Downtown Macon is a almost a city of its own with its charming stores, dazzling nightlife, artsy culture and delicious restaurants. There is something for everyone downtown; the hard part is deciding what to do and when to do it.
Among this variety of fun and activities lies Ginger Stir-Fry, a modern restaurant that stands out on the corner of Second Street and Poplar Street. Its large stainless steel sign with red letters easily draw customers in. Like many places in downtown Macon, once you are inside, you are bound to fall in love.
Ginger is an Asian-infused restaurant that combines traditional Asian ingredients with an American way of service. The restaurant is buffet-style, which gives it a more casual air. However, the modern, Asian-inspired interior design as well as the low-dimmed, colored lighting also gives the restaurant a more sophisticated accent.
Walking in, my friends and I were immediately greeted by everyone behind the counter. Although Ginger Stir-Fry is all about self-service, the cashier and the cooks were warm, attentive and entertaining. They seemed to enjoy the restaurant as much as the customers do.
At the register, the cashier explained to us how Ginger Stir-Fry worked. The price of our food depends on what we take from the buffet in order to make our ideal stir-fry. We were given two bowls: one large green one and a small red one. The green was for our vegetables, fruits, and starches - a choice of rice or noodles, or both, such as what one of my friends had. The red was for meats.
My friends and I were worried about what would go well together. Claiming to offer over 500,000 different combinations, Ginger Stir-Fry offers plenty of different ingredients, some of which I had never heard of - or could pronounce, for that matter. The variety was astounding and perfect for my friends’ eclectic taste for food.
Close to the end of the serving line, we were given the choice to add sauces or seasonings to the meal. Like the veggies and the meats, there were plenty of options, ranging from honey garlic soy to teriyaki and more.
Finally, my friends and I went to the register, where the meats were weighed. After that came the stirring and the frying.
After getting our drinks, we watched as our food was made before our eyes. Ginger is equipped with a 700-degree round Mongolian barbecue grill. Three cooks masterfully stir-fried our meals, seeming to magically keep them separated yet together as they passed our foods between each of them. When the cooks finished with their fantastic show, my friends and I gave them a round of applause before taking our plates and sitting at a booth.
To say that the food was delicious would be a severe understatement.
For my meal, I kept things simple. I had wheat noodles and green split peas topped with honey garlic soy sauce and seasoned beef. Despite its simplicity, the meal was filled with such rich and delectable flavors that it made me think it was something extravagant. When I asked Desirrae Jones, one of my friends who ordered noodles, rice, green beans, pineapple, mandarin oranges, corn, chicken, beef, egg and seasoned salt, on how her meal tasted, I received an answer that was the unanimous decree of the night: “It was just plain delicious.”
Open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Ginger offers an awesome experience for all that will keep them coming back for more.
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