Ginger Asian Bistro will focus on “ways to blend Western food flair with some of the time-tested recipes from the Far East,” co-owner and general manager John Huang just told us.

The restaurant – which also operates in Springfield and Orland Park, Ill. – will open this summer at 6665 Delmar Blvd., the former site of a Blockbuster video store. It will serve both lunch and dinner and will provide late-night live entertainment.

Huang hasn’t yet named a chef, but sketched the restaurant’s fusion approach: “Imagine some typical Philly cheesesteak sandwich that you take from any sandwich shop, and we infuse it with an Asian presentation, like using egg-roll wraps [in place of the standard roll].

“We also have different flavors from different parts of the world,” he added. “One of our signature dishes in Springfield is the coffee-braised Brazilian pork rib, and we also have Brazilian sea bass seared with some of the Far Eastern spices.”

Ginger Asian Bistro will feature “a full bar with a bit of an Asian theme to it,” Huang noted. “We’ll definitely have a full sake martini menu, plus some of our own favorite signature drinks using different blends from the Far East.”

An early-summer debut struck him as possible. “As of now, we’re hoping that we can keep up with our schedule for a grand opening within the first week of July,” said Huang. “But to be safe, I’m shooting for the middle of July more so than anything else.”

He and his partners considered both select mall locations and the Central West End before settling on University City. Huang praised “overwhelming support from the city” and Loop businesspeople like Joe Edwards. (When he chatted with us, Huang was treating his work crew to lunch at Blueberry Hill.)

By Bryan A. Hollerbach

Tags: Ginger Asian Bistro, John Huang

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