I've been to Star Ginger twice now with my girlfriend and both times we had a good experience. The first time I was craving a bahn mi sandwich. I'm on a quest to find the best bahn mi in Sacramento. This wasn't the best but it was pretty good. I got the pork bahn mi with sweet potato fries and samosas for an appetizer. The samosas were awesome. I love the sauces they serve with them. The sandwiches were really good too. I couldn't quite finish mine because the servings are large. I took my girl here again the other night and we really enjoyed our meal. We split the Thai chicken soup, which was great. It says spicy but it just had a little kick to it. I would probably order it with 2 out of 3 chiles on their heat scale next time. My girl ordered some sort of steak salad extra extra spicy. 3 out of 3 chiles!! There were a million different flavors going on in that salad and a ton of different hot chiles. Very good. She was happy. I ordered the lemongrass porkchops which came with rice and salad. The pork chops were the fantastic. They give you three thin chops with some sort of chile-lime sauce. I would definitely order this again. This place is great and I want to try everything g on the menu!
(4)
Loren L.
I have to admit the first time I went here, I wasn't really impressed, but THEN again sometimes I can be hard to impress. I wasn't really planning on returning, but well life throws curveballs at ya. I went here on a weeknight, the parking can be tight, so just be sure you have an alternative place to park if the lot is full. The tables are very close together, so don't plan on any top secret meetings or convo's going on here, cuz everyone can hear your business. Pro: Happy Hour. this is a great idea and I ordered the chicken spring rolls-very good with great spicy peanut dipping sauce. Mongolian BBQ BEEF!!!! this meat is tender, crispy, flavorful.....oh wow. I mean yeah..wow. I can't wait to go back and order this if you know what I mean wow. Con: Pad Thai...it was just fine. Not wow, or great. Just ok. It needs flavor, something fresh. They served hot tea in a tall coffee cup and was luke warm. How about a tea pot with cute tea cups?? Go Old School on me with the tea please. The tables are TOO SMALL for 2 people and the large plates. What?! I am being too picky?? Ok you got me.
(4)
K D.
Excellent buddha spring rolls (vegan) and the spicy chicken soup was tasty but was not spicy.. until I dropped some sriracha into it. Good stuff
(4)
Laura O.
Star Ginger always has the freshest ingredients. I love this place. They offer this dinner deal for two people. You get something like a salad and two options from dinner entrees, plus two drinks. I can't remember the price but it's a really good deal and always ends up being way more food than you need. The staff is always friendly, the place is super clean, and they have quality ingredients. If you want less of a fast-casual spot, you should definitely also try Lemongrass - their other restaurant.
(4)
Matt A.
I was turned onto this place by the great facade and the large crowds. But their food is so bland and lame. I was hoping for something refreshing and savory, so I tried their Curry, but they use so much zucchini and definitely not enough spices, or chicken for that matter. After the first few bites I was disappointed and tried to give the rest of it a chance. That was the first time I ever had to use Sriracha with my curry. Another thing is that a waiter came and asked how my food was and I told her it was bland and disappointing and she said, "Sorry about that." That was it. No, can we get you something else, no, can we offer you a refund. Just, sorry that your food sucks. Maybe the next time you come here (which is never), you'll order something else and it's better. Too bad a 14 dollar curry should give me a bit more kick, or flavor for that matter. Never coming back and I suggest anyone reading this not to try this place out either. Bad food, bad customer service, and almost no parking = terrible experience.
(1)
Luna B.
This place is AMAZING for Vegans, they have all the Vegan dishes labeled with a V yay!! I love the asian noodle salad for lunch and the Buddha rolls are AMAZING and the dipping sauce is like nothing I ever tasted. They have booth seats in back with a TV & pricing is very reasonable. Very casual place, they are always kind and very helpful. Some days they are really busy but they turn around dishes fast and will get you in and out quick if needed. Love them! Wish they would cater parties.
(5)
Ryan D.
Always a great easy spot to stop into for lunch or dinner. Sweet potato fries are a must not matter the course, the sliders are also top of the list. Decent Phó. The restaurant itself is very wide open and can be very busy at times which causes a little bit longer than normal wait for food. Overall always a great place to stop in for a good meal
(4)
Prescila B.
So...the food was very tasty, but the PHO WAS NOT GOOD. The atmosphere was amazing, but the prices are not=/ I highly recommend the rice plates, sandwiches and ice cream!! * Would be 5 stars because everything is soo good..but I was disappointed in the pho and the fact that one sandwich is so costly=( P.S. Now serving sandwiches at dinner time! You cant get the sesame noodles on the side (like at lunch) only sweet potato fries (still yummy)
(4)
Coral H.
I wish they had an outdoor dining area. I often come here for take out. Very efficient in and out process for that option with 15 minute parking spot. If the place next door were to ever open up as something good parking would be challenging. It is OK right now. Prices are OK. I like the variety of Asian inspired meals. Plenty of food.
(4)
Tyler L.
The place has a very modern setting and it is beautiful. It's an Americanized Thai place, has the food but with higher prices. Star Ginger doesn't have menus where you sit down and order, at least for lunch they don't, but as you walk in the menus are on TVs and you order as you walk in. It caught me off guard and I had to choose quickly because of the fast pace line. The food is quickly at your table even with the lunchtime rush, so it'll be good for a business lunch if you are in down town. I ordered the banh mi toasted roast pork sandwich and it was alright. The pork was on the dry side although the flavors were good. Nothing special about it. But the sweet potato fries with aioli sauce was good. The sauce was delicious. Overall the food was decent. I wouldn't recommend it only if in the area and feeling like some Thai food.
(3)
Samantha L.
My boyfriend, his mother and I visited Star Ginger on a Wednesday night around 5:45 for a quick dinner. As we were pulling up to the place, I noticed a new happy hour sign. When we were seated, the waitress also informed us of their happy hour deals, which were until 6:00 p.m. I previously gave Star Ginger a 3, but I feel that it is a bit more established now and a solid 4 stars. Since there were still 15 minutes left, we took advantage of the happy hour deals and ordered: -Saigon Chicken Salad Rolls ($4): rice noodles, grilled chicken, and an assortment of veggies. This was cut up to about 8 pieces and served with a yummy hoisin peanut sauce, and a side of noodle salad. It was really tasty and somehow was brought to our table in about 3 minutes after ordering it! -Grilled Chicken Banh Mi ($4): The chicken was nicely grilled and the pickled vegetables provided a nice contrast and crunch. The bread was toasted just right with some flakey, crispiness without the "scratch-off-the-roof-of-your-mouth" effect. There was also a nice sriracha aoili that added a nice flavor to the whole sandwich. The portion was very fair for the price. It was plenty. -Thai Ko Soi with Tofu and Vegetables ($5): This is what I ordered. I am never really in the area for lunch, so I thought I'd try this out (which is usually only available during their lunch hours). It's a curry broth noodle soup and it was really tasty. It was very hearty and the portion size was very generous. There was an assortment of vegetables (peas, cabbage, carrots, greens, etc.) and several large pieces of tofu. There was a large serving of egg noodles in the broth, and the dish was also topped with a beautifully fried noodle decoration (also, delicious). -Chicken Pho ($5): my boyfriend's mother ordered this and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. It looks like pretty standard pho, and is served with a plate of sprouts, basil, jalepenos, etc. Everything was a full portion (not mini-versions at all, which happens sometimes with happy hour deals). We were really impressed by the great prices, the tasty food, and how quickly everything came to our table. Two thumbs up! We all ordered from the happy hour menu, but the waitress also said that all entrees from the dinner menu would come with a free beer!
(4)
Deems P.
Love the Korean beef banh mi. Perfect warm roll, tasty crunchy pickled vegetables, tender beef, a few jalapeño slices and a slightly spicy sauce. Delicious!
(5)
J. B.
I want to like Star Ginger. I want to give it more than three stars. The food is good. I most often have the chicken pho, but I've explored the rest of the menu on various occasions. I like the pho. The broth is light and flavorful, noodles are always cooked well and there's plenty of high quality chicken. In fact, they seem to have improved the quality of the chicken since I've been going there. It doesn't have fat or cartilage like it used to. The problem is the service during lunch, which is when I usually dine there. They never refill your drink or water or check on you to see if everything is okay. You have to order at the counter during lunch and they bring your food out to you. I'm always amused at the tip jar on the counter or the tip line on the credit card receipt. What am I tipping for? I still tip, but it never elicits a drink refill or any other service. Lastly, watch out for the extra narrow spaces in the parking lot!
(3)
Matty K.
We were curled up at Peet's across the way, studying frantically, when my stomach growled in anger. My study buddy and I decided to head over to Star Ginger's for some food. We wandered in to a nearly empty restaurant at 4:50. It was our first time here and we weren't sure what to do. Do we order at the register? Do we sit down? Well, judging by the two giant screens that have menus, we decided we should order at the counter. "Are you guys here for lunch or dinner" the lady asked. We weren't sure. Honestly, we just wanted food. Dinner? "It won't be for 7 minutes." Okay...lunch? "You have 3 minutes to order." What? We hurried over to the register and ordered. Veggie Kao Soi: A Laotian-inspired dish, if I'm not mistaken. It's a curry flavored broth with noodles, veggies, tofu, and spices. It was bland. Very bland. The tofu and veggies were few. Lentil and veggie curry with brown rice: Indian inspired? Where were the lentils? I couldn't tell if it melted into the veggies or if it was the potatoes. Huge serving of veggies made me happy, but the flavor? Bland. It was more like an American gravy instead of curry. Overall: I was extremely put off by the service in the beginning. No one wants to be hurried or be forced to wait to order food when the entire restaurant is EMPTY. I get it, I get it, the food is fusion. I hate that most places think fusion=toning down almost every flavor imaginable other than salt. Overall, I'm extremely happy by all the vegetarian options, I'm just put off by the taste of the food...or lack there of. Perfect place for people to come if they "can't take spice."
(2)
Ian S.
The food, four stars. When my Japanese step-dad, my Vietnamese mother-in-law and my Phillipino Father-in-law are all happy with the food, someone is doing "fusion" right. Me, I loved it. Best Bahn-mi I've had in Sacramento, without traveling south to Florin. The service? Meh-two stars. I've been a half dozen to a dozen times, and they are about 50% when it comes to accuracy. They forget items when you get it to go. They mix up orders. This past time, the counter clerk gave us attitude throughout, failed to give us a number, which was then given to the next people in line (as was our food for nearly five minutes while they tried to sort it out) and when the food mix up was discovered? They simply picked it up, and put it back down on our table. Tsk tsk. No apologies, no comps, nothing but food that someone else had stared at uncomprehedingly for 10 minutes. Gross. The interior is clean and well lit, so I can forgive the moderate lunch prices, as a trade off. Not cheap, but good food (if you get what you wanted).
(3)
Trisha S.
**Warning to those with only 30 min lunch break ** No point in calling in your food prior to pick up . Was told 15 min but ended up taking 40 min. Also what's up with the pick up "to go order line" if you still have to wait forever just to pay for your food that you already ordered. Girl at register for "order here" side told me she couldn't help me and that I had to wait in the line I was in. (Really because all i needed to do was pay, but she couldn't help) But guess who she helped shortly after me? A customer with a pick up order. Talk about no customer service what so ever. Totally understand busy lunch rush but really at least talk to your customers and not just ask for name and signature. RUDE!! (Mind you I only ordered chicken spring rolls and sweet potato fries). Beside the lack of costumer service their food actually pretty good.
(2)
Michelle D.
This place is beautiful. Clean. The staff is very polite and accomodating. The food was very good. Not the best ever, but very good. The only reason I say not the best ever is because it was very pricey. My Mom and I went here for lunch and we spend 25 bucks on two entree items and water. That's pretty expensive in my opinion. .
(3)
Nathalie N.
The service is great, the place is clean, the service is fast, and the prices are decent. The catch ... Well the food for a FUSION place isn't as amazing. That's the only downer. We ordered three items. Chicken Lemongrass Banh Mi, Curry Pad thai with beef and shrimp, and tofu salad. The tofu salad is nothing spectacular. Lettuce was the main item. Tofu was too soft. And the dressing was of soy sauce. The portion is also small that you would still be hungry if you ordered this alone. The curry pad thai lacks flavor. It lacks a lot of flavor and spice. Chicken Lemongrass Banh Mi.. where is the lemongrass? Totally not sauteed chicken like normally. I'm vietnamese, so I can say this. Grilled chicken is what it looked like thrown in with some lemongrass. What a shame... the only item I was looking forward to having... Oh and the icing on the cake is ... I got really sick two hours after our meal. I think one of the dishes (I'm assuming the noodle dish) was undercooked. It tasted fine when I ate it .. but afterwards I felt really sick. I suffered all night. :( I don't think Ill be back... unfortunately. :(
(2)
Ashley J.
My boyfriend and I went here last night (Monday) for the first time. It was easy to find, on the corner of the street with a large sign. Parking was easy. When we entered we were immediately greeted and sat. The atmosphere was really nice and calming. And I can't forget the mention the smell of the food cooking was delicious!!! Our waitress came and greeted up promptly and gave us time to order drinks. We both got a Thai iced tea. Sooo sweet and oh so good. But be careful because they can easily fill you up with that cream in it. To start we got the chicken spring rolls with spicy peanut sauce. Yummmmyyyy and FRESH. I order the Green Chicken Curry with medium spice and brown rice. My boyfriend ordered the Pad-Se-Ew with pork. The meal was paced nicely. We received our entrees a little after our appetizer. The food smelt and looked great. I tried the curry first. AMAZING! Perfect flavor and the taste of the lemon grass was right on. The chicken was tender and the curry was yummy. It was super fresh. The brown rice was cooked perfectly. Next was the Pad-Se-Ew. I've ordered this dish a lot a multiple places. At Star Ginger, their Pad-Se-Ew is definitely top fave 3! The rice noodles were cooked great, the veggies were crisp, and the sauce was great. The winner in this dish was the pork! Oo0o0o yeah! Super tender and flavorful. For the price, you get a lot of food! So, we got full pretty quickly and had enough for a midnight snack :) The waitress boxed our food up, and we paid and left full and happy. Overall, the experience was great! We loved the atmosphere. The service was great! Our waitress did everything correctly (I'm a waitress), she didn't bother us or rush us, and she paced our meal perfectly! She was very sweet, too! The food was top notch, and you can really taste the freshness and great quality. We will be back again for sure!
(5)
Matee T.
Chicken rolls were the only thing I enjoyed. Chicken pho lacked flavor. The food didn't leave me in awh though so wont be back.
(2)
Cyndi S.
As has been said....it's really spendy for what it is. I got the thai curry chicken and it was something I could have made at home. Chicken was dry, not enough, LOADS of (cheap) zuchinni, though. I mean...really? For a $14 plate of curry, I want GOOD. This was not GOOD with all caps. It was fine. My honey got the bbq chicken and that was pretty solid and was a decent portion. However the side salad it came with.....I swear the dressing is the same generic soy/ginger dressing served on every side salad in every restraurant in the history of time. Actually....I'm pretty sure it's the sesame ginger dressing from Trader Joes. Another dish I could have made at home. Our waitress was a sweetheart, but there is a level of service you expect when the dish prices jump over the $10 per plate mark that just wasn't there. The TVs all over give the whole place a casual, almost sports bar vibe that also conflicts with the prices paid. I do want to go back and try the Bahn Mi, and they seem reasonably priced. But what we spent should have gotten us a nice dinner and what we got was something we could have gotten at half the price down the street. The food was disappointing They do have a decent proseco......so theres that.
(2)
Dej B.
Came here for lunch and it was busy! Nice interior but a bit crowded for parking. I had the small Ginger Chicken Salad and my hubby had the Korean BBQ Sandwich, both were satisfying to our pallets. It was a bit pricey for lunch than we expected (of course comparing going down to Little Saigon) but you can't beat the price to get these eats in the heart of midtown not to mention the new, modern decor and ambiance. I'll definitely give it another try for dinner!
(3)
Logan S.
Bathrooms first: Bathrooms are clean. Nothing fancy or special. Small. Tp is rough, and no one likes that :( The location this place is in leads to bad parking experiences. parking is terrible here! The spaces are so small and there arent many of them. Maybe just park at another business. Food wise, I just though that the Samosas weren't good. Mushy and just a mild curry flavor. Where did the rest of the flavor go?? And the crust was way too thick. I also tried the lentil curry and the jungle curry. The lentil curry was okay, not super flavorful but it WAS lentils...however, the jungle curry just wasnt good. Soupy, and not much flavor. I mean, i guess it was my fault for getting jungle curry right? Overall, an okay meal. Would not return.
(3)
Oanh N.
My five stars is purely for this place's GINGER ICE CREAM! I am a die hard ice cream fan (sorry lucerne...your ice cream just don't cut it). Yup, if you're gonna dig into the calories might as well do it right, right?! The actual ginger ice cream isn't too overwhelming and mixed inside are mini ginger pieces that pleasantly surprise your taste buds every once in a while. Then you gotta drizzle the sweet ginger sauce on top and....mmmm...pure satisfaction. One serving is a good size...you can probably share it between two people. But I'm telling ya...you're gonna crave for some more after your last bite. 5 stars for this incredible dessert! Everyone needs to try it. You will fall in love.
(5)
Josh D.
Stopped in here on a lark yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Korean BBQ beef sandwich with Thai chicken soup. The sandwich was really good, the meat was tender and the produce was fresh and crisp. As far as the Thai soup goes, well I've never met a Thai soup I didn't like and this one didn't disappoint with it's giant chunks of chicken, would have liked it a little spicier but that's total personally preference. I dropped eleven bucks on a soup and sandwich with a coke and left full so the prices didn't seem high to me, especially for how tasty it all was!
(4)
Pon K.
Came here for the very first time last Friday night with my niece. Cute little restaurant on a very busy road (Americanized Asian restaurant). It used to be Togo's but they closed down a few years back. We walked in and was greeted by the host/manager......and he seated us. Our server, Dao, came up to us right away with the menus. She was really sweet. 5 minutes later she came back and took our orders. We ordered the Toasted Banh Mi pork sliders for app...OMG so freaking delicious! Entrees: I ordered the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and my niece had the Thai Shrimp Green Curry. My grilled chicken could have used a little more lemongrass but still good......the rice was good too LOL. The curry was bland but salty...she said it's "not spicy enough." -add sriracha it helps. We ordered 3 items...total was about $37 which is very expensive for that type of asian food! Would we go there again......hmmmm yeah if someone else is paying LOL :D ***CLOSE on Sundays***
(3)
Nani V.
I started off with the buddah salad rolls (6 little rolls and a side of noodle & broccoli salad) and my friend ordered the samosas. The rolls were light and yummy, the noodles were okay. I had one of the samosas and it was pretty good as well with the chutney dip that came along with it. We both also ordered the bahn mi sliders; I was able to only eat one because I was so full off the appetizers and trying a piece of my friend's Korean BBQ beef. She ordered her entree with brown rice and veggies. The beef was tender and flavorful, I'd recommend it. Our waitress wasn't warm, but she was fast and attentive. The prices though are a bit higher than they need to be. If they were knocked down a bit, I may go back.
(3)
Tom S.
Hey. Let's skip all the usual blah, blah, blah that even I type in a YELP resto review. Let's cut to the chase... This place is the Best Cheap Eats you're gonn'a find in a 500 mile radius. Bambie & me had lunch for $23. It was absolutely fabulous. Fresh flavors, best quality ingredients, yummy top to bottom. Generous portions for the price. Dining room hardly nicer than a cafeteria, but you will NOT care. 'Cause when you start chewing and swallowing you will be sooooo happy. 5 stars? Yeah.
(5)
Carol P.
It's La Bou housed in a smaller, cozier nook, with a more extensive menu. Food is good, but a bit pricey for Asian "street faire" (what it's toted as). But if you're used to eating at La Bou, then paying $10 or more for lunch is expected. Service was on the slow side, which surprised me, because on my second visit, I saw Mae Pham (owner) herself, getting busy in the kitchen. I thought she might be cracking a whip to get out orders. Wrong. This little restaurant is always busy, so if you don't have an hour for lunch, skip it or call for takeout. I tried a pork banh mi sandwich, the spicy thai chicken soup, and the Asian noodle salad. Delicious flavors. If I go here again, I will try the pork chop, served over rice or the jungle curry (veggie). It looked really really good.
(3)
Esmeralda H.
Just moved to East Sac, and thought I'd try Star Ginger. Took some friends there. Two of us had Thai BBQ chicken. Fantastic! Another friend had the kerala shrimp curry. She gave me a taste. It was so darned yummy that I went back the next evening and ordered that for dinner. Thai BBQ chicken is delicious, but not spicy. The kerala shrimp curry is definitely going to get your attention with the spiciness level, but in a good way. Both have wonderful and imaginative blendings of flavors and textures. SOOOO Good! Unlike some Asian restaurants, at Star Ginger the chili pepper icon indicating hotness really does mean something. Don't order anything with the chili icon next to it if you don't like spicy food. Yep! I'm a fan. Update: I find my self going to this restaurant quite frequently now. It's a gem! Great curries (love the green and the jungle curry) and the banh mi sandwiches are yummy. Sliced jalapeno tucked inside the sandwich gives it a fun little kick. Not too crazy about the pho, but hey, no big deal. Everything else that I have had there has been just terrific.
(4)
Sara W.
I really liked Star Ginger. We (husband, m-i-l, and I) came here on a Saturday night a few weeks ago and were immediately seated. Decor was modern and clean. We ordered the Sweet Potato Fries & Pork Sliders to start. Both were delicious-- especially loved the sauce w/the fries. For dinner, we ordered the Pad Thai, Thai Chicken Green Curry, and Thai BBQ Chicken. All were great, although next time I wouldn't order the Thai BBQ Chicken. Kind of bland. The curry was definitely my favorite (next to the sweet potato fries), spicy and flavorful... Yum! Portions were big. We had more than enough for the three of us, and leftovers fed us a huge dinner the next night. Service was quick and friendly. Only downside is the parking. Very small lot and spaces are very tight. We were lucky to find a spot, but there was plenty of street parking nearby. Will definitely return!
(4)
Charlie H.
Went there for lunch with my wife after we were running errands. First time going there and the gentlemen who took my order was so disengaged like we were actually irritating him by ordering. My wife and I ordered the thai barbecue chicken entree, it was bland and the salad was something you can pick up Raleys (Chinese chicken salad). Basically the environment is the only thing it had going for it excluding the help. They all seemed as if they wanted to be someplace else other than there waiting on customers. I'm sorry but we do not intend to go there again and I really would caution against going there without studying the menu first.
(2)
Christy M.
Star Ginger just didn't live up to my (possibly unrealistic) expectations. While I absolutely love the chicken salad rolls, which I developed a huge devotion for at the Lemon Grass at the airport, the beef banh mi was not on par with the price and tasted pretty dry. I believe I broke the $20 mark w/ my ice tea, banh mi with noodle salad, and coveted salad rolls. That is a bit high for lunch. I hate to complain without providing a recommendation, so my advice would be to offer a combo of the banh mi with the salad rolls (they have similar combos with other items). Hey, maybe even include ice tea or soda with the meal to really make it a decent lunch value. I'd pay about $12 for such an option easily.
(3)
erle h.
I have eaten here several times (24) and found the food and staff consistently good. I like the spicy chicken soup (variation of the traditional Tom kha coconut milk soup) and the sesame chicken salad. Both were tasty and fresh. The salad had great fresh greens and crispy noodles and a nice tangy dressing. The soup , for me, is an improvement on the original since the spice wakes up the mouth instead of lulling it to sleep with too much milky taste. They also have good regional beers on tap, at this time Truman pils is my fav
(4)
Kaye B.
I have eaten here 5 times now, all for lunch. The standout for me - two sandwiches. The Korean BBQ Niman Ranch beef, and the Thai BBQ chicken. They are very different, but both excellent, from the bread, to the meat, to the wonderful and plentiful crunchy veggies. Very reasonable prices, too. Try one of them, you will not be disappointed. Everything I have tried has been delicious, but now that I have tried these sandwiches I will be unable to pass them up on future visits.
(5)
Ryan S.
Decent place.
(3)
Scott F.
This place didn't blow my socks off. Super small parking lot with small parking spaces made for a not so fun entry. I ordered the banh mi combo with the noodle salad. Both tasted good, but not mind blowing, and it was a little expensive for what it was. After you order a soda it ends up being a little over $10.
(3)
Janice C.
Can't do zero stars. Walked in and just walked out after waiting a reasonable amount of time to have our order taken. No service beyond water and plates! Hello and good bye!
(1)
KaeRae Art C.
Banh mi sandwiches are the greatest. The bread roll is just the perfect amount of crunchiness - just crunchy, but not hard. It reminds me of a buying and eating a baguette in Paris.
(5)
Alex G.
I tried this place about a week ago, all I can say is that it was very......ok. There wasn't anything wrong with the food or decor, but the whole experience felt very generic. First of all, the interior. The place is very open inside, but it just feels like any generic Asian fusion-type place. Wooden tables, a few cloudy pieces of glass...I could have been just about anywhere. The food itself was fine, but not spectacular. I tried some sort of grilled lemon chicken. I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn't anything I couldn't make myself at home. My buddy said the same thing about his dish. On top of that, I felt that it was a bit overpriced for what it was. My dish was around $13.50 for the chicken and a side. I know it's a sit down place, but I didn't think what I got was worth the price I paid. I'd rather go to MaJong's and pay $8 for a larger plate of food. With that said, it's not to say I won't eat here again, it's just that there was nothing that stood out to me as being memorable or noteworthy.
(3)
Echosaisis C.
Its whitewashed asian food with prices to reflect and more attentive than usual asian servers. You'll enjoy the food here if you are not totally vegetarian. Servers not fast on refills though but once they saw me get up to walk over to refill myself, she was much much more attentive. The only white washed asian food 'fusion' restaurant that I've more than once and seen asian diners each time. (ate here awhile ago, review is a couple weeks late)
(2)
Sparky F.
Star Ginger opened in my neighborhood recently, it is a welcome addition. Great to have informal, high quality, Thai-Vietnamese food nearby. Portion size is large, taste packs a punch! Thai BBQ Chicken is awesome, it comes with a yellow curry sauce that lends a wonderful spicy but subtle sweetness. Gotta have the Sweet Potato Fries... Not a Pho person myself, I can only report from what I have heard from my Pho loving friends---the Pho is GREAT! My one gripe... They won't make a shrimp version of the fresh roll! Tips: if ordering for take out, call ahead of time... The parking lot is small for the customer base, so expect to roll a little bit for a spot if one is not immediately available The restaurant is accessible for my wheelchair using friends---THANK YOU! Enjoy!
(4)
Sally L.
Lately, this has been my go-to place for several reasons: 1) the food is fresh, delicious, and inexpensive 2) the service is consistently good (I also like seeing the same faces); and it's only a short distance away from our house. I usually order the Buddha Roll (vegan). For $7.95, it's very fulfilling and comes with a side noodle salad. My boyfriend and I come here a lot for dinner. With two entrees and drinks (beer and wine), our bill is usually around $35. We're supposed to be eating only at restuarants that we have not been to, but we usually end up here because we know it won't disappoint. In fact, we're here now (again). I'm ordering the Pad Thai ($13.95) and he's ordering the Bahn Mi sandwich, which comes with fries and a beer for only $10. I highly recommend this place whether you're eating solo, with someone, or with a large group. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
(4)
Spring L.
Cheap is not the word to describe this place. Banh Mi for 3 times the price of what you can get on Stockton blvd. Thai food was about 2 bucks overpriced. Healthy and big portions though... so it wins in that aspect.
(3)
Noel H.
The best banh mi sandwiches I have had almost anywhere. I call ahead and swing in to pick it up. They have a dinner special with banh mi, beer & fries I think for something crazy like $8. Worth it!
(4)
C D.
Mediocre. The flavors were ehhhh.... OK, but my daughter's meal was accompanied by mushy white rice, while my husband and I had to crunch through our brown rice.
(2)
Amanda H.
New favorite lunch spot! I ordered the chicken green curry and was delighted by the combination of flavors, the spice level (which was accurate - medium was perfect for me), and the fresh ingredients (peas, zucchini, bamboo, good quality chicken, etc.). Lunch mate ordered the Thai chicken soup (reportedly delish) and chicken spring rolls to share. I'll order a different appetizer in the future to see what else they have, but it will be tough to depart from ordering the green curry again. I've been hunting for good Thai for a while, and I have finally found my go-to place. I should note though, this is more of a hybrid Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. The menu is relatively compact; you won't find all the standard Thai items on the menu. Incidentally the "jungle curry" is basically a yellow curry. Also - this place is vegetarian friendly.
(4)
Jessica T.
Star Ginger begins with the delicious flavors of thai and vietnamese food and then buffers it for easy consumption by the masses. There's nothing wrong with that but, personally, I like all the spices and big flavors. The portions are large but that actually works against them in my book. I was really hoping to try a couple of smaller items but other than a salad and salad rolls, everything comes in sizes for sharing and has the prices to match. I feel like Star Ginger is having a personality conflict. The fun logos and menu design, the interior of the restaurant, the sparse menu and lightly spiced food seem more in line with a cafeteria vibe. On the other hand, the menu full of entree sized portions and the ambitious wait staff (we had four servers during our two-person dinner) would be more in line with a higher end place if they had the atmosphere and the flavor. Star Ginger would be better served if they made an executive decision. There are two options that I see here: 1) More of a casual direction, stay with the "asian light" and offer lots of smaller items 2) Bite the bullet and be another Lemon Grass
(3)
jeremy t.
THis place is a disappointment. It's like an extension of La Bou Thai's menu. WHat I mean is that the selection is limited for lunch and dinner. The food does not standout. It could be so much better but lacks "je ne sais quoi". Parking is atrocious. The one thing it has for it is that it offers Niman Ranch meat.
(2)
Carla C.
Great lunch, pleasant efficient staff. Ordered a small Chicken Ginger Sesame salad which was wonderfully seasoned, fresh, filling and tasty. Nice!
(4)
Steve L.
With lineage straight through to the fabulous Lemon Grass restaurant on Munroe, it would be hard for Star Ginger to disappoint, and it doesn't. The same great pho as the LG Noodle Bar on Howe, and some other staples, as well - such as lemongrass chicken, pad Thai, and grilled pork. I've never had a bahn mi, although I've heard and read plenty about them at the shops in Little Saigon, where they are said to run $3 to $5. So I have a fundamental objection to paying the $6.95 price tag at Star Ginger. However, the restaurant is offering a special - bahn mi, beer and sweet potato fries for $10. It may just reel me in.
(4)
Rabbit K.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally talked my dude into giving it a shot. I wasn't terribly hungry and went for appetizers instead of an entree. My guy got a noodle dish that didn't look too spicy and the name of which i can not recall. We both underestimated. Both appetizers turned out to be rather large and i ended up leaving a bit fuller than i'd originally planned. The veggie samosas were tasty but difficult to eat, with a creamy coriander chutney that perfectly complimented the slightly spicy filling. The wrapper of the samosa was too crispy and fell apart when it was bitten, resulting in a bit of a mess. Buddha salad rolls were a bit easier to enjoy, filled with savory veggies and accompanied by a sweet and savory peanut sauce. I ended up forfeiting the sauce, though, to save my poor dining companion from his overly-spicy dinner. The server brought his plate with a little cup of Thai peppers in vinegar which i claimed instead. It turned out to be an excellent addition to the salad rolls. Good trade. My traded peanut sauce did help to calm the fire of my companion's meal, but not enough for him to fully enjoy it. He gave up with a burnt tongue and a tummy ache about halfway through and spent the rest of the evening in discomfort. Poor white boy. A little girl at a nearby table seemed to be having a similar problem and burst into loud, inconsolable tears when her food "bit back." Ginger ice cream, which we got to go and i ate a few hours later, was quite lovely. Overall, service was excellent and the restaurant itself is very clean and pleasant. It's a little pricey, and the food is a little trendy, but it's a great place for a casual date or a light dinner with friends from the office. Just be careful if you can't stand a little heat!
(4)
Chris L.
This is one of my favorite places for lunch. The offerings include an assortment of banh mi sandwiches, thai salads, curries, noodles, grilled food. By far, my favorite is the Korean BBQ Niman Ranch Beef Banh Mi. The beef is extremely tender and flavorful, while the pickled carrots/daikon add a tangy taste to the sandwich. The asian noodle salad, which available as a side to the sandwich or as a standalone dish, has got to be one of the best I've ever had, especially in Sacramento. The asian noodle salad uses buckwheat noodles, which gives it a soft, grainy texture, and the ginger-soy dressing is an excellent complement to the sandwich...or by itself. I had previously posted that they didn't have the sandwiches for dinner and I thought their dinner prices were a little bit expensive, but I guess now they have a $10 banh mi, beer, and sweet potato fries deal for dinner and a $30 dinner for two deal going on, so, uh...yeah...guess that shuts me up.
(5)
Jacqueline W.
Legit lunch spot. For about $6, to can get an inventive banh mi style sandwich that is fresh and flavorful, and the bread is awesome. That's cheaper than Mr. Pickles across the street. For $8.95 you can get it with your choice of amazing Thai chicken soup, Asian noodle salad, or addictive sweet potato fries. The menu at lunch is lovely, and priced perfectly, and the szervice is very good. Dinner is just ok. The prices are higher (if you're going to charge me $13 for a dish, then I will just go to PGR Thai noodle down the streeet and get it better for cheaper), there is no banh mi on the dinner menu, and the service can be very slow.
(4)
Christina M.
Decent food, good service! My fiancee and I went here during the dinner rush (7 pm) and we were one of the only people there. We ordered the samosas as an appetizer and they were delicious. He ordered the Banh Mi and Beer deal for $10 which was a great deal and the food was delicious. i ordered the Chicken Pho which was a mistake, I wish I had ordered the Banh Mi too. The chicken was not seasoned at all and it was flavorless overall. I did not get Sriracha because I'm a wimp when it comes to spice, but that may help with the flavor. We got a good amount of food and we had leftovers. Our waitress was nice and attentive; she knew what she was doing.
(3)
Allison W.
I stopped in to this place for the first time and really loved it. I was skeptical when I walked in on a Sunday and it was empty but ordered the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken sandwich. Five minutes later and I was munching on an amazing lunch! The food is like CPK gone Thai/sandwich deli. Loved it!
(5)
Joselyn W.
I don't know how good the food would have been. The waitress didn't take our order, but took the table that came after us right away. I will not be coming back for that kind of service.
(1)
Tanya S.
I really liked the style of this place but I wouldn't say it's the best Asian fusion. Very cool vibe though.
(3)
Priscilla G.
After reading a few of these other reviews, someone might be turned off by this place immediately. So I just want to remind you all that food doesn't have to be authentic to taste good and, you get what you pay for. Star Ginger is nothing like one of the many vietnamese or thai places in Sac, in fact I can't think of any place like it. It's clean, friendly, and cooked perfectly, with obviously good fresh ingredients. I agree with some comments that some of the food "lacks flavor", but both the chili pepper heat key and ability to customize your dish's spiciness-level gave me the distinct feeling that the owners are just catering to/dumbing down the flavor for the yuppie cash holders in the surrounding neighborhood. If it wasn't for the house kim-chi, I might have been disappointed, but it saved the day. PS. the bahn mi sliders are delicious and the ginger chunk ice cream is amazing!
(4)
Erin J.
So fresh and so delicious.I love it all. Pork bahn mi sliders the meat is so tasty I couldnt stop eating them. Accompanied by the Buddha Salad rolls, yum. Yellow curry is good. Try the Saigon beer, it's a good one. Table service staff is very friendly and the presentation is right on. I'll be a regular... especially since I work within a 2 block radius. Bike lock racks on the front East side of the bldg, for those of you peddling your way to grub.
Great for lunch. More expensive for dinner. You order and pay at the counter. They give you one of those wire-number-holding things to put on your table. Someone brings you your food. For lunch they offer a banh mi sandwich combo for $8.95. There's 5 different sandwiches with a choice of a side of Asian Noodle Salad, Spicy Thai Chicken Soup, or Sweet Potato Fries. Great deal, good food. I've also tried the Thai BBQ Chicken ($9.25 Lunch, $12.50 Dinner). Didn't care for it. Wouldn't order it again. For anything noted with a pepper-- it really means mildly spicy. They have the capacity to make it spicier.. if you request it. They also notate their Vegan options for some Vegan quick viewing. On another note, the owner bottles the sauces and has it available for you to buy. I just noticed it this last visit on the counter by their paper menus.. This eatery is a nice, casual, clean place with plenty of seating and a couple TVs. Located on Alhambra and Folsom with it's own parking. 4 stars (for lunch).
(4)
Logan J.
I've been here twice now; once for lunch and once for din and was underwhelmed both times. I REALLY wanted to like it because the concept is stellar but they simply don't deliver on it. First the good: The thai lemongrass beef salad was really tasty. Spicy, sweet, complex, beefy. Everything about it worked. Portions were small but a beef salad for $9 isn't bad. It wouldn't fill you up if that's all you ate though. The less good: This place is supposed to serve street food (ie cheap and fast) and it fails miserably in that respect. The food comes out SLOW. And you will not necessarily get to eat it at the same time as those you're eating with as they may get theirs 15 minutes later. And the food is expensive. A salad and entree for dinner will run you over $20. Pad thai is $14. Fried rice is $12. Pho is $11. And you can find tastier versions of all of these options for half the price within 3 miles.
(3)
Brandon W.
It's not very often I am in Sacramento. My first visit to Star Ginger was when a friend took us out there a few months ago for dinner. This dinner visit we ordered the new "Boon", which is a cold noodle salad with chicken and fresh vegetables. To me this was the best bet to eat on a hot day, very refreshing. We also had a repeat order of Banh Mi Sliders, Korean BBQ Beef and Lemongrass pork chops. All are great choices, eating family style I was able to attack everything. The new item we ordered was the Saigon Chicken Salad rolls. Very tasty and with the hoisin peanut sauce, excellent! I hope to be back in the area to try the other items such as the curries and other appetizers.
(5)
Melissa B.
I got the sandwich combo. Kurobuto pork w/ asian salad. The person at the counter wasnt too friendly. Not rude, but obviously not wanting to be at work and having to stand behind the register. Sandwich was good. I liked the veggies - super fresh. Meat was a lil fatty. Next time will ask to have fat cut off. Salad is decent, but everything was soft. Wish broccoli n veggies had some crunch to them.
(3)
Nicole L.
Ho hum. I was so excited at the thought of an awesome Vietnamese food place coming in only a few blocks from my house, but I was sorely disappointed. The spring rolls, and everything else, were overpriced. Good, but oversauced, overpriced, and unfortunately the soba noodle salad wasn't advertised as a side dish, which is a huge problem for people allergic to gluten/wheat. My best friend, pregnant and at 25 weeks, got a soda and chips, because her husband is Vietnamese and there was just nothing all that astonishing on the menu. I had hoped for better. Service was mediocre at best (no smile, no greeting), and the menu is meh. I'd rather cruise to Oakland/SF and get some real Vietnamese food, thanks.
(2)
Stephanie M.
Eh. Nice people, clean place, fast service, reasonable price for kid's menu. Chicken green curry used peas and squash and was bland. Not much chicken. I am usually in drooling bliss over green curry, but the veg were mushy and the flavor was off. The place is more expensive than it looks from the outside, and I'm thinking you could do better for the $.
(2)
Grace L.
