Ming Tsai has dimples and a voice as soothing as the toasted coconut ice cream served at his Wellesley, MA restaurant, Blue Ginger. While I realize that any follower of his TV show, Simply Ming, has probably noticed his on-screen charm, I had the opportunity of confirming the chef’s pleasant demeanor in person last night.

My boyfriend deserves all the credit for first spotting Ming as we eagerly awaited to be seated. From that point on, I assumed the role of voracious observer — or, put more simply, stalker. This proved to be a fairly simple task. Ming was a continuous presence in the open kitchen and in the dining room, guiding his diligent chefs, taking orders, delivering meals, and sitting with customers to chat.

The first time he scurried past me, I stared at him guppy-eyed and grinning until he winked and returned the smile. (Close-up of the dimples.)

“Ming just smiled at me!” I gushed to my mother via text message.
“Keep your cool,” she rightfully answered.

I tried my best to follow her instructions throughout the night, but was rather unsuccessful. (Although no restraining order was filed, which might be viewed as a small triumph.) The East-West fusion food and drinks only compounded my love for Ming. I started with a margarita ($15) — guess I’m not a cheap date. The cocktail was pricey, but mixed just the way I like it — extremely tart, with only the faintest taste of alcohol (…not an easy one, either).

For my entree, I ordered the Teriyaki-Glazed Crispy Skin Salmon with Yuzu-Chili Sauce ($29). A hearty, pink block of fish was mounted atop a biscuit-sized mound of pan-fried noodles and stir-fried vegetables. The tangy, modestly spicy yuzu-chili sauce encircled the meal and justified the absence of salt and pepper shakers from the tables. The menu description was accurate. The seasoned skin had a satisfying crunch, which was followed by a thick, tender bed of juicy fish. All meat and fish dishes are prepared with a touch of cool rawness at the centers, which enhanced the freshness and flavor of each plate. The wisps of noodles mimicked the texture of the salmon — crisp on the outside, hot and soft on the inside.

For dessert, we shared the Sesame Macadamia Caramel Nut Tart ($12). A layer of sticky, caramelized macadamia nuts coated an interior of yellow, spongy cake. Cool and mild toasted coconut ice cream topped the tart, while drizzled fudge and rum-infused caramel surrounded the dish to add decadence and syrupy sweetness.

To top off this incredible dinner, we were granted the privilege of talking to Ming while he signed two Simply Ming cookbooks for our parents. For such a talented chef, he was extremely personable and unpretentious. I was also sufficiently less awkward than I was at the beginning of the night (which I will attribute to the barrel of food now lining my stomach, making fidgeting and jumping for joy a less feasible task.)

Unfortunately, all pictures of the food are stowed away on my cell phone, which awaits a trusty USB cable. Perhaps it was convenient that I forgot to tote along my camera. I would have further revealed my lack of social graces by snapping numerous conspicuous photos of Ming Tsai on the job.

Blue Ginger
583 Washington St.
Wellesley, MA 02482
781.283.5790

Price Rating: $$$-$$$$

I am, for the week, Rapunzel. An uncouth, brunette, Jewish version of this fair-haired imaginary princess. I am visiting my boyfriend in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and while he goes to work I am trapped in a fortress of solitude and boredom (not quite; he left me the house key), awaiting his evening return. Since my hair is not even long enough to unravel past the windowsill, I’ve had to search elsewhere for liberation and entertainment before 6 p.m. Food, you guessed it, is what sets me free from the buttermilk-colored walls of incarceration.

I spotted a cupcake bakery two nights ago near Davis Square when my boyfriend and I were driving to our friends’ house for dinner. My enthusiasm nearly caused an accident. (Cupcakes are one of my favorite foods, hence the “cake” in “Spudcake”. The “spud” represents potatoes, which are tied with cupcakes at the top of my food list.)

“AHHHH!” I shrieked excitedly.
“What?! What’s the matter?” my boyfriend responded, looking part-concerned, part-frustrated with my random outburst.
“Cupcakes! We have to go there!”
“Oh, that. You know you pointed that out last time you were here.”

And so I did. Kickass Cupcakes (the name of the bakery) provided an escape from my lonely tower the next day. I picked up 4 cupcakes: 2 vanilla cupcakes with vanilla icing, a strawberry shortcake cupcake, and a cinnamon chai pecan sticky cupcake ($2.75 each) and conjured up every last ounce of will power to save them for after dinner.

Cupcakes are my muse. They are just as cute, colorful, and aesthetically pleasing as they are sweet and delicious. I almost want to preserve them in a glass showcase instead of devouring them because they are so compact and attractive (huge emphasis on the almost). Unfortunately, when I opened the white cardboard box to reveal my late night snack, I was crushed to find that most of the icing had melted and my little pretties were not going to be as photogenic as I had hoped.

On the bright side, the smooshed cakes made up for their appearance in the more important taste department. The cinnamon chai pecan sticky was more of a cross between a coffee cake and a cinnamon muffin than a cupcake. The cake part was moist and a bit denser than a Magnolia cupcake. Since the icing consisted of a simple dollop of chestnut-hued caramel, this cupcake was spicy and subtly sweet. The caramel was creamy and smooth, and the silver dollar-sized amount did not overpower the crumbly, cakey bottom. It didn’t really taste like chai, but the adjectives “cinnamon”, “pecan”, and “sticky” in the title form a very fitting description of this dessert.

The icing on the strawberry shortcake was what stood out on this cupcake. It was light and creamy, while the icing on the vanilla cupcakes (and on cupcakes from Magnolia, Buttercup, and Billy’s in NYC) has a sugary, gritty texture. The whipped topping tasted of fresh strawberries, and the cake was filled with strawberry jam. Although I’m not crazy about jam-filled pastries, the freshness of the strawberries in and above the icing proves the care and planning devoted to each cupcake.

And last, but certainly not least, I ate the vanilla cupcakes (which have always been my favorite). The cake part wasn’t as moist and buttery as Magnolia’s, but the icing was less overwhelming. It was light, very sweet, and packed a sugary crunch where the air had hit the top. The majority of the icing had melted from my cupcake, so I (literally) took matters into my own hands and used my finger to scrape up the remaining puddles.

Kickass Cupcakes is not only the title of this shop, but it is also an accurate assessment of its own product. (They also sell vegan cupcakes, gluten-free cupcakes, and dog treats.) I may have to return before my drive home tomorrow to stock up on the creative cinnamon pecan concoction and the über-sweet vanilla morsels.

Kickass Cupcakes
378 Highland Ave.
Somerville, MA 02144
617.628.CUPS

Price Rating: $
$2.75 for a regular sized cupcake
$1.00 for a mini cupcake
$3.75 for a giant cupcake