Milwaukee is lucky indeed to have such a hidden gem tucked away in the bustling storefronts on Water Street. Lucky Ginger offers an inviting atmosphere and surprisingly spacious backroom. Eating at the bar is also an option if you want to see the action and mingle with the cooks.
Lucky Ginger’s menu is a unique Southeast Asian fusion of flavors, and a great stop for lunch hour, a break from shopping or a fun evening out for dinner. The atmosphere is inviting and has a funky, up-beat vibe. Lucky Ginger’s atmosphere may be contemporary, but with the first few bites, you can taste the authentic flavors true to Southeast Asian cuisine.
The portions are a good size with the exception of the pork belly skewer ($4.50) with its little cubes of pork belly and cube of fat, but the overall flavor of the dish was spot on. The dumplings ($6.50) numbered five and were of good size, and although the dough was a little thick for my taste, the well-seasoned pork filling hit the mark. My favorite in the starter category was the crispy squid ($9.50)—tender with a crunchy coating, seasoned well and served with the house dipping sauce.
The ginger noodle bowl of thin vermicelli ($12) and Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) ($10.50-$12.50) were both exquisite to look at and tickled the palate. Both noodle dishes will make you want to go back again and again. Lucky Ginger also has a variety of phở ($9-$11) and two traditional soups—Tom yum and Tom kha—with your choice of chicken, veggie or shrimp ($3.95-$4.95).
If you want something a little on the lighter side but with the pop of all those amazing, authentic flavors, try one of their three unique dinner-size salads. We tried the Salmon Poke with cubed Scottish salmon, dashi and a lovely Thai dressing that accompanies the other salads ($6-$9.75). Lucky Ginger also offers a house salad with a ginger dressing ($6).
For more traditional fare, look to the rice and curry section of the menu, all with choice of chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu ($10-$12.50). I found their heat index to be accurate with “1” as a very gentle heat and “5” coming with fair warning: “No Refunds” (as indicated on the bottom of the menu). We went with 2 and 3, and they were exactly the heat we wanted.
A “must try” entrée is the Korean short ribs—three thick short ribs with a nice char from the grill, sitting atop beautifully prepared jasmine rice and a perfectly cooked over-easy egg. The floral notes in the jasmine rice perfectly balanced the ribs, and the egg yolk tied the whole dish together in ways that were delicious and satisfying.
Lucky Ginger
221 N. Water St.
414-269-8829
$$
Handicapped access: Yes
Delivery (limited area), CC, FB