I've enjoyed having Bahn Mi (Sandwich) for lunch and when it opened for dinner I have went there with some of my friends. The Restaurant is cozy and very clean. The mood at night was better then lunch I think. We ordered Pad thai, Singapore noodle, Shrimp Green Curry, and Korean BBQ. Pad Thai fresh and had clean taste compare to most Thai restaurant I've been to. Shrimp was very tender and juicy. Singapore noodle was also tastey and they use the Pad Thai noodle which I thought it was nice. Shrimp Curry had a very clean flavor and Korean BBQ was very Good. It melted in my mouth and it was just MMMM MMMMM GOOD. For the Dessert I had the Ginger Ice Cream and I have to say It was my first time having Ginger Ice cream ever and it was one of the most delicious ice cream I ever had. The ginger didn't over powered the sweetness of the ice cream at all and the ice cream wasn't too heavy and it just refreshes your mouth. I think I'm hooked on this flavor because I want more of it. Overall I think they don't use any MSG on any food So my stomach doesn't hurt after eating unlike most cheap asian restaurant use way too much MSG.
(5)
Parisanne C.
Update: Star Ginger has expanded its hours to include dinner and are open weekends. Still love the place! My faves are the Bahn mi sandwiches and I can't stay away from the sweet potato fries, also I love the Thai Barbecue chicken! They also have a great kids menu!
(4)
Jessica C.
Yum-mmm-my Here's my dealio - clean flavors, clean restaurant, smart thoughtful staff. These are the things that make me happy. And Star Ginger wins on all accounts. Just had dinner there with the Mister and enjoyed Thai Green Chicken Curry and Korean BBQ beef. The beef was cooked PERFECTLY. The curry was creamy and fresh. Vegetables were well spiced and cooked. The portions are very generous. We did the DInner for 2 for $30 and it was a lot of food. Next time we'll probably share an entree. Everything is cooked to order (which is why it tastes so good.) So if you're in a hurry, this isn't your joint. You really want to savor the flavors here. Staff was friendly and efficient. Our server check on us a few times and the other staff, because it was slow on a late Monday evening, kept busy cleaning, refilling sauces, and general maintenance. TIme to lean time to clean. I was very impressed. Thanks Star Ginger for some much needed soul food. We'll be back and bring friends.
(5)
Emily S.
I LOVE the pho! I get the chicken broth pho, no chicken, sub tofu. It's so good & flavorful. Just a small splash I siracha added & bomb. The veggie springs rolls are good too. And don't forget the sweet potato fries & siracha dip. It has never disappointed me.
(5)
Dane C.
Ate here for the first time last night, with the crew from Sac Footy and have to say that I loved it. The food was excellent and the staff were friendly and super helpful, which is exactly what you want when sitting down for a late night meal. My wallet $13.00 lighter (I had the Vietnamese Chicken Pho and a coke) and I left with happy taste buds and a full belly, so I consider it pretty good value Looking at what the others in our group had, there wasn't a single thing that didn't look pretty damn good This place is a new favourite!
(4)
lucy b.
My taste buds had been waiting for this. My husbands Banh Mi was amazing and as usual, I was jealous. While he offered me half... I could not be selfish and take it. Not my fault I'm a terrible orderer. He always chooses the best and leaves me to pick something else for sharing. My Asian Noodle Salad with chicken was uninspired. After my guy took a bite he said, "I don't think I have ever tasted blander asian food". Go with the Korean BBQ Banh Mi! Overall, everything was good. While my noodle salad was uninspired, I only use it as a delivery for chili sauce. The service could be better. I don't mind going for things myself but nothing is out in view and you have to go to the server area and ask for things over the wall, weird.
(3)
Renee M.
I've been wanting to try Star Ginger for quite awhile now, but my husband has been less enthusiastic. I should have let him dissuade me from this one. What was extra sucky is that it had such potential in my eyes. They serve pho! To go! Can't be beat! The smell upon entering was nice. The servers so sweet and helpful. The wait time not bad for a pickup order. And then it all fell apart. Or rather it all just sat there. Blandly so. First off.... um, this IS a NOODLE BAR, right? Why are there only four noodle dishes (not including the two pho's)? This place shoulda been wall to wall noodle. Noodles as far as the eye could see! Oodles of noodles! That's kinda what I was hoping for, anyway. My husband got the sliders and the samosas while I, ofcourse, got the aforementioned chicken pho. I'm amazed that with an ingrediants list that includes: Cilantro Pickled daikon Jalapenos Sriracha Aioli That the sliders could be so bland, but they were. The samosas were fine, but again bland. My pho was fine.... and bland. I doubt we'll be back to try any of the other dishes that look like they have so much promise, but will undoubtedly end in some kind of nondescript heartbreak. I think my husband's olfactory assessment once we got everything into the car of, "smells like fast food," is a pretty accurate way to sum up this experience.
(2)
Debbie C.
Supergood banh mi sandwiches and delicious curry. Everything is fresh and fresh-tasting. This is my go-to restaurant for lunch or a quick dinner.
(4)
Craig M.
#NAME?
(5)
Rick W.
What the Pho? Gotta love it! I picked up dinner to go Friday evening and was very impressed. The Salads and Pho travel well and were delicious. The owner was very helpful with coaching on how to reheat and serve the pho. Even though we ate several hours later the food was great.
(5)
Patrick S.
If quantity was my measure of a good dining experience, this review would be more positive. However, I need more out of a restaurant than a heaping pile of noodles, so this review will lean predictably negative. A $20 gift card finally got me out to try Star Ginger after driving by countless times. A friend and I split the Banh Mi sliders, which were the clear highlight of the meal. I've had better and I've had worse, but these mini-sandwiches were pretty good with a little bit of Sriracha. Entrees were the Jungle Curry and the Singaporean Noodles. The curry was way off. It was packed full of odd vegetables, though that wasn't a problem, really. The curry sauce just wasn't very good. The consistency was off as it was far too watery for my liking. The veggies wanted no part of the sauce as it would slide right through.The noodles were, well, large and heavy, lacking any discernible flavor. Sticky, too. The service was good. Well, the waitress was pretty. I get those two statements confused sometimes.
(2)
Ngoc T.
A co worker introduced me to Star Ginger. I ordered the beef banh mi with a side of sweet potato fries. Beef banh mi: delicious!!! I think the cabbage they put in the banh mi tasted a bit like kim chi, or maybe it was ??? But it was spicy and yummy. Sweet potato fries: I LOVE sweet potato. The fries was crunchy and it came with a spicy mayo sauce to dip in (kinda like the spicy mayo sauce at sushi restaurants), WOW. I would definitely come back to Star Ginger!
(4)
JJ H.
Praise the pho-king lord! I have found a place to enjoy pho without suffering the nauseating aftermath of MSG. All of their food contains No MSG. So maybe it's not as authentic as the pho you get on Stockton Blvd., but it tastes pretty good, you get the same fixings (basil, sprouts, chicken or beef, and all the condiments), and you can tell that it's cooked in a sanitary fashion. The menu did look a little pricey considering it's somewhat of an Americanized Asian restaurant, but the happy hour prices are great! $5 for pho and $4 for banh mi sandwiches. Happy Hour is 3-5pm Monday-Friday, so it's not the most convenient time if you have a typical work schedule.
(4)
Brianna T.
I came for the pho to cure my hangover. They use quality chicken in their pho, which seems harder to find these days. They have a big portion so be hungry! The parking is limited, but once you find a spot the food is delicious. The inside decor is so comforting and inviting. I will be back to try more dishes that I was eyeing as I was eating.
(5)
Julie C.
Star Ginger, you are still going strong. I came on a Sunday at lunch time and ordered the Korean BBQ Bahn Mi beef sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. This place still puts out amazing Bahn Mi sandwiches- juicy beef chunks, sliced cucumber, cilantro, shredded carrot, sweet pickled onion, kimchee, and a spicy red sauce on a crusty baguette. Wowza, an explosion of flavor in my mouth! I come for the delicious, value-priced food and stay for the chill ambiance in a beautiful location. Stay strong, Star Ginger, I know Ill be back.
(5)
Jonathan H.
Alright, round two post, just the facts and just one star. The truth is it isn't great. In fact this place is a complete waste of money for any Asian food you are looking for. I had the banh mi and it was uninspired. The banh mi was dull and boring. The soup had no flavour. The only positive thing I can say is that it has free refills on drinks. I won't be back and I'll be encouraging others to not try it. Save yourself the disappointment - go to South Sacramento for the real thing.
(1)
Melissa S.
Hungry and want Thai for lunch? This is the place closest to my office. Is it amazing? It is your favorite Thai place? Is this your go to Thai place? I love Thai food, but the only time I go here is during work. There are a few reason. I tried to bring my father here on the weekend and there was no parking. We drove around the block a few times and nothing. If you can't walk here or get a ride I suggest you pass. This place is perfect for the working class at lunch. You walk in stand in line, order, and pay. A quick meal. Tasty and perfect serving for one. If you are looking for a restaurant where you sit down and are served this is not the place. Happy Hours is great. They have some really good specials. They also have daily specials written on the white paper to the left of the cashier.
(4)
Michel H.
Been hunting for a good spot for kasoy closer to the grid and was a bit amazed when my bowl was presented to me and there was....yellow curry broth. Interesting. Not quite what I was expecting as I'm used to having the Mien version! But upon further research learned I'm the ignorant one. There are a few different versions of kasoy. In any case, I dropped in for a quick bite to eat and had the kasoy for a cool $8.25. Not too bad. Portions were fair and the soup came chock full with chicken, fresh egg noodles, snow peas, Napa cabbage, carrots, fried shallots, pickled mustard greens (totes surprised by that one), and lime wedges. The broth was adequate, but I had hoped for a bit more. Maybe it was the chicken and not the ground pork I'm used to, but in any case I wanted a bit more. The location is convenient but the parking is a bit of a headache. It's limited so it basically forces you to find a spot on the street -- you've been warned! The inside is conversely quite spacious. There's ample tables and the set up is such that you walk to the register, order and sit. I'm a fan. Service was great, the gentlemen at the cashier taking my order was knowledgable of the menu and very pleasant. The rest of the servers/runners were great about clearing the tables as folks were leaving and making sure you had everything you needed. Overall I thought this place was nice. I'll be back to try the bun thit nuong and/or the 2 for $25 dinner special. See my pics for additional details!
(3)
Michelle M.
After reading on YELP , I been passing this place for awhile and did not know it was actually connected with Mai Pham's Lemon Grass Restaurant. I like their Salad Rolls, Thai Kao Soi with Tofu and lemon Grass Chicken. The flavors are the same as I remembered from Lemon Grass Grill in La Bou and on a cold night order a huge bowl of Chicken Pho with noodle YUMMMY! At night night dinner is full service, the wait may be a little long but be patient your food will arrive to your table. Their menu is simple and also serve beers and wines. This location is on a corner with limited parking stalls. I will return during lunch time to try other items on the menu.
(3)
Charlotte S.
I actually really liked this place. The interior and exterior is really cute and its a good cute first date idea. Portions were good sized and the service was attentive. It was a good price for what you get. I had the pork banh mi and I enjoyed it, next time i'll probably try something with noodles as I heard they are good here.
(4)
Shyanne S.
It was a good experience. Modern atmosphere. Nice staff. I wasn't blown away by the customer service, but overall a great experience. Parking lott was small so plan to park elsewhere.
(4)
Jeremy D.
I craved soup one day and ate at Star Ginger. Their parking is limited and the neighbors don't like you parking in their lots so be careful. The service is standard with a little smile but no overwhelming feeling that they were glad I choose them over the nearby restaurants. Prices are as expected for a Thai restaurant. I ordered their Kao Soi soup. It was served fast and I made sure to mix it before the broth became cold. I liked the 6+ variety of vegetables they placed into the soup which made a simple dish seem complex. The broth was good and had coconut milk. The overall experience felt average and I'll be back when it's convenient.
(3)
Linda S.
Came here on a whim because my sister suggested it. I was intrigued by kao Soi because I'm mien and I don't see that typically on a menu outside of Stockton blvd. I asked the guy behind the counter and to my surprise he said its coconut curry with egg noodles. First thing that ran through my mind was kapoon but with egg noodles?? Doesn't quite make sense so I opted for chicken pho while the sissy got chicken curry over rice. The restaurant name had ginger in it, but instead of a hint of ginger, it was pretty pungent! Self explanatory I guess. They even serve two thin slices of ginger in my pho. I tried the chicken curry and wasn't a fan either. If I do come back it would be to try the kao soi.
(2)
Luigi D.
Had a wonderful meal. I had barbecue chicken it was on a bed of brown rice. Delicious salad. Had a glass of their Reisling, also good. Never here for dinner but will be back.
(4)
Martha T.
Fresh and tasty dishes, reasonably priced. Clean and modern decor, with plenty of room between tables. Courteous and prompt service. I've been there a few times and always enjoyed it. Went there last night and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.
(4)
Latda V.
Star Ginger is a cute restaurant located on Alhambra and Folsom. Parking is tough on a busy weekday but luckily I came on a holiday and yes, they were open. The BF and I ordered the beef pho and we split a pork banh mi sandwich. I always taste my broth first before adding anything and if the broth is good alone, I already know I will love my dish. I tasted the broth and I thought it was ok. The broth was a little on the sweeter side for my taste buds. I added hot sauce, hoisin, etc and made it to my liking, while still thinking it had a sweeter taste to it. I ate it all though because it was still good, just not how my mama makes it! :) I LOVED the pork banh mi! The bread was nice and crunchy and they loaded that sandwich with lots of pork. The pork was very tender loaded with a lot of flavors. The jalapenos and picked carrotts were all very fresh. I enjoyed the banh mi more than I did my pho. The restaurant is clean and that staff is nice. One of the workers in the back was singing so loud in Vietnamese. He probably didn't know what the whole restaurant could hear him, lol. It was funny! $11 for pho and $8 for a banh mi? Ouch!!! :(
(3)
Em L.
I had a great Banh Mi, tofu & mushroom style.
(4)
Fred B.
Really sub-par, mediocre at best.... The food is WAY overpriced!. The pad thai was $9? and was a super small portion. They also did not mix in the flavor enough so I had white-ish patches and black-ish patches where the flavor was, instead of that overall orange-ish color that pad thai normally has.... Also, the pork belly bahn mi was significantly sub-par.... They stuff it with veggies, and only put in a super small portion of meat... It was pretty much a veggie sandwhich instead of a pork sandwhich... If you are going to skimp on the meat, don't charge so much! Came during the daytime (lunch) and there were only 2 tables seated... Should have read that red-flag.... Summary: Pad thai not mixed well Pad thai portion is rationed significantly, and for $9! Bahn Mi pork seems to be a rare commodity here.... Look at "Julie C."'s picture of the Banh Mi and you see just how small the amount of meat is....
(1)
S T.
Pho with no MSG, yup Star Ginger. Can't find that anywhere else and the taste is very, very good. No cheap chicken either, pulled off the bone and used for their Pho. Again, you won't find that anywhere else either. Good service and fast! So thankful for Star Ginger for our Pho needs!
(5)
Malika H.
We arrived around 5:00 for an early dinner. The young man at the register handed us a menu but I guess dinner service includes being seated, which either he had forgotten or was not aware, as another staff member waved him off and led us to a table. The place had maybe four other small tables occupied at the time of our arrival on a Wednesday evening. It took a little while for the waiter to take our order. The menu seems small compared to the other Thai restaurants I've visited (well, I suppose this is just a "Asian" and not specifically "Thai" restaurant). I went with a simple tofu vegetable salad. The tofu was a little salty, as it was I believe sauteed. Other vegetable contents were carrot, green onion, red and green cabbage, iceberg lettuce. There were some crispy noodles and peanuts as well. I asked for lemon wedges as my "dressing" but was given limes. Not a big deal, but a minute detail that may or may not be considered. My friend ordered the pad thai and it looked rather limp and unseasoned, but I can't speak for the taste. I had considered the "Vietnamese spring rolls" but it seemed a little odd that iceberg lettuce is being put into them along with the bean sprouts. So maybe this place is good for the banh mi, which I'll have to try some other time. I'm not particularly interested in returning on my own, but if someone invited me to accompany them, I'd go along.
(3)
Margo R.
Wow, stopped by and picked up a Bahn Mi just before they closed. I think it was the spicy Korean? Was big, planned to eat half, just polished off every single bite! The combination of flavorful meat, kimchi, and crispy veggies in crusty bread was wonderful. Price was very reasonable, too. I've got to go back and try the others!
(4)
Georgia B.
I love this place. I get Pad Thai every time I go! It's with shrimp and chicken and all these other goodies
(4)
Tiffany N.
AmericanxAsian fusion that leaves a lot to be desired. I came here before class with a friend to grab a quick bite to each before 3 grueling hours of lecture. We walked in at around 4:45 and there was no one at the register. It's an order then sit kind of place unless it's dinner time. When someone finally came to the front we opted for the dinner menu and were shown to some seats. The dinner menu includes everything on the lunch menu with the addition of pad si ew and a few other dishes. We decided to try the chicken springs rolls and I got the lemongrass "banh mi toasted sandwich" Sandwich toasted sandwich...I try really hard not to nitpick but this really bothers me. BANH MI means sandwich. So a banh mi sandwich is a sandwich sandwich and it's really got to stop. But, I digress. The spring rolls come with a side of pan fried noodles and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce comes with a bit of hot sauce on top which is great for me but would've been a nice heads up in case I didn't like to eat spicy foods. The spring rolls had chicken, iceberg lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, and a mint leaf. It was all right...but I'm not a big fan of shoving random items in rice paper and calling it a spring roll. My banh mi was good. The baguette was nice and cripsy and the chicken had a really good flavor. Too much pickled carrots and dikon for my liking and where is that delicious Vietnamese butter?! The sriracha aioli was great but I wanted a little bit of authenticity. For the price we paid it definitely wasn't worh it.
(3)
Indiana W.
I enjoy eating here. I also enjoy getting take-out here. It is not the most memorable or authentic food ever, but it is a very solid effort with some really tasty dishes. Favorites: Bahn Mi with sweet potato fries.
(4)
Gabrielle A.
Food is good, service is poor. Skinny bus boy/girl very unfriendly and rude to customers.
Really good and there are eight vegan items on the menu. The boyfriend and I got a $30 dinner for two meal with salad rolls, Jungle Curry, Pad Thai, and a couple Iced Mango Teas. The spring rolls had a gingery peanut sauce that was awesome and my curry had a ton of flavor. We will definitely be back.
(5)
Megan B.
Went here with a group of coworkers for lunch, and was really pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Korean BBQ Banh Mi which was pretty amazing. Their Asian Noodle Salad is also really tasty, and I've been told that the aioli that accompanies their sweet potato fries is to die for. Out of 10 of us, only 1 person didn't like their food, as the Banh Mi comes with jalapenos on it, and she hates them. However, she did love the fries, so I suppose that one is a wash.
(5)
Patrice D.
Went here with a friend who accused me of missing out on certain good places just because they don't have the Yelp reviews I require. I humored him by going. I got the Jungle Curry which was a yellow curry with vegetables and tofu. It was pretty good, but it was something I frequently and easily make at home. So, good but not that impressive. My friend got a banh mi. I forget what kind of meat he chose. He said it was good. The staff was really nice, I thought. Parking sucked. I wouldn't necessarily come back, but if I couldn't find anywhere else, this wouldn't be too bad a choice.
(3)
Lauren S.
Good food! I had the Asian sesame chicken salad -super tasty! And my friend had the Asian noodle salad with tofu- she loved it! And we shared sweet potato fries. Sriracha aioli was good mmmm The servers were super friendly and helpful. They even offered to get my baby water and a paper plate. Very sweet! It was a little noisy, but to be expected for a Friday night.
(4)
Dala A.
I called ahead and order their pork banh mi lunch special with a side of noodle salad. They said that it would be ready once I got there (which it was and waiting for me on the shelf to the right past the entrance). The baguette was nice and crispy and the pork was very tender. The only issue I have is that it didn't have pate. Its just not the same without pate. I'll eat here again if I'm on a time constraint, otherwise, I'll head to South Sac for the real deal.
3/5 stars because, while I liked it well enough, I don't really know what I'm talking about. This was the first Vietnamese sandwich I've ever eaten, so I have no frame of reference other than sandwiches I've eaten that were not of the Vietnamese variety. I ordered the sandwich and soup combo with the Thai BBQ Chicken sandwich and Spicy Thai Chicken soup. I thought the combo meant a half sandwich and bowl of soup, but it turns out it is a full sandwich - aka too much food for one person, but reasonable for $8. The sandwich ingredients seemed fresh and were flavorful, but everything was arranged so each time you took a bite you got bread and one other ingredient. This happens with burritos sometimes too. So the bites of bread/chicken, bread/carrot, bread/daikon, etc. were good, but I'd like to see the sandwich contents layered better. The soup is basically the same one they have at La Bou, but it was good. I could see myself returning to satisfy a craving for the Spicy Thai soup. The service was friendly but the food took a while to come out even though we were the only people there. I wasn't super impressed, but I also wasn't disappointed. I bet I'll be back. I'm interested in trying some of their wraps and noodle dishes.
(3)
J B.
Had the Thai BBQ chicken bahn mi. Im not well versed in traditional bahn mi, but this sandwich made my belly and tastes buds VERY happy! Also tried the different noodle salads, all were great. I imagine this is incredibly Americanized Asian food-was still very pleased though. All veggies still had some fresh bite left to em!
(4)
Phil B.
The Jungle Curry is to die for, especially if you are a vegan like me. Service was super fast. Veggies were fresh. Curry sauce was flavorful and mildly spicy. Big servings. Inexpensive too. I will be a regular here.
(5)
Nahleen C.
Our first time at a fusion restaurant and totally not what we expected. Ordered a khao soi and it was more like a ka poon. The green curry was alright. We're never in the area so we probably wouldn't come back.
(2)
Terry S.
Great food, awful music! We were sitting there eating wishing the horrible jazz elevator music would stop! Please put on classical or something else, maybe coffee house music, Folk, just not this big band awful stuff. We had the Jungle Curry, a vegan soup with rice noodles vs egg noodles and spring rolls. All were Yum!
(3)
Kelsey B.
This food here is amazing! Its super delicious noodles make me feel as if I'd died and gone to heaven! Thank you Star Ginger got stealing my heart and making my taste buds happy!
(5)
Mel L.
We tried this place out one lazy afternoon. I don't know if the AC was down or what, but it was quite warm in there, and the multiple fans were blowing full blast. It wasn't a deal breaker though, and we were seated right away. We started out with a plate of sweet potato fries with Sriracha aioli, and they were crisp, fluffy and delicious. That aioli would be good on literally anything! We then moved on to the kurobuta pork banh mi, which was quite good, and was even better with some of that wonderful aioli. We also ordered the shrimp fried rice, which was great too (jasmine rice with shrimp, Chinese sausage, bok choy, green onions, chili lime sauce) We finished this meal with coconut ice cream (made from Gunthers). I was too full to get my usual Thai iced tea, but I will next time. Service was attentive as well.
(4)
Carrie G.
I dined at Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar one evening midweek and found the place to be really bright and conveniently located... Pros: Decor, good food-the Pho is better than the Pad Thai to me-and decent wait staff. Cons- The bathroom could be cleaner with a better variety of beverages. Will go back...
(4)
B P.
Great food for a healthy diet! Chicken breast is tender and juicy. Salad and dressing is fresh and light. Brown rice is soft and fluffy not crunchy. A fantastic healthy lunch with tons of flavor!
(5)
Christina S.
Awesome location, right where I work! They have great lunch specials from 3-5pm! I often time opt for one of their delicious $5 bowls! It's one of my favorite places to get Phó in town! Delicious, warm & toasty, and full of magical, cold busting abilities! Always come here when I am feeling under the weather or have a cold! Love love love it! :-)
(5)
Colette S.
LOVE the food here. Staff is friendly and place is clean. Food is exceptional
(5)
Sam O.
Good is good and consistent. I eat here often. Take out is convenient. Parking can get crowded.
(5)
Helen L.
This isn't your typical viet/thai restaurant but I like it because they use fresh ingredients and everything tastes really healthy. Also they have a lot of vegetarian friendly options. I like the jungle curry, kao soi (curry noodle soup) and buddah rolls. Their chicken banh mi sandwiches are good too and are not overly salty and the bread isn't hard. The staff is nice and friendly. I like the building too because it's warm and they let in a lot of direct sunlight.
(4)
Shakira C.
Love it. Great food without feeling guilty and gross about what you just ate. Speedy service.The Thai BBQ chicken came with yellow curry sauce and it was amazing. The sauce was good and not heavy. I like that they have the option for brown rice. The peanut sauce that comes with the salad rolls is also very good. The salad rolls also come with a little bit of cold noodles that are flavored very well. Overall, I enjoyed the food a lot and will definitely be back to try more things.
(4)
Aaron L.
Extremely disappointed that I didn't start coming here sooner. I love pho, an I've gone to multiple places around town to try but since I tried it here haven't gone back to the others. Their Banh Mi is legit but the beef Pho has amazing broth flavor!
(5)
Rynel V.
Customer Service: Came here on a Friday at 230pm. The guy who took our order was rude. We ordered multiple items just to try them out, & he said, "Is this all for you? It's a lot of food." Really? This is my first time here and that was a rude remark. You should be happy you're getting business with only 4 other parties before us arriving. Food: - Coconut water was actually decent for being half full then filled the rest of the way with ice. - Jungle Curry has a good flavor. Big chunks of tofu. - According to my friend, the Green Curry with chicken was good, brown rice seemed dry. - The Pad Thai with shrimp lacks flavor & is kind if dry.
(3)
Mike O.
The killer decor is what makes this place - they have these things on the wall, these pieces of metal with shapes carved into them, and one has a cup of coffee and a piece of cake and a pineapple and it's like my life is up there on the wall. Crazy. As for the food? It's ok. I am partial to the lemongrass chicken sandwich - full of crunchy vegetables and chicken and a taste that sneaks up on you. All in all, not bad.
(3)
Mindy Y.
You are too good to be true... Oh, gosh... Star Ginger... you are my STAR! Now, where do I start? Okay... focusss... focuss... let's break it down! VENUE: clean and nice! 5 stars. A good place to take your girl on a date. SERVICE: super nice server girls and boys... they even took photos for us! 5 stars! FOOD: ready? Here's what we got, (1) Beef Salad: something quite different.. the salad dressing... delish! Lemon-y and salty-sweet. Love it! 5 stars. (2) Lemongrass Chicken with rice: love, love the chicken... soaked in lemongrass and peppers! Drizzle some fish sauce on the salad and rice... now, heavennnn is calling! 4 stars. (3) Banh Mi: not much of a fan of this banh mi here... but still good! 3 stars! (4) GINGER ICE-CREAM: NO LIE! A MUST GET! Chunks of little ginger in your ice-cream and drizzle, drizzle some ginger juice... mmmmm! 5 stars and beyond! DRINKS: Totally cool Buddha drink! Keep the bottle too! A nice home decor! **OVERALL: Get the ginger ice-cream... a MUST! 4 stars overall!
(4)
nichole d.
Great lunch and dinner specials, great service, fast service and with ample parking. Great place to go for lunch or dinner
(4)
Maggie C.
Only 3 1/2 stars? People have not tried their banh mi. I love their spicy beef banh mi with soup. Its my favorite and I love saving half for later. The spicy sauce soaks into the bread for some flavorful yumminess. Makes my tummy rumble just thinking about it. I love food... Also they have a spicy salad my friend always orders that makes your lips burn. Amazing...
(5)
Stephanie D.
I come to Star Ginger for one thing and one thing only....Spicy Thai Chicken Soup. I have it when I'm sick. I have it when I'm well. I have it all the time and it makes me feel swell. Ok, enough of that, but I do literally only order the soup...and sometimes a side of salad rolls...and a Thai iced tea. If you've had the Spicy Thai Chicken Soup at La Bou, this soup is similar, but it doesn't automatically come with bread. That is my only complaint. I would like free bread. However, the soup is so scrumptious that I could eat it everyday. I love the combo of rice, chicken, coconut milk, mushrooms, lemongrass, tomatoes...I'm drooling. It's got a nice kick to it too, which helps kill any cold bug you may be fighting. YUM! I have taken nibbles of my friend's sweet potato fries and the bahn mi sandwich. Both of those are also delicious and the prices are reasonable. The Star Ginger parking lot is far too small for its needs, but there's plenty next door in the old Good Eats lot until something else moves into that space. Overall, I always recommend Star Ginger when asked about eateries in East Sac. It's that good.
(5)
Dana J.
I was expecting greatness and to be quite frank, star ginger did not deliver. I have always driven by this place at night and it was always very alluring to me.. I don't know what it was but it always seemed so cool in there. I was right. Star ginger you were really cold. I wanted to leave cause it was so cold..it's the start of winter, come on put the heater on and stop being a cheapskate. It seems I haven't learned my lesson.. the best places for cultural food are the patchy hole in the walls, Not americanized wannabes. I have realized if u truly want good ethnic food you gotta get it at the mom and pop shops. I ordered pad Thai. Portion size was good and was tasty but just not the best. Ive had better pad Thai at my house and I'm not even Thai or asian to that extent. Come here if u are looking for so-so asian food. If u want the best Asian food, take a dive down Stockton blvd in south sac.
(2)
Jireh Magne T.
Very good good food! Fresh veggies, insanely perfect Korean bbq cooked with perfection!!
(5)
Kevin J.
Whenever I meet up with my wife for lunch on a Friday afternoon, this is her choice. We do pork Bahn Mi's to go. My other favorites here is the fried rice, bahn mi sliders, green curry, Korean BBQ Beef, half price pitchers, etc etc etc. Basically, I like it a lot. It's not my go to place for Thai/Vietnamese food, but when I'm hungry without any clear options, this place is the answer.
(4)
Sean A.
Best banh mi sandwiches around. I had the lemongrass chicken one and it was amazing.
(5)
Dung N.
An Americanized Asian Grill & Noodle Bar, hence, the prices. I don't mind paying a little more for my food---but only if it is worth it. The restaurant itself is cute, clean and spacious. Upon receiving the menu, there were immediate bonus points for not only offering white rice, but brown rice as well! I remember specifically why I wanted to come here, and it was to try the 'toasted banh mi sliders'. They are pretty much miniature versions of the regular Vietnamese sandwiches but with a little twist. It was my first time having it this way, and aside from the lovely presentation, it was actually pretty tasty. I was unsure about a couple of the items, so I decided to play it safe and ordered the 'thai chicken green curry'. It was meh. Nothing special, but given the price ($11.50), it should've stood out more.
(3)
Bia R.
Drum roll please....I may have found my favorite banh mi! It was close to 4pm on a particularly pretty Tuesday afternoon in Sacramento and I had the good fortune of being off work a teeny bit early. My ride was running a little late so I sent him a txt that I would stop into Star Ginger and pick up some banh mi sandwiches for us. I had noticed Star Ginger weeks ago and was waiting for the right time to try those sandwiches..the ones that I had been drooling over on their website! As I walked in the door, wonderful aromas of grilled meats wafted through the very clean and crisp dining area. The front counter person greeted me almost instantly with a pleasant smile. I was staring up at the vibrant menu display and mentioned that I had not been in there before but wanted to order some food to go. He handed me the paper menu and mentioned that it might be easier to pick things from there. I was excited to see the variety of banh mi sandwiches so I ordered the grilled lemongrass chicken, Thai BBQ chicken and the Korean BBQ beef with kimchee. As I waited for my banh mi, I enjoyed a happy hour glass of pinot for $4. The sandwiches were ready before I finished my wine. It was so tempting to just tear them open and devour them in the car as we drove home amidst inhalations of yumminess from the Star Ginger bag. The verdict: The sandwiches are definitely prepared fresh and it is obvious they are made with care and are true to the menu description. They do deserve to be described as "handcrafted." Each banh mi baguette is toasty goodness with generous amounts of grilled seasoned meats, cucumber, cilantro, house pickled daikon and carrots, thin jalapeños and the perfect Siracha aioli kick! Each banh mi had a distinctive flavor. The lemongrass chicken was fragrant and packed a ginger punch. The Thai BBQ chicken was seasoned with a spicy-ness that did a little dance on my tongue. The Korean BBQ beef with kimchee...to die for! Good balance, unique flavors and most of all, excellent value for the price. I definitely have to go back and enjoy more of their menu, especially the happy hour prices! Adding some pics!
(5)
Miggy T.
Not impressed. Had thai chicken with brown rice and salad. Chicken was just okay, brown rice was dry with no flavor and salad or what they called a salad was subpar.
(1)
Joyce Z.
Stopped by here on the way back from a Reno daytrip a few weeks back and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a spring special - dinner for 2 for about $35 or less. This came with a shared appetizer which we got the saigon chicken salad roll (soft Vietnamese spring roll) delicious with the hoisin peanut dipping sauce and served with a soy sauced soaked rice noodle that reminds me of soba noodles. For a few dollars more, we did the Korean BBQ beef for 1 entree since we enjoyed it so much last time and the lemongrass pork chops which I thought was more flavorful than the lemongrass chicken we had last time. Two drinks also came with the spring special. Since there were 3 of us, we also ordered the korabuta pork banh mi sliders since it was such a hit last time and I love how it's served up on a freshly baked brioche roll which I believe Mai gets from a local bakery. For the third "entree", we did the bun noodle bowl with chicken. The cold rice noodles are the unsoaked version of the ones that came with the salad roll so very smooth and complements very well with the light sauce you pour over it. We enjoyed everything and the food was a hit with everyone. Times like this, I wish I lived closer to Sac.
(5)
Wolf W.
Food is okay but what made me give up on this place was the service. I regularly went to Star Ginger for takeout--about once a week. About 50% of the time I got home and found my order was wrong. It was such a hassle to have to open & check my takeout before I left the restaurant that I just stopped going there. The food/menu is simply not compelling enough to put up with their repetitive mistakes. Moreover, the total apathy of the staff made it easy to stop patronizing Star Ginger.
(2)
Stacy G.
We met some friends here for dinner tonight and enjoyed it. We got to try several items since we had a group and shared the chicken spring rolls (came with a noodle salad on the side), Korean BBQ beef banh mi (came with sweet potato fries and aioli sauce), the samosas, and the ginger chunk ice cream with ginger caramel sauce. I really enjoyed all of it, but the banh mi was outstanding - I loved how the meat was slightly crispy and flavorful, the bread was perfect, and the veggies crisp and fresh. The ginger ice cream sundae was very interesting, with chunks of candied ginger and a bold ginger flavor that you might expect. (Possibly obvious but still going to say it: Serious ginger lovers only.) The place wasn't too crowded or noisy and was a nice, casual spot to meet up with friends. Prices were reasonable I thought and the ingredients noticeably fresh and flavorful. I'd describe the menu as pan-South Asian; lots of vegetarian options here. Enjoyed our meal!
(4)
Ashlee S.
I loved the pad see ew and green chicken curry. I also ordered the beef pho, but I wasn't very impressed with it. However, my boyfriend really liked it. This place was pretty fast, and staff was friendly. I'd go back agin.
(4)
Duane H.
Tried this place after a recent review. Had the Pho and while it was ok (chicken based) it didn't knock my socks off. It just didn't.
(3)
Patrick M.
I have to say this really isn't a type of place I would normally go to after I walked in and found out what it was. In fact I was kind of hoping it was either going to be a ramen type place or a mongo grill type thing. Sadly it was not. The menu itself I suppose was alright. I myself am not much of a vegetable eater so for a place that is really veggie heavy and I would even say geared towards vegetarians a bit. So I placed my order and had to request a bunch of things cut out to make it edible enough for my tastes. Obviously annoying the staff in the process. It did seem to take awhile to get my food out and I fear as to why it took so long. My wife was very happy with her food and really enjoyed ll of the vegetables because that's her thing. I will say the thing that I found to be awesome was that you can have them make your food 1-2-3 pepper spicy to give it a little kick. I wish they had some more meat heavy dishes. I will say if I had it my way I would not come back again, but I'm sure my better half will want to return so I'll be back. It's definitely a place to go if you love vegetables though so check it out.
(3)
Julie L.
Had dinner fare tonight...OMG amazing! I stand corrected on my prior review...I discovered at dinner time, they seat you, then come and take your order. The staff were friendly, service was awesome, and the food was some of the best I've had on a LONG time! I can't wait to dine again! Wish I lived closer! I just found my new favorite place!
(5)
Summer O.
Really like this place! I had the small sesame ginger chicken salad and my mom had the lemongrass chicken entree. Both were excellent! Service was quick, the staff was pleasant and the price was reasonable. Would recommend this place for lunch!
(5)
Kristen W.
I had the beef pho but I was a little disappointed. The broth wasn't that flavorful and was a little watered down. My friend had the chicken pho which had a better flavor. I am willing to try this place again as I hear some other dishes are very good, will update at the next time!
(3)
Amjad S.
A really good place to eat excellent food... the price was good so the customer service as well.
(5)
Shelly C.
Great restaurant! Clean quit and friendly. Food is excellent. 1 disappointment is the bahn mi sandwich is awesome but very dry. However they have this great orange dipping sauce and if you put that on sandwich its perfect! I will definitely visit again.
(5)
Steph G.
Star Ginger you're my only friend ;) I am so in love with this place, so please continue to read with that knowledge. I am a true, die-hard La Bou fan so of course when this opened I had to try it. Not only does it have a few of the yummy dishes from the La Bou/Lemongrass on Howe, but it has a few more dishes - i.e. Pad Thai, Lemon Grass Pork, etc. As a lover of vegetarian foods and tofu, albeit not a vegetarian - I love me some Pad Si Ew (with tofu and mushrooms, minus the mushrooms). The lemongrass pork is delish and their brown rice is on point, not dry and hard like many other places. Their salad does not disappoint, and their Samosa's are always how we start our meal (they are kind of spicy, but I am know to be a very poor judge of spiciness). Sadly, I have to admit that desert is probably close to my favorite dish. It is probably embedded in my DNA that I am supposed to love coconut, but their three scoops of coconut ice cream is amazing. I've been told its Gunther's brand ice cream, its creamy with tons of actual coconut flakes. They also have a specially-made-for-Star Ginger Ginger ice cream. I not very partial to Ginger, so I think it is only "okay." The Carmel that is drizzled on top makes it much more bearable, however - most of the friends I've gone with have been in love. Pricing is similar to La Bou - not cheap, but doesn't break the bank. For five girls, with two drinks, two appetizers, and four plates we spent $100. Yum! All this reminiscing makes me want some :)
(4)
Joe M.
I did enjoy this place. We went on a Friday night around 7pm. It was about half full and we were seated immediately after walking in. Our server was very polite and kept the waters topped off as we waited for the food we ordered. We had decided on a coupon date night of a dinner for two for $30. It was worth it. 3 courses. We decided to try... * Buddha Salad Rolls * Pad Thai * Kerala Shrimp Curry. All 3 were included in the $30 deal. Very generous portions. We wound up walking out of there with half the food we ordered and full stomachs. All and all, I enjoyed it. I give it a solid 4.
(4)
Amber K.
Meh... wasn't really impressed. Love the fun interior but it kind of stopped there. I felt I was tasting more sugar than should be necessary for a vegetable Banh mi and also the Asian noodle salad. Also, I was expecting a sriracha aioli on my sandwich as was depicted on the menu but didn't taste nor did I really see anything but what looked the color and consistency of white zinfandel on one side of the bread. Hmmm... If a friend of mine wanted to meet for lunch there then I'd suffer through it but I won't be going out of my way to eat at Star Ginger.
(2)
Victor H.
