think I will be going again due to the high prices.

Bleu Ginger for is A-​Okay for Milpitas Standards. There isn’t very much around that is compatible. Although pricey, the food is good. I ordered the udon bowl and I was pleasantly surprised at how the good the broth was.
I don’t necessarily agree with the comments about the décor. I felt as if the place was decorated using left over furniture from a hotel in Las Vegas. What was missing was a few slot machines and a roulette table. The carpet was a bit fuggly too.
I’d like to check out this place again when they have music. Overall, I think it has potential though located in bad spot.
I really wanted to give it 3 and a half stars.

I loooove the fact that this place has live jazz on Friday nights, it just brings in that much more class to the restaurant. However, dinner is rather pricey and the servings aren’t huge — but it is tasty.
I laugh at the location of this place. I mean come on it’s surrounded by ghetto nail salons, MSG infested phở/​chinese take out restaurants, and the neighbor to a postal office. WTF?
UPDATE:
Ordered the fusion rolls ($ 7), peppercorn chicken ($ 16) which was a huuuuge disappointment, niman steak with sweet potatoe garlic fries ($ 28) well done. Why was the peppercorn a disapointment? Because it looked like the grilled chicken sandwich from McD’s with a bunch of pepper and gree onions decorating it. For the price we paid for dinner, it wasn’t worth it. However the fusion rolls with the ginger sauce (?) was great! And they carried sparkling Voss water (the waitress dropped raspberries in for me because I wanted them there). Not a lot of restaurants will go the distance for you, and I appreciate this girl’s efforts.
It’s REALLY dim here, and leaving this place on an afternoon will probably momentarily blind you.
It’s a nice place to take your date to, but be ready for the bill — dinner prices aren’t cheap as it has been stated by other Unilocalers and myself.

Bad experience. NEGATIVE STARS. This place left me shitting my colon out for days.
Go here if you want to eat garbage and suffer from temporary bulimia. I should’ve checked the reviews here first before wasting my money and stomach space on this place.

Pricey but delicious.
Conversation stimulating environment
Comfortable sofa chairs.
Romantic, warm lighting.
Food is a work of art and very flavorful.
Recommend for unsure new customers:
5-​Spice Chicken (roullade) — stuffed with caramelized minced onions and rolled up. baked to perfection.
Lemongrass salad with tamarind vinaigrette– a delicious refreshing tower of veggies. Topped with a jumbo shrimp and lightly dressed with a savory, sweet, sour vinaigrette.
Friday nights at 7pm features live jazz trio including vocalist.

As everyone mentions, the strip mall this restaurant is in is rundown and sad looking but the interior is ubernice.
I’ve been here for food a couple of times and while it is pricy by Milpitas standards, it’s no more expensive than many other comparatively nice restaurants in San Jose or San Francisco. The lunch menu’s prices are all reasonable (I don’t think there is anything over $ 15). Each time I’ve been here the service has been alright. But last night was the first time I ordered food to go and let me tell you, they were FAST. We’re talking ten minutes maybe for my Bo Luc Lac and garlic rice to be ordered and into my hot little hands.
So speaking of food… yummy…let’s get down to business…
The forementioned Bo Luc Lac (filet mignon with soy pepper sauce with watercress and tomatoes) and garlic rice (ordered separatly) is delicious although last time I ordered this dish at the restaurant I swear they gave me less than they did in my to go order. The beef was ubertender, the watercress had a good crisp and the garlic rice complimented the food nicely. Me and three other folks hoovered this dish in about five minutes. Yeah super nice food being consumed at a dive bar. That’s me.
The Passion Fruit Pork Chop. It comes with some veggies that were soggy last time I ordered it. The passion fruit sauce is a little too thin for the pork but is the right amount of sweet and rich. The chops were crunchy on the outside and all extra buttery soft and juicy inside, just like I like them. Sticky rice comes with this dish too.
5 spice chicken. Disappointing for the price. I can think of at least 3 restaurants that make a better 5 spice chicken for les than half of what you’ll pay here. Plus I’m not the biggest bok choy fan (and that’s the side you get). However the lemongrass rice (also ordered separate) tastes delicious with this dish.
The fusion rolls are wonderful. Salmon, mango, avocado, lettuce and cilantro are wrapped up and served with a delightful citrusy sauce. These remind me of a sushi roll served at Smile Sushi in downtown San Jose. The monsoon rolls are eh-​but then again I’m not a fan of the mango and mint combo inside.
Honestly, this place is a nice change of pace for most of Milpitas. Apparently, it’s popping on Friday when there’s live jazz (7−10pm). This place gets packed for Friday lunches too. However, during the middle of the week it is dead. Beyond dead. But not yet resurrected. If you need a quiet place for a potentially romantic dinner Monday-​Wednesday I’d say it can be accomplished here. And the fact they have a full bar but yet I’ve been so distracted by the food that I have yet to order a drink here is a damn miracle.

After writing this review yesterday, I received a hate message from someone affiliated with this restaurant: [This person changes their ID often] on 08÷31÷07 is a fake review.
Instead of writing me a nasty note you could take it as constructive criticism and not serve spoiled food. Thank you.
Yesterday, I wrote:
I wasn’t very impressed.
The décor was confusing, I didn’t think it was accomplished very well.
I had lunch with colleagues and they said the darkness resembled a gentlemen club.
I have to give it a one star because I got sick of the spoiled food they served us.

I’ve set up dinners with friends a few times at this restaurant and everyone always has the same reaction — they are shocked when they open the door and see what’s inside!
(Check out the pictures on their website to see what it looks like inside the restaurant.)
Okay, so I’ve been here a few times for lunch and dinner. Lunch was a little crowded with the typical silicon valley work types but I haven’t had to wait yet for a table. When I go to lunch, it’s usually with my co-​workers and they always order some sort of appetizer sampler plate. I’m usually full after that and although I feel a little guilty about eating some fried appetizers, they taste so good that I resolve to work out a little longer to make up for it.
My co-​workers usually order a bunch of different things which we then share. I ‘ve had the five spice chicken and then Bo Luc Lac which I thought was great. I’ve also had the Malaysian curry which I was not impressed with and won’t order again. (It sounds better in its description than when it’s served) I had something else which had an egg on top with rice underneath and it was great — very reminiscent of Hawaii. Unfortunately, I don’t see that on the menu on the website so I have no idea what it was called! And hopefully it hasn’t been taken off the menu for good.
My dinner experience has been excellent and since we were there on a weekday, there wasn’t a huge crowd so it was nice and quiet — perfect for some girl talk and catching up with friends! I’d like to go back on a Friday or Saturday to hear the live jazz. I’ll update my review after I do that. :)
All in all, a great restaurant with ambiance and good food. It’s like a little oasis in Milpitas! BTW, I have never had a bad service experience here.