Chinese takeout is a perennial college student favorite, since it provides the holy trinity of food for millennials: it’s cheap, it’s full of carbs and there is always an abundance of leftovers. Yellow Ginger, advertised as a blend of Malaysian, Thai and Chinese cuisine, has all your takeout favorites and some surprising dishes.
I tried the vegetable spring rolls with sweet chili dipping sauce, which were some of the best spring rolls I have had in a long time. The outer shell was perfectly crunchy, not soggy as spring rolls often are, and the dipping sauce was hot enough that I took notice, but not so hot that my eyes were watering. My roommate tried the veggie egg rolls, which do not come with a dipping sauce, and told me that they were also very good. Next, I tried the Tom Yum Kung, which is listed on the menu as a “clear, hot and sour broth with cilantro, mushroom and tomato.” What I naively expected when I ordered this was the usual hot and sour soup available at most Asian restaurants. This is not that by any stretch of the imagination. It is an extremely spicy broth with bits of mushroom, chopped cilantro and halved grape tomatoes (which I found unusual). In contrast to the spicy dipping sauce, this soup made my nose run and my eyes water, and I had to drink several glasses of water in order to be able to finish a fairly small portion. Spicy food fanatics, this one is for you.
As my entrée, I chose my Thai food favorite: Pad Thai. I always try to branch out, but it never happens. Pad Thai is just too delicious, and Yellow Ginger’s is no exception. My takeout container was packed full of noodles, chicken and tofu, and topped with chili flakes and ground peanuts. A nice touch was that they included a lime wedge, because no serving of Pad Thai is complete without lime juice.
My verdict on Yellow Ginger is that you need to go and eat there immediately. I wish I had been able to sit down in the restaurant and enjoy a meal; the décor is adorable with lots of potted plants, Chinese Lucky Cats, and bright yellow walls. However, since it is about five minutes from campus on Poinsett and it is open until 10 p.m., it is also the perfect spot for delicious late night noodly goodness.