Ginger

Ginger's Asian influenced interior hides among seasonally shuttered tourist shops beneath the shadow of the 5th Avenue Mall in downtown Anchorage. The lunch menu, found online, intrigued us. It had limited choices, but they included banana and lemongrass soup, grilled tofu and quinoa and mu shu chicken tacos, as well as a less-expensive express menu listing stir-fry and peanut noodles. I suppose it's better to have fewer options done well than too many so-so choices.

We arrived for a late lunch on a recent Monday afternoon and had the place nearly to ourselves. Service was prompt, and we settled into a four-person table even though we were a party of two.

A glass of house-made ginger ale got us started (we found it more delicately flavored than store-bought, and a good complement to the meal), and we followed it with a pair of appetizers: fresh rolls and a cup of that banana and lemongrass soup.

The soup was a success. It had great flavors, consistency and richness, and the lemongrass created a tangy counterpoint to the sweetness of the banana. The fresh rolls (two, cut in half) were served with a very good cilantro dipping sauce.

We asked for direction on the main course, and our server recommended the mu shu tacos, made with seasoned ground chicken, which he described as one of their most popular offerings. As the side, we chose the fries (or "frites," per the menu) over another cup of soup. Fabulous!

The spinach salad with prosciutto was the only disappointment. Though presented well enough, with a good heap of layered spinach leaves topped with a pile of thinly grated strips of carrot and strips of tomato, the dressing was so mild as to be bland.

We finished with the green tea crème brulee, an awesome -- if awesomely rich -- topper to a great meal. It was the perfect dessert to share.

The portions at Ginger were relatively small, but that's a compliment, not a criticism. Too many places hide mediocre food behind enormous portions. Ginger's dishes substitute quality for quantity, but we didn't leave hungry.

The prices are reasonable for downtown Anchorage, where it can be hard to find any main meal -- even a sandwich -- for less than $10.

Contact Stephen Nowers at stephen(at)alaskadispatch.com