Gross, gross, gross! Cheap ingredients. C'mon, processed chicken? WTH! Ordered the Lemongrass chicken. When they brought it out, it looked like it was boiled white meat in a light soy sauce and barely thrown on the charbroiler, hence the very light grill marks. The flavor was gross. It tasted just like over boiled meat. It was dry and tough. This was absolutely the worse Lemongrass Chicken I've had anywhere and they had the nerve to call it that. Gross is an under-statement. Shame on you Mai Pham!
(1)
Lisa H.
This place used to be a Togo's, so the tiny parking lot is more suited to something like that. Star Ginger is a part of the Lemon Grass/La Bou family of restaurants and I would rate it somewhere between the two. It is still order at the counter, pick your own table and wait for your food to be delivered like La Bou, but there are more choices and most of them are Asian fusion like Lemon Grass. They have large digital menu boards, so I am assuming the menu may change between lunch and dinner. When I came here for lunch the choices were primarily bahn mi sandwiches, soups, noodles and salads. They had several combos and I chose one with a sandwich and a bowl of the thai chicken soup, just like the soup they have at La Bou. I love that soup, so I was happy to find it on the menu. The cashier asked if I wanted jalepenos on my sandwich or not, which was nice since the Vietnamese sandwich places in the south area don't usually ask. After selecting a table my food was brought out relatively quickly. All told I was in and out in half an hour, now that is service for a lunch hour! I chose a bahn mi with the grilled pork (and left the jalepenos on!), it is more expensive than your typical Vietnamese bahn mi, but it was also larger by about 25-30%. It was loaded with the pickled carrots and jicama, which are my favorite parts of a bahn mi. The pork was tender and the bread was your typical delicious La Bou baguettes. Slightly crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside. My soup was in a large bowl and for the $8.95 combo price I was very pleased with the size of everything. My only issue I had here was that I ordered a diet coke and they had an ice water jug set up for self-serve, but I did not realize that I would need to ask for a glass. When I first walked in there was no line, but after picking out my table and seeing that there were no glasses next to the ice water, there was a line nearly to the door. So I went without water. I am not sure why they don't have a supply of glasses, so that they don't have to distribute them, but just be aware of that if you want water in addition to whatever you order to drink.
(4)
Sasha R.
best pad Si ew (with pork) and great pho, had other entrees that were delish . best Asian fusion
(5)
Rosario F.
The food was yummy. People/workers are nice. Nice environment. Clean and looks nice inside. Parking is awful though. Its limited and not a lot of food choices but I will come again though :)
(4)
Hyatt S.
Offering affordably priced dishes inspired by the street foods of Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, Star Ginger is owned by Mai Pham of Lemon Grass Restaurant. The contemporary, sun-splashed interior has lots of wood, warm soothing colors, and there's a roomy community table for single diners and people who like to socialize. The slow-roasted Kurobuta pork banh mi is spectacular, and the vegetarian Jungle Curry is made with lovely fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and big blocks of tofu. At $5 the spicy Thai chicken soup is a bargain.
(3)
Anna H.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!! The food here is gross! I don't get why anyone would give this place 3 1/2 stars. If I could give it a negative 5 I would. Yuck! I had their shrimp spring rolls and some shrimp curry my first visit, which tasted like nothing I've ever had before. Very unique flavor that was not agreeing with my taste buds. I could not even swallow the first bite that's how bad it was. And the shrimp curry was bland. Hardly any shrimp. I tried giving it another go. Hoping that maybe I just had an awful first experience. I tried their pho. That was basically water with noodles and beef. No flavor! So yes. This place has earned it's name on my " Do not try again" list.
(1)
James N.
I didn't like anything here LOL! My drink sucked. My Singaporean Noddle thing was ehhhhh.. Too expensive for how it taste! It wasn't disgusting but man it was not worth it stopping by here for food. Should have yelped becfore I came. Turns out my sisters been here. Should have read her review. McDonalds it is next time I'm in Sactown! 2 Stars! Don't come here!!!!
(2)
A X.
Not sure what happened with all the hype about this place when it first opened.. Now this place just seems like a typical Vietnamese restaurant.. Plus.. There are flies in their restaurant! And using fans inside?? What's up with the AC? Pad thai is awesome tho.
(3)
Mary B.
The food here is definitely Americanized Asian ( Thai, Vietnamese) food, so it has the fusion appeal that some may like, but others may be turned off by depending on your preferences. I liked my soup even though it was different than what I'm used, but it was flavorful. I didn't enjoy the Pad Thai though since it is one thing I am picky about. When you walk in, you order as if you are at a fast food counter, but you are given a number and find a table where a waiter or waitress later brings you your food. Inside the restaurant, it's very clean and casual. I like the fact that it shows what is gluten free on the menu (very progressive) too. If you don't mind Americanized/fusion Thai or Vietnamese Asian food, then you might like the food here!
(4)
Miss D.
I tried to 'call in' an order at 11:15 am today and was placed on hold for 4 1/2 mins. When they picked up they said that if I was to place an order for 'pick up' then it wouldnt be ready for an HOUR! Whats the point in calling in an order? I've gone twice before and , although the fries and sandwiches are good, I would much rather spend my $10-$15 at LaBou or next door at Good Eats where the service (and parking) is WAY better than this place!!! Mai Pham, the owner, needs to realize that *good customer service* is EVERYTHING!
(1)
jesse k.
Star Ginger just opened yesterday 1/25/11. Wonderful Asian street inspired food. Plenty of options for a vegetarian like me. Just open for lunch at the moment, I am sure dinner hours will soon follow. Very nice atmosphere, you order at the counter and your food is brought out to you, open style kitchen I had the vegan Buddha rolls which came with a tangy peanut hoisin sauce. Very satisfying I also had the Tofu Noodle bowl..excellent flavor and presentation Definitely worth a visit and a great addition to the midtown/east sac food scene
(4)
Marion I.
I love this place, Sacramento is lucky to have a chef who is this creative. On my second visit today I had the Korean Beef sandwich, it is fabulous, period. For those who talk about having a Banh Mi sandwich way cheaper at some of the Vietnamese sandwich places, I agree with you, however this is a step up, so get your Banh Mi when you go to those places and love it, but when you come here enjoy the difference and the creativity and just stop griping. I have been on a search for the perfect Pad Se You (sp?) in town and have found two, one of them being at the Boon Boon Cafe and the other here at Star Ginger. I base my search on some of the dishes I had in Thailand and in Malaysia last year and this place has got the street food flavors down and takes it all up a notch. I have yet to have the Ginger Ice cream for desert but tasted it from a friends plate, all I have to say is "Yummy". Star Ginger has earned a place in my heart. I will be back.....
(5)
Christopher G.
I ordered To go 3 of the main vegan dishes they tasted good but I found roasted pork pad si ew tofu and mushroom and a piece of plastic in the jungle curry. I really don't know what the proper stars for this restaurant would be. I ordered at 6:12 PM today.
(2)
Jason M.
Star Ginger is a welcome addition to Sacramento's diverse restaurant scene. It offers varied tastes and high-quality ingredients that are not too overpowering. We dined on: - Saigon [Chicken] Salad Rolls - Thai BBQ Chicken - Grilled Lemongrass Chicken - Steamed Rice Despite the different tastes, everything in our order blended well and tasted very good. Star Ginger's atmosphere is casual, but the restaurant is nicely appointed with decor that is reminiscent of West Elm. The restaurant seating is functional and comfortable, but not designed for a long dining experience; you can get in, order, dine, and get out in about an hour ... or less if you eat quickly. I'd gladly toggle between Star Ginger and for Ma Jong's for Asia-Pacific/Americanized cuisine.
(4)
Swami L.
Decent thai chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries, but a bit skimpy on the meat and overpriced at 9 dollars.
(3)
Andrea T.
Had the singapore noodles, it was okay. Something was missing but I just couldn't figure out what?! Had some of my friend's pad thai, which was pretty good. Had the mango tea, which had barely any mango flavor at all. Like how they put veggies in their noodles & the ambiance of the restaurant and decors are pretty bold. Prices are a tad much but forgot, it is Asian-Fusion cuisine & located in downtown so it's quite reasonable.
(3)
Lizzy B.
Yep, it's all about the banh mi! Don't bother ordering anything else.
(3)
Steve S.
Wow what a let down. Like everyone else, I was excited to have a noodle joint withing walking distance to my office. I understand that its suppose to be an upscale place and it's not on Stockton Blvd but $6 for Banh Mi really, $9 bucks for chicken over rice with a small napa cabbage salad. On the day I went the place was very busy. I am glad I did not have to park in that small lot, I dont know how people can get in and out of their cars as they were parked so close to each other. Overall I saw lots of people enjoying their expensive Asian food with spoons and forks, thats enough to keep me away. 2 stars for the overpriced food, and 1 star for sticking it to the man. That's my story..
(3)
Mandie F.
This place would get 4 stars if it wasn't for the price. I have been here a couple of times now, and the food is tasty (especially the vegetarian bahn mi -- though a little small) but not cheap. The dinner menu is different from the lunch menu, and you can get curries and such. It's okay, but unless it gets any cheaper there is no reason for me to cheat on Bangkok @12. Might come back for the bahn mi though.
(3)
Helen C.
I love the ambiance and the modernized decor. Food display was also neat. The food itself was just O-kay. I do like the fact they they give you big portions. Between two people with two dishes, I had some left to take home. I guess the big portions comes with the premium pricing for each dish. I've been there twice and both times I stuck to my "safe" dish - Pad Si Ew with beef. Tasted great both times, beef was soft and savory and the greens was Chinese broccoli. A few Yelpers recommended the sweet potato fries so I ordered it - wasn't not impressed. We also ordered Thai Lemongrass Chicken and to tell you the truth, I make better lemon grass chicken. There was minimal lemon grass aroma to this dish. There was nothing Thai in this Thai Lemongrass Chicken dish. Service was great, my water never went empty. Overall, this place deserves 3 stars for food. Ambiance and decor deserves 4 stars.
(3)
Katie S.
My husband and I stopped in for lunch this week. He had the green curry with chicken and I went for the veggie banh mi sandwich. I enjoyed my sandwich. The mushrooms were sauteed and served with veggies and a Sriracha aioli. The roll was nice and crunchy on the outside and warm and soft inside. I did think the completely out of season raw zucchini spears on the sandwich were disappointing and didn't really add anything to the sandwich (besides bulk). My husband's curry was less exciting. Not super spicy and it could have used a few more veggies. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that great for the price.
(3)
Dan F.
Finally had a chance to try this place last week and was really impressed with the food. We had two bahn mi combos. One pork and one beef. The pork was a little mushy but tasted ok. The beef was delicious and the bread was perfect. For our sides we had sweet potato fries(quite good) and spicy chicken soup(good not great). The prices are good and it's a fairly comfortable dining room. My only issue was with the style of service. Not sure what dinner is like, but at lunch you order at the counter and they bring the food out for you. Then we had to ask for water, then for napkins, and finally again for silverware and Sriracha. I'm totally okay with counter service. But you need to put out silver and napkins for people to get themselves. Also, there was a big water pitcher but no glasses... am I supposed to ask for a glass then get it myself? The busser/server was very polite and got everything we needed, but it seems like by not providing these things they are actually making their jobs more difficult. PS: I really hate the new trend of not giving people water or even offering it. People want water with food. It's what humans live off of.
(4)
Patrick W.
It's the pricing stupid: This is not a one $ place, so someone needs to change that. 10.95$ for Beef Pho. I guess it's my bad for paying that. Was it good? Yeah. Was it better than the places on Stockton Blvd. that charge 5.50$ for a bowl twice as big? No. I liked it ok, but there was something off in the broth. It had too much of certain spice, I think anise, and not enough of the others that make up a good Pho. Also, the plate of herbs accompanying the bowl was quite small. The fact that was it was literally double of any other place that serves Pho hurt that much more. I also had the plenty good Pad Thai and Samosas, again for more than one normally pay. Heres the thing about this place: They aren't serving "Fancy" versions of Asian Street food. They are serving decently good Asian Street food at "Fancy" prices, in a setting about on par with Chipotle. Which leaves it down to the final mantra: Location, location, Location. People from East Sac and Midtown will continue to fill this place because there really isn't really any Southeast Asian food in East Sac or Midtown. The location is very convenient for a lot of people, and the concept is novel so I am sure they will do well.
(3)
Mikayla K.
This restaurant deserves a better rep. I really like this place, the decor is very inviting and the staff is always friendly. I ordered the vegan Vietnamese sand which( Banh mi toasted grilled vegetable vegan sand which) which was absolutely wonderful. It was fresh and the bread was crisp. The only problem I had was the speed of the service. I saw my sand which sitting on the kitchen self for about 2 minutes while 3 servers passed the sand which, not paying any attention to it. At the end of the meal, the restaurant manager came and thanked us. A very pleasant experience at Star Ginger.
(4)
Dominic B.
Throwing caution to the wind, the girlfriend and I went to Star Ginger after seeing it while driving down Alhambra. It's a setup similar to Crepeville, Jack's or Pronto. Track lighting, classy-looking laminate tables, order up front at the cash register, get a number on a miniature flagpole and await the delivery of your food. Fast food for the generation that's been taught McDonald's is evil but doesn't want to sit down and order off a menu. We were super excited for the Korean BBQ Banh Mi with sweet potato fries (the fried, delicious third point in our love triangle) but they told us they were out of bread. I felt like crying, but clamped down, knowing I had to be strong for my girlfriend. (Please note, I forgive this because it was 5 days after they opened.) So instead she got the Pad Thai and I got the Singapore Chow Mein. The food was great and even though the portions are smaller, it occurred to me that maybe that's not a bad thing. Most restaurant portions are just too big to eat without feeling stuffed and exceeding your calories for the day, but too small to effectively become leftovers. So why not go small or go big. The Chow Mein was fantastic. In most noodle dishes, the noodles are the glue, the base upon which all the other ingredients are built. At Star Ginger, the noodles were a star ingredient in their own right, crunchy and flavorful. I look forward to writing a follow-up review once I've gotten my hands on that tasty, tasty Banh Mi. I'll hold onto it like a wide receiver holding onto a juicy, Korean BBQ filled football dashing in for the winning touchdown of the Superbowl. Then I will spike it in the end zone and do an endzone dance that gets me fined by the NFL. And by "end zone" I mean "my mouth" and by "endzone dance that gets me fined by the NFL" I mean "a happy dance that causes my girlfriend to seriously reconsider our relationship."
(5)
Christine C.
This is my new favorite place! We ordered: - Saigon Chicken Salad Rolls - Pad Si Ew with Tofu and Mushrooms - Toasted Banh Mi Pork Sliders - Coconut Ice Cream Everything we ordered was absolutely amazing! Service was quick; server was pleasant; and the restaurant atmosphere was great! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends.
(4)
kellie c.
I went to Star Ginger on Tuesday and it was just okay. I had the Pad Thai and I've definitely had better. It's not that it was bad, it was just that for a place that is kind of like a casual, take out, lunch place the price was kind of expensive. It was $10 for my dish and that's how much I expect to pay for that dish at a dinner not a lunch. Nothing special about it, very average.
(2)
Naida E.
I had the Petaluma chicken pho and a bahn mi and both were quite good. My son had the Niman Ranch beef pho and said it was the best beef he had ever had. I did not love my bahn mi, but I think ordering the chicken was not so smart. I probably would like the beef or pork better. Parking is rough.
(3)
Anastacia C.
The restaurant has STAR in its name so I'm starting out 5 stars. 5 stars - In the 'hood. Minus 1 star - VERY dry chicken on my Asian Noodle Salad with Greens Minus another star - Not enough greens. I even asked for light noodles and heavy greens, but either she didn't hear me, or ignored me. Plus 1/2 star - The noodles tasted good and supposedly they are whole wheat. Minus 1/2 star - There really needs to be some shades on the windows. The afternoon sun is a killer. Minus 1 star - One of my pet peeves is people sweeping/vacuuming/doing general dirty cleanup around me while I'm eating. And, what I'm sure was an attempt to look busy while the bosses were there having a meeting, a well meaning, yet misguided staff person was sweeping the floor around me and picking it up with one of those long handled dust pans while I was dining. So what's my grand total? Only two stars? I'll grant one more because the friend I was with said her food was tasty. I would like to give a caveat with her opinion, she lives in Humboldt County where there isn't much to choose from, so any ethnic food is good. I guess if I absolutely cannot make it out to Huong Lan and am really sick of sushi, I'll stop at Star Ginger. P.S. While I really wanted to remove another star for inadequately sized parking spaces, I feel that at this point they are suffering so badly, I just need to give them the gift of the extra star.
(3)
Rob R.
It was ok - but I'd rather go to Chada for Thai or even Boon Boon (the pumpkin curry is amazing). The servers were pleasant. Too bad they pushed Good Eats under.
(2)
Kurisu F.
Yum! I was extremely hesitant to try this place - the branding really turned me off at first. And, I'm used to paying $6 for pho and $3.25 for a banh mi. But, the complete concept is excellent and the execution was awesome. I was very pleasantly surprised! Others have posted that the "street food" concept led them to believe that the food would be fast and cheap. But there's another key component to the bones of this restaurant - high-end ingredients and a fusion of various Asian elements. This is not a down-the-line pho or banh mi shop. This is a restaurant that uses Vietnamese and Thai ELEMENTS to do somewhat upscale takes on street food. Oh yeah, and using Niman beef among other fantastically sourced products. Yes, you can get a gynormous bowl of pho in South Sac (or on Broadway) for $6. And yes, it can be incredibly delicious (although there are definitely lots of dogs out there). But it certainly won't be made with Niman and organic produce. Star Ginger costs more because they use much more expensive and sustainable product. My wife and I had an awesome "bulgogi" which certainly wasn't traditional but it was awesome. We also had Singapore-style noodles which were also awesome but, again, not straight-up Singapore. Typically, "fusion" restaurants drive me crazy - I'm a purist. But this place really did it well. My wife won't eat at the pho shops I like because the meat is not high quality and certainly not sustainable and NEVER organic. Now we have a place that we both enjoy to get something pho-ish that is tasty and doesn't give either of us pause about the source of the ingredients.
(4)
Taylor S.
Went here for lunch today, got my item to go. I order the singapore noodles. They weren't bad but I don't think it is something I would order again. Instead of rice vermicelli they use pad thai noodles (thicker rice noodles) and it wasn't the noodles I am used to. I was also disappointed at the lack of shrimp (only 3 in my dish). The portion was a decent size but for the price it was not worth it. I am not sure what I would order since their Banh Mi sandwiches were ridiculously over priced! At 5.99 I could just head down to Stockton Blvd. and get 2 sandwiches for the same price! It was decent Asian fusion food, not bad but not that good.
(3)
Kim N.
I agree your sandwhich here is better quality after trying a couple more times, now I order Vietnamese sandwhich here sometimes in addition to PHO. Good people working here! Always good customer service.
(5)
Amber M.
Eaten here twice within the past week and half. I'm glad we decided to try this place. It's small, but has always been busy when we came in. Service is always friendly. Food is clean and fresh. I noticed on the back of the menu the owner also owns lemon grass restaurants. Makes sense. My friend got the pad Thai both times, he loves pad Thai. He always asks for peanut sauce thoughts, and I've agreed that the extra peanut sauce helps it. The first time I got the green curry, that was really good. I love curries. Second time I got the lemon grass chicken......it didn't really have any kind of lemon grass flavor though...... next time I'm gong to try the banh mi. Portions are large enough to share between 2 people generously.
(4)
Harrison L.
Great Service. Nice Dishes. Too Pricey Too bad they keep changing their dishes/price points from lunch to dinner. The atmosphere is great but doesn't warrant the $$. What I liked at lunch time wasn't available for dinner. What gives? Nonetheless, it adds a new dimension to the neighborhood. Gives me a greater appreciation of the dining values around here too..... Did you see that $3.99 dinner combination offer across the street?
(3)
Erick J.
I went there for lunch with 2 of my colleagues on 1.25.11. Apparently, we didn't know it was opening day, until i just read Jesse's review. The staff was very unorganized. It seemed like there were people all over place. There was plenty staff behind the counter, making drinks, on the floor, but maybe not enough chefs doing any cooking. We waited 45 minutes after ordering to get our food. I got my food first, 10 minutes later another plate came for my co-worker, and finally, 5 minutes after that, the final plate came out. We didn't really get to eat together. By the time my food had come out, we were all pretty frustrated. We ordered soft drinks and no one ever came around to ask us for re-fills. The service was pretty bad. The food was okay. I ordered shrimp and chicken pad-thai but the portions seemed pretty small for $9. neither of my co-workers raved about their food either. Would i got there again? Probably not, esp until they get their act together. The food wasn't anything to be excited about. I've had better. Star Ginger was a disappointment.
(2)
Herbert S.
I like Banh Mi. I think they are a great sandwich; the ingredients are simple but powerfully tasty when combined properly. Sadly, the weak link of most banh mi is the bread, more often than not it seems to be on the cheapest hot dog bun or roll that can be found. You would think that a country that spent near a century occupied by the French would be really snobbish about these things. When I heard that there was a new food cart opening on campus, that it would be serving banh mi, and that they had worked closely with the venerable Village Bakery to develop the bread, I was understandable excited. That is exactly what the campus needed; a cheep, filling, tasty and reasonably healthy snack made by someone who isn't Sodexho. I wasted no time and got myself a sandwich. First strike against Star Ginger-- a banh mi and a drink costs six dollars. That's six dollars for a sandwich and a soda I don't really want.. Even at the venerable Saigon Sandwich that would get you two banh mi. Please take mercy on the poor, penniless students who don't have time to run to Sunrise. Shock from the price aside, the service was remarkably slow; I don't blame them too much, they are still pretty clearly sorting things out. It's probably my fault for insisting on getting there opening day. However if things don't shape up, come the school year bad things will start happening. As if the lines at Shah's aren't enough... Once my order was prepared, I sat down to enjoy what I was convinced was the world's most expensive banh mi. The bread was in fact a good bit better than most I've had,, it wasn't toasted to a crisp like the cheaper white rolls, rather, it still had a pleasant chew. It also had a good crust to it; the Village Bakery had done well. The rest of the sandwich was less interesting, the filling was all there, but nothing exciting about it. The cilantro was present, but hiding in the back corner, there was a slice of hot pepper, but only one, the tofu was pretty bland, and the aioli was aioli, you can't mess that up. There was nothing wrong about any of the ingredients, and it all tasted ok, but it lacked the vibrant flavors that a banh mi really needs. This place had so much potential, a great location, good bread and a killer concept--if only the product matched my expectations. Oh, and the price is outrageous.
(3)
Heather B.
I love the food here. The service at lunch is not so friendly but I keep coming back for the amazing food.
(4)
Roland A.
There is at least one vegetarian option from each of their categories. Their food tastes delicious. It's owned by the same people that own Lemongrass, but feels like a step up in terms of flavors, atmosphere, and friendly staff.
(4)
Kristina G.
Best soup in the world. My brother and I meet there quite often to enjoy the most delicious soup ever Kao Soi. The curry prawns with brown rice are fabulous too!!
(5)
Vonney V.
The good: Anytime I am in the mood for a good banh mi sandwich, Star Ginger is the place to go. Their Vietnamese bbq pork sandwich is delightfully tasty, and leaves you craving the pickled daikon, carrots, and cilantro combination for days. Portion size was pretty big - I had no need to order anything else and left more than satiated with just the sandwich! The bad: Since this is a Vietnamese food spot, the last time I was there it was really cold outside and I was craving pjs and a nice hot bowl of pho. The pj's I had to forego - (I decided to eat in the restaurant and I'm not a fan of being seen in pjs, curled up at the table, eating pho at a place with business professionals watching!), however I ordered the pho and after a really REALLY long time (it always seems longer when you are really hungry!) my pho came out. If you could call it pho. The disappointment in my eyes was sort've like the sad puppy dog look that you see on that Sarah McLaughlin commercial. (You know the one. That commercial that makes you want to go adopt 10 dogs at once to save them from cruelty!!) But I digress... The pho was not very great. The broth was very thin, I had to doctor it up by adding in as many table ingredients as I could, and even then, it did not achieve the result that I have had at a few other Vietnamese spots here in town. I could not believe I wasted a pho opportunity on Star Ginger. I won't be ordering that again. The ugly: The parking lot is a disaster zone set up for insurance claims galore! If I were a car insurance agent, I would sit here all day and clean up house on car insurance! Super tight spaces and minimal backing up area cause me to park a block away and hoof it. Overall: Overall, this place still has me sold. Great sweet potato fries (who knew a Vietnamese spot sold sweet potato fries??!), and the banh mi sandwiches keep me coming back for more. Even if I have to walk.
(3)
Barry A.
Five of us ate there yesterday and everyone loved it. The high quality ingredients, freshness of the herbs and vegetables, proportion of the ingredients within each dish, and exceptional sauces made for a delicious meal! Our assortment of dishes probably had all the meat options available and you could taste the high quality in all of them. We were told they are all organic and responsibly raised too, a real plus for us. It has a simple kind of cool urban/asian atmosphere that was fun to eat in. We compared it to other moderately priced restaurants we frequent (Chipotle, Pei Wei) and they don't compare. The food at Star Ginger is higher quality, better tasting,comparably priced and healthier. We found the staff to be very friendly and accommodating, albeit definitely busy. Some in our party have food allergies and the staff was really good about that. They identified the ingredients and offered gluten free or similar alternatives that were great tasting. With the experienced operators running Star Ginger, the service kinks will get worked out in short order. It's hard to predict demand for a new restaurant and it appears demand was better than expected. They'll do what it takes to improve service and probably add options to order in advance via phone, fax or online, like the busy SF restaurants do at lunch time. Unless you HATE Asian food, you should definitely try this one!
(5)
Brandi S.
I ordered the Thai BBQ Chicken for dinner. The chicken, that I liked. It was served on rice (I got the jasmine) which had no flavor, and a ginger-sesame side salad. The salad could easily have been a bagged shredded mix from the grocery store topped with Newman's sesame ginger dressing. I can make that at home. For 12.50, I would say it's definately overpriced. It also wasn't as satisfying as my husband and I would have liked so we ordered dessert- ginger ice cream with a sauce. That was pretty amazing, and may be worth going back for. Also, the tables were placed very close together and made me a bit uncomfortable. Our skinny waitress could barely pass through them.
(2)
Amy R.
Just picked up some food to go, but the restaurant looked like a cool place to have dinner. There were a couple of others waiting for to go orders, but the waiting area didn't feel crowded. The food was really tasty, but apparently, curry gives me a headache, so I can't go back.
(3)
Miki S.
Food was so-so, I had Pho and Saigon salad rolls, which were good but the noodles were way over cooked. If it was a little more kid friendly, that would be nice too.
(3)
Anthony R.
Excellent, good portions and good prices.
(4)
Christina M.
I had lunch with a dear friend at Star Ginger a few days ago, and can't believe that it took me this long to write about it! I had the Buddha Salad Rolls and the Ginger Sesame Tofu Salad. Not only was it beautiful to look at, but it had a unique sprinkling of flavors throughout! I became an instant fan. I found the pricing to be quite reasonable for what you get. $5.95 for the small salad, and $7.95 for the rolls. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and Johnny on the spot with refills and other misc help. Another unique feature was that the chopsticks were glass and therefore very eco-friendly! Thanks Star Ginger!
(5)
Chase F.
We called to come in for dinner on new years day and were told the restaurant would be open until 7pm. We arrived at 5:10 to find the doors locked and a sign saying they were closed as of 5pm. When the doors opened for a take out order, they declined to let out party or another party in. Not a good way to start the new year. Not a good impression.
(1)
James R.
Excellent food. Love the Pad Thai. Parking is really bad though and can be a little pricey. But I highly recommend if you like Asian fusion food.
(4)
Matt D.
I go here specifically for the Singapore Street Noodles. Great dish. Haven't diverged much from that order because I wouldn't miss them. Four stars for that dish alone.
(4)
Amber Y.
I should have listened when my 2 best friends told me that it was not so great, but I'm stubborn and like to try things for myself. I dragged them out to try it with me again and I wholeheartedly agree that it was not very good. I won't say that it was gross, it was just very bland and boring. My Vietnamese sandwich with Korean beef should have been bursting with flavor but it wasn't. Also the beef was beyond overcooked and to me that is a major violation. One of the girls didn't eat and the other had lemongrass chicken but said she tasted no lemongrass at all. Not only was the food kind of lame, the prices were kind of high as well. I will say that the lady that took our order was nice but that was probably the only really redeeming thing about our experience.
(2)
Bryce R.
I ordered the Shanghai Noodles, since I have never had them I can't tell you if they were authentic but the veggies were fresh and had great texture as did the noodles themselves, the heat to the dish was just right but I think my pallet was a little overwhelmed the shrimp and pork may as well have been the same thing. Next time I want to try the samosas.
(3)
Shelley H.
Horrible food! Save your money and DON"T GO!!! Servers were very polite and friendly. The Green Curry with Chicken honestly smelled like a sewer! It was too foul to even attempt to eat. . My Curry Shrimp was just over spiced. You couldnt make out any of the individual flavors bacause it was so over spiced. When we told the waitress to give us our bill, she realized we hadn't eaten anything except a few bites of rice and asked if we needed boxed. Whenwe declined and told her that we found the food fairly repulsive, she appologized and said she'd see if she could do anything. I really expected the manager or cook to come over. The manager (or owner never said a word. Just watched us pay and walk out. Horrible management (No complaints with or waitress-she was quite good!) Photo's aren't helpful. The food looks wonderful in the photo's but looks are deceiving. Couldnt get past the nast odor!
(1)
Tricia M.
Pretty good food, quick service. I like their Thai Chicken Green Curry and their Thai Kao Soi with tofu. I prefer eating in rather than ordering out esp. the Thao Kao Soi doesn't work so great since you have to assemble it yourself (they give you everything separately) and the soup isn't as hot as it is when you're eating there. But overall, good!
(4)
Chris E.
I am a fan! We went there as a date a few weeks ago. Fresh and yummy! We definitely could have shared a plate. Infact that is what we will do next time we go because the prices are a little too high for me. We ordered two meals and two drinks and sweet potato fries and walked out paying $50. Personally not worth $50 but they are very good. I would suggest to the owners to make the portion sizes smaller to lower the price. That would make us come back more often. The environment was good. My only complaint is they seated us at a table that should be removed. The prep table area or whatever they call it was so close to us that 2 waitresses almost bumped into me as they turned around. Parking is a pain in the rear.
(4)
T'sters M.
I'm not comparing Star Ginger to my mom's authentic Viet cooking because, well.... nothing compares to it! -- My hunny and I had a lunch date at Star Ginger today and found this place to be fine for a casual lunch spot in midtown/East Sac. They have a good selection of vegetarian and vegan options and most of the meat selections center around chicken and pork. The Korean BBQ banh mi was OK. The best part was the bread, which had a nice, crunchy crust. There was a nice balance between the beef and pickled veggies (though there as much more carrot than daikon) and the Sriracha aioli added a subtle kick to the sandwich. It was, however, lacking in two respects: first, the meat was pretty bland. I could barely make out the "Korean BBQ" flavor. Second, the sandwich hardly had any herbs in it. There was a sprig of cilantro and nothing else. The beef pho was mediocre. The broth was lukewarm and the star anise overpowered all the other flavors (onion, ginger, clove, beef) in the broth. The bowl was on the small side and there were only a few small pieces of beef. The accompanying herbs and garnish were lacking as well. There was a small handful of bean sprouts, a single sprig of basil and a small lime wedge. Overall, I think Star Ginger is a decent casual lunch spot. I wouldn't count on having good, authentic Vietnamese food here though. The pho and banh mi are far better (and cheaper) at eateries along Stockton Blvd.
(3)
Mr. Marie T.
Tasty and fast. Everything I've tried has been good. I'd like more veggie options though. And maybe more parking but that's not really their fault.
(4)
Diana B.
I had a couple bites of someone else's lunch takeout, a noodle-tofu-salad concoction that was so good I was determined to try the place for myself. We went for dinner recently, but unfortunately I didn't see any noodle-salad dishes on the dinner menu. Maybe I missed it? Or maybe the lunch menu is different (slash better). We ended up with a pretty standard meal--salad roll starter to share, then I had pad thai and the bf had a green curry. Both were very good, but nothing news-worthy, especially given the inflated prices. I want to come back and try it again for lunch, but until I do I have to give 3 stars based on a ho-hum and overpriced dinner experience.
(3)
Elizabeth W.
The food is really, really good. The portions were generous and their sweet potato fries were A-MA-ZING. They came with sriracha aioli, which is perfect! My complaints are few. 1) No kid's menu or smaller plates. I don't eat a lot of food and we had our 11-year-old with us. He's an adventurous epicurean, but when his banh mi came out he was a little overwhelmed. 2) Small parking area on a busy intersection. 3) The table spacing is very cramped inside. It's kind of hard to get around without bumping into people's chairs (and I'm on the smaller side). I think it may be best to order takeout from this place as opposed to dining in, but the food IS scrumptious!
(3)
Raquel S.
Although the food was very good and the portions were big, their prices were a turn-off. Maybe it's because Im spoiled by the prices of Stockton Blvd and Little Saigon Asian restaurants. Unless I'm eating at P.F Changs, I'm not used to spending this much on Asian food! A spring roll appetizer, Thai BBQ chicken entree, Korean BBQ steak entree, and one soda came to $40+tip! Overall it was good, but I can get very similar tasting food elsewhere for less. However, if I had picky friends who don't do Stockton Blvd/Little Saigon Asian food, I'd bring them here. I would have given them 4 stars, but because of the high prices, I had to give this place 3 stars..... don't forget to bring the AmEx card!
(3)
Mark W.
I've been here only once, but I will be back. There are so many delicious looking options on the menu! On my first trip, I shared the green curry and a ginger sesame chicken salad. They weren't unique - you can find pretty much the same thing at a bunch of places - but both dishes tasted really good, the portions were reasonable, the price was reasonable, and the service was good. My only complaint about Star Ginger is the noise. I really will never understand why restaurants have to be SO LOUD. We sat in the main dining room at first (the only vacant table). The noise was oppressive. Luckily, we were able to move to the room at the back of the restaurant and it was a little quieter there. I would have a hard time downgrading a restaurant because of the noise because it is so common these days. There were a bunch of things I still want to try - the Banh Mi, the noodle dishes, and more of the salads. I'll be back.
(4)
Anthony B.
I have been meaning to write this review for a while. I was craving a bowl of Pho for dinner the other evening and being in east sac, there weren't a lot of options. I ordered the Beef Pho to go and asked for extra beef. They informed me that it would be an extra 4 dollars and I accepted. When I got out to the car I realized they had actually charged me 6 dollars. On top of that, the Pho had no taste at all. I would say it was the worst Pho I have ever eaten. After living in SF for 9 years maybe I am spoiled but this was terrible, and cost me 16 dollars. I will be heading out to Stockton Boulevard from now when I have a craving.
(1)
MaryAnn C.
Americanized, Overpriced, and under seasoned. Maybe I should come for lunch instead because the waitress dropped like three things in the time spent there. I think they're still trying to work out the details since everything's still new. It seemed a lot of their soups were made as a stock. I'd prefer spice/chillies to be cooked in the food and not served on the side. I would rather go to an Asian or Indian restaurant that wasn't expensive and has more flavor. A for the ginger ice cream custom made by Gunthers.
(3)
Charles W.
Pho: 0 star, for the piddly amount of noodles, the 2 shreds of chicken, and the incredibly overpowering taste of Star anise. One of the worst pho's i have ever had. Not ok. try some quality control before you send that crap you call Pho out. Korean bbq Bahn mi: 3 stars the meat was good the bread was decent, but the sriracha aoli overpowered the taste of the kim-chee "slaw" that didnt taste like kim chee. Sweet potato fries: were cold when they were served..... again how about some attempt at quality control its not hard to serve warm food. Overall not a good experience, One of my biggest pet peeves is leaving a restaurant hungry, my biggest pet peeve is paying for overpriced pretentious food that doesn't deliver in quality or quantity and leaving starving. I think this place has some potential my friends jungle curry looked good and the bbq chicken dishes around me look alright but they screwed up pho. I am also giving them 2 stars because of the fake reviews that i am pretty sure they posted to raise their own rating, (Tina W and Barry A)( this was all but confirmed, as both those reviews no longer exist) If the owners or managers actually read these reviews please listen to the majority of them and either lower the prices(lol yea right),, give more food, taste the food before you send it out, take out the star anise from the pho broth or just keep doing what you are doing and alienate yourselves from a large portion of the population that knows what good asian food is.
(1)
Chris J.
Time of dining 1:30pm, Monday Overall thoughts: This seems to be a solid second choice restaurant. The flavors are good and the service is quick, but nothing seemed to be outstanding or a reason to *love* the place. The prices seemed a bit high for the amount of food delivered, but the quality certainly helped the balance even out some. Service 5 - Prompt and friendly, the service was grand. There were frequent checks to see if we needed water and our plates were cleared quickly after we finished eating. Food - 4 - Had the pad thai and the sweet potato fries. The food was fresh and delivered very rapidly. The ingredients were high quality and seemed to be prepared well for the most part. The pad thai was seasoned very well, but the sweet potato fries left something to be desired. Portions were sufficient for one, but came with the price typical for a dinner portion to share (#paymoreforless). Decor - 4 - The interior is clean and new. It has a modern cafeteria feel to it and is well lit. Perhaps the best description is pleasant but not noteworthy.
(4)
John N.
The Banh Mi is still very tasty. Everything else is pretty bland. It tastes like they're recycling the same ingredients for every dish for the sake of convenience in the kitchen. The curries are really unimpressive. And the Pho broth totally lacks the depth of flavor that you would get at a non-yuppy Vietnamese place.
(3)
Alison B.
Potential. This relatively new spot has a few kinks it needs to work and unfortunately some flaws that may be irreversible. 1. Their menu is about $2-3 too expensive on every item on the menu. 2. Wait time for food is usually around 15 minutes if you're lucky assuming they didn't confuse your order. 3. Limited seating; often waiting for a table to clear up. 4. Noisy! 5. Their dinner setup is kinda odd with the host. I didn't get it. As for the good, I have had many different things on the menu and have enjoyed all of them. Their staff has always appeared eager to improve, from their first opening day and I have noticed big improvements with their workflow. But for it's locations it should be a bit more accommodating for the large lunch crowd. Considering the competition provided from nearby eateries like la fiesta and sushi cafe, it usually the last option. If you aren't in a hurry then enjoy the great food.
(3)
A B.
Had the pork banh mi and noodle salad today. The pork is delicious and a little spicy - just right for me. Bread and veg are super fresh. Love the salad. Totally recommend. Great food, great prices.
(5)
Nic H.
My husband and I had lunch at SG on opening day. It was a bit crazy (most opening days are!) but everyone was in great spirits and eager to please. We ordered the Green Curry w/ Chicken, The Asian Noodle Salad and the Buddha Salad Rolls. Everything was delicious! The curry took a while to make it to our table, but we enjoyed the salad rolls while we waited. As for the Aisan Salad, there was a tad bit too much oil for me, not that it didn't taste good, cause it did...but because I felt guilty enjoying it... The best part? Their menu indicated which items are vegan! SCORE! I love when a restaurant is considerate of special dietary needs (pretty sure there was a gluten free menu as well). I can't wait to go back and try all of the vegan options. The decor inside is great, so sleek and beautiful. Prices are reasonable enough for the quality of food. Would I recommend SG, absolutely! If you're going to be upset b/c your food takes a while or doesn't come out all at once, then give them a week or so to work out the kinks and then enjoy.
(4)
Scott P.
