"It has been some time since I've been out for Japanese food of any type in the Quad Cities. A few weeks ago, I had a really good bowl of ramen at a small restaurant near Warrenville/Naperville while on a work trip to my company's headquarters outside Chicago. I felt the craving for these flavors again tonight and resolved to satiate myself, eventually deciding to visit Red Ginger on Middle Road in Bettendorf. I used to come here semi frequently with classmates when I attended Scott Community College. It appears that, since last visiting a decade ago, not much has really changed. That's not a bad thing by any means there's plenty of seating, a TV above the bar playing sports, the sushi bar visible from the main dining area, and the same wall art and Asian accoutrements that was present before. It's a clean, nice looking space that's appropriately themed to their cuisine. With most of the tables in the dining area filled, I opted to sit at the bar for my meal. The bartender was super nice and quickly took both my drink and food orders. On this visit, I opted for a series of small appetizers, which included the edamame, gyoza, seaweed salad, vegetable tempura, and shrimp tempura. I'm glad they didn't bring all of those out at once it was probably a bit much for just me! Even with this overabundance, everything was fantastic! The edamame were that perfect combination of clean and salty, the gyoza were crunchy and filling all at once, the seaweed salad had its characteristic sesame flavor and smooth texture, and all of the tempura was fantastic with the dipping sauce supplied. I really liked the variety of vegetables with the tempura, which included summer and winter squash, broccoli, and sweet potato. I need to remember to come here for something similar when the craving for Japanese food strikes. This place remains a fantastic place in Bettendorf for all sorts of east Asian fare. Thanks Red Ginger!"
