"I have been in search of a good sushi restaurant since moving here to SE Iowa. Though it has been an arduous search, I believe the hunt is now over as I have found Red Ginger. The establishment is small, clean, well-decorated, and relatively dark. Though some may think dark is a mark against it, I fervently disagree. The darker atmosphere creates a more comfortable place where you can focus more on the company you keep than where you keep it. For me, this is a point gained. Though the size is relatively small, the center aisle is comfortably wide enough so as to not make you feel cramped. The staff were kind and welcoming and worked quickly to get orders filled. They were even very kind and accommodating of my service dog trainee (who was acting like a psychopath for a bit... she is not quite ready for sitting in food establishments without the aid of her big sister). For this reason, I requested my meal to-go, though had I been staying with my fully-trained official service dog, I am sure they would have been perfectly accommodating of her as well. The pup was having an unassisted training day. Thank you for understanding and, again, my apologies. Ha ha. I made a simple order of a Dragon Roll, a Christmas Roll, and the Pork Belly Ramen. We will go through each item individually: The Dragon Roll was exceptional! Though it is a simple classic and easy to make, it isn 't always made WELL. This was a very good demonstration of their knowledge and execution of the basics. Christmas Roll was such a fun creation! It had wonderful flavor, was very light and refreshing, with a festive, crispy topping. All elements were well executed and well balanced. I chose this roll as it shows creativity and an understanding of more complex flavor and texture profiles WITHOUT leaning on the crutch of spicy flavor to cover up any lacking balance (you 'd be surprised how many places lean on sriracha to mask imbalance). The structure of the roll was also perfect: not so loose as to fall apart, yet not so tight as to squeeze the ingredients together. This contributes to a lighter feeling roll on the palate that still holds together enough to have a bite taken without it ending up everywhere. Well done! The Pork Belly Ramen was also very well done and, at this, I am duly impressed. The miso-style broth has an excellent balance of salty and creamy while not being too greasy or watery. It is reminiscent of a Sapporo-style ramen with its rich, creamy miso flavor, delicious and tender pork slices, narutomaki, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and perfectly spiced soy sauce egg! I tell you, I did NOT expect to encounter such a treat as a soy sauce egg here in Iowa. What a pleasant surprise! They do use spinach instead of seaweed, though I understand the choice (I 'm sure it is not so popular here) and it was a delicious addition. Even though I am quite impartial to my Kurume-style Chashu ramen, this is, in my humble opinion, the closest I have ever had states-side. I was also very impressed by their to-go method of putting the broth and noodles/toppings in TWO separate containers! This keeps the broth from making the noodles soggy. This is a very considerate practice for the consumer. In summary, this establishment is -in my opinion- the best Japanese restaurant in SE Iowa at the very least. They are friendly and accommodating of service animals (note- I do not condone bringing PETS to sit-down indoor eatery establishments. Please do not try to enter sit-down eatery establishments with pets and non-service animals), people with disabilities, or who need special accommodations. Their flavors are well balanced and they have a love for their craft you can taste. The bathrooms are clean, fresh, and well-kept, and atmosphere is perfect for a fun night out with friends or a romantic evening with a loved one. They offer a full bar with excellent domestic and imported brands of beer. A true hidden gem in our little corner of Iowa."
Amaebi