Had a co-worker do take out and get the Pad Thai dish. It had a ton of flavor, noodles were good, nice pieces of chicken and shrimp with the noodles. HOWEVER, midway through eating there was a long string of black hair and pretty much threw up in my mouth. UGH!
(3)
Matt B.
Wow I was surprised how good the food is at Star Ginger. It has the feel of a fast food restuarant, which might make you think that the food quality may also be equivalent but I must say it was great. I had the slow roasted Kurobota Pork Bahn Mi Toasted Sandwich and it delivered. I will be back to try some of the other dishes in the near future!
(4)
Nisa N.
Don't be fooled by the name, especially with words like "ginger," "noodle," and "Asian." This place is "Asian Fusion," or you might know it as "Americanized Asian Restaurant," a la PF Changs and the like. It's a casual, sit-down restaurant right on the corner of Capitol and Alhambra, just a few blocks from my place. Service was good and the place was fairly busy on a Friday evening. Food was mediocre. We ordered the banh mi sliders, my aunt had the grilled lemongrass chicken, and I had some Indian curry. The banh mis were pretty good, flavors and everything, but the texture was a little off. I wish the meat was grilled and crispy and the bun could've been a little more toasted. I mean, those are basic components of a banh mi, right? My dish was bland but super salty! It was not spicy at all even though I ordered mine "3 pepper" spicy. I added sriracha to quell the saltiness and add some flavor and spice. My aunt's grilled chicken looked alright. I mean, it's grilled chicken. Nothing to write home about. Actually, if I wrote home about any of it, my mom would probably give me a verbal beatdown for spending so much money on blah Asian food (almost $40). I do like that they offer brown rice in addition to jasmine rice. That's probably something a more traditional Asian restaurant would not. Lesson learned: Go to south sac if you have a craving for Asian food!
(2)
Alex S.
I've been twice, both times for lunch. The first time I had the chicken Pho. It wasn't bad, a bit heavy on the ginger though. The second time I had the Pad Thai and was rather underwhelmed. The flavoring was bland and the noodles were a bit dry. Also, not sure if it is because of the layout or what, but the noise level got pretty high as more and more people filtered in. I was having to lean over the table to hear the conversation with my dining mate. Overall I found it to be rather unremarkable, which is a shame because the location is great for quick lunch breaks.
(2)
Christopher B.
Had lunch here on opening day. Very good bowl of pho. I'll definitely be back. Especially if they get bike racks!
(4)
Chris I.
The food was great. The service, was meh, at best. The inattentive waitress and long wait for the food to come outweighed the great tasting food. We'll pass on Star Ginger next time.
(2)
stacey b.
I really was thrilled to find thai/vietnamese food that uses produce sourced locally and Niman ranch or other more humane and responsible meats! and it is good. Love the Pho, and banh mi - actually it is all good. I haven't had anything there that I didn't like. Good ingredients, good flavors, nice atmosphere - great neighborhood place, just slightly out of the neighborhood. Now, if they would just ditch the styrofoam and use green products, like something decomposable that would make it nearly perfect.
(4)
Renee L.
Our group of six ate here for Sacramento Wine and Dine week and we all give it a big thumbs up. The wine was well paired with the courses. I liked the pinot grigio and my friend liked the sweet peach notes in the sauvignon blanc. Service was great -- lots of dishes and glasses with this meal, they were cleared promptly and water always topped off. The thai lemongrass beef salad was crisp with just the right amount of fresh mint, and the beef was tender. The pad si ew was a generous serving, the pork was tender and good quality -- take it easy on the side of thai chiles in vinegar, whoa they are hot. The passionfruit sorbet was light and fruity and tangy. But the ginger ice cream -- oh, the ginger ice cream. It was sweet and creamy and delicious, and the bold flavor of the ginger made it memorable. At $25 with the wine pairings included, this one is half the price of most other wine and dine deals and well worth it. We will be back to try their regular.
(4)
Carol H.
Love the Korean Rib sandwich and the Buddah Salad Rolls, my husband loves the veggie curry. All fresh ingredients. Horrid parking, good luck getting your drink refilled, too busy but great food.
(4)
Ernest R.
The Lemongrass Pork and Korean BBQ Beef are amazingly delicious. Add to that, the Thai Spicy Chicken Soup with coconut milk plus the Spring Rolls and you have one of the most flavorful meals in East Sac/midtown!!! Highly recommended!!
(5)
Nguyet K.
I expect more from Star Ginger, maybe because it was a fushion of many different cultures at one restaurant. Maybe because the main chef is vietnamese. Don't get me wrong, the food is delicious, but its not worth the price for me. I had the Thai BBQ Chicken. It was yummy, the chicken was like a fusion between vietnamese and thai, lemongrass and yellow curry... I couldn't believe it actually taste awesome together. The side salad was yummy (I'm a huge fan of salads), it was serve with a ginger sesame dressing, not too heavy either. The portion size is a little small for the price I had to pay. The banh mi is okay, its not worth the price of $6 for one sandwich. Vietnamese sandwiches range from $2-$3 at a typical vietnamese sandwich place. Plus, the banh mi was a little dry for me, its not too much flavor like other banh mi I had before. It can get a little crowded during lunch time around the area because many people from the medical center drive over to get some lunch.
(3)
Patrick H.
Good food but a bit pricey for Vietnamese food
(3)
Bryan J.
So, I went in the other day to get my favorite Vietnamese dish... bún chá... took it off the menu! Not cool. Yet another great dish swiped from a great menu. Extremely unfortunate.
(4)
erin t.
Not so much. This place is weird. Not a fan. Here's why: - Came in for dinner. Expected a quick, order at the counter situation. But no, they provided a random 'hostess' yanked from the kitchen to guide me to a table. Unnecessary. - Given a menu. I'm more confused. So first I think it's a quicky type food place, then a hostess jumps in and seats me, then I get a menu but it's a paper menu. Granted it's GLOSSY paper, but make up your mind! If you do sit down service give me a real menu. If you're street food/fast food/counter style food just be that. Guh. Identity crisis much? - Check out food options. More confused. Um, over $10 for pho? My pad thai is $14? No thanks. There is great Thai food on broadway and an awesome pho place on broadway too - both cheaper, both tastier and both way more legit. - Against my better judgment I stay. I think, maybe the food is amazing! The food is fine. It's not great, but I will say it's not awful. But again, I could spend less on dinner and have authentic, amazing food somewhere else. I left feeling totally cheated. Really disappointing. I imagine lunch might be an entirely different situation. I saw the big menu posted and the prices were way more reasonable for lunch. I'll never know, I won't be going back.
(2)
Margo E.
Please note: This is only for the Korean BBQ Bahn Mi. I dream about these. I've had other things there that were good but the bahn mi is fantastic. I've had it now 3 times and each time it's just as good as the last. I call in, pick it up and savor it slowly.
(4)
Emily C.
I love this place. When I used to come home from J Street babysitting my great grand daughters, I would stop here each time. I have tried almost everything they had in the menu. Not been dissapointed once, I loved their pork and korean sandwichs. My favorite is the Singapore dish.
(4)
Captn S.
Not great, but not bad. I had pad thai, it was average. I will probably try again. As with all Asian food, I perfer just driving down Stockton Blvd. until something smells right.
(3)
Greg K.
Went here for a saturday lunch, well past the 1pm hour and the place was packed, while neighboring restaurants were already empty. That is probably the best sign for a restaurant... Had the Banh Mi -- the lemongrass one was superb, and better than the Thai BBQ. The baguette was perfectly crisp yet soft on the inside, and the veggies fresh and perfectly in balance. They have a combo deal with soup, salad or sweet potato fries -- great to have the choice to choose. Will put it to the regular rotation. And to those who keep comparing it to their favorite Pho house... get over it, it's a different concept in a pricier neighborhood -- and 10x cleaner.
(4)
MIchael H.
Lunch with hot wife!
(4)
Huyen teresa N.
I had lunch there twice. The first time was dine in. parking was not so great. Food was great. Pad thai and asian noodle salad was very flavorful. Second time I order to go. Def phone your order in first for faster service. I order the chinese chicken salad and soup and I was very satisfied. I will definitely come back again and try all the other food they have to offer.
(4)
Im hungry L.
Okay for a quick meal, but you're going to pay american bucks for a Southeast Asian meal. $9.95 for a Chicken Pho (soup) - you would never pay more than $7 bucks for it in a Pho shop in Little Saigon and it would have a lot more of a savory taste. My wife's Bowl of Spicy Thai was also disappointing - Very spicy, and muddled. Go if you are stuck in the Midtown area and cannot afford the time to visit Little Saigon on Stockton Blvd between Fruitridge Road and Florin Road. There must be 100 asian restaurant all serving great Pho and yummy entrees for you to try!!! The wait staff was excellent (Eileen).
(2)
Ryan G.
I really like this place. I don't understand the low ratings. I like Vietnamese foods but not too crazy about eating at some dirty and smelly authentich Vietnamese places on Stockton Blvd. Star Ginger is clean and nice. Food is actually tasty. Yes, I understand that it is not authentic but I really like their food. Sandwiches are really good. On the spicy side. Korean BBQ sandwich is very good, if you like Korean BBQ and Kimchi. Vegetarian curry is also good. What I don't like is... they are so busy during lunch time. I have to go there before noon or won't find a place to park or sit.
(5)
Reid W.
First-time eating at Star Ginger - excellent!
(5)
Amanda F.
Sliders and beef on the dinner menu rocked. Shrimp curry was bizzare - not curry at all - more like tomato soup. Pork chops were yummy but the "lime chili sauce" they provide is actually what foodies will recognize as fish sauce and unless you have a diverse palate that enjoys fermented fish taste you will likely feel it tastes like old socks. Skip it and ask for the traditional vinegar sauce that normally comes with asian pork.
(3)
M S.
Had the Pork Banh Mi Sandwich today for lunch was pretty good but was on the dry side could of used a tad more of the Sriracha Aioli..This place pretty much has the same menu items (give or take a few selections) as Their other Restaurant LemonGrass, Good stuff but Nothing really new or exciting here......
(3)
Patrick B.
Good place for lunch. I had the pad thai, which is nice.
(4)
Manda C.
I went her the other day for an early dinner with my BFF. It was recommend to me by a friend who always gives restaurant recommendations. It's awesome! Great service, great food. I recommend going there for the lunch prices though ;)
(5)
Ace H.
Went here today for the first time. Atmosphere definitely brings chipotle into mind. Had the pork Banh Mi which was not your stockton blvd traditional style but was good none-the-less. I Was educated about the bread which is not typical Vietnamese loaf bread used for street style Banh mi but a better quality hand made bakery style...try it out...
(5)
Denise S.
It took me awhile to get back to this place, but I did it this week. Met my husband there for lunch on Monday. This time I tried the pad Thai. I'm a huge fan of pad Thai and this one is pretty good. We had our lunch at the restaurant this time... acoustics are still bad. It's super loud in there, which makes it hard to have a conversation. I had a craving for something spicy on this rainy day so I went back for pad Thai again today. I always order my Thai dishes medium spicy. The last time I ordered the pad Thai from Star Ginger I ordered it medium (2 chilies) and it was just barely spicy at all. Today I ordered it spicy (3 chilies) and it was perfect for me, but would be considered medium at any other Thai restaurant I've been to. So keep that in mind when ordering. Overall, I'm a fan of this place!
(4)
John S.
If you're Asian, you understand why this place gets 1 star. Mediocre banh mi sandwiches for $6? Mediocre pho for $10? No thanks. If you're not Asian and don't want to venture to Stockton Blvd. to get better authentic food for cheaper, then you will probably like this place. However, there are better options in Sac where the food is actually authentic and half the price of what you'll pay here.
(1)
Michelle W.
Really good food. I will go again. I think it's a little pricy however the food was great.
(4)
Kabra M.
ive been here twice before...both times for lunch....got the pho. pretty tasty. how do you do pho bad though? ordered pad tai that ive been craving for days. called in at 5 for pick up. got there expecting to pay the $10 price and was surprised when my total was $15! for pad thai to go! they said it was the "dinner price" so i sucked it up and paid, got home to eat, and BOOOOOO its crap! to be honest ive loaded it with salt and oil bc its so flavorless. utterly dry. and not even topped with peanuts (the almost best part) i will be calling them tonight for a credit!
(2)
C C.
I love the concept of Asian Street food, but I think the concept was misused in the development of Star Ginger. Having been to Asia multiple times, Street food is usually fast, cheap, and tasty. My experience @ Star Ginger is disappointing. I ordered sweet potato fries, Saigon Chicken salad rolls, and pad thai. The food took a long time to come out, the portions were tiny, and the prices were ridiculous. In my opinion, the food was not authentic and not worth the money. I'm better off getting my Asian food from the venues on Stockton blvd.
(1)
Minh N.
I had a light lunch here on a Sunday. It wasn't crowded and the counter girl instantly greeted us. Prices here are a little on the high side. The place is lit with specular lighting with recessed lighting to add to the ambiance. Seating is well adjusted for spacious eating and movement. The coloring and arrangements of the decor are simple yet effective to make it a place for a quick meal, which I like. The parking is limited since it's on a corner spot. They kept the menu simple which is another plus, so you won't be there forever as a new customer, figuring out what you want. The meals are served cafeteria style, you order at the counter and pay, then seat yourself, accompanied by a numbered marker for your table. We had the beef Pho($8), soup and sandwich combo and the Thai iced tea. The tables are clean, as was the floor. The bowl for the Pho was small for the price...but, the beef slices are tender and plentiful. I want to say it's flank steak and not cheap round steak slices. I counted 12 medium cuts of beef. Other Pho places will give you about 5-8 thins slices of round steak, which is not as tender. The slices were then soaked in a side bowl of broth for a moist melt in your mouth tasty treat. The broth has a ginger based taste to it, as was proved by thin slice of ginger fished up in the bowl. The thai curry chicken soup lacked hickey pieces that were small cubes and I counted about 6. This fact is only brought up since the bowl is the same small soup bowls from other dinner spots. The soup itself was seasoned with flavorful with bits if diced red bell peppers, cilantro, and basil with rich coconut milk. There was a hint of heat in the dish. I liked it. The sandwich is an actual full sized Banh Mì. I ordered the Korean BBQ meat. The bread was soft and the sandwich was moderately dressed with the traditional greens and pickled veggies with plentiful meat. There is a thin layer of napa cabbage Kim Chi that is hidden inside. This is also good. The thai iced tea was good, just enough ice and coconut inside for a delicious treat. The staff was very friendly and attentive when we needed a box. What caught my eye and mad me feel good about this place is this; even though it was almost empty, while we were eating, the staff was careful to sweep and pickup trash around us with a good perimeter of cushion. I like when staff understands that when people are eating, you don't disturb the environment while the customer is eating i.e. vacuuming, dusting, sweeping as this stuff floats into the customers personal space. I give this place a solid 4/5 for this visit and will come back to try it again. The higher prices aren't an issue to me since I can see and taste a better quality of food here.
(4)
Michelle R.
Since opening, I have been to Star Ginger twice for lunch and have really enjoyed it. The only thing I would warn others of, is if you are in a hurry, call your order in ahead of time. The food is prepared fresh, right on the spot so its not really "fast food". So far, I have tried: the Buddha Salad Rolls, the Jungle Curry and the Thai Tofu Salad and the Chicken Pho.. all DELICIOUS. I love the food here and will be back time and time again to try it all! Strongly recommend the food here. Great restaurant.
(5)
Sandra D.
I ate here last night for dinner and wasn't too impressed. The first issue I had was with parking. The small lot in front was full and there was no street parking anywhere in the immediate vicinity. I found one tight spot about a block away. The restaurant itself was cramped. The guy in the seat behind me was so close that we bumped into each other a few times. The service was just fine. The menu was surprisingly limited which really disappointed me. The food was decent. We shared the samosas and I ordered the tofu salad. The samosas were just what I would expect but they were a little on the oily side. I wish our server would have mentioned that there were only 3 samosas in an order since we were a party of 4 and we ordered them to share. My salad was good. It had plenty of fresh mint, tomatoes, peanuts and tofu in it. They didn't skimp on the good stuff and it wasn't over dressed. It was a little pricey for what it was. I was highly unimpressed with the restroom situation. For the number of seats they crammed into the restaurant the restroom is for one person at a time. It also smelled of sewage or something foul. Gross. Overall my experience was ok but there are so many really great options that I don't think I'll be going back.
(2)
Emily C.
the service was SO slow because it was so ridiculously busy :( however, the food was delicious!! i love how trendy and cute this place is, but i hate the parking. i was lucky to park up front... Our table ordered the Thai BBQ chicken, Pad Si Ew, and the Viet Beef Pho. They were all so yummy tasting. My favorite was definitely the Pad Si Ew with three chiles, it was the perfect tofu mixed dish ive had in sacramento so far. We ordered the ginger ice cream for dessert... i know it sounds gross (trust me i was expecting the worst), but it was just right. I could taste the sweet ginger without it being overly creamy I gave it a four stars because even though the atmosphere and food is definitely amazing, the parking and service lacked thereof. the dinner was a bit expensive for my liking...
(4)
Frank G.
excellent vegetarian pho. clean, bright, new. great food, well priced.
(5)
Aaron O.
I am no Vietnamese food critic but this was delicious with good service.
(5)
Brian M.
The food I had was only ok. The curries were just bland. It just tastes more like something I'd get at a mall food court than a real restaurant. I would be willing to give it another chance, though.
(2)
Alex G.
Are u kidding me fine have ur soft opening make excuses for 3 weeks ur food is amazing but hire some more people for Christ sake. I was in last week and it took45 min for food u Comped us meal I was going to eat there today so I called in and they said no call in orders. well I called in cuz u are awful at handling a crowd get it together people!!!
(5)
Jen S.
Under flavored and overpriced. Not horrible but not good enough to warrant the prices.
(3)
Diana D.
I was thoroughly disappointed with the food being that Mai Pham is nationally acclaimed for being a chef. The menu has an introduction of the restaurant that's almost cheesy that describes what the food will make you feel. Basically, you're going to feel like you're in Vietnam, yeah right. I got the beef pho, korean bbq banh mi with the curry soup, and the buddha spring rolls. The beef was tender but bland, the broth had enough salt in it but it lacked any beef flavor and tasted strongly of star anise. I noticed on the menu that though it doesn't offer beef broth but only chicken, kinda weird. Noodles were cooked well but I couldn't get over the lack of flavor in the broth. I ended up picking the pieces of meat out of my soup and dipping it into the spicy thai chicken soup, which mostly tasted like curry, and left most of my noodles untouched. The korean bbq was well seasoned but marinated for too long to the point where the meat started to have a strange texture. The baguette was nice, soft and crunchy. The banh mi was probably the best this I had at lunch and that's not much saying much. The rolls were okay, nothing great, not terrible but I expected more. Damn that hype.
(2)
Karin C.
Star Ginger is a great place for a quick lunch. My friend and I shared a salad and curry dish. We were both impressed with the ambiance and food and large portions. We could have used a third person to share our meal.
(4)
Nathan R.
Never heard of this place. Some friends had seen it and suggested that we stop by for lunch. So glad we did! It had a great atmosphere and the food was full of great taste! I had the Roasted Kurobuta Pork sandwich and Spicy Thai Chicken Soup. Yum! I look forward to going back here agian.
(4)
Sam K.
We tried the bahn mi (roast pork), chicken curry with jasmine rice, and the grilled pork chop with rice and salad. Taste-wise it was OK. The bahn mi bread was good, but the meat was not as flavorable as I hoped. It was lacking something... the pickled veggies didn't even help. The peas in the chicken curry were not mushy, but the curry flavour wasn't as robust as I've had before, and it wasn't even spicy (I asked for medium spiciness). The grilled pork chop was OK... really not much else to say. The salad that came with this dish had a sweet dressing. Service was decent, but the tables were really close together that the people serving the food kept bumping into chairs. It was overpriced food that was bland. I do understand that they may be using better quality products, but please match it with the taste.
(2)
Fred D.
The setting: the restaurant edition of Dwell magazine. The food: the same stuff the owmer has neen ladling out for years at other places. Ingredient scarcity alert: Pad Thai boasted 2 shrimp. Advice for dieters: good option. Advice for others: over priced for what's on the plate. Despite the presence of M.P., the owner, plates were left uncollected on tables. I might go back to try other items if someone else pays. Based on recent visits, 3 stars. Family style dinners a good value.
(3)
Andrew I.
overpriced. vanilla. okay white people food.
(3)
Dikla D.
We went to Star Ginger last night - we had heard mixed reviews, and now I know why. We started out with the sweet potato fries (AWESOME) and the chicken salad rolls (pretty good)... So far so good... We got the Singapore noodles, which was completely bland and just without any imagination. The real kicker is that we were both feeling pretty sick about an hour later - no food poisoning or anything, just didn't sit well....
(2)
Sukhbir C.
Great Buddha spring rolls, awesome young coconut milk, and great pho! Enjoyed the casual environment and overall the the service was good.
(4)
Food S.
I was extremely disappointed after my visit. I ordered the Kao Soi Chicken. It is basically your 10 cents curry flavor top ramen curry mixed with some pieces of chicken breast, snow peas and some kind of vegetable. The taste was terrible. I am certain it wasn't prepared by a master chef. The sad thing is I paid $8.65 for this dish. I wouldn't eat this crap even if it were free. Regardless, this place was packed. This is a good thing because I will not be wasting my time, money, and my taste buds here again.
(1)
Marquie F.
Tried this place today for lunch. I ordered takeout but waited about 15 minutes for my food. The cashier was nice but not outgoing and seemed a little stressed out. I ordered the vegan lentil curry with jasmine rice, but since I ordered it to go, by the time I ate it, it was very soggy. I don't know if that is because I waited too long to eat it but I was very dissapointed with the mushy consistency of the jasmine rice, which I usually look forward to. The curry was decent, not very much flavor, but the lentils did give it a good taste. The portion of rice was small, but they did gave me a good amount of curry/vegetables. I wasn't very impressed with the pricing either as everything was pretty expensive. I paid $8 alone for the meal I ordered with no drink. I will give this place another shot in hopes that i'll have a better experience. Update: I've been back a few times after this. The second time I ordered the veggie bahn mi sandwich. It was good, but very small, I was still hungry afterward! My mom had ordered the jungle curry (same food as Lemongrass but a smaller portion). Yesterday we came back again and this time I ordered the jungle curry. The portion was huge! I actually had left overs (This never happens! I'm a pig.) It felt so strange asking for a box to go. Now i'm not sure if they increased their portion size or if it had to do with the time that we came (around 2:30 on a Saturday). My mom ordered the bahn mi combo with sweet potato fries. The sandwich again, was much bigger than last time. The sweet potato fries were delicious! Not too oily but nice and crispy. And the fries were served with a yummy chipotle tasting creamy sauce. So, it looks like they've improved since opening and they definitely have made it on my good list now.
(4)
Melissa W.
The chicken pho is amazing and the broth is so gingery and delicious. Best pho I've had in Sac!
(4)
Big Daddy E.
Tried Star Ginger for the first time tonight with my hubby, another couple with their 2 children and one other friend. The place was slammed but we, party of 7, were seated immediately at a nice large table. The waitress didn't mind separate checks (3) gave us ice water with lemons, took our drink and food orders and disappeared. We finally waved down another waitress to beg for more water and finally got it. After another 15 minutes I had to wave down another waitress to ask where our drinks were (1 bottle beer and 1 Thai ice tea). Suddenly our waitress appeared with the appetizer we ordered, Vietnamese sliders but brought 2 instead of 1 order so we had to send one back. They were tasty, 3 to an order for $8.95 but no better than a Vietnamese sandwich from Wing Wa Market for $1.99. During this time our orders began arriving, one at a time, to all 7 people until we finally received all orders over 15 minutes while we all waited to eat together thus forcing several people to eat their food cold. My hubby had the Beef Pho with extra noodles and said it was just average but not as good as Pho Bac Hua Viet's on Broadway and at double the price here. I had the 2 chili Singapore Noodles with extra noodles and they were delicious and perfectly spicy at $15.95 ! We found out they had charged us each an extra $5.00 for extra noodles, I don't mind paying for extra, but $5.00 for a scoop of cheap noodles seems excessive. To wrap it up, they need better service, better food distribution and perhaps some price adjustments. I know for what we ate before tip was $46.60, a lot of money for a little amount of food for 2 people.
(3)
K T.
I LOVE STAR GINGER! First of all, I love La Bou and the people that work there are so sweet and nice. Anyways, the Korean BBQ beef sandwich with sweet potato fries is MY LIFE. it's sooooooooooooo good. Honestly It's all I can ever order when I go there. I've also had the curry which is always good but the sandwiches are amazing. The bread is perfectly crunchy and fluffy and the ingredients are fresh and flavorful! The only issue I have with the place is the parking situation but you'll always find something if your patient. I wish they would serve the sandwiches during the new dinner service they offer. Also don't forget the Thai tea!!! So good.
(5)
Sage W.
FIrst visit today for lunch. I ordered the Thai BBQ chicken with curry. It was SO good. The spices--perfect! I liked that it wasn't drowned in curry sauce--just a side dipping sauce. It wasn't overly heavy. Only complaint, the restaurant was cold. The seating is close together, like a cafeteria. One orders at counter. The food wins out and I'll be back again to sample more!
(4)
Ryan F.
We went here for dinner tonight. We had the Thai Green Curry and the Chicken Pho. Both were tasty and consistent with Mai Pham's offerings at Lemon Grass Cafe. (We've never eaten at Lemon Grass proper). The service was friendly and pretty fast. The prices were a little steep for us to make this a regular stop on our dinner rotation. Things should be around the 10 dollar range, not the 12-15. Especially when there are so many really great Asian options in downtown and midtown. Nice decor, but needs more parking.
(3)
Billy B.
I (still) desperately want to love this place. Star Ginger offers all the types of food that I can eat (and love) on a daily basis. I have been there twice so far and unfortunetly have been dissappointed both times. The first time I was loving my curry until I took a big mouthful of brown rice and discovered the large black hair in my rice. I know, I know, things happen. Everyone has an off day. I still went back. I really want to love this place. The second trip was at opening time. Maybe it was too early for any spunk. It took 25 minutes to get my order to me. In the meantime, people would come in, order and receive their food. Huh? Then I get the food to go and I'm in the car and ready to snack on some of those yummy sweet potatoe fires. All 10 of them. Gone in about a minute. Get the food home and discover just as many noodles in my asian noodle salad. I really want to love this place and will try again one more time. But I have to say with all the food available out there, not a lot of people are willing to be as unforgiving.
(2)
Margo H.
Star Ginger has grown on me, but I can now say that I am officially a fan. I love the Thai Tofu salad- it tastes like a vietnamese spring roll. I also really liked the beef banh mi. The sweet potato fries with sriracha aoli are great- really crispy and tasty, and the Banh Mi, Beer and Fries for $10 meal is an awesome deal. I agree with previous reviews- some of the food is underwhelming, but everything is good, and some things will surprise you. They host events from time to time, and the ambiance is perfect for a casual dinner with friends.
(4)
Liz S.
My lunch sat there on the counter, with two others, while my friend ate hers. The server was wiping off a table. While three lunches sat there. I had to get up and tell her to bring me my lunch. I almost got it myself. The kicker is, the most boring pad Thai ever. No tip. Would give negative stars if I could, and I hate it when people leave cranky reviews. But there was nothing redeeming about this noisy, pricy waste of time.
(1)
Elizabeth L.
Way reasonable price for good food.
(4)
Fahd S.
we got the Chicken and BBQ beef banh mi sandwiches. hmmmm tasty.
(4)
Tamiko H.
I love this place! the soups are great the soup and sandwich combo is wonderful. I can't and wouldn't think about complaining.
(4)
Curtis C.
I wanted so much to like this place. It comes from a good pedigree (Mae Pham) so my expectation was high. Unfortunately I have to report that it seems a half-baked idea with a few hits and lots of misses. The noise level is not 'average' as noted, but very intrusive . The hard edges, high ceiling, and right angles amplify and resonate the noise to a noticeable and annoying din. Is this their way of turning over tables? I ordered the Vegetable and Lentil Curry and asked the spice be kicked up one notch. It may have been a mistake because there was no flavor except heat - certainly no hint of curry - and the overspiced sauce overwhelmed the vegetables. I was certain the menu said the meal came with eggplant but there was none. When asked, the server said no, there was no eggplant. Eggplant was the reason why I ordered it. Now I see the menu on-line has it listed has an ingredient. She also said this dish is "not one of my favorites". Maybe her's didn't have eggplant either. At $11.95, it's at least $3 overpriced, even with eggplant. Another minor peeve was the Mango tea. Very thin and watery (and woefully overpriced). Again, I had high hopes and will probably try it one more time but I'll be more careful about ordering and trusting the answers of the servers.
(2)
Lou Ann S.
Meet a girlfriend for lunch. Had a delicious lunch, fresh and flavorful! Lovely atmosphere .....I'll be back!
(5)
Justin F.
overall I was very pleased. I think this place is still figuring things out though. I suspect they will be even better in a few months.
(4)
G L.
Three of my friends and I went for lunch on Saturday (Feb 12@ 12:30 PM). Parking was trying, to say the least! We had to park a block away! The place was clean and felt new. It was LOUD in there! Maybe acoustics? Anyway, the cashier was friendly, the food was good, but pricey, and the wait staff was efficient. I did not feel comfortable in there. The tables were too close to each other and because of the loudness of the place, people were talking even louder! Yikes! Not what I want to experience again! Sadly, I will not go there again.
(1)
T S.
Over priced and bland anyone that has eaten Vietnamese food would tell you this is crap Sacramento Magazine has this place all wrong!!! We will never eat there again.
(1)
Joshua B.
I really enjoyed the food here! Everything seemed fresh and the presentation of the food on the plate was great too. Sure, the prices are a bit steep, but that's not going to stop me from coming multiple times to this great new addition to Sacramento's restaurant climate.
(4)
Danielle C.
I love this place. The prices are reasonable, the food is high quality and locally sourced and the staff is super nice. My first experience was a Friday night... we had just gotten out of a movie and needed food NOW. It was ~5 minutes before 9pm and we decided to try Star Ginger... mostly because it was the closest thing to us and also because we had read about it in a Sacramento-based magazine. Not realizing it was about to close, we calmly slid through the door and asked to be seated. The waitress was a super perky girl who seated us immediately and told us about a special that they were running. Only after we had started salivating at the menu did we realize that the place was otherwise empty and that the staff looked like they were cleaning up. Our bad! We quickly decided on our dinners and placed our order to go. The waitress INSISTED that it was fine if we stay. Insisted. We almost had to beg to have the food to go! (In a good way... that waitress really made it sound as though it was no trouble to have to dirty the restaurant for only 2 people!) I got the chicken pho, my boyfriend got some spicy noodle dish... I can't remember the name. The food was prepared quickly and expertly packaged up to keep the pho from leaking everywhere. We paid and left. The smell in the car on the way home was INTOXICATING. Had it not been steaming hot, I have a feeling that the noodles would have become a finger food! Upon arrival home, we tore into the food like some ravenous beasts and were VERY pleasantly surprised. The food was simple, but amazing! The broth for the pho was rich and not too salty. The chicken was tender with missing the fatty bits you find at some *other* pho places. My boyfriends noodles were SPICY, just the way he likes them and not at all gluey or oily. We polished off every bit and swore that we would go back when we had time to experience more of the restaurant. We've made several more stops in since that first to-go trip and have had great food each time. (I particularly like how they have a good IPA on their beer menu) We've even tested their ability to work with special needs. One of our visits was with friends who had a very young daughter who was sleep in her larger-sized stroller. Nobody batted an eyelash when we scooted around some tables to make room for the stroller. In fact, they asked if there was anything they could bring for the baby! On another visit, we brought my gluten-free "mother-in-law," who had no problems finding appetizers and main dishes that would agree with her... some other similar restaurants have wheat items (flour) in their dishes, despite it not being listed on the menu. Star Ginger, I will be back!
(4)
brent w.
I was excited to try this place but was sadly disappointed. The menu looked good with Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese fusion. Not many dishes to choose from which would not be a problem if the food was delicious. However the food was not very flavorful especially for type of food. In fact I would even call it bland. To top it all off it was over priced. On the plus side service was good and the portions where large. This place is a short walk from my house but I will not make that walk again.
(1)
Vici M.
Great pad Thai and chicken pho noodle soup. Everyone in our group loved everything they ordered....except the side of kim chi that accompanied the beef dish.
(4)
Keith W.
Worst food I have ever had! I would give it a half star if I could and that may be generous. We did carry out tonight, they said be there in 15-20 min, I was there in 10 and my food was ready. I was shocked when I got home and it was cold. The ginger salad looked old. I got the Thai BBQ Chicken, pretty sub-par and cold! My wife said her's was ok, but would have preferred to get PGR Thai instead. Sweet potato fries were day old soggy. Over priced and disgusting...never again!
(1)
Paulie T.
I have never eaten more vibrant and delicious asian dishes as I have from STAR GINGER!!! The other day I was there for lunch and I enjoyed it so much that decided I needed to YELP about it! Let's talk about what I had to eat... I had a Korean BBQ Niman Ranch Beef Banh Mi sandwich that was to die for! The roll it was on was fresh and lightly toasted and the flavors inside were mouth watering and filled with fresh vibrant flavors!!! From the sauce on the beef to the cilantro and chili's... it was so good I could have ate TWO OF THEM!!! Luckily, I had an order of Thai Kao Soi w/chicken soup to wash it down with! OMG, the flavor of the yellow curry with chili spices and coconut milk Mmmm-mmm good! I nibbled on some Ginger Sesame Chicken salad which mellowed out all the spicy flavors very nicely!!! I've been to Star Ginger two times now and I haven't had the same thing twice and I must say every item I've ordered has blown me away! I just wish I lived closer... I would eat here everyday! And on top of it all, I was very impressed with the prices. The food could easily be more expensive but it's very reasonably priced. When you look at the quality of food and the flavors you get... you can't get that anywhere! A+ and Kudo's to Star Ginger mmmm-mmm I can't get enough!
(5)
liz l.
being a vegan, I was extremely disapointed with Star Ginger. I ordered the "vegan" Bahn mi, only to find aioli dripping out the sides. Once I alerted the waitress, she didn't even comprehend the fact that mayonaise is in fact an ANIMAL PRODUCT. The friends I brought were meat eaters and thought the Pad Thai, and the Beef sandwich were a rip off and poor quality. We will not return to this restaraunt. BEWARE VEGANS!
(1)
Ted F.
Great vegetarian fare but be sure to ask them to make it without meats first. Good veggie dishes and great curries with lots of veggies (unique combos with sweet potatoes in some dishes. Should try the sweet potato fries too. Meats used are local and organic, much better than wondering where the meat came from or how it was treated (antibiotics anyone?). Its a little higher in pricing $9-$14, but you get very good size portions (I take home leftovers). Very pleasant atmosphere, casual nice and clean and a bit artsy, but can be loud inside. Parking is a pain when busy as it has a small parking lot out front. Pricing is really what keeps this from 5 star as there are other very good asian restaurants in town that offer very good fare at 2/3 to half the price. But the others don't have the unique flavor combos like Star Ginger. Quickly becoming an icon for Sactown. Go there to spot mayor Kevin J. if you time it right. Spotted KJ hanging with the new wife during lunch a few months ago.
(4)
Juliet F.
Went today half an hour before closing, the place was crazy busy, ordered the Pho, paid, and was then told the Pho was sold out. Huh? Isn't that kind of like the Spaghetti Factory selling out of spaghetti?
(1)
Sethe D.
I live around the corner so I've already stopped by a few times.It's about darn time an above average restaurant opened up in this neighborhood! I absolutely LOVE this place and once they get their wine and beer license I will frequent even more (so I can stumble home). I had the kurbota pork banh mi and it was so good! It was very light yet very filling, tasted fresh, and in my opinion worth the price tag. Sure, you can find a cheaper Banh Mi in Sac, if you don't mind hormones and antibiotics in your meat. They also offer many other kinds of meat for the bahn mi's so there is a kind for everyone. I really want to venture out, but the pork was so darn good! There are also many vegetarian options, curries, noodles, soups, etc. I also tried the Pho with chicken, the chicken was a bit dry and the soup was a little bland...I think I'll give the Pho another shot in a few weeks once they have more time under their belt, until then I have Banh mi's and yummy noodles to tide me over. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm still giving them 5 stars. In these parts, I'm just stoked to have an amazing lunch destination other than Formoli's!
(5)
Ian F.
Great, fresh ingredients and wonderful service. Perhaps slightly on the overpriced side, but worth returning to nonetheless.
(4)
Barbara A.
This was not very good food. We ordered 4 dishes and shared. We had two Indian and two Thai. the Thai curry was by far the best but still not as good as I've had before. They overload everything with peas and not very good peas at that. The veggies were all overcooked. The dishes did not have different options for meats and there were no substitutions.
(2)
Kacie S.
I am a huge Thai fan and was looking forward to a semi fastfood restaurant. I was disappointed. The food was somewhat bland. I got the Jungle Curry. The tofu was good very good. It just could have used a little more flavor. But good size portion, perfect for lunch. Also the veggies were not overcooked which was nice. Maybe next time I will try something with a little more spice and will be more satisfied. Also it was a little crowded. Lots of table crammed in a small space but at least there was a seat.
(3)
Sofia M.
The food is great, so much flavor! They've come a long way since they opened. Service has gotten much better, food has always been pleasantly delicious. It's gourmet at an affordable price. I have tried everything on the menu except for the tofu and never been disappointed!
(4)
D. T.
I went with 2 co-workers today for the first time. The pho broth was bland, maybe it would be better with the chicken since the broth is chicken based, but I chose the beef, and what the heck, out of basil at an Asian restaurant that serves pho? One co-worker had the beef banh mi, very good and very spicy, the other had the Singapore noodle stir fry, again very good, and very spicy, but serving size was way too small for price and the size of my co-worker. One co-worker also got a side of sweet potato fries and the Asian noodle salad. They said the fries were very good, I do not like sweet potatoes so shall take them at their word. The salad was quite unusual and very good. The restaurant itself is very attractive, but way too loud. The timing of the dishes was terrible, by the time I got my pho, one co-worker had finished. I will go back though to try other dishes, because it is very close to work, inexpensive, and only one dish was just mediocre.
(4)
Toby F.
Great experience! Loved the Singapore noodle stir fry and the Thai BBQ chicken. .... Great for sharing. My daughter claims the sweet potato fries are the best she's had. Can't wait to go back
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Dennis R.
I've been to Star Ginger twice now with my girlfriend and both times we had a good experience. The first time I was craving a bahn mi sandwich. I'm on a quest to find the best bahn mi in Sacramento. This wasn't the best but it was pretty good. I got the pork bahn mi with sweet potato fries and samosas for an appetizer. The samosas were awesome. I love the sauces they serve with them. The sandwiches were really good too. I couldn't quite finish mine because the servings are large. I took my girl here again the other night and we really enjoyed our meal. We split the Thai chicken soup, which was great. It says spicy but it just had a little kick to it. I would probably order it with 2 out of 3 chiles on their heat scale next time. My girl ordered some sort of steak salad extra extra spicy. 3 out of 3 chiles!! There were a million different flavors going on in that salad and a ton of different hot chiles. Very good. She was happy. I ordered the lemongrass porkchops which came with rice and salad. The pork chops were the fantastic. They give you three thin chops with some sort of chile-lime sauce. I would definitely order this again. This place is great and I want to try everything g on the menu!
(4)Loren L.
