Review: This restaurant in Parma, Ohio offers great food

Business box special with shrimp tempuraPhoto bythe author

PARMA, OH - These days, with the menace that is inflation, it's getting harder and harder to find affordable meals at restaurants. Even a meal at a fast-food joint can cost you over $15 nowadays.

However, if you find yourself in Parma around lunchtime, you can still find a reasonably priced meal at Blue Ginger Asian Bistro, which is located in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center at 1061 W Pleasant Valley Rd.

Note: prices are subject to change.

On weekdays from 12 PM to 3 PM, the restaurant offers a $9.95 (before tax and tip) business box special. For $9.95, I got mushroom soup, 3 pieces of fried shumai, fried rice, 2 pieces of shrimp tempura, various tempura vegetables, and a spring roll.

In addition to being affordable, my business box meal was delicious. The soup came out hot with a few sliced mushrooms and thin fried onions. The fried shumai were juicy and flavorful. The fried rice was also tasty as was the shrimp tempura, which possessed a nice crunch while being juicy on the inside. I also enjoyed the crispy spring roll.

Mushroom soupPhoto bythe author

However, the tempura vegetables were more of a mixed bag. I liked the taro and sweet potato, but the zucchini, broccoli, and onion were kind of bland. Also, exercise caution with the zucchini tempura - I bit into it to discover that it was a gusher full of near-scalding juice.

But overall, my business box was a good deal that left me satisfied. Though the lunch special was more than enough food, I also got a sashimi appetizer ($11.95), which came with 3 pieces of salmon, 2 pieces of red tuna, and 2 pieces of white fish. Each piece of fish was fresh and tender. I enjoyed each piece of sashimi, but I especially liked the white fish, which had a delicious meaty flavor. If I could afford it, I easily could have consumed dozens of sashimi pieces.

Sashimi appetizerPhoto bythe author

Not only was the food great, but the service was also excellent. My server was friendly and attentive, frequently refilling my glass of water and making sure I enjoyed my lunch. I also appreciated the atmosphere of the restaurant, which was quiet and relaxed.

If you want to check out the restaurant for yourself, you can find it at 1061 W Pleasant Valley Rd, Parma, OH 44134.