Lunch at Blue Dragon

posted on March 2, 2013 by Bianca Garcia

I have been enjoying my new job and the proximity of our office to so many great restaurants in Boston. Being at the Fort Point area, I am within easy walking distance to Papagayo, Sportello, Drink, Menton, Trade, Flour, O Ya, KO Pies, to name a few. But the closest restaurant to our office is one of the hottest new restaurants in the city: Ming Tsai’s Blue Dragon.

Dubbed as an Asian gastropub, Blue Dragon was a hotly anticipated opening, and the crowds haven’t stopped coming. There’s a lot of small plates on the menu, conducive for sharing, but there are also some heartier plates with generous servings. The lunch menu is more limited than the dinner menu, but the choices are as appealing. The restaurant has a casual (think melanine ware) but chic (beautiful bar) atmosphere, and both times I’ve been there, Ming Tsai was there himself, facilitating orders, talking to customers, even bringing me my banh mi himself.

Ming Tsai was one of the first chefs that I regularly watched on TV. I remember thinking how cool it was back then to see an Asian chef on American TV, and I immediately liked him because he sort of reminds me of my dad, who also likes to cook and shares the same easy smile. I’ve never met Chef Ming before, and I’ve never eaten at his popular restaurant Blue Ginger, but I’ve always wanted to. So I was really happy to meet him and eat his food at Blue Dragon.

The first time I went to Blue Dragon with my co-workers, we were seated at the chef’s table so we had a good view of a lot of the action. Chef Ming came over to talk to us and check in with us a couple of times; he was very friendly and gracious, even if the restaurant was really busy. He also fist bumped me, which made me like him even more.

And the Roast Pork Banh Mi?

It was delicious. Roast pork and mortadella with spicy aioli and house pate (made with duck liver) on a crusty loaf from Iggy’s Bread. The house pate was rich and creamy, which went well with the meats and crunchy pickled vegetables. I also liked the taro chips and the tangy Asian slaw on the side.

My co-workers went with the Indonesian Curried Lamb Shepherd’s Pie and the Thai Beef Salad.

We were all satisfied with our orders and we were glad to know that we also have the option of ordering lunch to-go.

We were there again for lunch yesterday and we ordered different things and passed along little bites so we could try each other’s dishes.

Panko Fish ‘n Chips (probably my favorite at Blue Dragon so far) – local cod, house fries, and Chinese black vinegar aioli

Dan Dan Noodles – Blue Dragon’s take on the traditional Chinese noodle dish with spicy sauce and ground pork

Dragon Burger – with teriyaki onions, smoked gouda, and tomato jam

Fun fact: the fries were inspired by Guy Fieri.

I know I’ll be back many more times, and I’m looking forward to trying dinner, too. I heard raves about the braised shortrib potstickers and fried chicken. Plus I can’t wait to try the cocktails!