I have to admit the first time I went here, I wasn't really impressed, but THEN again sometimes I can be hard to impress. I wasn't really planning on returning, but well life throws curveballs at ya. I went here on a weeknight, the parking can be tight, so just be sure you have an alternative place to park if the lot is full. The tables are very close together, so don't plan on any top secret meetings or convo's going on here, cuz everyone can hear your business. Pro: Happy Hour. this is a great idea and I ordered the chicken spring rolls-very good with great spicy peanut dipping sauce. Mongolian BBQ BEEF!!!! this meat is tender, crispy, flavorful.....oh wow. I mean yeah..wow. I can't wait to go back and order this if you know what I mean wow. Con: Pad Thai...it was just fine. Not wow, or great. Just ok. It needs flavor, something fresh. They served hot tea in a tall coffee cup and was luke warm. How about a tea pot with cute tea cups?? Go Old School on me with the tea please. The tables are TOO SMALL for 2 people and the large plates. What?! I am being too picky?? Ok you got me.
(4)K D.
Excellent buddha spring rolls (vegan) and the spicy chicken soup was tasty but was not spicy.. until I dropped some sriracha into it. Good stuff
(4)Laura O.
Star Ginger always has the freshest ingredients. I love this place. They offer this dinner deal for two people. You get something like a salad and two options from dinner entrees, plus two drinks. I can't remember the price but it's a really good deal and always ends up being way more food than you need. The staff is always friendly, the place is super clean, and they have quality ingredients. If you want less of a fast-casual spot, you should definitely also try Lemongrass - their other restaurant.
(4)Matt A.
I was turned onto this place by the great facade and the large crowds. But their food is so bland and lame. I was hoping for something refreshing and savory, so I tried their Curry, but they use so much zucchini and definitely not enough spices, or chicken for that matter. After the first few bites I was disappointed and tried to give the rest of it a chance. That was the first time I ever had to use Sriracha with my curry. Another thing is that a waiter came and asked how my food was and I told her it was bland and disappointing and she said, "Sorry about that." That was it. No, can we get you something else, no, can we offer you a refund. Just, sorry that your food sucks. Maybe the next time you come here (which is never), you'll order something else and it's better. Too bad a 14 dollar curry should give me a bit more kick, or flavor for that matter. Never coming back and I suggest anyone reading this not to try this place out either. Bad food, bad customer service, and almost no parking = terrible experience.
(1)Luna B.
This place is AMAZING for Vegans, they have all the Vegan dishes labeled with a V yay!! I love the asian noodle salad for lunch and the Buddha rolls are AMAZING and the dipping sauce is like nothing I ever tasted. They have booth seats in back with a TV & pricing is very reasonable. Very casual place, they are always kind and very helpful. Some days they are really busy but they turn around dishes fast and will get you in and out quick if needed. Love them! Wish they would cater parties.
(5)Ryan D.
Always a great easy spot to stop into for lunch or dinner. Sweet potato fries are a must not matter the course, the sliders are also top of the list. Decent Phó. The restaurant itself is very wide open and can be very busy at times which causes a little bit longer than normal wait for food. Overall always a great place to stop in for a good meal
(4)Prescila B.
So...the food was very tasty, but the PHO WAS NOT GOOD. The atmosphere was amazing, but the prices are not=/ I highly recommend the rice plates, sandwiches and ice cream!! * Would be 5 stars because everything is soo good..but I was disappointed in the pho and the fact that one sandwich is so costly=( P.S. Now serving sandwiches at dinner time! You cant get the sesame noodles on the side (like at lunch) only sweet potato fries (still yummy)
(4)Coral H.
I wish they had an outdoor dining area. I often come here for take out. Very efficient in and out process for that option with 15 minute parking spot. If the place next door were to ever open up as something good parking would be challenging. It is OK right now. Prices are OK. I like the variety of Asian inspired meals. Plenty of food.
(4)Tyler L.
The place has a very modern setting and it is beautiful. It's an Americanized Thai place, has the food but with higher prices. Star Ginger doesn't have menus where you sit down and order, at least for lunch they don't, but as you walk in the menus are on TVs and you order as you walk in. It caught me off guard and I had to choose quickly because of the fast pace line. The food is quickly at your table even with the lunchtime rush, so it'll be good for a business lunch if you are in down town. I ordered the banh mi toasted roast pork sandwich and it was alright. The pork was on the dry side although the flavors were good. Nothing special about it. But the sweet potato fries with aioli sauce was good. The sauce was delicious. Overall the food was decent. I wouldn't recommend it only if in the area and feeling like some Thai food.
(3)Samantha L.
My boyfriend, his mother and I visited Star Ginger on a Wednesday night around 5:45 for a quick dinner. As we were pulling up to the place, I noticed a new happy hour sign. When we were seated, the waitress also informed us of their happy hour deals, which were until 6:00 p.m. I previously gave Star Ginger a 3, but I feel that it is a bit more established now and a solid 4 stars. Since there were still 15 minutes left, we took advantage of the happy hour deals and ordered: -Saigon Chicken Salad Rolls ($4): rice noodles, grilled chicken, and an assortment of veggies. This was cut up to about 8 pieces and served with a yummy hoisin peanut sauce, and a side of noodle salad. It was really tasty and somehow was brought to our table in about 3 minutes after ordering it! -Grilled Chicken Banh Mi ($4): The chicken was nicely grilled and the pickled vegetables provided a nice contrast and crunch. The bread was toasted just right with some flakey, crispiness without the "scratch-off-the-roof-of-your-mouth" effect. There was also a nice sriracha aoili that added a nice flavor to the whole sandwich. The portion was very fair for the price. It was plenty. -Thai Ko Soi with Tofu and Vegetables ($5): This is what I ordered. I am never really in the area for lunch, so I thought I'd try this out (which is usually only available during their lunch hours). It's a curry broth noodle soup and it was really tasty. It was very hearty and the portion size was very generous. There was an assortment of vegetables (peas, cabbage, carrots, greens, etc.) and several large pieces of tofu. There was a large serving of egg noodles in the broth, and the dish was also topped with a beautifully fried noodle decoration (also, delicious). -Chicken Pho ($5): my boyfriend's mother ordered this and seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. It looks like pretty standard pho, and is served with a plate of sprouts, basil, jalepenos, etc. Everything was a full portion (not mini-versions at all, which happens sometimes with happy hour deals). We were really impressed by the great prices, the tasty food, and how quickly everything came to our table. Two thumbs up! We all ordered from the happy hour menu, but the waitress also said that all entrees from the dinner menu would come with a free beer!
(4)Deems P.
Love the Korean beef banh mi. Perfect warm roll, tasty crunchy pickled vegetables, tender beef, a few jalapeño slices and a slightly spicy sauce. Delicious!
(5)J. B.
I want to like Star Ginger. I want to give it more than three stars. The food is good. I most often have the chicken pho, but I've explored the rest of the menu on various occasions. I like the pho. The broth is light and flavorful, noodles are always cooked well and there's plenty of high quality chicken. In fact, they seem to have improved the quality of the chicken since I've been going there. It doesn't have fat or cartilage like it used to. The problem is the service during lunch, which is when I usually dine there. They never refill your drink or water or check on you to see if everything is okay. You have to order at the counter during lunch and they bring your food out to you. I'm always amused at the tip jar on the counter or the tip line on the credit card receipt. What am I tipping for? I still tip, but it never elicits a drink refill or any other service. Lastly, watch out for the extra narrow spaces in the parking lot!
(3)Matty K.
We were curled up at Peet's across the way, studying frantically, when my stomach growled in anger. My study buddy and I decided to head over to Star Ginger's for some food. We wandered in to a nearly empty restaurant at 4:50. It was our first time here and we weren't sure what to do. Do we order at the register? Do we sit down? Well, judging by the two giant screens that have menus, we decided we should order at the counter. "Are you guys here for lunch or dinner" the lady asked. We weren't sure. Honestly, we just wanted food. Dinner? "It won't be for 7 minutes." Okay...lunch? "You have 3 minutes to order." What? We hurried over to the register and ordered. Veggie Kao Soi: A Laotian-inspired dish, if I'm not mistaken. It's a curry flavored broth with noodles, veggies, tofu, and spices. It was bland. Very bland. The tofu and veggies were few. Lentil and veggie curry with brown rice: Indian inspired? Where were the lentils? I couldn't tell if it melted into the veggies or if it was the potatoes. Huge serving of veggies made me happy, but the flavor? Bland. It was more like an American gravy instead of curry. Overall: I was extremely put off by the service in the beginning. No one wants to be hurried or be forced to wait to order food when the entire restaurant is EMPTY. I get it, I get it, the food is fusion. I hate that most places think fusion=toning down almost every flavor imaginable other than salt. Overall, I'm extremely happy by all the vegetarian options, I'm just put off by the taste of the food...or lack there of. Perfect place for people to come if they "can't take spice."
(2)Ian S.
The food, four stars. When my Japanese step-dad, my Vietnamese mother-in-law and my Phillipino Father-in-law are all happy with the food, someone is doing "fusion" right. Me, I loved it. Best Bahn-mi I've had in Sacramento, without traveling south to Florin. The service? Meh-two stars. I've been a half dozen to a dozen times, and they are about 50% when it comes to accuracy. They forget items when you get it to go. They mix up orders. This past time, the counter clerk gave us attitude throughout, failed to give us a number, which was then given to the next people in line (as was our food for nearly five minutes while they tried to sort it out) and when the food mix up was discovered? They simply picked it up, and put it back down on our table. Tsk tsk. No apologies, no comps, nothing but food that someone else had stared at uncomprehedingly for 10 minutes. Gross. The interior is clean and well lit, so I can forgive the moderate lunch prices, as a trade off. Not cheap, but good food (if you get what you wanted).
(3)Trisha S.
**Warning to those with only 30 min lunch break ** No point in calling in your food prior to pick up . Was told 15 min but ended up taking 40 min. Also what's up with the pick up "to go order line" if you still have to wait forever just to pay for your food that you already ordered. Girl at register for "order here" side told me she couldn't help me and that I had to wait in the line I was in. (Really because all i needed to do was pay, but she couldn't help) But guess who she helped shortly after me? A customer with a pick up order. Talk about no customer service what so ever. Totally understand busy lunch rush but really at least talk to your customers and not just ask for name and signature. RUDE!! (Mind you I only ordered chicken spring rolls and sweet potato fries). Beside the lack of costumer service their food actually pretty good.
(2)Michelle D.
This place is beautiful. Clean. The staff is very polite and accomodating. The food was very good. Not the best ever, but very good. The only reason I say not the best ever is because it was very pricey. My Mom and I went here for lunch and we spend 25 bucks on two entree items and water. That's pretty expensive in my opinion. .
(3)Nathalie N.
The service is great, the place is clean, the service is fast, and the prices are decent. The catch ... Well the food for a FUSION place isn't as amazing. That's the only downer. We ordered three items. Chicken Lemongrass Banh Mi, Curry Pad thai with beef and shrimp, and tofu salad. The tofu salad is nothing spectacular. Lettuce was the main item. Tofu was too soft. And the dressing was of soy sauce. The portion is also small that you would still be hungry if you ordered this alone. The curry pad thai lacks flavor. It lacks a lot of flavor and spice. Chicken Lemongrass Banh Mi.. where is the lemongrass? Totally not sauteed chicken like normally. I'm vietnamese, so I can say this. Grilled chicken is what it looked like thrown in with some lemongrass. What a shame... the only item I was looking forward to having... Oh and the icing on the cake is ... I got really sick two hours after our meal. I think one of the dishes (I'm assuming the noodle dish) was undercooked. It tasted fine when I ate it .. but afterwards I felt really sick. I suffered all night. :( I don't think Ill be back... unfortunately. :(
(2)Ashley J.
My boyfriend and I went here last night (Monday) for the first time. It was easy to find, on the corner of the street with a large sign. Parking was easy. When we entered we were immediately greeted and sat. The atmosphere was really nice and calming. And I can't forget the mention the smell of the food cooking was delicious!!! Our waitress came and greeted up promptly and gave us time to order drinks. We both got a Thai iced tea. Sooo sweet and oh so good. But be careful because they can easily fill you up with that cream in it. To start we got the chicken spring rolls with spicy peanut sauce. Yummmmyyyy and FRESH. I order the Green Chicken Curry with medium spice and brown rice. My boyfriend ordered the Pad-Se-Ew with pork. The meal was paced nicely. We received our entrees a little after our appetizer. The food smelt and looked great. I tried the curry first. AMAZING! Perfect flavor and the taste of the lemon grass was right on. The chicken was tender and the curry was yummy. It was super fresh. The brown rice was cooked perfectly. Next was the Pad-Se-Ew. I've ordered this dish a lot a multiple places. At Star Ginger, their Pad-Se-Ew is definitely top fave 3! The rice noodles were cooked great, the veggies were crisp, and the sauce was great. The winner in this dish was the pork! Oo0o0o yeah! Super tender and flavorful. For the price, you get a lot of food! So, we got full pretty quickly and had enough for a midnight snack :) The waitress boxed our food up, and we paid and left full and happy. Overall, the experience was great! We loved the atmosphere. The service was great! Our waitress did everything correctly (I'm a waitress), she didn't bother us or rush us, and she paced our meal perfectly! She was very sweet, too! The food was top notch, and you can really taste the freshness and great quality. We will be back again for sure!
(5)Matee T.
Chicken rolls were the only thing I enjoyed. Chicken pho lacked flavor. The food didn't leave me in awh though so wont be back.
(2)Cyndi S.
As has been said....it's really spendy for what it is. I got the thai curry chicken and it was something I could have made at home. Chicken was dry, not enough, LOADS of (cheap) zuchinni, though. I mean...really? For a $14 plate of curry, I want GOOD. This was not GOOD with all caps. It was fine. My honey got the bbq chicken and that was pretty solid and was a decent portion. However the side salad it came with.....I swear the dressing is the same generic soy/ginger dressing served on every side salad in every restraurant in the history of time. Actually....I'm pretty sure it's the sesame ginger dressing from Trader Joes. Another dish I could have made at home. Our waitress was a sweetheart, but there is a level of service you expect when the dish prices jump over the $10 per plate mark that just wasn't there. The TVs all over give the whole place a casual, almost sports bar vibe that also conflicts with the prices paid. I do want to go back and try the Bahn Mi, and they seem reasonably priced. But what we spent should have gotten us a nice dinner and what we got was something we could have gotten at half the price down the street. The food was disappointing They do have a decent proseco......so theres that.
(2)Dej B.
Came here for lunch and it was busy! Nice interior but a bit crowded for parking. I had the small Ginger Chicken Salad and my hubby had the Korean BBQ Sandwich, both were satisfying to our pallets. It was a bit pricey for lunch than we expected (of course comparing going down to Little Saigon) but you can't beat the price to get these eats in the heart of midtown not to mention the new, modern decor and ambiance. I'll definitely give it another try for dinner!
(3)Logan S.
Bathrooms first: Bathrooms are clean. Nothing fancy or special. Small. Tp is rough, and no one likes that :( The location this place is in leads to bad parking experiences. parking is terrible here! The spaces are so small and there arent many of them. Maybe just park at another business. Food wise, I just though that the Samosas weren't good. Mushy and just a mild curry flavor. Where did the rest of the flavor go?? And the crust was way too thick. I also tried the lentil curry and the jungle curry. The lentil curry was okay, not super flavorful but it WAS lentils...however, the jungle curry just wasnt good. Soupy, and not much flavor. I mean, i guess it was my fault for getting jungle curry right? Overall, an okay meal. Would not return.
(3)Oanh N.
My five stars is purely for this place's GINGER ICE CREAM! I am a die hard ice cream fan (sorry lucerne...your ice cream just don't cut it). Yup, if you're gonna dig into the calories might as well do it right, right?! The actual ginger ice cream isn't too overwhelming and mixed inside are mini ginger pieces that pleasantly surprise your taste buds every once in a while. Then you gotta drizzle the sweet ginger sauce on top and....mmmm...pure satisfaction. One serving is a good size...you can probably share it between two people. But I'm telling ya...you're gonna crave for some more after your last bite. 5 stars for this incredible dessert! Everyone needs to try it. You will fall in love.
(5)Josh D.
Stopped in here on a lark yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Korean BBQ beef sandwich with Thai chicken soup. The sandwich was really good, the meat was tender and the produce was fresh and crisp. As far as the Thai soup goes, well I've never met a Thai soup I didn't like and this one didn't disappoint with it's giant chunks of chicken, would have liked it a little spicier but that's total personally preference. I dropped eleven bucks on a soup and sandwich with a coke and left full so the prices didn't seem high to me, especially for how tasty it all was!
(4)Pon K.
Came here for the very first time last Friday night with my niece. Cute little restaurant on a very busy road (Americanized Asian restaurant). It used to be Togo's but they closed down a few years back. We walked in and was greeted by the host/manager......and he seated us. Our server, Dao, came up to us right away with the menus. She was really sweet. 5 minutes later she came back and took our orders. We ordered the Toasted Banh Mi pork sliders for app...OMG so freaking delicious! Entrees: I ordered the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken and my niece had the Thai Shrimp Green Curry. My grilled chicken could have used a little more lemongrass but still good......the rice was good too LOL. The curry was bland but salty...she said it's "not spicy enough." -add sriracha it helps. We ordered 3 items...total was about $37 which is very expensive for that type of asian food! Would we go there again......hmmmm yeah if someone else is paying LOL :D ***CLOSE on Sundays***
(3)Nani V.
I started off with the buddah salad rolls (6 little rolls and a side of noodle & broccoli salad) and my friend ordered the samosas. The rolls were light and yummy, the noodles were okay. I had one of the samosas and it was pretty good as well with the chutney dip that came along with it. We both also ordered the bahn mi sliders; I was able to only eat one because I was so full off the appetizers and trying a piece of my friend's Korean BBQ beef. She ordered her entree with brown rice and veggies. The beef was tender and flavorful, I'd recommend it. Our waitress wasn't warm, but she was fast and attentive. The prices though are a bit higher than they need to be. If they were knocked down a bit, I may go back.
(3)Tom S.
Hey. Let's skip all the usual blah, blah, blah that even I type in a YELP resto review. Let's cut to the chase... This place is the Best Cheap Eats you're gonn'a find in a 500 mile radius. Bambie & me had lunch for $23. It was absolutely fabulous. Fresh flavors, best quality ingredients, yummy top to bottom. Generous portions for the price. Dining room hardly nicer than a cafeteria, but you will NOT care. 'Cause when you start chewing and swallowing you will be sooooo happy. 5 stars? Yeah.
(5)Carol P.
It's La Bou housed in a smaller, cozier nook, with a more extensive menu. Food is good, but a bit pricey for Asian "street faire" (what it's toted as). But if you're used to eating at La Bou, then paying $10 or more for lunch is expected. Service was on the slow side, which surprised me, because on my second visit, I saw Mae Pham (owner) herself, getting busy in the kitchen. I thought she might be cracking a whip to get out orders. Wrong. This little restaurant is always busy, so if you don't have an hour for lunch, skip it or call for takeout. I tried a pork banh mi sandwich, the spicy thai chicken soup, and the Asian noodle salad. Delicious flavors. If I go here again, I will try the pork chop, served over rice or the jungle curry (veggie). It looked really really good.
(3)Esmeralda H.
Just moved to East Sac, and thought I'd try Star Ginger. Took some friends there. Two of us had Thai BBQ chicken. Fantastic! Another friend had the kerala shrimp curry. She gave me a taste. It was so darned yummy that I went back the next evening and ordered that for dinner. Thai BBQ chicken is delicious, but not spicy. The kerala shrimp curry is definitely going to get your attention with the spiciness level, but in a good way. Both have wonderful and imaginative blendings of flavors and textures. SOOOO Good! Unlike some Asian restaurants, at Star Ginger the chili pepper icon indicating hotness really does mean something. Don't order anything with the chili icon next to it if you don't like spicy food. Yep! I'm a fan. Update: I find my self going to this restaurant quite frequently now. It's a gem! Great curries (love the green and the jungle curry) and the banh mi sandwiches are yummy. Sliced jalapeno tucked inside the sandwich gives it a fun little kick. Not too crazy about the pho, but hey, no big deal. Everything else that I have had there has been just terrific.
(4)Sara W.
I really liked Star Ginger. We (husband, m-i-l, and I) came here on a Saturday night a few weeks ago and were immediately seated. Decor was modern and clean. We ordered the Sweet Potato Fries & Pork Sliders to start. Both were delicious-- especially loved the sauce w/the fries. For dinner, we ordered the Pad Thai, Thai Chicken Green Curry, and Thai BBQ Chicken. All were great, although next time I wouldn't order the Thai BBQ Chicken. Kind of bland. The curry was definitely my favorite (next to the sweet potato fries), spicy and flavorful... Yum! Portions were big. We had more than enough for the three of us, and leftovers fed us a huge dinner the next night. Service was quick and friendly. Only downside is the parking. Very small lot and spaces are very tight. We were lucky to find a spot, but there was plenty of street parking nearby. Will definitely return!
(4)Charlie H.
Went there for lunch with my wife after we were running errands. First time going there and the gentlemen who took my order was so disengaged like we were actually irritating him by ordering. My wife and I ordered the thai barbecue chicken entree, it was bland and the salad was something you can pick up Raleys (Chinese chicken salad). Basically the environment is the only thing it had going for it excluding the help. They all seemed as if they wanted to be someplace else other than there waiting on customers. I'm sorry but we do not intend to go there again and I really would caution against going there without studying the menu first.
(2)Christy M.
Star Ginger just didn't live up to my (possibly unrealistic) expectations. While I absolutely love the chicken salad rolls, which I developed a huge devotion for at the Lemon Grass at the airport, the beef banh mi was not on par with the price and tasted pretty dry. I believe I broke the $20 mark w/ my ice tea, banh mi with noodle salad, and coveted salad rolls. That is a bit high for lunch. I hate to complain without providing a recommendation, so my advice would be to offer a combo of the banh mi with the salad rolls (they have similar combos with other items). Hey, maybe even include ice tea or soda with the meal to really make it a decent lunch value. I'd pay about $12 for such an option easily.
(3)erle h.
I have eaten here several times (24) and found the food and staff consistently good. I like the spicy chicken soup (variation of the traditional Tom kha coconut milk soup) and the sesame chicken salad. Both were tasty and fresh. The salad had great fresh greens and crispy noodles and a nice tangy dressing. The soup , for me, is an improvement on the original since the spice wakes up the mouth instead of lulling it to sleep with too much milky taste. They also have good regional beers on tap, at this time Truman pils is my fav
(4)Kaye B.
I have eaten here 5 times now, all for lunch. The standout for me - two sandwiches. The Korean BBQ Niman Ranch beef, and the Thai BBQ chicken. They are very different, but both excellent, from the bread, to the meat, to the wonderful and plentiful crunchy veggies. Very reasonable prices, too. Try one of them, you will not be disappointed. Everything I have tried has been delicious, but now that I have tried these sandwiches I will be unable to pass them up on future visits.
(5)Ryan S.
Decent place.
(3)Scott F.
This place didn't blow my socks off. Super small parking lot with small parking spaces made for a not so fun entry. I ordered the banh mi combo with the noodle salad. Both tasted good, but not mind blowing, and it was a little expensive for what it was. After you order a soda it ends up being a little over $10.
(3)Janice C.
Can't do zero stars. Walked in and just walked out after waiting a reasonable amount of time to have our order taken. No service beyond water and plates! Hello and good bye!
(1)KaeRae Art C.
Banh mi sandwiches are the greatest. The bread roll is just the perfect amount of crunchiness - just crunchy, but not hard. It reminds me of a buying and eating a baguette in Paris.
(5)Alex G.
I tried this place about a week ago, all I can say is that it was very......ok. There wasn't anything wrong with the food or decor, but the whole experience felt very generic. First of all, the interior. The place is very open inside, but it just feels like any generic Asian fusion-type place. Wooden tables, a few cloudy pieces of glass...I could have been just about anywhere. The food itself was fine, but not spectacular. I tried some sort of grilled lemon chicken. I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn't anything I couldn't make myself at home. My buddy said the same thing about his dish. On top of that, I felt that it was a bit overpriced for what it was. My dish was around $13.50 for the chicken and a side. I know it's a sit down place, but I didn't think what I got was worth the price I paid. I'd rather go to MaJong's and pay $8 for a larger plate of food. With that said, it's not to say I won't eat here again, it's just that there was nothing that stood out to me as being memorable or noteworthy.
(3)Echosaisis C.
Its whitewashed asian food with prices to reflect and more attentive than usual asian servers. You'll enjoy the food here if you are not totally vegetarian. Servers not fast on refills though but once they saw me get up to walk over to refill myself, she was much much more attentive. The only white washed asian food 'fusion' restaurant that I've more than once and seen asian diners each time. (ate here awhile ago, review is a couple weeks late)
(2)Sparky F.
Star Ginger opened in my neighborhood recently, it is a welcome addition. Great to have informal, high quality, Thai-Vietnamese food nearby. Portion size is large, taste packs a punch! Thai BBQ Chicken is awesome, it comes with a yellow curry sauce that lends a wonderful spicy but subtle sweetness. Gotta have the Sweet Potato Fries... Not a Pho person myself, I can only report from what I have heard from my Pho loving friends---the Pho is GREAT! My one gripe... They won't make a shrimp version of the fresh roll! Tips: if ordering for take out, call ahead of time... The parking lot is small for the customer base, so expect to roll a little bit for a spot if one is not immediately available The restaurant is accessible for my wheelchair using friends---THANK YOU! Enjoy!
(4)Sally L.
Lately, this has been my go-to place for several reasons: 1) the food is fresh, delicious, and inexpensive 2) the service is consistently good (I also like seeing the same faces); and it's only a short distance away from our house. I usually order the Buddha Roll (vegan). For $7.95, it's very fulfilling and comes with a side noodle salad. My boyfriend and I come here a lot for dinner. With two entrees and drinks (beer and wine), our bill is usually around $35. We're supposed to be eating only at restuarants that we have not been to, but we usually end up here because we know it won't disappoint. In fact, we're here now (again). I'm ordering the Pad Thai ($13.95) and he's ordering the Bahn Mi sandwich, which comes with fries and a beer for only $10. I highly recommend this place whether you're eating solo, with someone, or with a large group. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
(4)Spring L.
Cheap is not the word to describe this place. Banh Mi for 3 times the price of what you can get on Stockton blvd. Thai food was about 2 bucks overpriced. Healthy and big portions though... so it wins in that aspect.
(3)Noel H.
The best banh mi sandwiches I have had almost anywhere. I call ahead and swing in to pick it up. They have a dinner special with banh mi, beer & fries I think for something crazy like $8. Worth it!
(4)C D.
Mediocre. The flavors were ehhhh.... OK, but my daughter's meal was accompanied by mushy white rice, while my husband and I had to crunch through our brown rice.
(2)Amanda H.
New favorite lunch spot! I ordered the chicken green curry and was delighted by the combination of flavors, the spice level (which was accurate - medium was perfect for me), and the fresh ingredients (peas, zucchini, bamboo, good quality chicken, etc.). Lunch mate ordered the Thai chicken soup (reportedly delish) and chicken spring rolls to share. I'll order a different appetizer in the future to see what else they have, but it will be tough to depart from ordering the green curry again. I've been hunting for good Thai for a while, and I have finally found my go-to place. I should note though, this is more of a hybrid Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. The menu is relatively compact; you won't find all the standard Thai items on the menu. Incidentally the "jungle curry" is basically a yellow curry. Also - this place is vegetarian friendly.
(4)Jessica T.
Star Ginger begins with the delicious flavors of thai and vietnamese food and then buffers it for easy consumption by the masses. There's nothing wrong with that but, personally, I like all the spices and big flavors. The portions are large but that actually works against them in my book. I was really hoping to try a couple of smaller items but other than a salad and salad rolls, everything comes in sizes for sharing and has the prices to match. I feel like Star Ginger is having a personality conflict. The fun logos and menu design, the interior of the restaurant, the sparse menu and lightly spiced food seem more in line with a cafeteria vibe. On the other hand, the menu full of entree sized portions and the ambitious wait staff (we had four servers during our two-person dinner) would be more in line with a higher end place if they had the atmosphere and the flavor. Star Ginger would be better served if they made an executive decision. There are two options that I see here: 1) More of a casual direction, stay with the "asian light" and offer lots of smaller items 2) Bite the bullet and be another Lemon Grass
(3)jeremy t.
THis place is a disappointment. It's like an extension of La Bou Thai's menu. WHat I mean is that the selection is limited for lunch and dinner. The food does not standout. It could be so much better but lacks "je ne sais quoi". Parking is atrocious. The one thing it has for it is that it offers Niman Ranch meat.
(2)Carla C.
Great lunch, pleasant efficient staff. Ordered a small Chicken Ginger Sesame salad which was wonderfully seasoned, fresh, filling and tasty. Nice!
(4)Steve L.
With lineage straight through to the fabulous Lemon Grass restaurant on Munroe, it would be hard for Star Ginger to disappoint, and it doesn't. The same great pho as the LG Noodle Bar on Howe, and some other staples, as well - such as lemongrass chicken, pad Thai, and grilled pork. I've never had a bahn mi, although I've heard and read plenty about them at the shops in Little Saigon, where they are said to run $3 to $5. So I have a fundamental objection to paying the $6.95 price tag at Star Ginger. However, the restaurant is offering a special - bahn mi, beer and sweet potato fries for $10. It may just reel me in.
(4)Rabbit K.
I've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally talked my dude into giving it a shot. I wasn't terribly hungry and went for appetizers instead of an entree. My guy got a noodle dish that didn't look too spicy and the name of which i can not recall. We both underestimated. Both appetizers turned out to be rather large and i ended up leaving a bit fuller than i'd originally planned. The veggie samosas were tasty but difficult to eat, with a creamy coriander chutney that perfectly complimented the slightly spicy filling. The wrapper of the samosa was too crispy and fell apart when it was bitten, resulting in a bit of a mess. Buddha salad rolls were a bit easier to enjoy, filled with savory veggies and accompanied by a sweet and savory peanut sauce. I ended up forfeiting the sauce, though, to save my poor dining companion from his overly-spicy dinner. The server brought his plate with a little cup of Thai peppers in vinegar which i claimed instead. It turned out to be an excellent addition to the salad rolls. Good trade. My traded peanut sauce did help to calm the fire of my companion's meal, but not enough for him to fully enjoy it. He gave up with a burnt tongue and a tummy ache about halfway through and spent the rest of the evening in discomfort. Poor white boy. A little girl at a nearby table seemed to be having a similar problem and burst into loud, inconsolable tears when her food "bit back." Ginger ice cream, which we got to go and i ate a few hours later, was quite lovely. Overall, service was excellent and the restaurant itself is very clean and pleasant. It's a little pricey, and the food is a little trendy, but it's a great place for a casual date or a light dinner with friends from the office. Just be careful if you can't stand a little heat!
(4)Chris L.
This is one of my favorite places for lunch. The offerings include an assortment of banh mi sandwiches, thai salads, curries, noodles, grilled food. By far, my favorite is the Korean BBQ Niman Ranch Beef Banh Mi. The beef is extremely tender and flavorful, while the pickled carrots/daikon add a tangy taste to the sandwich. The asian noodle salad, which available as a side to the sandwich or as a standalone dish, has got to be one of the best I've ever had, especially in Sacramento. The asian noodle salad uses buckwheat noodles, which gives it a soft, grainy texture, and the ginger-soy dressing is an excellent complement to the sandwich...or by itself. I had previously posted that they didn't have the sandwiches for dinner and I thought their dinner prices were a little bit expensive, but I guess now they have a $10 banh mi, beer, and sweet potato fries deal for dinner and a $30 dinner for two deal going on, so, uh...yeah...guess that shuts me up.
(5)Jacqueline W.
Legit lunch spot. For about $6, to can get an inventive banh mi style sandwich that is fresh and flavorful, and the bread is awesome. That's cheaper than Mr. Pickles across the street. For $8.95 you can get it with your choice of amazing Thai chicken soup, Asian noodle salad, or addictive sweet potato fries. The menu at lunch is lovely, and priced perfectly, and the szervice is very good. Dinner is just ok. The prices are higher (if you're going to charge me $13 for a dish, then I will just go to PGR Thai noodle down the streeet and get it better for cheaper), there is no banh mi on the dinner menu, and the service can be very slow.
(4)Christina M.
Decent food, good service! My fiancee and I went here during the dinner rush (7 pm) and we were one of the only people there. We ordered the samosas as an appetizer and they were delicious. He ordered the Banh Mi and Beer deal for $10 which was a great deal and the food was delicious. i ordered the Chicken Pho which was a mistake, I wish I had ordered the Banh Mi too. The chicken was not seasoned at all and it was flavorless overall. I did not get Sriracha because I'm a wimp when it comes to spice, but that may help with the flavor. We got a good amount of food and we had leftovers. Our waitress was nice and attentive; she knew what she was doing.
(3)Allison W.
I stopped in to this place for the first time and really loved it. I was skeptical when I walked in on a Sunday and it was empty but ordered the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken sandwich. Five minutes later and I was munching on an amazing lunch! The food is like CPK gone Thai/sandwich deli. Loved it!
(5)Joselyn W.
I don't know how good the food would have been. The waitress didn't take our order, but took the table that came after us right away. I will not be coming back for that kind of service.
(1)Tanya S.
I really liked the style of this place but I wouldn't say it's the best Asian fusion. Very cool vibe though.
(3)Priscilla G.
After reading a few of these other reviews, someone might be turned off by this place immediately. So I just want to remind you all that food doesn't have to be authentic to taste good and, you get what you pay for. Star Ginger is nothing like one of the many vietnamese or thai places in Sac, in fact I can't think of any place like it. It's clean, friendly, and cooked perfectly, with obviously good fresh ingredients. I agree with some comments that some of the food "lacks flavor", but both the chili pepper heat key and ability to customize your dish's spiciness-level gave me the distinct feeling that the owners are just catering to/dumbing down the flavor for the yuppie cash holders in the surrounding neighborhood. If it wasn't for the house kim-chi, I might have been disappointed, but it saved the day. PS. the bahn mi sliders are delicious and the ginger chunk ice cream is amazing!
(4)Erin J.
So fresh and so delicious.I love it all. Pork bahn mi sliders the meat is so tasty I couldnt stop eating them. Accompanied by the Buddha Salad rolls, yum. Yellow curry is good. Try the Saigon beer, it's a good one. Table service staff is very friendly and the presentation is right on. I'll be a regular... especially since I work within a 2 block radius. Bike lock racks on the front East side of the bldg, for those of you peddling your way to grub.
(4)Leslie P.
I do like spicy. There I'll put that right out there and I have to say the mash-up of Asian street food served here can (if you let it) meet that criteria. We went there for lunch last Sunday and I really went away happy. First of all the place was SUPER CLEAN! I love that, I really do. (I throw my clothes on the floor, I leave my wet towels on the chair, I'll leave my dishes in the sink, but I am not dirty, and I am at a loss as to explain why cleanliness is such an unfathomable concept at sooooo many restaurants.) Anyway, very clean, bright and fresh, the décor I mean. The cashier was super helpful, explaining the peppers = hotness rating, the food came out quick, and it was yummy and mid-west spicy. You know what I mean by that, you definitely notice the spice but if you like things hot you need more. We ordered the straight up regular spicy (one pepper) just to see where it stands and it was just hot enough to notice. The double pepper is more up my street and on my second visit that was the way to go, although I will have to try the triple pepper just to see, but the double pepper kept the food spicy but still very flavorful. We got the Buddha Rolls which are veggie spring rolls with fat mushrooms and velvety tofu and a side of peanut-hoisin dipping sauce which I made super hot with chili sauce. This also came with these cold skinny noodles that were marinated overnight in some sort of Soy-aki sauce and they had slivers of carrots and crunchy bean sprouts mixed in. Very tasty, perfect for summer. We also had the Thai Chicken Green Curry with bamboo shoots and crunchy zucchini and peas that pop, the sauce was light and creamy and hot and gingery, large portion enough for two easily. We also had an order of the sweet potato fries; they were crispy and hot very satisfying. Not a huge fan of the dipping sauce that came with it. One small thing, maybe it's a little pricy. I don't know it's hard because it was so good, but I am thinking the main dishes needs to be $1.50-$2.00 less then what they are. But they do have lunch specials and those seem priced reasonably. I could see going for dinner could get into the moolah. Oh yes and they have COKE not Pepsi YAY! I will be back I am sure many times, perfect summer food. I give it 4 1/2 out of 5 YUM YUM's!
(4)Smelly C.
Great for lunch. More expensive for dinner. You order and pay at the counter. They give you one of those wire-number-holding things to put on your table. Someone brings you your food. For lunch they offer a banh mi sandwich combo for $8.95. There's 5 different sandwiches with a choice of a side of Asian Noodle Salad, Spicy Thai Chicken Soup, or Sweet Potato Fries. Great deal, good food. I've also tried the Thai BBQ Chicken ($9.25 Lunch, $12.50 Dinner). Didn't care for it. Wouldn't order it again. For anything noted with a pepper-- it really means mildly spicy. They have the capacity to make it spicier.. if you request it. They also notate their Vegan options for some Vegan quick viewing. On another note, the owner bottles the sauces and has it available for you to buy. I just noticed it this last visit on the counter by their paper menus.. This eatery is a nice, casual, clean place with plenty of seating and a couple TVs. Located on Alhambra and Folsom with it's own parking. 4 stars (for lunch).
(4)Logan J.
I've been here twice now; once for lunch and once for din and was underwhelmed both times. I REALLY wanted to like it because the concept is stellar but they simply don't deliver on it. First the good: The thai lemongrass beef salad was really tasty. Spicy, sweet, complex, beefy. Everything about it worked. Portions were small but a beef salad for $9 isn't bad. It wouldn't fill you up if that's all you ate though. The less good: This place is supposed to serve street food (ie cheap and fast) and it fails miserably in that respect. The food comes out SLOW. And you will not necessarily get to eat it at the same time as those you're eating with as they may get theirs 15 minutes later. And the food is expensive. A salad and entree for dinner will run you over $20. Pad thai is $14. Fried rice is $12. Pho is $11. And you can find tastier versions of all of these options for half the price within 3 miles.
(3)Brandon W.
It's not very often I am in Sacramento. My first visit to Star Ginger was when a friend took us out there a few months ago for dinner. This dinner visit we ordered the new "Boon", which is a cold noodle salad with chicken and fresh vegetables. To me this was the best bet to eat on a hot day, very refreshing. We also had a repeat order of Banh Mi Sliders, Korean BBQ Beef and Lemongrass pork chops. All are great choices, eating family style I was able to attack everything. The new item we ordered was the Saigon Chicken Salad rolls. Very tasty and with the hoisin peanut sauce, excellent! I hope to be back in the area to try the other items such as the curries and other appetizers.
(5)Melissa B.
I got the sandwich combo. Kurobuto pork w/ asian salad. The person at the counter wasnt too friendly. Not rude, but obviously not wanting to be at work and having to stand behind the register. Sandwich was good. I liked the veggies - super fresh. Meat was a lil fatty. Next time will ask to have fat cut off. Salad is decent, but everything was soft. Wish broccoli n veggies had some crunch to them.
(3)Nicole L.
Ho hum. I was so excited at the thought of an awesome Vietnamese food place coming in only a few blocks from my house, but I was sorely disappointed. The spring rolls, and everything else, were overpriced. Good, but oversauced, overpriced, and unfortunately the soba noodle salad wasn't advertised as a side dish, which is a huge problem for people allergic to gluten/wheat. My best friend, pregnant and at 25 weeks, got a soda and chips, because her husband is Vietnamese and there was just nothing all that astonishing on the menu. I had hoped for better. Service was mediocre at best (no smile, no greeting), and the menu is meh. I'd rather cruise to Oakland/SF and get some real Vietnamese food, thanks.
