Ginger Boat — Restaurant in Bellingham

UPDATE: Sadly, the quality of the food decreased dramatically in the past few months, so I feel compelled to lower my rating from 5 to 3. We ordered 2 servings of vegetable yakisoba and both were lukewarm and dry, as if they had been cooked the day before and then reheated for us without adding any additional sauce. (The tofu yakisoba was hot and appeared freshly cooked, so maybe that item was cooked from scratch after we ordered, since fewer people order tofu?) The clerk/server was super friendly but not knowledgeable about which items could be prepared vegan. I had to correct her about the yakisoba because she initially said it couldn't be vegan, but we had ordered it with the vegan sauce several times previously so we let her know that (and she confirmed with the cook that we were correct). We'll try again in the future to see if things change again for the better, but we were sad to see that one of our favorite places had degraded so much recently.

ORIGINAL REVIEW from a year ago: Wow, what a find! It's now among our top 5 fav restaurants in Bham. The online menu summary doesn't give a very clear sense of their having good vegetarian options, but they do! LOTS of vegan options, tofu is available on nearly everything, and you can substitute a vegan sauce on items that aren't normally veg (like the pancit). We ordered the pancit, yakisoba with tofu and vegetables, and the tofu lettuce wrap salad (not really a wrap but a salad with a warm sweet tofu-based sauce on top and chopped peanuts on the side). We also got a "glass ball soda" and a jasmine tea that were very good. Serving sizes were generous - we all left with a extra meal of leftovers. We were super impressed, with the food but also with the staff person who explained everything clearly...

I've been going to Ginger Boat for the several years I've been a Western student in Bellingham. I'll be very sad to graduate because I'll miss out on my favorite restaurant and teriyaki!

The owner is very nice and they've made some great renovations recently. The restaurant has transitioned from ordering at the cash register to table service (although I think call-in/to-go orders are still available).

I'm so, so incredibly glad they kept some customer favorites on their new menu, like the teriyaki (the best in Bellingham, in my opinion). They also added some really great options. I loved the Alaskan Salmon sushi with almond. Great wings and combos for groups of people. My boyfriend was really impressed with all of the food we ordered and said he'd go every day if he could (so would I!).

Too bad they're not open on Sundays. That's the only bummer.

Highly...

I've overlooked this place because there's a superbThai restaurant just across the parking lot. but today I wanted to try something new and I am just thrilled. I got the bulgogi beef stir fry in the sweet basil and it does have a good sauce and the vegetables are fresh. It's perfectly cooked. I see bean sprouts and carrots onions, broccoli. Every mouthful has just one of the best sauces I've ever had. This is an excellent choice for today. Reasonable prices. Generous portions. Fast service but there was a line. You got to check out the bathrooms. They are gorgeous and clean and fresh smelling. Mom always used to say you can tell what the kitchen's like when you go in the bathroom. This is a superb place. The decor is very refreshing and the music is so appropriate and relaxing. I think I have a new place to stop between my family in Blaine...