Everyone’s favorite Seattle eatery now has a Bellevue location. I know, its been a few months since Wild Ginger opened at the Bravern, but we didn’t make it up there till last week. Truth be told, while Wild Ginger used to be one of our favorite restaurants starting with their Western Ave location, but somehow it has completely dropped out of our radar lately. I guess with all these new restaurants with better food popping out in and around Seattle, it was one of the last choices for a night out. But ever since the Bellevue location opened up, we’ve been hearing some nice things about the place. So we got out early from work on a Thursday to catch their happy hour which is offered from 4pm-6pm.

Just like the Seattle location, the Bellevue restaurant is spread on two floors. Happy hour menu is served at the bar upstairs and also downstairs at the Satay bar and the lounge.  But the happy hour prices seemed to make sense only for the drinks. The speciality cocktails at $4 a pop had some mouthwatering selections. I had the Mangotini which was a bit on the sweet side, just the way I like it.  All cocktails and beers are 50% off during happy hour and they also offer a few wines for $5 a glass. The satays are mostly the same price on happy hour as the regular menu. We had the Young Mountain Lamb ($6.25 per skewer), Bangkok Boar Satay ($4.95) and Kom Pot Shortribs Satay (#3.95). The short ribs were our favorite and the lamb marinated in a black pepper sauce was really good too. 

(Pardon the quality of the pictures, I didn’t have my camera on me, iPhone to the rescue.)

We also had the Indonesian twice-cooked Chicken Wings ($6) simmered in ginger, lemongrass, coconut & sweet soy sauce and deep fried and tossed in hoisin barbecue sauce. The chicken was so tender, the meat literally fell off the bones, but the hoisin sauce seemed to be a bit too much. It was still an amazing dish. Happy hour menu serves 6 wings for $6, but the same dish on the regular menu is offered at $6.95 for 8 wings, so I guess it wasn’t really a deal at all! We also got the Fragrant Duck Sliders ($6.00), duck spiced with cinnamon and star anise served in a steamed bao bun with cilantro, Sichuan peppercorn salt and sweet plum sauce. This dish really rocked! The steamed buns are a great choice for sliders, who would’ve thought! The same dish is offered as an entrée in the main menu where the duck is served with steamed buns on the side. I don’t know how many comes in the small order of $10.95, but my guess is that it will be at least 6 making the happy hour deal again not so much of a deal.

The total cost of our meal including 4 cocktails with tax and tips came to a bit over $50. A great deal for sure, but only because of the alocohol. If you are not planning to drink, you might as well order off the main menu. I have no complaints though, food this good is worth paying the full price. The ambience is great and the service is extraordinary just like the Seattle location. I am really happy to see all these new places changing the Eastside restaurant landscape for the better. It is always nice to have options on both sides of the lake. While Wild Ginger still remains as one of the last options for a Seattle night out, it is one of my top choices for an Eastside after work getaway. 

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