(2)Stephanie M.
Eh. Nice people, clean place, fast service, reasonable price for kid's menu. Chicken green curry used peas and squash and was bland. Not much chicken. I am usually in drooling bliss over green curry, but the veg were mushy and the flavor was off. The place is more expensive than it looks from the outside, and I'm thinking you could do better for the $.
(2)Grace L.
I've enjoyed having Bahn Mi (Sandwich) for lunch and when it opened for dinner I have went there with some of my friends. The Restaurant is cozy and very clean. The mood at night was better then lunch I think. We ordered Pad thai, Singapore noodle, Shrimp Green Curry, and Korean BBQ. Pad Thai fresh and had clean taste compare to most Thai restaurant I've been to. Shrimp was very tender and juicy. Singapore noodle was also tastey and they use the Pad Thai noodle which I thought it was nice. Shrimp Curry had a very clean flavor and Korean BBQ was very Good. It melted in my mouth and it was just MMMM MMMMM GOOD. For the Dessert I had the Ginger Ice Cream and I have to say It was my first time having Ginger Ice cream ever and it was one of the most delicious ice cream I ever had. The ginger didn't over powered the sweetness of the ice cream at all and the ice cream wasn't too heavy and it just refreshes your mouth. I think I'm hooked on this flavor because I want more of it. Overall I think they don't use any MSG on any food So my stomach doesn't hurt after eating unlike most cheap asian restaurant use way too much MSG.
(5)Parisanne C.
Update: Star Ginger has expanded its hours to include dinner and are open weekends. Still love the place! My faves are the Bahn mi sandwiches and I can't stay away from the sweet potato fries, also I love the Thai Barbecue chicken! They also have a great kids menu!
(4)Jessica C.
Yum-mmm-my Here's my dealio - clean flavors, clean restaurant, smart thoughtful staff. These are the things that make me happy. And Star Ginger wins on all accounts. Just had dinner there with the Mister and enjoyed Thai Green Chicken Curry and Korean BBQ beef. The beef was cooked PERFECTLY. The curry was creamy and fresh. Vegetables were well spiced and cooked. The portions are very generous. We did the DInner for 2 for $30 and it was a lot of food. Next time we'll probably share an entree. Everything is cooked to order (which is why it tastes so good.) So if you're in a hurry, this isn't your joint. You really want to savor the flavors here. Staff was friendly and efficient. Our server check on us a few times and the other staff, because it was slow on a late Monday evening, kept busy cleaning, refilling sauces, and general maintenance. TIme to lean time to clean. I was very impressed. Thanks Star Ginger for some much needed soul food. We'll be back and bring friends.
(5)Emily S.
I LOVE the pho! I get the chicken broth pho, no chicken, sub tofu. It's so good & flavorful. Just a small splash I siracha added & bomb. The veggie springs rolls are good too. And don't forget the sweet potato fries & siracha dip. It has never disappointed me.
(5)Dane C.
Ate here for the first time last night, with the crew from Sac Footy and have to say that I loved it. The food was excellent and the staff were friendly and super helpful, which is exactly what you want when sitting down for a late night meal. My wallet $13.00 lighter (I had the Vietnamese Chicken Pho and a coke) and I left with happy taste buds and a full belly, so I consider it pretty good value Looking at what the others in our group had, there wasn't a single thing that didn't look pretty damn good This place is a new favourite!
(4)lucy b.
My taste buds had been waiting for this. My husbands Banh Mi was amazing and as usual, I was jealous. While he offered me half... I could not be selfish and take it. Not my fault I'm a terrible orderer. He always chooses the best and leaves me to pick something else for sharing. My Asian Noodle Salad with chicken was uninspired. After my guy took a bite he said, "I don't think I have ever tasted blander asian food". Go with the Korean BBQ Banh Mi! Overall, everything was good. While my noodle salad was uninspired, I only use it as a delivery for chili sauce. The service could be better. I don't mind going for things myself but nothing is out in view and you have to go to the server area and ask for things over the wall, weird.
(3)Renee M.
I've been wanting to try Star Ginger for quite awhile now, but my husband has been less enthusiastic. I should have let him dissuade me from this one. What was extra sucky is that it had such potential in my eyes. They serve pho! To go! Can't be beat! The smell upon entering was nice. The servers so sweet and helpful. The wait time not bad for a pickup order. And then it all fell apart. Or rather it all just sat there. Blandly so. First off.... um, this IS a NOODLE BAR, right? Why are there only four noodle dishes (not including the two pho's)? This place shoulda been wall to wall noodle. Noodles as far as the eye could see! Oodles of noodles! That's kinda what I was hoping for, anyway. My husband got the sliders and the samosas while I, ofcourse, got the aforementioned chicken pho. I'm amazed that with an ingrediants list that includes: Cilantro Pickled daikon Jalapenos Sriracha Aioli That the sliders could be so bland, but they were. The samosas were fine, but again bland. My pho was fine.... and bland. I doubt we'll be back to try any of the other dishes that look like they have so much promise, but will undoubtedly end in some kind of nondescript heartbreak. I think my husband's olfactory assessment once we got everything into the car of, "smells like fast food," is a pretty accurate way to sum up this experience.
(2)Debbie C.
Supergood banh mi sandwiches and delicious curry. Everything is fresh and fresh-tasting. This is my go-to restaurant for lunch or a quick dinner.
(4)Craig M.
#NAME?
(5)Rick W.
What the Pho? Gotta love it! I picked up dinner to go Friday evening and was very impressed. The Salads and Pho travel well and were delicious. The owner was very helpful with coaching on how to reheat and serve the pho. Even though we ate several hours later the food was great.
(5)Patrick S.
If quantity was my measure of a good dining experience, this review would be more positive. However, I need more out of a restaurant than a heaping pile of noodles, so this review will lean predictably negative. A $20 gift card finally got me out to try Star Ginger after driving by countless times. A friend and I split the Banh Mi sliders, which were the clear highlight of the meal. I've had better and I've had worse, but these mini-sandwiches were pretty good with a little bit of Sriracha. Entrees were the Jungle Curry and the Singaporean Noodles. The curry was way off. It was packed full of odd vegetables, though that wasn't a problem, really. The curry sauce just wasn't very good. The consistency was off as it was far too watery for my liking. The veggies wanted no part of the sauce as it would slide right through.The noodles were, well, large and heavy, lacking any discernible flavor. Sticky, too. The service was good. Well, the waitress was pretty. I get those two statements confused sometimes.
(2)Ngoc T.
A co worker introduced me to Star Ginger. I ordered the beef banh mi with a side of sweet potato fries. Beef banh mi: delicious!!! I think the cabbage they put in the banh mi tasted a bit like kim chi, or maybe it was ??? But it was spicy and yummy. Sweet potato fries: I LOVE sweet potato. The fries was crunchy and it came with a spicy mayo sauce to dip in (kinda like the spicy mayo sauce at sushi restaurants), WOW. I would definitely come back to Star Ginger!
(4)JJ H.
Praise the pho-king lord! I have found a place to enjoy pho without suffering the nauseating aftermath of MSG. All of their food contains No MSG. So maybe it's not as authentic as the pho you get on Stockton Blvd., but it tastes pretty good, you get the same fixings (basil, sprouts, chicken or beef, and all the condiments), and you can tell that it's cooked in a sanitary fashion. The menu did look a little pricey considering it's somewhat of an Americanized Asian restaurant, but the happy hour prices are great! $5 for pho and $4 for banh mi sandwiches. Happy Hour is 3-5pm Monday-Friday, so it's not the most convenient time if you have a typical work schedule.
(4)Brianna T.
I came for the pho to cure my hangover. They use quality chicken in their pho, which seems harder to find these days. They have a big portion so be hungry! The parking is limited, but once you find a spot the food is delicious. The inside decor is so comforting and inviting. I will be back to try more dishes that I was eyeing as I was eating.
(5)Julie C.
Star Ginger, you are still going strong. I came on a Sunday at lunch time and ordered the Korean BBQ Bahn Mi beef sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries. This place still puts out amazing Bahn Mi sandwiches- juicy beef chunks, sliced cucumber, cilantro, shredded carrot, sweet pickled onion, kimchee, and a spicy red sauce on a crusty baguette. Wowza, an explosion of flavor in my mouth! I come for the delicious, value-priced food and stay for the chill ambiance in a beautiful location. Stay strong, Star Ginger, I know Ill be back.
(5)Jonathan H.
Alright, round two post, just the facts and just one star. The truth is it isn't great. In fact this place is a complete waste of money for any Asian food you are looking for. I had the banh mi and it was uninspired. The banh mi was dull and boring. The soup had no flavour. The only positive thing I can say is that it has free refills on drinks. I won't be back and I'll be encouraging others to not try it. Save yourself the disappointment - go to South Sacramento for the real thing.
(1)Melissa S.
Hungry and want Thai for lunch? This is the place closest to my office. Is it amazing? It is your favorite Thai place? Is this your go to Thai place? I love Thai food, but the only time I go here is during work. There are a few reason. I tried to bring my father here on the weekend and there was no parking. We drove around the block a few times and nothing. If you can't walk here or get a ride I suggest you pass. This place is perfect for the working class at lunch. You walk in stand in line, order, and pay. A quick meal. Tasty and perfect serving for one. If you are looking for a restaurant where you sit down and are served this is not the place. Happy Hours is great. They have some really good specials. They also have daily specials written on the white paper to the left of the cashier.
(4)Michel H.
Been hunting for a good spot for kasoy closer to the grid and was a bit amazed when my bowl was presented to me and there was....yellow curry broth. Interesting. Not quite what I was expecting as I'm used to having the Mien version! But upon further research learned I'm the ignorant one. There are a few different versions of kasoy. In any case, I dropped in for a quick bite to eat and had the kasoy for a cool $8.25. Not too bad. Portions were fair and the soup came chock full with chicken, fresh egg noodles, snow peas, Napa cabbage, carrots, fried shallots, pickled mustard greens (totes surprised by that one), and lime wedges. The broth was adequate, but I had hoped for a bit more. Maybe it was the chicken and not the ground pork I'm used to, but in any case I wanted a bit more. The location is convenient but the parking is a bit of a headache. It's limited so it basically forces you to find a spot on the street -- you've been warned! The inside is conversely quite spacious. There's ample tables and the set up is such that you walk to the register, order and sit. I'm a fan. Service was great, the gentlemen at the cashier taking my order was knowledgable of the menu and very pleasant. The rest of the servers/runners were great about clearing the tables as folks were leaving and making sure you had everything you needed. Overall I thought this place was nice. I'll be back to try the bun thit nuong and/or the 2 for $25 dinner special. See my pics for additional details!
(3)Michelle M.
After reading on YELP , I been passing this place for awhile and did not know it was actually connected with Mai Pham's Lemon Grass Restaurant. I like their Salad Rolls, Thai Kao Soi with Tofu and lemon Grass Chicken. The flavors are the same as I remembered from Lemon Grass Grill in La Bou and on a cold night order a huge bowl of Chicken Pho with noodle YUMMMY! At night night dinner is full service, the wait may be a little long but be patient your food will arrive to your table. Their menu is simple and also serve beers and wines. This location is on a corner with limited parking stalls. I will return during lunch time to try other items on the menu.
(3)Charlotte S.
I actually really liked this place. The interior and exterior is really cute and its a good cute first date idea. Portions were good sized and the service was attentive. It was a good price for what you get. I had the pork banh mi and I enjoyed it, next time i'll probably try something with noodles as I heard they are good here.
(4)Shyanne S.
It was a good experience. Modern atmosphere. Nice staff. I wasn't blown away by the customer service, but overall a great experience. Parking lott was small so plan to park elsewhere.
(4)Jeremy D.
I craved soup one day and ate at Star Ginger. Their parking is limited and the neighbors don't like you parking in their lots so be careful. The service is standard with a little smile but no overwhelming feeling that they were glad I choose them over the nearby restaurants. Prices are as expected for a Thai restaurant. I ordered their Kao Soi soup. It was served fast and I made sure to mix it before the broth became cold. I liked the 6+ variety of vegetables they placed into the soup which made a simple dish seem complex. The broth was good and had coconut milk. The overall experience felt average and I'll be back when it's convenient.
(3)Linda S.
Came here on a whim because my sister suggested it. I was intrigued by kao Soi because I'm mien and I don't see that typically on a menu outside of Stockton blvd. I asked the guy behind the counter and to my surprise he said its coconut curry with egg noodles. First thing that ran through my mind was kapoon but with egg noodles?? Doesn't quite make sense so I opted for chicken pho while the sissy got chicken curry over rice. The restaurant name had ginger in it, but instead of a hint of ginger, it was pretty pungent! Self explanatory I guess. They even serve two thin slices of ginger in my pho. I tried the chicken curry and wasn't a fan either. If I do come back it would be to try the kao soi.
(2)Luigi D.
Had a wonderful meal. I had barbecue chicken it was on a bed of brown rice. Delicious salad. Had a glass of their Reisling, also good. Never here for dinner but will be back.
(4)Martha T.
Fresh and tasty dishes, reasonably priced. Clean and modern decor, with plenty of room between tables. Courteous and prompt service. I've been there a few times and always enjoyed it. Went there last night and I'm already looking forward to my next visit.
(4)Latda V.
Star Ginger is a cute restaurant located on Alhambra and Folsom. Parking is tough on a busy weekday but luckily I came on a holiday and yes, they were open. The BF and I ordered the beef pho and we split a pork banh mi sandwich. I always taste my broth first before adding anything and if the broth is good alone, I already know I will love my dish. I tasted the broth and I thought it was ok. The broth was a little on the sweeter side for my taste buds. I added hot sauce, hoisin, etc and made it to my liking, while still thinking it had a sweeter taste to it. I ate it all though because it was still good, just not how my mama makes it! :) I LOVED the pork banh mi! The bread was nice and crunchy and they loaded that sandwich with lots of pork. The pork was very tender loaded with a lot of flavors. The jalapenos and picked carrotts were all very fresh. I enjoyed the banh mi more than I did my pho. The restaurant is clean and that staff is nice. One of the workers in the back was singing so loud in Vietnamese. He probably didn't know what the whole restaurant could hear him, lol. It was funny! $11 for pho and $8 for a banh mi? Ouch!!! :(
(3)Em L.
I had a great Banh Mi, tofu & mushroom style.
(4)Fred B.
Really sub-par, mediocre at best.... The food is WAY overpriced!. The pad thai was $9? and was a super small portion. They also did not mix in the flavor enough so I had white-ish patches and black-ish patches where the flavor was, instead of that overall orange-ish color that pad thai normally has.... Also, the pork belly bahn mi was significantly sub-par.... They stuff it with veggies, and only put in a super small portion of meat... It was pretty much a veggie sandwhich instead of a pork sandwhich... If you are going to skimp on the meat, don't charge so much! Came during the daytime (lunch) and there were only 2 tables seated... Should have read that red-flag.... Summary: Pad thai not mixed well Pad thai portion is rationed significantly, and for $9! Bahn Mi pork seems to be a rare commodity here.... Look at "Julie C."'s picture of the Banh Mi and you see just how small the amount of meat is....
(1)S T.
Pho with no MSG, yup Star Ginger. Can't find that anywhere else and the taste is very, very good. No cheap chicken either, pulled off the bone and used for their Pho. Again, you won't find that anywhere else either. Good service and fast! So thankful for Star Ginger for our Pho needs!
(5)Malika H.
We arrived around 5:00 for an early dinner. The young man at the register handed us a menu but I guess dinner service includes being seated, which either he had forgotten or was not aware, as another staff member waved him off and led us to a table. The place had maybe four other small tables occupied at the time of our arrival on a Wednesday evening. It took a little while for the waiter to take our order. The menu seems small compared to the other Thai restaurants I've visited (well, I suppose this is just a "Asian" and not specifically "Thai" restaurant). I went with a simple tofu vegetable salad. The tofu was a little salty, as it was I believe sauteed. Other vegetable contents were carrot, green onion, red and green cabbage, iceberg lettuce. There were some crispy noodles and peanuts as well. I asked for lemon wedges as my "dressing" but was given limes. Not a big deal, but a minute detail that may or may not be considered. My friend ordered the pad thai and it looked rather limp and unseasoned, but I can't speak for the taste. I had considered the "Vietnamese spring rolls" but it seemed a little odd that iceberg lettuce is being put into them along with the bean sprouts. So maybe this place is good for the banh mi, which I'll have to try some other time. I'm not particularly interested in returning on my own, but if someone invited me to accompany them, I'd go along.
(3)Margo R.
Wow, stopped by and picked up a Bahn Mi just before they closed. I think it was the spicy Korean? Was big, planned to eat half, just polished off every single bite! The combination of flavorful meat, kimchi, and crispy veggies in crusty bread was wonderful. Price was very reasonable, too. I've got to go back and try the others!
(4)Georgia B.
I love this place. I get Pad Thai every time I go! It's with shrimp and chicken and all these other goodies
(4)Tiffany N.
AmericanxAsian fusion that leaves a lot to be desired. I came here before class with a friend to grab a quick bite to each before 3 grueling hours of lecture. We walked in at around 4:45 and there was no one at the register. It's an order then sit kind of place unless it's dinner time. When someone finally came to the front we opted for the dinner menu and were shown to some seats. The dinner menu includes everything on the lunch menu with the addition of pad si ew and a few other dishes. We decided to try the chicken springs rolls and I got the lemongrass "banh mi toasted sandwich" Sandwich toasted sandwich...I try really hard not to nitpick but this really bothers me. BANH MI means sandwich. So a banh mi sandwich is a sandwich sandwich and it's really got to stop. But, I digress. The spring rolls come with a side of pan fried noodles and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce comes with a bit of hot sauce on top which is great for me but would've been a nice heads up in case I didn't like to eat spicy foods. The spring rolls had chicken, iceberg lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, and a mint leaf. It was all right...but I'm not a big fan of shoving random items in rice paper and calling it a spring roll. My banh mi was good. The baguette was nice and cripsy and the chicken had a really good flavor. Too much pickled carrots and dikon for my liking and where is that delicious Vietnamese butter?! The sriracha aioli was great but I wanted a little bit of authenticity. For the price we paid it definitely wasn't worh it.
(3)Indiana W.
I enjoy eating here. I also enjoy getting take-out here. It is not the most memorable or authentic food ever, but it is a very solid effort with some really tasty dishes. Favorites: Bahn Mi with sweet potato fries.
(4)Gabrielle A.
Food is good, service is poor. Skinny bus boy/girl very unfriendly and rude to customers.
(1)Jenny L.
The Vietnamese Pho was delicious and the beef was very tender. Being Vietnamese, I was not sure about ordering the Pho in the first place but after reading another Yelp review from an Asian customer. I gave it a try and I was not disappointed. The broth was perfect! My fiancé ordered the Thai Chicken Curry and it was very yummy... He let me try his. I definitely will come back here soon. I only gave four stars because I haven't tried out other dishes yet, and I will update the rating later.
(4)Bridget C.
Really good and there are eight vegan items on the menu. The boyfriend and I got a $30 dinner for two meal with salad rolls, Jungle Curry, Pad Thai, and a couple Iced Mango Teas. The spring rolls had a gingery peanut sauce that was awesome and my curry had a ton of flavor. We will definitely be back.
(5)Megan B.
Went here with a group of coworkers for lunch, and was really pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Korean BBQ Banh Mi which was pretty amazing. Their Asian Noodle Salad is also really tasty, and I've been told that the aioli that accompanies their sweet potato fries is to die for. Out of 10 of us, only 1 person didn't like their food, as the Banh Mi comes with jalapenos on it, and she hates them. However, she did love the fries, so I suppose that one is a wash.
(5)Patrice D.
Went here with a friend who accused me of missing out on certain good places just because they don't have the Yelp reviews I require. I humored him by going. I got the Jungle Curry which was a yellow curry with vegetables and tofu. It was pretty good, but it was something I frequently and easily make at home. So, good but not that impressive. My friend got a banh mi. I forget what kind of meat he chose. He said it was good. The staff was really nice, I thought. Parking sucked. I wouldn't necessarily come back, but if I couldn't find anywhere else, this wouldn't be too bad a choice.
(3)Lauren S.
Good food! I had the Asian sesame chicken salad -super tasty! And my friend had the Asian noodle salad with tofu- she loved it! And we shared sweet potato fries. Sriracha aioli was good mmmm The servers were super friendly and helpful. They even offered to get my baby water and a paper plate. Very sweet! It was a little noisy, but to be expected for a Friday night.
(4)Dala A.
I called ahead and order their pork banh mi lunch special with a side of noodle salad. They said that it would be ready once I got there (which it was and waiting for me on the shelf to the right past the entrance). The baguette was nice and crispy and the pork was very tender. The only issue I have is that it didn't have pate. Its just not the same without pate. I'll eat here again if I'm on a time constraint, otherwise, I'll head to South Sac for the real deal.
(3)Antoine H.
After reading a god awfuk review of this place, my fiancee and i decided to check it out. I can't believe this place only has 3 and a half stars! It's great food, great atmosphere. Very modern and not loud. The staff was super friendly. We got seated right away, 30 seconds later we got our water, a few seconds later we were provided with plates and cutlery, as well as the condiment tray. Our food arrived in less than 5 minutes. I ordered the Koren BBQ beef Banh Mi sandwich and my fiancée ordered the Beef Vietnamese Pho. Both were great! Definitely telling my friends about this place.
(5)Crystal C.
3/5 stars because, while I liked it well enough, I don't really know what I'm talking about. This was the first Vietnamese sandwich I've ever eaten, so I have no frame of reference other than sandwiches I've eaten that were not of the Vietnamese variety. I ordered the sandwich and soup combo with the Thai BBQ Chicken sandwich and Spicy Thai Chicken soup. I thought the combo meant a half sandwich and bowl of soup, but it turns out it is a full sandwich - aka too much food for one person, but reasonable for $8. The sandwich ingredients seemed fresh and were flavorful, but everything was arranged so each time you took a bite you got bread and one other ingredient. This happens with burritos sometimes too. So the bites of bread/chicken, bread/carrot, bread/daikon, etc. were good, but I'd like to see the sandwich contents layered better. The soup is basically the same one they have at La Bou, but it was good. I could see myself returning to satisfy a craving for the Spicy Thai soup. The service was friendly but the food took a while to come out even though we were the only people there. I wasn't super impressed, but I also wasn't disappointed. I bet I'll be back. I'm interested in trying some of their wraps and noodle dishes.
(3)J B.
Had the Thai BBQ chicken bahn mi. Im not well versed in traditional bahn mi, but this sandwich made my belly and tastes buds VERY happy! Also tried the different noodle salads, all were great. I imagine this is incredibly Americanized Asian food-was still very pleased though. All veggies still had some fresh bite left to em!
(4)Phil B.
The Jungle Curry is to die for, especially if you are a vegan like me. Service was super fast. Veggies were fresh. Curry sauce was flavorful and mildly spicy. Big servings. Inexpensive too. I will be a regular here.
(5)Nahleen C.
Our first time at a fusion restaurant and totally not what we expected. Ordered a khao soi and it was more like a ka poon. The green curry was alright. We're never in the area so we probably wouldn't come back.
(2)Terry S.
Great food, awful music! We were sitting there eating wishing the horrible jazz elevator music would stop! Please put on classical or something else, maybe coffee house music, Folk, just not this big band awful stuff. We had the Jungle Curry, a vegan soup with rice noodles vs egg noodles and spring rolls. All were Yum!
(3)Kelsey B.
This food here is amazing! Its super delicious noodles make me feel as if I'd died and gone to heaven! Thank you Star Ginger got stealing my heart and making my taste buds happy!
(5)Mel L.
We tried this place out one lazy afternoon. I don't know if the AC was down or what, but it was quite warm in there, and the multiple fans were blowing full blast. It wasn't a deal breaker though, and we were seated right away. We started out with a plate of sweet potato fries with Sriracha aioli, and they were crisp, fluffy and delicious. That aioli would be good on literally anything! We then moved on to the kurobuta pork banh mi, which was quite good, and was even better with some of that wonderful aioli. We also ordered the shrimp fried rice, which was great too (jasmine rice with shrimp, Chinese sausage, bok choy, green onions, chili lime sauce) We finished this meal with coconut ice cream (made from Gunthers). I was too full to get my usual Thai iced tea, but I will next time. Service was attentive as well.
(4)Carrie G.
I dined at Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar one evening midweek and found the place to be really bright and conveniently located... Pros: Decor, good food-the Pho is better than the Pad Thai to me-and decent wait staff. Cons- The bathroom could be cleaner with a better variety of beverages. Will go back...
(4)B P.
Great food for a healthy diet! Chicken breast is tender and juicy. Salad and dressing is fresh and light. Brown rice is soft and fluffy not crunchy. A fantastic healthy lunch with tons of flavor!
(5)Christina S.
Awesome location, right where I work! They have great lunch specials from 3-5pm! I often time opt for one of their delicious $5 bowls! It's one of my favorite places to get Phó in town! Delicious, warm & toasty, and full of magical, cold busting abilities! Always come here when I am feeling under the weather or have a cold! Love love love it! :-)
(5)Colette S.
LOVE the food here. Staff is friendly and place is clean. Food is exceptional
(5)Sam O.
Good is good and consistent. I eat here often. Take out is convenient. Parking can get crowded.
(5)Helen L.
This isn't your typical viet/thai restaurant but I like it because they use fresh ingredients and everything tastes really healthy. Also they have a lot of vegetarian friendly options. I like the jungle curry, kao soi (curry noodle soup) and buddah rolls. Their chicken banh mi sandwiches are good too and are not overly salty and the bread isn't hard. The staff is nice and friendly. I like the building too because it's warm and they let in a lot of direct sunlight.
(4)Shakira C.
Love it. Great food without feeling guilty and gross about what you just ate. Speedy service.The Thai BBQ chicken came with yellow curry sauce and it was amazing. The sauce was good and not heavy. I like that they have the option for brown rice. The peanut sauce that comes with the salad rolls is also very good. The salad rolls also come with a little bit of cold noodles that are flavored very well. Overall, I enjoyed the food a lot and will definitely be back to try more things.
(4)Aaron L.
Extremely disappointed that I didn't start coming here sooner. I love pho, an I've gone to multiple places around town to try but since I tried it here haven't gone back to the others. Their Banh Mi is legit but the beef Pho has amazing broth flavor!
(5)Rynel V.
Customer Service: Came here on a Friday at 230pm. The guy who took our order was rude. We ordered multiple items just to try them out, & he said, "Is this all for you? It's a lot of food." Really? This is my first time here and that was a rude remark. You should be happy you're getting business with only 4 other parties before us arriving. Food: - Coconut water was actually decent for being half full then filled the rest of the way with ice. - Jungle Curry has a good flavor. Big chunks of tofu. - According to my friend, the Green Curry with chicken was good, brown rice seemed dry. - The Pad Thai with shrimp lacks flavor & is kind if dry.
(3)Mike O.
The killer decor is what makes this place - they have these things on the wall, these pieces of metal with shapes carved into them, and one has a cup of coffee and a piece of cake and a pineapple and it's like my life is up there on the wall. Crazy. As for the food? It's ok. I am partial to the lemongrass chicken sandwich - full of crunchy vegetables and chicken and a taste that sneaks up on you. All in all, not bad.
(3)Mindy Y.
You are too good to be true... Oh, gosh... Star Ginger... you are my STAR! Now, where do I start? Okay... focusss... focuss... let's break it down! VENUE: clean and nice! 5 stars. A good place to take your girl on a date. SERVICE: super nice server girls and boys... they even took photos for us! 5 stars! FOOD: ready? Here's what we got, (1) Beef Salad: something quite different.. the salad dressing... delish! Lemon-y and salty-sweet. Love it! 5 stars. (2) Lemongrass Chicken with rice: love, love the chicken... soaked in lemongrass and peppers! Drizzle some fish sauce on the salad and rice... now, heavennnn is calling! 4 stars. (3) Banh Mi: not much of a fan of this banh mi here... but still good! 3 stars! (4) GINGER ICE-CREAM: NO LIE! A MUST GET! Chunks of little ginger in your ice-cream and drizzle, drizzle some ginger juice... mmmmm! 5 stars and beyond! DRINKS: Totally cool Buddha drink! Keep the bottle too! A nice home decor! **OVERALL: Get the ginger ice-cream... a MUST! 4 stars overall!
(4)nichole d.
Great lunch and dinner specials, great service, fast service and with ample parking. Great place to go for lunch or dinner
(4)Maggie C.
Only 3 1/2 stars? People have not tried their banh mi. I love their spicy beef banh mi with soup. Its my favorite and I love saving half for later. The spicy sauce soaks into the bread for some flavorful yumminess. Makes my tummy rumble just thinking about it. I love food... Also they have a spicy salad my friend always orders that makes your lips burn. Amazing...
(5)Stephanie D.
I come to Star Ginger for one thing and one thing only....Spicy Thai Chicken Soup. I have it when I'm sick. I have it when I'm well. I have it all the time and it makes me feel swell. Ok, enough of that, but I do literally only order the soup...and sometimes a side of salad rolls...and a Thai iced tea. If you've had the Spicy Thai Chicken Soup at La Bou, this soup is similar, but it doesn't automatically come with bread. That is my only complaint. I would like free bread. However, the soup is so scrumptious that I could eat it everyday. I love the combo of rice, chicken, coconut milk, mushrooms, lemongrass, tomatoes...I'm drooling. It's got a nice kick to it too, which helps kill any cold bug you may be fighting. YUM! I have taken nibbles of my friend's sweet potato fries and the bahn mi sandwich. Both of those are also delicious and the prices are reasonable. The Star Ginger parking lot is far too small for its needs, but there's plenty next door in the old Good Eats lot until something else moves into that space. Overall, I always recommend Star Ginger when asked about eateries in East Sac. It's that good.
(5)Dana J.
I was expecting greatness and to be quite frank, star ginger did not deliver. I have always driven by this place at night and it was always very alluring to me.. I don't know what it was but it always seemed so cool in there. I was right. Star ginger you were really cold. I wanted to leave cause it was so cold..it's the start of winter, come on put the heater on and stop being a cheapskate. It seems I haven't learned my lesson.. the best places for cultural food are the patchy hole in the walls, Not americanized wannabes. I have realized if u truly want good ethnic food you gotta get it at the mom and pop shops. I ordered pad Thai. Portion size was good and was tasty but just not the best. Ive had better pad Thai at my house and I'm not even Thai or asian to that extent. Come here if u are looking for so-so asian food. If u want the best Asian food, take a dive down Stockton blvd in south sac.
(2)Jireh Magne T.
Very good good food! Fresh veggies, insanely perfect Korean bbq cooked with perfection!!
(5)Kevin J.
Whenever I meet up with my wife for lunch on a Friday afternoon, this is her choice. We do pork Bahn Mi's to go. My other favorites here is the fried rice, bahn mi sliders, green curry, Korean BBQ Beef, half price pitchers, etc etc etc. Basically, I like it a lot. It's not my go to place for Thai/Vietnamese food, but when I'm hungry without any clear options, this place is the answer.
(4)Sean A.
Best banh mi sandwiches around. I had the lemongrass chicken one and it was amazing.
(5)Dung N.
An Americanized Asian Grill & Noodle Bar, hence, the prices. I don't mind paying a little more for my food---but only if it is worth it. The restaurant itself is cute, clean and spacious. Upon receiving the menu, there were immediate bonus points for not only offering white rice, but brown rice as well! I remember specifically why I wanted to come here, and it was to try the 'toasted banh mi sliders'. They are pretty much miniature versions of the regular Vietnamese sandwiches but with a little twist. It was my first time having it this way, and aside from the lovely presentation, it was actually pretty tasty. I was unsure about a couple of the items, so I decided to play it safe and ordered the 'thai chicken green curry'. It was meh. Nothing special, but given the price ($11.50), it should've stood out more.
(3)Bia R.
Drum roll please....I may have found my favorite banh mi! It was close to 4pm on a particularly pretty Tuesday afternoon in Sacramento and I had the good fortune of being off work a teeny bit early. My ride was running a little late so I sent him a txt that I would stop into Star Ginger and pick up some banh mi sandwiches for us. I had noticed Star Ginger weeks ago and was waiting for the right time to try those sandwiches..the ones that I had been drooling over on their website! As I walked in the door, wonderful aromas of grilled meats wafted through the very clean and crisp dining area. The front counter person greeted me almost instantly with a pleasant smile. I was staring up at the vibrant menu display and mentioned that I had not been in there before but wanted to order some food to go. He handed me the paper menu and mentioned that it might be easier to pick things from there. I was excited to see the variety of banh mi sandwiches so I ordered the grilled lemongrass chicken, Thai BBQ chicken and the Korean BBQ beef with kimchee. As I waited for my banh mi, I enjoyed a happy hour glass of pinot for $4. The sandwiches were ready before I finished my wine. It was so tempting to just tear them open and devour them in the car as we drove home amidst inhalations of yumminess from the Star Ginger bag. The verdict: The sandwiches are definitely prepared fresh and it is obvious they are made with care and are true to the menu description. They do deserve to be described as "handcrafted." Each banh mi baguette is toasty goodness with generous amounts of grilled seasoned meats, cucumber, cilantro, house pickled daikon and carrots, thin jalapeños and the perfect Siracha aioli kick! Each banh mi had a distinctive flavor. The lemongrass chicken was fragrant and packed a ginger punch. The Thai BBQ chicken was seasoned with a spicy-ness that did a little dance on my tongue. The Korean BBQ beef with kimchee...to die for! Good balance, unique flavors and most of all, excellent value for the price. I definitely have to go back and enjoy more of their menu, especially the happy hour prices! Adding some pics!
(5)Miggy T.
Not impressed. Had thai chicken with brown rice and salad. Chicken was just okay, brown rice was dry with no flavor and salad or what they called a salad was subpar.
(1)Joyce Z.
Stopped by here on the way back from a Reno daytrip a few weeks back and was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a spring special - dinner for 2 for about $35 or less. This came with a shared appetizer which we got the saigon chicken salad roll (soft Vietnamese spring roll) delicious with the hoisin peanut dipping sauce and served with a soy sauced soaked rice noodle that reminds me of soba noodles. For a few dollars more, we did the Korean BBQ beef for 1 entree since we enjoyed it so much last time and the lemongrass pork chops which I thought was more flavorful than the lemongrass chicken we had last time. Two drinks also came with the spring special. Since there were 3 of us, we also ordered the korabuta pork banh mi sliders since it was such a hit last time and I love how it's served up on a freshly baked brioche roll which I believe Mai gets from a local bakery. For the third "entree", we did the bun noodle bowl with chicken. The cold rice noodles are the unsoaked version of the ones that came with the salad roll so very smooth and complements very well with the light sauce you pour over it. We enjoyed everything and the food was a hit with everyone. Times like this, I wish I lived closer to Sac.
(5)Wolf W.
Food is okay but what made me give up on this place was the service. I regularly went to Star Ginger for takeout--about once a week. About 50% of the time I got home and found my order was wrong. It was such a hassle to have to open & check my takeout before I left the restaurant that I just stopped going there. The food/menu is simply not compelling enough to put up with their repetitive mistakes. Moreover, the total apathy of the staff made it easy to stop patronizing Star Ginger.
(2)Stacy G.
We met some friends here for dinner tonight and enjoyed it. We got to try several items since we had a group and shared the chicken spring rolls (came with a noodle salad on the side), Korean BBQ beef banh mi (came with sweet potato fries and aioli sauce), the samosas, and the ginger chunk ice cream with ginger caramel sauce. I really enjoyed all of it, but the banh mi was outstanding - I loved how the meat was slightly crispy and flavorful, the bread was perfect, and the veggies crisp and fresh. The ginger ice cream sundae was very interesting, with chunks of candied ginger and a bold ginger flavor that you might expect. (Possibly obvious but still going to say it: Serious ginger lovers only.) The place wasn't too crowded or noisy and was a nice, casual spot to meet up with friends. Prices were reasonable I thought and the ingredients noticeably fresh and flavorful. I'd describe the menu as pan-South Asian; lots of vegetarian options here. Enjoyed our meal!
(4)Ashlee S.
I loved the pad see ew and green chicken curry. I also ordered the beef pho, but I wasn't very impressed with it. However, my boyfriend really liked it. This place was pretty fast, and staff was friendly. I'd go back agin.
(4)Duane H.
Tried this place after a recent review. Had the Pho and while it was ok (chicken based) it didn't knock my socks off. It just didn't.
(3)Patrick M.
I have to say this really isn't a type of place I would normally go to after I walked in and found out what it was. In fact I was kind of hoping it was either going to be a ramen type place or a mongo grill type thing. Sadly it was not. The menu itself I suppose was alright. I myself am not much of a vegetable eater so for a place that is really veggie heavy and I would even say geared towards vegetarians a bit. So I placed my order and had to request a bunch of things cut out to make it edible enough for my tastes. Obviously annoying the staff in the process. It did seem to take awhile to get my food out and I fear as to why it took so long. My wife was very happy with her food and really enjoyed ll of the vegetables because that's her thing. I will say the thing that I found to be awesome was that you can have them make your food 1-2-3 pepper spicy to give it a little kick. I wish they had some more meat heavy dishes. I will say if I had it my way I would not come back again, but I'm sure my better half will want to return so I'll be back. It's definitely a place to go if you love vegetables though so check it out.
(3)Julie L.
Had dinner fare tonight...OMG amazing! I stand corrected on my prior review...I discovered at dinner time, they seat you, then come and take your order. The staff were friendly, service was awesome, and the food was some of the best I've had on a LONG time! I can't wait to dine again! Wish I lived closer! I just found my new favorite place!
(5)Summer O.
Really like this place! I had the small sesame ginger chicken salad and my mom had the lemongrass chicken entree. Both were excellent! Service was quick, the staff was pleasant and the price was reasonable. Would recommend this place for lunch!
(5)Kristen W.
I had the beef pho but I was a little disappointed. The broth wasn't that flavorful and was a little watered down. My friend had the chicken pho which had a better flavor. I am willing to try this place again as I hear some other dishes are very good, will update at the next time!
(3)Amjad S.
A really good place to eat excellent food... the price was good so the customer service as well.
(5)Shelly C.
Great restaurant! Clean quit and friendly. Food is excellent. 1 disappointment is the bahn mi sandwich is awesome but very dry. However they have this great orange dipping sauce and if you put that on sandwich its perfect! I will definitely visit again.
(5)Steph G.
Star Ginger you're my only friend ;) I am so in love with this place, so please continue to read with that knowledge. I am a true, die-hard La Bou fan so of course when this opened I had to try it. Not only does it have a few of the yummy dishes from the La Bou/Lemongrass on Howe, but it has a few more dishes - i.e. Pad Thai, Lemon Grass Pork, etc. As a lover of vegetarian foods and tofu, albeit not a vegetarian - I love me some Pad Si Ew (with tofu and mushrooms, minus the mushrooms). The lemongrass pork is delish and their brown rice is on point, not dry and hard like many other places. Their salad does not disappoint, and their Samosa's are always how we start our meal (they are kind of spicy, but I am know to be a very poor judge of spiciness). Sadly, I have to admit that desert is probably close to my favorite dish. It is probably embedded in my DNA that I am supposed to love coconut, but their three scoops of coconut ice cream is amazing. I've been told its Gunther's brand ice cream, its creamy with tons of actual coconut flakes. They also have a specially-made-for-Star Ginger Ginger ice cream. I not very partial to Ginger, so I think it is only "okay." The Carmel that is drizzled on top makes it much more bearable, however - most of the friends I've gone with have been in love. Pricing is similar to La Bou - not cheap, but doesn't break the bank. For five girls, with two drinks, two appetizers, and four plates we spent $100. Yum! All this reminiscing makes me want some :)
(4)Joe M.
