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I had the pleasure of dining at the new Wild Ginger a few nights ago.
Wild Ginger
101 Market Exchange Court
Franklin, TN 37067
(615) 778-0081
It’s been open just a few weeks now. The restaurant is located on Market Exchange Court (facing Bakers Bridge) in Cool Springs — just across from Miles Auto Spa.
The building is a really cool modern structure made of a combination of brick and flat stone.
First Impressions
The atmosphere inside is both romantic, yet sophisticated — say, for a business dinner.
A very nice bar area is convenient to the entry and offers a nice selection of wines and mixed drinks.
The dining area has two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a beautiful patio area with pergolas, and a gorgeous water feature with two waterfalls and a third infinity fall which faces the main road.
The décor is ultra modern-sophisticated, with beautiful stained concrete floors, granite top tables and plush cushioned chairs. The open ceiling with exposed ductwork and steel beams continues the theme.
There are large round tables for parties of 6 or 8, square 4-tops and semi-booth arrangements. The place settings are very sleek, from the curved water glasses to the polished silverware. And white linen napkins finish off the look.
When we entered, we were greeted by two hostesses dressed in very classic black slacks and white button-down blouses, but the blouses were even unique and sleek.
The Cuisine & Prices
The menu is Fusion cuisine, with a great selection of sushi in addition to a wide array of other choices such as lobster, steak, duck, chicken and pork. You can even find sandwiches and wraps, along with salads, on the menu.
Our server claims they have the best steak in town (which I told him was quite a bold statement). I wasn’t in the mood for steak that night, so I’ll have to test his claim another time.
As far as pricing, entrees range from $14 to $40, Nigiri sushi runs $5-8 for 2 pieces, and Maki sushi is served by the roll for $6-10.
Some of the choices on the dessert menu include tiramisu, a sorbet trio and a cheesecake dish. They also serve a selection of dessert coffees.
What We Ordered
I was with a colleague who doesn’t care for sushi, and since neither of us was super hungry we opted to split an entrée of the pecan shrimp. We also ordered a side of their sweet potato fries.
When our food arrived, the presentation was absolutely beautiful! The pecan shrimp was served on a white square concave dish next to jasmine rice, which was crowned with some sort of decorative, yet edible item.
We could not have prepared for what came next. We served our share and took the first bite…OH MY WORD!!!!! It was unbelievably delicious! All conversation ceased, except for the moans of delight with every bite we took. We’d look at each other, shake our heads, do the m-m-mmm sound and savor. There was a lot of sighing and wowing going on.
The cream-based sauce which was drizzled over our shrimp contained mushrooms, leeks, asparagus and pecans. The sauce itself had an amazing flavor, made with ginger (of course), cumin, white pepper, lemongrass, garlic and a few other ingredients the server couldn’t remember. But, MY oh MY…was it ever good. I believe this entrée may be one of the best I’ve ever had… and that is a bold statement!
The side of sweet potato fries had their own goodness… fried in a very light oil, but not at all greasy. And they were great dipped in the sauce.
Worth A Second Visit
Visiting Wild Ginger, in my opinion, is an absolute must! If you’re planning an anniversary or special date, then this is your place.
Dress up or not… there were guests in jeans and others in suits. I was in business attire, and I think most people tend to dress similarly.
Be sure to walk out on the patio and gaze at the water feature. It really is nice and they feature live music from time to time.
We didn’t make reservations, but it might not be a bad idea to do so, especially as word gets out.
If I were to rate Wild Ginger on a scale of 1-5, I’d give it a 4.5. The service was a bit lacking (our food took awhile and our fries came out with our meal instead of as an appetizer, as we requested). Otherwise, I couldn’t find anything wrong with my experience. I’ll be finding my way back very soon to sample some of their sushi!
By day, I’m a full time residential real estate consultant in Franklin, Tennessee. When I’m not working, I enjoy exploring Franklin with my son, doing yardwork and home improvement projects.