I did enjoy this place. We went on a Friday night around 7pm. It was about half full and we were seated immediately after walking in. Our server was very polite and kept the waters topped off as we waited for the food we ordered. We had decided on a coupon date night of a dinner for two for $30. It was worth it. 3 courses. We decided to try... * Buddha Salad Rolls * Pad Thai * Kerala Shrimp Curry. All 3 were included in the $30 deal. Very generous portions. We wound up walking out of there with half the food we ordered and full stomachs. All and all, I enjoyed it. I give it a solid 4.
(4)Amber K.
Meh... wasn't really impressed. Love the fun interior but it kind of stopped there. I felt I was tasting more sugar than should be necessary for a vegetable Banh mi and also the Asian noodle salad. Also, I was expecting a sriracha aioli on my sandwich as was depicted on the menu but didn't taste nor did I really see anything but what looked the color and consistency of white zinfandel on one side of the bread. Hmmm... If a friend of mine wanted to meet for lunch there then I'd suffer through it but I won't be going out of my way to eat at Star Ginger.
(2)Victor H.
Gross, gross, gross! Cheap ingredients. C'mon, processed chicken? WTH! Ordered the Lemongrass chicken. When they brought it out, it looked like it was boiled white meat in a light soy sauce and barely thrown on the charbroiler, hence the very light grill marks. The flavor was gross. It tasted just like over boiled meat. It was dry and tough. This was absolutely the worse Lemongrass Chicken I've had anywhere and they had the nerve to call it that. Gross is an under-statement. Shame on you Mai Pham!
(1)Lisa H.
This place used to be a Togo's, so the tiny parking lot is more suited to something like that. Star Ginger is a part of the Lemon Grass/La Bou family of restaurants and I would rate it somewhere between the two. It is still order at the counter, pick your own table and wait for your food to be delivered like La Bou, but there are more choices and most of them are Asian fusion like Lemon Grass. They have large digital menu boards, so I am assuming the menu may change between lunch and dinner. When I came here for lunch the choices were primarily bahn mi sandwiches, soups, noodles and salads. They had several combos and I chose one with a sandwich and a bowl of the thai chicken soup, just like the soup they have at La Bou. I love that soup, so I was happy to find it on the menu. The cashier asked if I wanted jalepenos on my sandwich or not, which was nice since the Vietnamese sandwich places in the south area don't usually ask. After selecting a table my food was brought out relatively quickly. All told I was in and out in half an hour, now that is service for a lunch hour! I chose a bahn mi with the grilled pork (and left the jalepenos on!), it is more expensive than your typical Vietnamese bahn mi, but it was also larger by about 25-30%. It was loaded with the pickled carrots and jicama, which are my favorite parts of a bahn mi. The pork was tender and the bread was your typical delicious La Bou baguettes. Slightly crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside. My soup was in a large bowl and for the $8.95 combo price I was very pleased with the size of everything. My only issue I had here was that I ordered a diet coke and they had an ice water jug set up for self-serve, but I did not realize that I would need to ask for a glass. When I first walked in there was no line, but after picking out my table and seeing that there were no glasses next to the ice water, there was a line nearly to the door. So I went without water. I am not sure why they don't have a supply of glasses, so that they don't have to distribute them, but just be aware of that if you want water in addition to whatever you order to drink.
(4)Sasha R.
best pad Si ew (with pork) and great pho, had other entrees that were delish . best Asian fusion
(5)Rosario F.
The food was yummy. People/workers are nice. Nice environment. Clean and looks nice inside. Parking is awful though. Its limited and not a lot of food choices but I will come again though :)
(4)Hyatt S.
Offering affordably priced dishes inspired by the street foods of Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore, Star Ginger is owned by Mai Pham of Lemon Grass Restaurant. The contemporary, sun-splashed interior has lots of wood, warm soothing colors, and there's a roomy community table for single diners and people who like to socialize. The slow-roasted Kurobuta pork banh mi is spectacular, and the vegetarian Jungle Curry is made with lovely fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and big blocks of tofu. At $5 the spicy Thai chicken soup is a bargain.
(3)Anna H.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!! The food here is gross! I don't get why anyone would give this place 3 1/2 stars. If I could give it a negative 5 I would. Yuck! I had their shrimp spring rolls and some shrimp curry my first visit, which tasted like nothing I've ever had before. Very unique flavor that was not agreeing with my taste buds. I could not even swallow the first bite that's how bad it was. And the shrimp curry was bland. Hardly any shrimp. I tried giving it another go. Hoping that maybe I just had an awful first experience. I tried their pho. That was basically water with noodles and beef. No flavor! So yes. This place has earned it's name on my " Do not try again" list.
(1)James N.
I didn't like anything here LOL! My drink sucked. My Singaporean Noddle thing was ehhhhh.. Too expensive for how it taste! It wasn't disgusting but man it was not worth it stopping by here for food. Should have yelped becfore I came. Turns out my sisters been here. Should have read her review. McDonalds it is next time I'm in Sactown! 2 Stars! Don't come here!!!!
(2)A X.
Not sure what happened with all the hype about this place when it first opened.. Now this place just seems like a typical Vietnamese restaurant.. Plus.. There are flies in their restaurant! And using fans inside?? What's up with the AC? Pad thai is awesome tho.
(3)Mary B.
The food here is definitely Americanized Asian ( Thai, Vietnamese) food, so it has the fusion appeal that some may like, but others may be turned off by depending on your preferences. I liked my soup even though it was different than what I'm used, but it was flavorful. I didn't enjoy the Pad Thai though since it is one thing I am picky about. When you walk in, you order as if you are at a fast food counter, but you are given a number and find a table where a waiter or waitress later brings you your food. Inside the restaurant, it's very clean and casual. I like the fact that it shows what is gluten free on the menu (very progressive) too. If you don't mind Americanized/fusion Thai or Vietnamese Asian food, then you might like the food here!
(4)Miss D.
I tried to 'call in' an order at 11:15 am today and was placed on hold for 4 1/2 mins. When they picked up they said that if I was to place an order for 'pick up' then it wouldnt be ready for an HOUR! Whats the point in calling in an order? I've gone twice before and , although the fries and sandwiches are good, I would much rather spend my $10-$15 at LaBou or next door at Good Eats where the service (and parking) is WAY better than this place!!! Mai Pham, the owner, needs to realize that *good customer service* is EVERYTHING!
(1)jesse k.
Star Ginger just opened yesterday 1/25/11. Wonderful Asian street inspired food. Plenty of options for a vegetarian like me. Just open for lunch at the moment, I am sure dinner hours will soon follow. Very nice atmosphere, you order at the counter and your food is brought out to you, open style kitchen I had the vegan Buddha rolls which came with a tangy peanut hoisin sauce. Very satisfying I also had the Tofu Noodle bowl..excellent flavor and presentation Definitely worth a visit and a great addition to the midtown/east sac food scene
(4)Marion I.
I love this place, Sacramento is lucky to have a chef who is this creative. On my second visit today I had the Korean Beef sandwich, it is fabulous, period. For those who talk about having a Banh Mi sandwich way cheaper at some of the Vietnamese sandwich places, I agree with you, however this is a step up, so get your Banh Mi when you go to those places and love it, but when you come here enjoy the difference and the creativity and just stop griping. I have been on a search for the perfect Pad Se You (sp?) in town and have found two, one of them being at the Boon Boon Cafe and the other here at Star Ginger. I base my search on some of the dishes I had in Thailand and in Malaysia last year and this place has got the street food flavors down and takes it all up a notch. I have yet to have the Ginger Ice cream for desert but tasted it from a friends plate, all I have to say is "Yummy". Star Ginger has earned a place in my heart. I will be back.....
(5)Christopher G.
I ordered To go 3 of the main vegan dishes they tasted good but I found roasted pork pad si ew tofu and mushroom and a piece of plastic in the jungle curry. I really don't know what the proper stars for this restaurant would be. I ordered at 6:12 PM today.
(2)Jason M.
Star Ginger is a welcome addition to Sacramento's diverse restaurant scene. It offers varied tastes and high-quality ingredients that are not too overpowering. We dined on: - Saigon [Chicken] Salad Rolls - Thai BBQ Chicken - Grilled Lemongrass Chicken - Steamed Rice Despite the different tastes, everything in our order blended well and tasted very good. Star Ginger's atmosphere is casual, but the restaurant is nicely appointed with decor that is reminiscent of West Elm. The restaurant seating is functional and comfortable, but not designed for a long dining experience; you can get in, order, dine, and get out in about an hour ... or less if you eat quickly. I'd gladly toggle between Star Ginger and for Ma Jong's for Asia-Pacific/Americanized cuisine.
(4)Swami L.
Decent thai chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries, but a bit skimpy on the meat and overpriced at 9 dollars.
(3)Andrea T.
Had the singapore noodles, it was okay. Something was missing but I just couldn't figure out what?! Had some of my friend's pad thai, which was pretty good. Had the mango tea, which had barely any mango flavor at all. Like how they put veggies in their noodles & the ambiance of the restaurant and decors are pretty bold. Prices are a tad much but forgot, it is Asian-Fusion cuisine & located in downtown so it's quite reasonable.
(3)Lizzy B.
Yep, it's all about the banh mi! Don't bother ordering anything else.
(3)Steve S.
Wow what a let down. Like everyone else, I was excited to have a noodle joint withing walking distance to my office. I understand that its suppose to be an upscale place and it's not on Stockton Blvd but $6 for Banh Mi really, $9 bucks for chicken over rice with a small napa cabbage salad. On the day I went the place was very busy. I am glad I did not have to park in that small lot, I dont know how people can get in and out of their cars as they were parked so close to each other. Overall I saw lots of people enjoying their expensive Asian food with spoons and forks, thats enough to keep me away. 2 stars for the overpriced food, and 1 star for sticking it to the man. That's my story..
(3)Mandie F.
This place would get 4 stars if it wasn't for the price. I have been here a couple of times now, and the food is tasty (especially the vegetarian bahn mi -- though a little small) but not cheap. The dinner menu is different from the lunch menu, and you can get curries and such. It's okay, but unless it gets any cheaper there is no reason for me to cheat on Bangkok @12. Might come back for the bahn mi though.
(3)Helen C.
I love the ambiance and the modernized decor. Food display was also neat. The food itself was just O-kay. I do like the fact they they give you big portions. Between two people with two dishes, I had some left to take home. I guess the big portions comes with the premium pricing for each dish. I've been there twice and both times I stuck to my "safe" dish - Pad Si Ew with beef. Tasted great both times, beef was soft and savory and the greens was Chinese broccoli. A few Yelpers recommended the sweet potato fries so I ordered it - wasn't not impressed. We also ordered Thai Lemongrass Chicken and to tell you the truth, I make better lemon grass chicken. There was minimal lemon grass aroma to this dish. There was nothing Thai in this Thai Lemongrass Chicken dish. Service was great, my water never went empty. Overall, this place deserves 3 stars for food. Ambiance and decor deserves 4 stars.
(3)Katie S.
My husband and I stopped in for lunch this week. He had the green curry with chicken and I went for the veggie banh mi sandwich. I enjoyed my sandwich. The mushrooms were sauteed and served with veggies and a Sriracha aioli. The roll was nice and crunchy on the outside and warm and soft inside. I did think the completely out of season raw zucchini spears on the sandwich were disappointing and didn't really add anything to the sandwich (besides bulk). My husband's curry was less exciting. Not super spicy and it could have used a few more veggies. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that great for the price.
(3)Dan F.
Finally had a chance to try this place last week and was really impressed with the food. We had two bahn mi combos. One pork and one beef. The pork was a little mushy but tasted ok. The beef was delicious and the bread was perfect. For our sides we had sweet potato fries(quite good) and spicy chicken soup(good not great). The prices are good and it's a fairly comfortable dining room. My only issue was with the style of service. Not sure what dinner is like, but at lunch you order at the counter and they bring the food out for you. Then we had to ask for water, then for napkins, and finally again for silverware and Sriracha. I'm totally okay with counter service. But you need to put out silver and napkins for people to get themselves. Also, there was a big water pitcher but no glasses... am I supposed to ask for a glass then get it myself? The busser/server was very polite and got everything we needed, but it seems like by not providing these things they are actually making their jobs more difficult. PS: I really hate the new trend of not giving people water or even offering it. People want water with food. It's what humans live off of.
(4)Patrick W.
It's the pricing stupid: This is not a one $ place, so someone needs to change that. 10.95$ for Beef Pho. I guess it's my bad for paying that. Was it good? Yeah. Was it better than the places on Stockton Blvd. that charge 5.50$ for a bowl twice as big? No. I liked it ok, but there was something off in the broth. It had too much of certain spice, I think anise, and not enough of the others that make up a good Pho. Also, the plate of herbs accompanying the bowl was quite small. The fact that was it was literally double of any other place that serves Pho hurt that much more. I also had the plenty good Pad Thai and Samosas, again for more than one normally pay. Heres the thing about this place: They aren't serving "Fancy" versions of Asian Street food. They are serving decently good Asian Street food at "Fancy" prices, in a setting about on par with Chipotle. Which leaves it down to the final mantra: Location, location, Location. People from East Sac and Midtown will continue to fill this place because there really isn't really any Southeast Asian food in East Sac or Midtown. The location is very convenient for a lot of people, and the concept is novel so I am sure they will do well.
(3)Mikayla K.
This restaurant deserves a better rep. I really like this place, the decor is very inviting and the staff is always friendly. I ordered the vegan Vietnamese sand which( Banh mi toasted grilled vegetable vegan sand which) which was absolutely wonderful. It was fresh and the bread was crisp. The only problem I had was the speed of the service. I saw my sand which sitting on the kitchen self for about 2 minutes while 3 servers passed the sand which, not paying any attention to it. At the end of the meal, the restaurant manager came and thanked us. A very pleasant experience at Star Ginger.
(4)Dominic B.
Throwing caution to the wind, the girlfriend and I went to Star Ginger after seeing it while driving down Alhambra. It's a setup similar to Crepeville, Jack's or Pronto. Track lighting, classy-looking laminate tables, order up front at the cash register, get a number on a miniature flagpole and await the delivery of your food. Fast food for the generation that's been taught McDonald's is evil but doesn't want to sit down and order off a menu. We were super excited for the Korean BBQ Banh Mi with sweet potato fries (the fried, delicious third point in our love triangle) but they told us they were out of bread. I felt like crying, but clamped down, knowing I had to be strong for my girlfriend. (Please note, I forgive this because it was 5 days after they opened.) So instead she got the Pad Thai and I got the Singapore Chow Mein. The food was great and even though the portions are smaller, it occurred to me that maybe that's not a bad thing. Most restaurant portions are just too big to eat without feeling stuffed and exceeding your calories for the day, but too small to effectively become leftovers. So why not go small or go big. The Chow Mein was fantastic. In most noodle dishes, the noodles are the glue, the base upon which all the other ingredients are built. At Star Ginger, the noodles were a star ingredient in their own right, crunchy and flavorful. I look forward to writing a follow-up review once I've gotten my hands on that tasty, tasty Banh Mi. I'll hold onto it like a wide receiver holding onto a juicy, Korean BBQ filled football dashing in for the winning touchdown of the Superbowl. Then I will spike it in the end zone and do an endzone dance that gets me fined by the NFL. And by "end zone" I mean "my mouth" and by "endzone dance that gets me fined by the NFL" I mean "a happy dance that causes my girlfriend to seriously reconsider our relationship."
(5)Christine C.
This is my new favorite place! We ordered: - Saigon Chicken Salad Rolls - Pad Si Ew with Tofu and Mushrooms - Toasted Banh Mi Pork Sliders - Coconut Ice Cream Everything we ordered was absolutely amazing! Service was quick; server was pleasant; and the restaurant atmosphere was great! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends.
(4)kellie c.
I went to Star Ginger on Tuesday and it was just okay. I had the Pad Thai and I've definitely had better. It's not that it was bad, it was just that for a place that is kind of like a casual, take out, lunch place the price was kind of expensive. It was $10 for my dish and that's how much I expect to pay for that dish at a dinner not a lunch. Nothing special about it, very average.
(2)Naida E.
I had the Petaluma chicken pho and a bahn mi and both were quite good. My son had the Niman Ranch beef pho and said it was the best beef he had ever had. I did not love my bahn mi, but I think ordering the chicken was not so smart. I probably would like the beef or pork better. Parking is rough.
(3)Anastacia C.
The restaurant has STAR in its name so I'm starting out 5 stars. 5 stars - In the 'hood. Minus 1 star - VERY dry chicken on my Asian Noodle Salad with Greens Minus another star - Not enough greens. I even asked for light noodles and heavy greens, but either she didn't hear me, or ignored me. Plus 1/2 star - The noodles tasted good and supposedly they are whole wheat. Minus 1/2 star - There really needs to be some shades on the windows. The afternoon sun is a killer. Minus 1 star - One of my pet peeves is people sweeping/vacuuming/doing general dirty cleanup around me while I'm eating. And, what I'm sure was an attempt to look busy while the bosses were there having a meeting, a well meaning, yet misguided staff person was sweeping the floor around me and picking it up with one of those long handled dust pans while I was dining. So what's my grand total? Only two stars? I'll grant one more because the friend I was with said her food was tasty. I would like to give a caveat with her opinion, she lives in Humboldt County where there isn't much to choose from, so any ethnic food is good. I guess if I absolutely cannot make it out to Huong Lan and am really sick of sushi, I'll stop at Star Ginger. P.S. While I really wanted to remove another star for inadequately sized parking spaces, I feel that at this point they are suffering so badly, I just need to give them the gift of the extra star.
(3)Rob R.
It was ok - but I'd rather go to Chada for Thai or even Boon Boon (the pumpkin curry is amazing). The servers were pleasant. Too bad they pushed Good Eats under.
(2)Kurisu F.
Yum! I was extremely hesitant to try this place - the branding really turned me off at first. And, I'm used to paying $6 for pho and $3.25 for a banh mi. But, the complete concept is excellent and the execution was awesome. I was very pleasantly surprised! Others have posted that the "street food" concept led them to believe that the food would be fast and cheap. But there's another key component to the bones of this restaurant - high-end ingredients and a fusion of various Asian elements. This is not a down-the-line pho or banh mi shop. This is a restaurant that uses Vietnamese and Thai ELEMENTS to do somewhat upscale takes on street food. Oh yeah, and using Niman beef among other fantastically sourced products. Yes, you can get a gynormous bowl of pho in South Sac (or on Broadway) for $6. And yes, it can be incredibly delicious (although there are definitely lots of dogs out there). But it certainly won't be made with Niman and organic produce. Star Ginger costs more because they use much more expensive and sustainable product. My wife and I had an awesome "bulgogi" which certainly wasn't traditional but it was awesome. We also had Singapore-style noodles which were also awesome but, again, not straight-up Singapore. Typically, "fusion" restaurants drive me crazy - I'm a purist. But this place really did it well. My wife won't eat at the pho shops I like because the meat is not high quality and certainly not sustainable and NEVER organic. Now we have a place that we both enjoy to get something pho-ish that is tasty and doesn't give either of us pause about the source of the ingredients.
(4)Taylor S.
Went here for lunch today, got my item to go. I order the singapore noodles. They weren't bad but I don't think it is something I would order again. Instead of rice vermicelli they use pad thai noodles (thicker rice noodles) and it wasn't the noodles I am used to. I was also disappointed at the lack of shrimp (only 3 in my dish). The portion was a decent size but for the price it was not worth it. I am not sure what I would order since their Banh Mi sandwiches were ridiculously over priced! At 5.99 I could just head down to Stockton Blvd. and get 2 sandwiches for the same price! It was decent Asian fusion food, not bad but not that good.
(3)Kim N.
I agree your sandwhich here is better quality after trying a couple more times, now I order Vietnamese sandwhich here sometimes in addition to PHO. Good people working here! Always good customer service.
(5)Amber M.
Eaten here twice within the past week and half. I'm glad we decided to try this place. It's small, but has always been busy when we came in. Service is always friendly. Food is clean and fresh. I noticed on the back of the menu the owner also owns lemon grass restaurants. Makes sense. My friend got the pad Thai both times, he loves pad Thai. He always asks for peanut sauce thoughts, and I've agreed that the extra peanut sauce helps it. The first time I got the green curry, that was really good. I love curries. Second time I got the lemon grass chicken......it didn't really have any kind of lemon grass flavor though...... next time I'm gong to try the banh mi. Portions are large enough to share between 2 people generously.
(4)Harrison L.
Great Service. Nice Dishes. Too Pricey Too bad they keep changing their dishes/price points from lunch to dinner. The atmosphere is great but doesn't warrant the $$. What I liked at lunch time wasn't available for dinner. What gives? Nonetheless, it adds a new dimension to the neighborhood. Gives me a greater appreciation of the dining values around here too..... Did you see that $3.99 dinner combination offer across the street?
(3)Erick J.
I went there for lunch with 2 of my colleagues on 1.25.11. Apparently, we didn't know it was opening day, until i just read Jesse's review. The staff was very unorganized. It seemed like there were people all over place. There was plenty staff behind the counter, making drinks, on the floor, but maybe not enough chefs doing any cooking. We waited 45 minutes after ordering to get our food. I got my food first, 10 minutes later another plate came for my co-worker, and finally, 5 minutes after that, the final plate came out. We didn't really get to eat together. By the time my food had come out, we were all pretty frustrated. We ordered soft drinks and no one ever came around to ask us for re-fills. The service was pretty bad. The food was okay. I ordered shrimp and chicken pad-thai but the portions seemed pretty small for $9. neither of my co-workers raved about their food either. Would i got there again? Probably not, esp until they get their act together. The food wasn't anything to be excited about. I've had better. Star Ginger was a disappointment.
(2)Herbert S.
I like Banh Mi. I think they are a great sandwich; the ingredients are simple but powerfully tasty when combined properly. Sadly, the weak link of most banh mi is the bread, more often than not it seems to be on the cheapest hot dog bun or roll that can be found. You would think that a country that spent near a century occupied by the French would be really snobbish about these things. When I heard that there was a new food cart opening on campus, that it would be serving banh mi, and that they had worked closely with the venerable Village Bakery to develop the bread, I was understandable excited. That is exactly what the campus needed; a cheep, filling, tasty and reasonably healthy snack made by someone who isn't Sodexho. I wasted no time and got myself a sandwich. First strike against Star Ginger-- a banh mi and a drink costs six dollars. That's six dollars for a sandwich and a soda I don't really want.. Even at the venerable Saigon Sandwich that would get you two banh mi. Please take mercy on the poor, penniless students who don't have time to run to Sunrise. Shock from the price aside, the service was remarkably slow; I don't blame them too much, they are still pretty clearly sorting things out. It's probably my fault for insisting on getting there opening day. However if things don't shape up, come the school year bad things will start happening. As if the lines at Shah's aren't enough... Once my order was prepared, I sat down to enjoy what I was convinced was the world's most expensive banh mi. The bread was in fact a good bit better than most I've had,, it wasn't toasted to a crisp like the cheaper white rolls, rather, it still had a pleasant chew. It also had a good crust to it; the Village Bakery had done well. The rest of the sandwich was less interesting, the filling was all there, but nothing exciting about it. The cilantro was present, but hiding in the back corner, there was a slice of hot pepper, but only one, the tofu was pretty bland, and the aioli was aioli, you can't mess that up. There was nothing wrong about any of the ingredients, and it all tasted ok, but it lacked the vibrant flavors that a banh mi really needs. This place had so much potential, a great location, good bread and a killer concept--if only the product matched my expectations. Oh, and the price is outrageous.
(3)Heather B.
I love the food here. The service at lunch is not so friendly but I keep coming back for the amazing food.
(4)Roland A.
There is at least one vegetarian option from each of their categories. Their food tastes delicious. It's owned by the same people that own Lemongrass, but feels like a step up in terms of flavors, atmosphere, and friendly staff.
(4)Kristina G.
Best soup in the world. My brother and I meet there quite often to enjoy the most delicious soup ever Kao Soi. The curry prawns with brown rice are fabulous too!!
(5)Vonney V.
The good: Anytime I am in the mood for a good banh mi sandwich, Star Ginger is the place to go. Their Vietnamese bbq pork sandwich is delightfully tasty, and leaves you craving the pickled daikon, carrots, and cilantro combination for days. Portion size was pretty big - I had no need to order anything else and left more than satiated with just the sandwich! The bad: Since this is a Vietnamese food spot, the last time I was there it was really cold outside and I was craving pjs and a nice hot bowl of pho. The pj's I had to forego - (I decided to eat in the restaurant and I'm not a fan of being seen in pjs, curled up at the table, eating pho at a place with business professionals watching!), however I ordered the pho and after a really REALLY long time (it always seems longer when you are really hungry!) my pho came out. If you could call it pho. The disappointment in my eyes was sort've like the sad puppy dog look that you see on that Sarah McLaughlin commercial. (You know the one. That commercial that makes you want to go adopt 10 dogs at once to save them from cruelty!!) But I digress... The pho was not very great. The broth was very thin, I had to doctor it up by adding in as many table ingredients as I could, and even then, it did not achieve the result that I have had at a few other Vietnamese spots here in town. I could not believe I wasted a pho opportunity on Star Ginger. I won't be ordering that again. The ugly: The parking lot is a disaster zone set up for insurance claims galore! If I were a car insurance agent, I would sit here all day and clean up house on car insurance! Super tight spaces and minimal backing up area cause me to park a block away and hoof it. Overall: Overall, this place still has me sold. Great sweet potato fries (who knew a Vietnamese spot sold sweet potato fries??!), and the banh mi sandwiches keep me coming back for more. Even if I have to walk.
(3)Barry A.
Five of us ate there yesterday and everyone loved it. The high quality ingredients, freshness of the herbs and vegetables, proportion of the ingredients within each dish, and exceptional sauces made for a delicious meal! Our assortment of dishes probably had all the meat options available and you could taste the high quality in all of them. We were told they are all organic and responsibly raised too, a real plus for us. It has a simple kind of cool urban/asian atmosphere that was fun to eat in. We compared it to other moderately priced restaurants we frequent (Chipotle, Pei Wei) and they don't compare. The food at Star Ginger is higher quality, better tasting,comparably priced and healthier. We found the staff to be very friendly and accommodating, albeit definitely busy. Some in our party have food allergies and the staff was really good about that. They identified the ingredients and offered gluten free or similar alternatives that were great tasting. With the experienced operators running Star Ginger, the service kinks will get worked out in short order. It's hard to predict demand for a new restaurant and it appears demand was better than expected. They'll do what it takes to improve service and probably add options to order in advance via phone, fax or online, like the busy SF restaurants do at lunch time. Unless you HATE Asian food, you should definitely try this one!
(5)Brandi S.
I ordered the Thai BBQ Chicken for dinner. The chicken, that I liked. It was served on rice (I got the jasmine) which had no flavor, and a ginger-sesame side salad. The salad could easily have been a bagged shredded mix from the grocery store topped with Newman's sesame ginger dressing. I can make that at home. For 12.50, I would say it's definately overpriced. It also wasn't as satisfying as my husband and I would have liked so we ordered dessert- ginger ice cream with a sauce. That was pretty amazing, and may be worth going back for. Also, the tables were placed very close together and made me a bit uncomfortable. Our skinny waitress could barely pass through them.
(2)Amy R.
Just picked up some food to go, but the restaurant looked like a cool place to have dinner. There were a couple of others waiting for to go orders, but the waiting area didn't feel crowded. The food was really tasty, but apparently, curry gives me a headache, so I can't go back.
(3)Miki S.
Food was so-so, I had Pho and Saigon salad rolls, which were good but the noodles were way over cooked. If it was a little more kid friendly, that would be nice too.
(3)Anthony R.
Excellent, good portions and good prices.
(4)Christina M.
I had lunch with a dear friend at Star Ginger a few days ago, and can't believe that it took me this long to write about it! I had the Buddha Salad Rolls and the Ginger Sesame Tofu Salad. Not only was it beautiful to look at, but it had a unique sprinkling of flavors throughout! I became an instant fan. I found the pricing to be quite reasonable for what you get. $5.95 for the small salad, and $7.95 for the rolls. The wait staff was incredibly friendly and Johnny on the spot with refills and other misc help. Another unique feature was that the chopsticks were glass and therefore very eco-friendly! Thanks Star Ginger!
(5)Chase F.
We called to come in for dinner on new years day and were told the restaurant would be open until 7pm. We arrived at 5:10 to find the doors locked and a sign saying they were closed as of 5pm. When the doors opened for a take out order, they declined to let out party or another party in. Not a good way to start the new year. Not a good impression.
(1)James R.
Excellent food. Love the Pad Thai. Parking is really bad though and can be a little pricey. But I highly recommend if you like Asian fusion food.
(4)Matt D.
I go here specifically for the Singapore Street Noodles. Great dish. Haven't diverged much from that order because I wouldn't miss them. Four stars for that dish alone.
(4)Amber Y.
I should have listened when my 2 best friends told me that it was not so great, but I'm stubborn and like to try things for myself. I dragged them out to try it with me again and I wholeheartedly agree that it was not very good. I won't say that it was gross, it was just very bland and boring. My Vietnamese sandwich with Korean beef should have been bursting with flavor but it wasn't. Also the beef was beyond overcooked and to me that is a major violation. One of the girls didn't eat and the other had lemongrass chicken but said she tasted no lemongrass at all. Not only was the food kind of lame, the prices were kind of high as well. I will say that the lady that took our order was nice but that was probably the only really redeeming thing about our experience.
(2)Bryce R.
I ordered the Shanghai Noodles, since I have never had them I can't tell you if they were authentic but the veggies were fresh and had great texture as did the noodles themselves, the heat to the dish was just right but I think my pallet was a little overwhelmed the shrimp and pork may as well have been the same thing. Next time I want to try the samosas.
(3)Shelley H.
Horrible food! Save your money and DON"T GO!!! Servers were very polite and friendly. The Green Curry with Chicken honestly smelled like a sewer! It was too foul to even attempt to eat. . My Curry Shrimp was just over spiced. You couldnt make out any of the individual flavors bacause it was so over spiced. When we told the waitress to give us our bill, she realized we hadn't eaten anything except a few bites of rice and asked if we needed boxed. Whenwe declined and told her that we found the food fairly repulsive, she appologized and said she'd see if she could do anything. I really expected the manager or cook to come over. The manager (or owner never said a word. Just watched us pay and walk out. Horrible management (No complaints with or waitress-she was quite good!) Photo's aren't helpful. The food looks wonderful in the photo's but looks are deceiving. Couldnt get past the nast odor!
(1)Tricia M.
Pretty good food, quick service. I like their Thai Chicken Green Curry and their Thai Kao Soi with tofu. I prefer eating in rather than ordering out esp. the Thao Kao Soi doesn't work so great since you have to assemble it yourself (they give you everything separately) and the soup isn't as hot as it is when you're eating there. But overall, good!
(4)Chris E.
I am a fan! We went there as a date a few weeks ago. Fresh and yummy! We definitely could have shared a plate. Infact that is what we will do next time we go because the prices are a little too high for me. We ordered two meals and two drinks and sweet potato fries and walked out paying $50. Personally not worth $50 but they are very good. I would suggest to the owners to make the portion sizes smaller to lower the price. That would make us come back more often. The environment was good. My only complaint is they seated us at a table that should be removed. The prep table area or whatever they call it was so close to us that 2 waitresses almost bumped into me as they turned around. Parking is a pain in the rear.
(4)T'sters M.
I'm not comparing Star Ginger to my mom's authentic Viet cooking because, well.... nothing compares to it! -- My hunny and I had a lunch date at Star Ginger today and found this place to be fine for a casual lunch spot in midtown/East Sac. They have a good selection of vegetarian and vegan options and most of the meat selections center around chicken and pork. The Korean BBQ banh mi was OK. The best part was the bread, which had a nice, crunchy crust. There was a nice balance between the beef and pickled veggies (though there as much more carrot than daikon) and the Sriracha aioli added a subtle kick to the sandwich. It was, however, lacking in two respects: first, the meat was pretty bland. I could barely make out the "Korean BBQ" flavor. Second, the sandwich hardly had any herbs in it. There was a sprig of cilantro and nothing else. The beef pho was mediocre. The broth was lukewarm and the star anise overpowered all the other flavors (onion, ginger, clove, beef) in the broth. The bowl was on the small side and there were only a few small pieces of beef. The accompanying herbs and garnish were lacking as well. There was a small handful of bean sprouts, a single sprig of basil and a small lime wedge. Overall, I think Star Ginger is a decent casual lunch spot. I wouldn't count on having good, authentic Vietnamese food here though. The pho and banh mi are far better (and cheaper) at eateries along Stockton Blvd.
(3)Mr. Marie T.
Tasty and fast. Everything I've tried has been good. I'd like more veggie options though. And maybe more parking but that's not really their fault.
(4)Diana B.
I had a couple bites of someone else's lunch takeout, a noodle-tofu-salad concoction that was so good I was determined to try the place for myself. We went for dinner recently, but unfortunately I didn't see any noodle-salad dishes on the dinner menu. Maybe I missed it? Or maybe the lunch menu is different (slash better). We ended up with a pretty standard meal--salad roll starter to share, then I had pad thai and the bf had a green curry. Both were very good, but nothing news-worthy, especially given the inflated prices. I want to come back and try it again for lunch, but until I do I have to give 3 stars based on a ho-hum and overpriced dinner experience.
(3)Elizabeth W.
The food is really, really good. The portions were generous and their sweet potato fries were A-MA-ZING. They came with sriracha aioli, which is perfect! My complaints are few. 1) No kid's menu or smaller plates. I don't eat a lot of food and we had our 11-year-old with us. He's an adventurous epicurean, but when his banh mi came out he was a little overwhelmed. 2) Small parking area on a busy intersection. 3) The table spacing is very cramped inside. It's kind of hard to get around without bumping into people's chairs (and I'm on the smaller side). I think it may be best to order takeout from this place as opposed to dining in, but the food IS scrumptious!
(3)Raquel S.
Although the food was very good and the portions were big, their prices were a turn-off. Maybe it's because Im spoiled by the prices of Stockton Blvd and Little Saigon Asian restaurants. Unless I'm eating at P.F Changs, I'm not used to spending this much on Asian food! A spring roll appetizer, Thai BBQ chicken entree, Korean BBQ steak entree, and one soda came to $40+tip! Overall it was good, but I can get very similar tasting food elsewhere for less. However, if I had picky friends who don't do Stockton Blvd/Little Saigon Asian food, I'd bring them here. I would have given them 4 stars, but because of the high prices, I had to give this place 3 stars..... don't forget to bring the AmEx card!
(3)Mark W.
I've been here only once, but I will be back. There are so many delicious looking options on the menu! On my first trip, I shared the green curry and a ginger sesame chicken salad. They weren't unique - you can find pretty much the same thing at a bunch of places - but both dishes tasted really good, the portions were reasonable, the price was reasonable, and the service was good. My only complaint about Star Ginger is the noise. I really will never understand why restaurants have to be SO LOUD. We sat in the main dining room at first (the only vacant table). The noise was oppressive. Luckily, we were able to move to the room at the back of the restaurant and it was a little quieter there. I would have a hard time downgrading a restaurant because of the noise because it is so common these days. There were a bunch of things I still want to try - the Banh Mi, the noodle dishes, and more of the salads. I'll be back.
(4)Anthony B.
I have been meaning to write this review for a while. I was craving a bowl of Pho for dinner the other evening and being in east sac, there weren't a lot of options. I ordered the Beef Pho to go and asked for extra beef. They informed me that it would be an extra 4 dollars and I accepted. When I got out to the car I realized they had actually charged me 6 dollars. On top of that, the Pho had no taste at all. I would say it was the worst Pho I have ever eaten. After living in SF for 9 years maybe I am spoiled but this was terrible, and cost me 16 dollars. I will be heading out to Stockton Boulevard from now when I have a craving.
(1)MaryAnn C.
Americanized, Overpriced, and under seasoned. Maybe I should come for lunch instead because the waitress dropped like three things in the time spent there. I think they're still trying to work out the details since everything's still new. It seemed a lot of their soups were made as a stock. I'd prefer spice/chillies to be cooked in the food and not served on the side. I would rather go to an Asian or Indian restaurant that wasn't expensive and has more flavor. A for the ginger ice cream custom made by Gunthers.
(3)Charles W.
Pho: 0 star, for the piddly amount of noodles, the 2 shreds of chicken, and the incredibly overpowering taste of Star anise. One of the worst pho's i have ever had. Not ok. try some quality control before you send that crap you call Pho out. Korean bbq Bahn mi: 3 stars the meat was good the bread was decent, but the sriracha aoli overpowered the taste of the kim-chee "slaw" that didnt taste like kim chee. Sweet potato fries: were cold when they were served..... again how about some attempt at quality control its not hard to serve warm food. Overall not a good experience, One of my biggest pet peeves is leaving a restaurant hungry, my biggest pet peeve is paying for overpriced pretentious food that doesn't deliver in quality or quantity and leaving starving. I think this place has some potential my friends jungle curry looked good and the bbq chicken dishes around me look alright but they screwed up pho. I am also giving them 2 stars because of the fake reviews that i am pretty sure they posted to raise their own rating, (Tina W and Barry A)( this was all but confirmed, as both those reviews no longer exist) If the owners or managers actually read these reviews please listen to the majority of them and either lower the prices(lol yea right),, give more food, taste the food before you send it out, take out the star anise from the pho broth or just keep doing what you are doing and alienate yourselves from a large portion of the population that knows what good asian food is.
(1)Chris J.
Time of dining 1:30pm, Monday Overall thoughts: This seems to be a solid second choice restaurant. The flavors are good and the service is quick, but nothing seemed to be outstanding or a reason to *love* the place. The prices seemed a bit high for the amount of food delivered, but the quality certainly helped the balance even out some. Service 5 - Prompt and friendly, the service was grand. There were frequent checks to see if we needed water and our plates were cleared quickly after we finished eating. Food - 4 - Had the pad thai and the sweet potato fries. The food was fresh and delivered very rapidly. The ingredients were high quality and seemed to be prepared well for the most part. The pad thai was seasoned very well, but the sweet potato fries left something to be desired. Portions were sufficient for one, but came with the price typical for a dinner portion to share (#paymoreforless). Decor - 4 - The interior is clean and new. It has a modern cafeteria feel to it and is well lit. Perhaps the best description is pleasant but not noteworthy.
(4)John N.
The Banh Mi is still very tasty. Everything else is pretty bland. It tastes like they're recycling the same ingredients for every dish for the sake of convenience in the kitchen. The curries are really unimpressive. And the Pho broth totally lacks the depth of flavor that you would get at a non-yuppy Vietnamese place.
(3)Alison B.
Potential. This relatively new spot has a few kinks it needs to work and unfortunately some flaws that may be irreversible. 1. Their menu is about $2-3 too expensive on every item on the menu. 2. Wait time for food is usually around 15 minutes if you're lucky assuming they didn't confuse your order. 3. Limited seating; often waiting for a table to clear up. 4. Noisy! 5. Their dinner setup is kinda odd with the host. I didn't get it. As for the good, I have had many different things on the menu and have enjoyed all of them. Their staff has always appeared eager to improve, from their first opening day and I have noticed big improvements with their workflow. But for it's locations it should be a bit more accommodating for the large lunch crowd. Considering the competition provided from nearby eateries like la fiesta and sushi cafe, it usually the last option. If you aren't in a hurry then enjoy the great food.
(3)A B.
Had the pork banh mi and noodle salad today. The pork is delicious and a little spicy - just right for me. Bread and veg are super fresh. Love the salad. Totally recommend. Great food, great prices.
(5)Nic H.
My husband and I had lunch at SG on opening day. It was a bit crazy (most opening days are!) but everyone was in great spirits and eager to please. We ordered the Green Curry w/ Chicken, The Asian Noodle Salad and the Buddha Salad Rolls. Everything was delicious! The curry took a while to make it to our table, but we enjoyed the salad rolls while we waited. As for the Aisan Salad, there was a tad bit too much oil for me, not that it didn't taste good, cause it did...but because I felt guilty enjoying it... The best part? Their menu indicated which items are vegan! SCORE! I love when a restaurant is considerate of special dietary needs (pretty sure there was a gluten free menu as well). I can't wait to go back and try all of the vegan options. The decor inside is great, so sleek and beautiful. Prices are reasonable enough for the quality of food. Would I recommend SG, absolutely! If you're going to be upset b/c your food takes a while or doesn't come out all at once, then give them a week or so to work out the kinks and then enjoy.
(4)Scott P.
Had a co-worker do take out and get the Pad Thai dish. It had a ton of flavor, noodles were good, nice pieces of chicken and shrimp with the noodles. HOWEVER, midway through eating there was a long string of black hair and pretty much threw up in my mouth. UGH!
(3)Matt B.
Wow I was surprised how good the food is at Star Ginger. It has the feel of a fast food restuarant, which might make you think that the food quality may also be equivalent but I must say it was great. I had the slow roasted Kurobota Pork Bahn Mi Toasted Sandwich and it delivered. I will be back to try some of the other dishes in the near future!
(4)Nisa N.
Don't be fooled by the name, especially with words like "ginger," "noodle," and "Asian." This place is "Asian Fusion," or you might know it as "Americanized Asian Restaurant," a la PF Changs and the like. It's a casual, sit-down restaurant right on the corner of Capitol and Alhambra, just a few blocks from my place. Service was good and the place was fairly busy on a Friday evening. Food was mediocre. We ordered the banh mi sliders, my aunt had the grilled lemongrass chicken, and I had some Indian curry. The banh mis were pretty good, flavors and everything, but the texture was a little off. I wish the meat was grilled and crispy and the bun could've been a little more toasted. I mean, those are basic components of a banh mi, right? My dish was bland but super salty! It was not spicy at all even though I ordered mine "3 pepper" spicy. I added sriracha to quell the saltiness and add some flavor and spice. My aunt's grilled chicken looked alright. I mean, it's grilled chicken. Nothing to write home about. Actually, if I wrote home about any of it, my mom would probably give me a verbal beatdown for spending so much money on blah Asian food (almost $40). I do like that they offer brown rice in addition to jasmine rice. That's probably something a more traditional Asian restaurant would not. Lesson learned: Go to south sac if you have a craving for Asian food!
(2)Alex S.
I've been twice, both times for lunch. The first time I had the chicken Pho. It wasn't bad, a bit heavy on the ginger though. The second time I had the Pad Thai and was rather underwhelmed. The flavoring was bland and the noodles were a bit dry. Also, not sure if it is because of the layout or what, but the noise level got pretty high as more and more people filtered in. I was having to lean over the table to hear the conversation with my dining mate. Overall I found it to be rather unremarkable, which is a shame because the location is great for quick lunch breaks.
(2)Christopher B.
Had lunch here on opening day. Very good bowl of pho. I'll definitely be back. Especially if they get bike racks!
(4)Chris I.
The food was great. The service, was meh, at best. The inattentive waitress and long wait for the food to come outweighed the great tasting food. We'll pass on Star Ginger next time.
(2)stacey b.
I really was thrilled to find thai/vietnamese food that uses produce sourced locally and Niman ranch or other more humane and responsible meats! and it is good. Love the Pho, and banh mi - actually it is all good. I haven't had anything there that I didn't like. Good ingredients, good flavors, nice atmosphere - great neighborhood place, just slightly out of the neighborhood. Now, if they would just ditch the styrofoam and use green products, like something decomposable that would make it nearly perfect.
(4)Renee L.
Our group of six ate here for Sacramento Wine and Dine week and we all give it a big thumbs up. The wine was well paired with the courses. I liked the pinot grigio and my friend liked the sweet peach notes in the sauvignon blanc. Service was great -- lots of dishes and glasses with this meal, they were cleared promptly and water always topped off. The thai lemongrass beef salad was crisp with just the right amount of fresh mint, and the beef was tender. The pad si ew was a generous serving, the pork was tender and good quality -- take it easy on the side of thai chiles in vinegar, whoa they are hot. The passionfruit sorbet was light and fruity and tangy. But the ginger ice cream -- oh, the ginger ice cream. It was sweet and creamy and delicious, and the bold flavor of the ginger made it memorable. At $25 with the wine pairings included, this one is half the price of most other wine and dine deals and well worth it. We will be back to try their regular.
(4)Carol H.
Love the Korean Rib sandwich and the Buddah Salad Rolls, my husband loves the veggie curry. All fresh ingredients. Horrid parking, good luck getting your drink refilled, too busy but great food.
(4)Ernest R.
The Lemongrass Pork and Korean BBQ Beef are amazingly delicious. Add to that, the Thai Spicy Chicken Soup with coconut milk plus the Spring Rolls and you have one of the most flavorful meals in East Sac/midtown!!! Highly recommended!!
(5)Nguyet K.
I expect more from Star Ginger, maybe because it was a fushion of many different cultures at one restaurant. Maybe because the main chef is vietnamese. Don't get me wrong, the food is delicious, but its not worth the price for me. I had the Thai BBQ Chicken. It was yummy, the chicken was like a fusion between vietnamese and thai, lemongrass and yellow curry... I couldn't believe it actually taste awesome together. The side salad was yummy (I'm a huge fan of salads), it was serve with a ginger sesame dressing, not too heavy either. The portion size is a little small for the price I had to pay. The banh mi is okay, its not worth the price of $6 for one sandwich. Vietnamese sandwiches range from $2-$3 at a typical vietnamese sandwich place. Plus, the banh mi was a little dry for me, its not too much flavor like other banh mi I had before. It can get a little crowded during lunch time around the area because many people from the medical center drive over to get some lunch.
(3)Patrick H.
Good food but a bit pricey for Vietnamese food
(3)Bryan J.
So, I went in the other day to get my favorite Vietnamese dish... bún chá... took it off the menu! Not cool. Yet another great dish swiped from a great menu. Extremely unfortunate.
(4)erin t.
Not so much. This place is weird. Not a fan. Here's why: - Came in for dinner. Expected a quick, order at the counter situation. But no, they provided a random 'hostess' yanked from the kitchen to guide me to a table. Unnecessary. - Given a menu. I'm more confused. So first I think it's a quicky type food place, then a hostess jumps in and seats me, then I get a menu but it's a paper menu. Granted it's GLOSSY paper, but make up your mind! If you do sit down service give me a real menu. If you're street food/fast food/counter style food just be that. Guh. Identity crisis much? - Check out food options. More confused. Um, over $10 for pho? My pad thai is $14? No thanks. There is great Thai food on broadway and an awesome pho place on broadway too - both cheaper, both tastier and both way more legit. - Against my better judgment I stay. I think, maybe the food is amazing! The food is fine. It's not great, but I will say it's not awful. But again, I could spend less on dinner and have authentic, amazing food somewhere else. I left feeling totally cheated. Really disappointing. I imagine lunch might be an entirely different situation. I saw the big menu posted and the prices were way more reasonable for lunch. I'll never know, I won't be going back.
(2)Margo E.
Please note: This is only for the Korean BBQ Bahn Mi. I dream about these. I've had other things there that were good but the bahn mi is fantastic. I've had it now 3 times and each time it's just as good as the last. I call in, pick it up and savor it slowly.
(4)Emily C.
I love this place. When I used to come home from J Street babysitting my great grand daughters, I would stop here each time. I have tried almost everything they had in the menu. Not been dissapointed once, I loved their pork and korean sandwichs. My favorite is the Singapore dish.
(4)Captn S.
Not great, but not bad. I had pad thai, it was average. I will probably try again. As with all Asian food, I perfer just driving down Stockton Blvd. until something smells right.
(3)Greg K.
Went here for a saturday lunch, well past the 1pm hour and the place was packed, while neighboring restaurants were already empty. That is probably the best sign for a restaurant... Had the Banh Mi -- the lemongrass one was superb, and better than the Thai BBQ. The baguette was perfectly crisp yet soft on the inside, and the veggies fresh and perfectly in balance. They have a combo deal with soup, salad or sweet potato fries -- great to have the choice to choose. Will put it to the regular rotation. And to those who keep comparing it to their favorite Pho house... get over it, it's a different concept in a pricier neighborhood -- and 10x cleaner.
(4)MIchael H.
Lunch with hot wife!
(4)Huyen teresa N.
I had lunch there twice. The first time was dine in. parking was not so great. Food was great. Pad thai and asian noodle salad was very flavorful. Second time I order to go. Def phone your order in first for faster service. I order the chinese chicken salad and soup and I was very satisfied. I will definitely come back again and try all the other food they have to offer.
(4)Im hungry L.
Okay for a quick meal, but you're going to pay american bucks for a Southeast Asian meal. $9.95 for a Chicken Pho (soup) - you would never pay more than $7 bucks for it in a Pho shop in Little Saigon and it would have a lot more of a savory taste. My wife's Bowl of Spicy Thai was also disappointing - Very spicy, and muddled. Go if you are stuck in the Midtown area and cannot afford the time to visit Little Saigon on Stockton Blvd between Fruitridge Road and Florin Road. There must be 100 asian restaurant all serving great Pho and yummy entrees for you to try!!! The wait staff was excellent (Eileen).
(2)Ryan G.
I really like this place. I don't understand the low ratings. I like Vietnamese foods but not too crazy about eating at some dirty and smelly authentich Vietnamese places on Stockton Blvd. Star Ginger is clean and nice. Food is actually tasty. Yes, I understand that it is not authentic but I really like their food. Sandwiches are really good. On the spicy side. Korean BBQ sandwich is very good, if you like Korean BBQ and Kimchi. Vegetarian curry is also good. What I don't like is... they are so busy during lunch time. I have to go there before noon or won't find a place to park or sit.
(5)Reid W.
First-time eating at Star Ginger - excellent!
(5)Amanda F.
Sliders and beef on the dinner menu rocked. Shrimp curry was bizzare - not curry at all - more like tomato soup. Pork chops were yummy but the "lime chili sauce" they provide is actually what foodies will recognize as fish sauce and unless you have a diverse palate that enjoys fermented fish taste you will likely feel it tastes like old socks. Skip it and ask for the traditional vinegar sauce that normally comes with asian pork.
(3)M S.
Had the Pork Banh Mi Sandwich today for lunch was pretty good but was on the dry side could of used a tad more of the Sriracha Aioli..This place pretty much has the same menu items (give or take a few selections) as Their other Restaurant LemonGrass, Good stuff but Nothing really new or exciting here......
(3)Patrick B.
Good place for lunch. I had the pad thai, which is nice.
(4)Manda C.
I went her the other day for an early dinner with my BFF. It was recommend to me by a friend who always gives restaurant recommendations. It's awesome! Great service, great food. I recommend going there for the lunch prices though ;)
(5)Ace H.
Went here today for the first time. Atmosphere definitely brings chipotle into mind. Had the pork Banh Mi which was not your stockton blvd traditional style but was good none-the-less. I Was educated about the bread which is not typical Vietnamese loaf bread used for street style Banh mi but a better quality hand made bakery style...try it out...
(5)Denise S.
It took me awhile to get back to this place, but I did it this week. Met my husband there for lunch on Monday. This time I tried the pad Thai. I'm a huge fan of pad Thai and this one is pretty good. We had our lunch at the restaurant this time... acoustics are still bad. It's super loud in there, which makes it hard to have a conversation. I had a craving for something spicy on this rainy day so I went back for pad Thai again today. I always order my Thai dishes medium spicy. The last time I ordered the pad Thai from Star Ginger I ordered it medium (2 chilies) and it was just barely spicy at all. Today I ordered it spicy (3 chilies) and it was perfect for me, but would be considered medium at any other Thai restaurant I've been to. So keep that in mind when ordering. Overall, I'm a fan of this place!
(4)John S.
If you're Asian, you understand why this place gets 1 star. Mediocre banh mi sandwiches for $6? Mediocre pho for $10? No thanks. If you're not Asian and don't want to venture to Stockton Blvd. to get better authentic food for cheaper, then you will probably like this place. However, there are better options in Sac where the food is actually authentic and half the price of what you'll pay here.
(1)Michelle W.
Really good food. I will go again. I think it's a little pricy however the food was great.
(4)Kabra M.
ive been here twice before...both times for lunch....got the pho. pretty tasty. how do you do pho bad though? ordered pad tai that ive been craving for days. called in at 5 for pick up. got there expecting to pay the $10 price and was surprised when my total was $15! for pad thai to go! they said it was the "dinner price" so i sucked it up and paid, got home to eat, and BOOOOOO its crap! to be honest ive loaded it with salt and oil bc its so flavorless. utterly dry. and not even topped with peanuts (the almost best part) i will be calling them tonight for a credit!
(2)C C.
I love the concept of Asian Street food, but I think the concept was misused in the development of Star Ginger. Having been to Asia multiple times, Street food is usually fast, cheap, and tasty. My experience @ Star Ginger is disappointing. I ordered sweet potato fries, Saigon Chicken salad rolls, and pad thai. The food took a long time to come out, the portions were tiny, and the prices were ridiculous. In my opinion, the food was not authentic and not worth the money. I'm better off getting my Asian food from the venues on Stockton blvd.
(1)Minh N.
I had a light lunch here on a Sunday. It wasn't crowded and the counter girl instantly greeted us. Prices here are a little on the high side. The place is lit with specular lighting with recessed lighting to add to the ambiance. Seating is well adjusted for spacious eating and movement. The coloring and arrangements of the decor are simple yet effective to make it a place for a quick meal, which I like. The parking is limited since it's on a corner spot. They kept the menu simple which is another plus, so you won't be there forever as a new customer, figuring out what you want. The meals are served cafeteria style, you order at the counter and pay, then seat yourself, accompanied by a numbered marker for your table. We had the beef Pho($8), soup and sandwich combo and the Thai iced tea. The tables are clean, as was the floor. The bowl for the Pho was small for the price...but, the beef slices are tender and plentiful. I want to say it's flank steak and not cheap round steak slices. I counted 12 medium cuts of beef. Other Pho places will give you about 5-8 thins slices of round steak, which is not as tender. The slices were then soaked in a side bowl of broth for a moist melt in your mouth tasty treat. The broth has a ginger based taste to it, as was proved by thin slice of ginger fished up in the bowl. The thai curry chicken soup lacked hickey pieces that were small cubes and I counted about 6. This fact is only brought up since the bowl is the same small soup bowls from other dinner spots. The soup itself was seasoned with flavorful with bits if diced red bell peppers, cilantro, and basil with rich coconut milk. There was a hint of heat in the dish. I liked it. The sandwich is an actual full sized Banh Mì. I ordered the Korean BBQ meat. The bread was soft and the sandwich was moderately dressed with the traditional greens and pickled veggies with plentiful meat. There is a thin layer of napa cabbage Kim Chi that is hidden inside. This is also good. The thai iced tea was good, just enough ice and coconut inside for a delicious treat. The staff was very friendly and attentive when we needed a box. What caught my eye and mad me feel good about this place is this; even though it was almost empty, while we were eating, the staff was careful to sweep and pickup trash around us with a good perimeter of cushion. I like when staff understands that when people are eating, you don't disturb the environment while the customer is eating i.e. vacuuming, dusting, sweeping as this stuff floats into the customers personal space. I give this place a solid 4/5 for this visit and will come back to try it again. The higher prices aren't an issue to me since I can see and taste a better quality of food here.
(4)Michelle R.
Since opening, I have been to Star Ginger twice for lunch and have really enjoyed it. The only thing I would warn others of, is if you are in a hurry, call your order in ahead of time. The food is prepared fresh, right on the spot so its not really "fast food". So far, I have tried: the Buddha Salad Rolls, the Jungle Curry and the Thai Tofu Salad and the Chicken Pho.. all DELICIOUS. I love the food here and will be back time and time again to try it all! Strongly recommend the food here. Great restaurant.
(5)Sandra D.
I ate here last night for dinner and wasn't too impressed. The first issue I had was with parking. The small lot in front was full and there was no street parking anywhere in the immediate vicinity. I found one tight spot about a block away. The restaurant itself was cramped. The guy in the seat behind me was so close that we bumped into each other a few times. The service was just fine. The menu was surprisingly limited which really disappointed me. The food was decent. We shared the samosas and I ordered the tofu salad. The samosas were just what I would expect but they were a little on the oily side. I wish our server would have mentioned that there were only 3 samosas in an order since we were a party of 4 and we ordered them to share. My salad was good. It had plenty of fresh mint, tomatoes, peanuts and tofu in it. They didn't skimp on the good stuff and it wasn't over dressed. It was a little pricey for what it was. I was highly unimpressed with the restroom situation. For the number of seats they crammed into the restaurant the restroom is for one person at a time. It also smelled of sewage or something foul. Gross. Overall my experience was ok but there are so many really great options that I don't think I'll be going back.
(2)Emily C.
the service was SO slow because it was so ridiculously busy :( however, the food was delicious!! i love how trendy and cute this place is, but i hate the parking. i was lucky to park up front... Our table ordered the Thai BBQ chicken, Pad Si Ew, and the Viet Beef Pho. They were all so yummy tasting. My favorite was definitely the Pad Si Ew with three chiles, it was the perfect tofu mixed dish ive had in sacramento so far. We ordered the ginger ice cream for dessert... i know it sounds gross (trust me i was expecting the worst), but it was just right. I could taste the sweet ginger without it being overly creamy I gave it a four stars because even though the atmosphere and food is definitely amazing, the parking and service lacked thereof. the dinner was a bit expensive for my liking...
(4)Frank G.
excellent vegetarian pho. clean, bright, new. great food, well priced.
(5)Aaron O.
I am no Vietnamese food critic but this was delicious with good service.
(5)Brian M.
The food I had was only ok. The curries were just bland. It just tastes more like something I'd get at a mall food court than a real restaurant. I would be willing to give it another chance, though.
(2)Alex G.
Are u kidding me fine have ur soft opening make excuses for 3 weeks ur food is amazing but hire some more people for Christ sake. I was in last week and it took45 min for food u Comped us meal I was going to eat there today so I called in and they said no call in orders. well I called in cuz u are awful at handling a crowd get it together people!!!
(5)Jen S.
Under flavored and overpriced. Not horrible but not good enough to warrant the prices.
(3)Diana D.
I was thoroughly disappointed with the food being that Mai Pham is nationally acclaimed for being a chef. The menu has an introduction of the restaurant that's almost cheesy that describes what the food will make you feel. Basically, you're going to feel like you're in Vietnam, yeah right. I got the beef pho, korean bbq banh mi with the curry soup, and the buddha spring rolls. The beef was tender but bland, the broth had enough salt in it but it lacked any beef flavor and tasted strongly of star anise. I noticed on the menu that though it doesn't offer beef broth but only chicken, kinda weird. Noodles were cooked well but I couldn't get over the lack of flavor in the broth. I ended up picking the pieces of meat out of my soup and dipping it into the spicy thai chicken soup, which mostly tasted like curry, and left most of my noodles untouched. The korean bbq was well seasoned but marinated for too long to the point where the meat started to have a strange texture. The baguette was nice, soft and crunchy. The banh mi was probably the best this I had at lunch and that's not much saying much. The rolls were okay, nothing great, not terrible but I expected more. Damn that hype.
(2)Karin C.
Star Ginger is a great place for a quick lunch. My friend and I shared a salad and curry dish. We were both impressed with the ambiance and food and large portions. We could have used a third person to share our meal.
(4)Nathan R.
Never heard of this place. Some friends had seen it and suggested that we stop by for lunch. So glad we did! It had a great atmosphere and the food was full of great taste! I had the Roasted Kurobuta Pork sandwich and Spicy Thai Chicken Soup. Yum! I look forward to going back here agian.
(4)Sam K.
We tried the bahn mi (roast pork), chicken curry with jasmine rice, and the grilled pork chop with rice and salad. Taste-wise it was OK. The bahn mi bread was good, but the meat was not as flavorable as I hoped. It was lacking something... the pickled veggies didn't even help. The peas in the chicken curry were not mushy, but the curry flavour wasn't as robust as I've had before, and it wasn't even spicy (I asked for medium spiciness). The grilled pork chop was OK... really not much else to say. The salad that came with this dish had a sweet dressing. Service was decent, but the tables were really close together that the people serving the food kept bumping into chairs. It was overpriced food that was bland. I do understand that they may be using better quality products, but please match it with the taste.
(2)Fred D.
The setting: the restaurant edition of Dwell magazine. The food: the same stuff the owmer has neen ladling out for years at other places. Ingredient scarcity alert: Pad Thai boasted 2 shrimp. Advice for dieters: good option. Advice for others: over priced for what's on the plate. Despite the presence of M.P., the owner, plates were left uncollected on tables. I might go back to try other items if someone else pays. Based on recent visits, 3 stars. Family style dinners a good value.
(3)Andrew I.
overpriced. vanilla. okay white people food.
(3)Dikla D.
We went to Star Ginger last night - we had heard mixed reviews, and now I know why. We started out with the sweet potato fries (AWESOME) and the chicken salad rolls (pretty good)... So far so good... We got the Singapore noodles, which was completely bland and just without any imagination. The real kicker is that we were both feeling pretty sick about an hour later - no food poisoning or anything, just didn't sit well....
(2)Sukhbir C.
Great Buddha spring rolls, awesome young coconut milk, and great pho! Enjoyed the casual environment and overall the the service was good.
(4)Food S.
I was extremely disappointed after my visit. I ordered the Kao Soi Chicken. It is basically your 10 cents curry flavor top ramen curry mixed with some pieces of chicken breast, snow peas and some kind of vegetable. The taste was terrible. I am certain it wasn't prepared by a master chef. The sad thing is I paid $8.65 for this dish. I wouldn't eat this crap even if it were free. Regardless, this place was packed. This is a good thing because I will not be wasting my time, money, and my taste buds here again.
(1)Marquie F.
Tried this place today for lunch. I ordered takeout but waited about 15 minutes for my food. The cashier was nice but not outgoing and seemed a little stressed out. I ordered the vegan lentil curry with jasmine rice, but since I ordered it to go, by the time I ate it, it was very soggy. I don't know if that is because I waited too long to eat it but I was very dissapointed with the mushy consistency of the jasmine rice, which I usually look forward to. The curry was decent, not very much flavor, but the lentils did give it a good taste. The portion of rice was small, but they did gave me a good amount of curry/vegetables. I wasn't very impressed with the pricing either as everything was pretty expensive. I paid $8 alone for the meal I ordered with no drink. I will give this place another shot in hopes that i'll have a better experience. Update: I've been back a few times after this. The second time I ordered the veggie bahn mi sandwich. It was good, but very small, I was still hungry afterward! My mom had ordered the jungle curry (same food as Lemongrass but a smaller portion). Yesterday we came back again and this time I ordered the jungle curry. The portion was huge! I actually had left overs (This never happens! I'm a pig.) It felt so strange asking for a box to go. Now i'm not sure if they increased their portion size or if it had to do with the time that we came (around 2:30 on a Saturday). My mom ordered the bahn mi combo with sweet potato fries. The sandwich again, was much bigger than last time. The sweet potato fries were delicious! Not too oily but nice and crispy. And the fries were served with a yummy chipotle tasting creamy sauce. So, it looks like they've improved since opening and they definitely have made it on my good list now.
(4)Melissa W.
The chicken pho is amazing and the broth is so gingery and delicious. Best pho I've had in Sac!
(4)Big Daddy E.
Tried Star Ginger for the first time tonight with my hubby, another couple with their 2 children and one other friend. The place was slammed but we, party of 7, were seated immediately at a nice large table. The waitress didn't mind separate checks (3) gave us ice water with lemons, took our drink and food orders and disappeared. We finally waved down another waitress to beg for more water and finally got it. After another 15 minutes I had to wave down another waitress to ask where our drinks were (1 bottle beer and 1 Thai ice tea). Suddenly our waitress appeared with the appetizer we ordered, Vietnamese sliders but brought 2 instead of 1 order so we had to send one back. They were tasty, 3 to an order for $8.95 but no better than a Vietnamese sandwich from Wing Wa Market for $1.99. During this time our orders began arriving, one at a time, to all 7 people until we finally received all orders over 15 minutes while we all waited to eat together thus forcing several people to eat their food cold. My hubby had the Beef Pho with extra noodles and said it was just average but not as good as Pho Bac Hua Viet's on Broadway and at double the price here. I had the 2 chili Singapore Noodles with extra noodles and they were delicious and perfectly spicy at $15.95 ! We found out they had charged us each an extra $5.00 for extra noodles, I don't mind paying for extra, but $5.00 for a scoop of cheap noodles seems excessive. To wrap it up, they need better service, better food distribution and perhaps some price adjustments. I know for what we ate before tip was $46.60, a lot of money for a little amount of food for 2 people.
(3)K T.
I LOVE STAR GINGER! First of all, I love La Bou and the people that work there are so sweet and nice. Anyways, the Korean BBQ beef sandwich with sweet potato fries is MY LIFE. it's sooooooooooooo good. Honestly It's all I can ever order when I go there. I've also had the curry which is always good but the sandwiches are amazing. The bread is perfectly crunchy and fluffy and the ingredients are fresh and flavorful! The only issue I have with the place is the parking situation but you'll always find something if your patient. I wish they would serve the sandwiches during the new dinner service they offer. Also don't forget the Thai tea!!! So good.
(5)Sage W.
FIrst visit today for lunch. I ordered the Thai BBQ chicken with curry. It was SO good. The spices--perfect! I liked that it wasn't drowned in curry sauce--just a side dipping sauce. It wasn't overly heavy. Only complaint, the restaurant was cold. The seating is close together, like a cafeteria. One orders at counter. The food wins out and I'll be back again to sample more!
(4)Ryan F.
We went here for dinner tonight. We had the Thai Green Curry and the Chicken Pho. Both were tasty and consistent with Mai Pham's offerings at Lemon Grass Cafe. (We've never eaten at Lemon Grass proper). The service was friendly and pretty fast. The prices were a little steep for us to make this a regular stop on our dinner rotation. Things should be around the 10 dollar range, not the 12-15. Especially when there are so many really great Asian options in downtown and midtown. Nice decor, but needs more parking.
(3)Billy B.
I (still) desperately want to love this place. Star Ginger offers all the types of food that I can eat (and love) on a daily basis. I have been there twice so far and unfortunetly have been dissappointed both times. The first time I was loving my curry until I took a big mouthful of brown rice and discovered the large black hair in my rice. I know, I know, things happen. Everyone has an off day. I still went back. I really want to love this place. The second trip was at opening time. Maybe it was too early for any spunk. It took 25 minutes to get my order to me. In the meantime, people would come in, order and receive their food. Huh? Then I get the food to go and I'm in the car and ready to snack on some of those yummy sweet potatoe fires. All 10 of them. Gone in about a minute. Get the food home and discover just as many noodles in my asian noodle salad. I really want to love this place and will try again one more time. But I have to say with all the food available out there, not a lot of people are willing to be as unforgiving.
(2)Margo H.
Star Ginger has grown on me, but I can now say that I am officially a fan. I love the Thai Tofu salad- it tastes like a vietnamese spring roll. I also really liked the beef banh mi. The sweet potato fries with sriracha aoli are great- really crispy and tasty, and the Banh Mi, Beer and Fries for $10 meal is an awesome deal. I agree with previous reviews- some of the food is underwhelming, but everything is good, and some things will surprise you. They host events from time to time, and the ambiance is perfect for a casual dinner with friends.
(4)Liz S.
My lunch sat there on the counter, with two others, while my friend ate hers. The server was wiping off a table. While three lunches sat there. I had to get up and tell her to bring me my lunch. I almost got it myself. The kicker is, the most boring pad Thai ever. No tip. Would give negative stars if I could, and I hate it when people leave cranky reviews. But there was nothing redeeming about this noisy, pricy waste of time.
(1)Elizabeth L.
Way reasonable price for good food.
(4)Fahd S.
we got the Chicken and BBQ beef banh mi sandwiches. hmmmm tasty.
(4)Tamiko H.
I love this place! the soups are great the soup and sandwich combo is wonderful. I can't and wouldn't think about complaining.
(4)Curtis C.
I wanted so much to like this place. It comes from a good pedigree (Mae Pham) so my expectation was high. Unfortunately I have to report that it seems a half-baked idea with a few hits and lots of misses. The noise level is not 'average' as noted, but very intrusive . The hard edges, high ceiling, and right angles amplify and resonate the noise to a noticeable and annoying din. Is this their way of turning over tables? I ordered the Vegetable and Lentil Curry and asked the spice be kicked up one notch. It may have been a mistake because there was no flavor except heat - certainly no hint of curry - and the overspiced sauce overwhelmed the vegetables. I was certain the menu said the meal came with eggplant but there was none. When asked, the server said no, there was no eggplant. Eggplant was the reason why I ordered it. Now I see the menu on-line has it listed has an ingredient. She also said this dish is "not one of my favorites". Maybe her's didn't have eggplant either. At $11.95, it's at least $3 overpriced, even with eggplant. Another minor peeve was the Mango tea. Very thin and watery (and woefully overpriced). Again, I had high hopes and will probably try it one more time but I'll be more careful about ordering and trusting the answers of the servers.
(2)Lou Ann S.
Meet a girlfriend for lunch. Had a delicious lunch, fresh and flavorful! Lovely atmosphere .....I'll be back!
(5)Justin F.
overall I was very pleased. I think this place is still figuring things out though. I suspect they will be even better in a few months.
(4)G L.
Three of my friends and I went for lunch on Saturday (Feb 12@ 12:30 PM). Parking was trying, to say the least! We had to park a block away! The place was clean and felt new. It was LOUD in there! Maybe acoustics? Anyway, the cashier was friendly, the food was good, but pricey, and the wait staff was efficient. I did not feel comfortable in there. The tables were too close to each other and because of the loudness of the place, people were talking even louder! Yikes! Not what I want to experience again! Sadly, I will not go there again.
(1)T S.
Over priced and bland anyone that has eaten Vietnamese food would tell you this is crap Sacramento Magazine has this place all wrong!!! We will never eat there again.
(1)Joshua B.
I really enjoyed the food here! Everything seemed fresh and the presentation of the food on the plate was great too. Sure, the prices are a bit steep, but that's not going to stop me from coming multiple times to this great new addition to Sacramento's restaurant climate.
(4)Danielle C.
I love this place. The prices are reasonable, the food is high quality and locally sourced and the staff is super nice. My first experience was a Friday night... we had just gotten out of a movie and needed food NOW. It was ~5 minutes before 9pm and we decided to try Star Ginger... mostly because it was the closest thing to us and also because we had read about it in a Sacramento-based magazine. Not realizing it was about to close, we calmly slid through the door and asked to be seated. The waitress was a super perky girl who seated us immediately and told us about a special that they were running. Only after we had started salivating at the menu did we realize that the place was otherwise empty and that the staff looked like they were cleaning up. Our bad! We quickly decided on our dinners and placed our order to go. The waitress INSISTED that it was fine if we stay. Insisted. We almost had to beg to have the food to go! (In a good way... that waitress really made it sound as though it was no trouble to have to dirty the restaurant for only 2 people!) I got the chicken pho, my boyfriend got some spicy noodle dish... I can't remember the name. The food was prepared quickly and expertly packaged up to keep the pho from leaking everywhere. We paid and left. The smell in the car on the way home was INTOXICATING. Had it not been steaming hot, I have a feeling that the noodles would have become a finger food! Upon arrival home, we tore into the food like some ravenous beasts and were VERY pleasantly surprised. The food was simple, but amazing! The broth for the pho was rich and not too salty. The chicken was tender with missing the fatty bits you find at some *other* pho places. My boyfriends noodles were SPICY, just the way he likes them and not at all gluey or oily. We polished off every bit and swore that we would go back when we had time to experience more of the restaurant. We've made several more stops in since that first to-go trip and have had great food each time. (I particularly like how they have a good IPA on their beer menu) We've even tested their ability to work with special needs. One of our visits was with friends who had a very young daughter who was sleep in her larger-sized stroller. Nobody batted an eyelash when we scooted around some tables to make room for the stroller. In fact, they asked if there was anything they could bring for the baby! On another visit, we brought my gluten-free "mother-in-law," who had no problems finding appetizers and main dishes that would agree with her... some other similar restaurants have wheat items (flour) in their dishes, despite it not being listed on the menu. Star Ginger, I will be back!
(4)brent w.
I was excited to try this place but was sadly disappointed. The menu looked good with Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese fusion. Not many dishes to choose from which would not be a problem if the food was delicious. However the food was not very flavorful especially for type of food. In fact I would even call it bland. To top it all off it was over priced. On the plus side service was good and the portions where large. This place is a short walk from my house but I will not make that walk again.
(1)Vici M.
Great pad Thai and chicken pho noodle soup. Everyone in our group loved everything they ordered....except the side of kim chi that accompanied the beef dish.
(4)Keith W.
Worst food I have ever had! I would give it a half star if I could and that may be generous. We did carry out tonight, they said be there in 15-20 min, I was there in 10 and my food was ready. I was shocked when I got home and it was cold. The ginger salad looked old. I got the Thai BBQ Chicken, pretty sub-par and cold! My wife said her's was ok, but would have preferred to get PGR Thai instead. Sweet potato fries were day old soggy. Over priced and disgusting...never again!
(1)Paulie T.
I have never eaten more vibrant and delicious asian dishes as I have from STAR GINGER!!! The other day I was there for lunch and I enjoyed it so much that decided I needed to YELP about it! Let's talk about what I had to eat... I had a Korean BBQ Niman Ranch Beef Banh Mi sandwich that was to die for! The roll it was on was fresh and lightly toasted and the flavors inside were mouth watering and filled with fresh vibrant flavors!!! From the sauce on the beef to the cilantro and chili's... it was so good I could have ate TWO OF THEM!!! Luckily, I had an order of Thai Kao Soi w/chicken soup to wash it down with! OMG, the flavor of the yellow curry with chili spices and coconut milk Mmmm-mmm good! I nibbled on some Ginger Sesame Chicken salad which mellowed out all the spicy flavors very nicely!!! I've been to Star Ginger two times now and I haven't had the same thing twice and I must say every item I've ordered has blown me away! I just wish I lived closer... I would eat here everyday! And on top of it all, I was very impressed with the prices. The food could easily be more expensive but it's very reasonably priced. When you look at the quality of food and the flavors you get... you can't get that anywhere! A+ and Kudo's to Star Ginger mmmm-mmm I can't get enough!
(5)liz l.
being a vegan, I was extremely disapointed with Star Ginger. I ordered the "vegan" Bahn mi, only to find aioli dripping out the sides. Once I alerted the waitress, she didn't even comprehend the fact that mayonaise is in fact an ANIMAL PRODUCT. The friends I brought were meat eaters and thought the Pad Thai, and the Beef sandwich were a rip off and poor quality. We will not return to this restaraunt. BEWARE VEGANS!
(1)Ted F.
Great vegetarian fare but be sure to ask them to make it without meats first. Good veggie dishes and great curries with lots of veggies (unique combos with sweet potatoes in some dishes. Should try the sweet potato fries too. Meats used are local and organic, much better than wondering where the meat came from or how it was treated (antibiotics anyone?). Its a little higher in pricing $9-$14, but you get very good size portions (I take home leftovers). Very pleasant atmosphere, casual nice and clean and a bit artsy, but can be loud inside. Parking is a pain when busy as it has a small parking lot out front. Pricing is really what keeps this from 5 star as there are other very good asian restaurants in town that offer very good fare at 2/3 to half the price. But the others don't have the unique flavor combos like Star Ginger. Quickly becoming an icon for Sactown. Go there to spot mayor Kevin J. if you time it right. Spotted KJ hanging with the new wife during lunch a few months ago.
(4)Juliet F.
Went today half an hour before closing, the place was crazy busy, ordered the Pho, paid, and was then told the Pho was sold out. Huh? Isn't that kind of like the Spaghetti Factory selling out of spaghetti?
(1)Sethe D.
I live around the corner so I've already stopped by a few times.It's about darn time an above average restaurant opened up in this neighborhood! I absolutely LOVE this place and once they get their wine and beer license I will frequent even more (so I can stumble home). I had the kurbota pork banh mi and it was so good! It was very light yet very filling, tasted fresh, and in my opinion worth the price tag. Sure, you can find a cheaper Banh Mi in Sac, if you don't mind hormones and antibiotics in your meat. They also offer many other kinds of meat for the bahn mi's so there is a kind for everyone. I really want to venture out, but the pork was so darn good! There are also many vegetarian options, curries, noodles, soups, etc. I also tried the Pho with chicken, the chicken was a bit dry and the soup was a little bland...I think I'll give the Pho another shot in a few weeks once they have more time under their belt, until then I have Banh mi's and yummy noodles to tide me over. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm still giving them 5 stars. In these parts, I'm just stoked to have an amazing lunch destination other than Formoli's!
(5)Ian F.
Great, fresh ingredients and wonderful service. Perhaps slightly on the overpriced side, but worth returning to nonetheless.
(4)Barbara A.
This was not very good food. We ordered 4 dishes and shared. We had two Indian and two Thai. the Thai curry was by far the best but still not as good as I've had before. They overload everything with peas and not very good peas at that. The veggies were all overcooked. The dishes did not have different options for meats and there were no substitutions.
(2)Kacie S.
I am a huge Thai fan and was looking forward to a semi fastfood restaurant. I was disappointed. The food was somewhat bland. I got the Jungle Curry. The tofu was good very good. It just could have used a little more flavor. But good size portion, perfect for lunch. Also the veggies were not overcooked which was nice. Maybe next time I will try something with a little more spice and will be more satisfied. Also it was a little crowded. Lots of table crammed in a small space but at least there was a seat.
(3)Sofia M.
The food is great, so much flavor! They've come a long way since they opened. Service has gotten much better, food has always been pleasantly delicious. It's gourmet at an affordable price. I have tried everything on the menu except for the tofu and never been disappointed!
(4)D. T.
I went with 2 co-workers today for the first time. The pho broth was bland, maybe it would be better with the chicken since the broth is chicken based, but I chose the beef, and what the heck, out of basil at an Asian restaurant that serves pho? One co-worker had the beef banh mi, very good and very spicy, the other had the Singapore noodle stir fry, again very good, and very spicy, but serving size was way too small for price and the size of my co-worker. One co-worker also got a side of sweet potato fries and the Asian noodle salad. They said the fries were very good, I do not like sweet potatoes so shall take them at their word. The salad was quite unusual and very good. The restaurant itself is very attractive, but way too loud. The timing of the dishes was terrible, by the time I got my pho, one co-worker had finished. I will go back though to try other dishes, because it is very close to work, inexpensive, and only one dish was just mediocre.
(4)Toby F.
Great experience! Loved the Singapore noodle stir fry and the Thai BBQ chicken. .... Great for sharing. My daughter claims the sweet potato fries are the best she's had. Can't wait to go back
(5)