Spoonful of Ginger

When March rolls around, it seems like Boston’s event season starts to kick into full force. The December holidays usually bring work holiday parties, friend and family visits, and lots of travel here and there, at least for us. January and February are the post-holiday lull, and then March arrives. The weather is supposed to be better, there’s more daylight, and the invitations to charity events in Boston start to roll in. One of my favorite events that happens every March is Spoonful of Ginger, a benefit for Joslin Diabetes Center’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative. Held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Spoonful of Ginger features chefs from around the Boston area serving up bites of Asian-inspired deliciousness.

As you can imagine, the event space is gorgeous. I just adore visiting the MFA and could wander its halls for hours. Another thing I love about this event is that people get pretty dressed up. Who doesn’t love donning a dress and heels on a Monday night? I work in a pretty casual agency, and I am starting to make it my mission to dress up more often.

Daisy and I made short work of our tasting, visiting the tables that were the least crowded first, and making our way to the others as the crowds dissipated. There were so many delicious bites, and I was full in no time. I could have easily parked myself at the Lotus Blossom table, where we feasted on mini lobster tacos and tuna tartare with truffle on crispy taro root, which is apparently beneficial to patients with diabetes.

Basho’s sushi boats were a hit with the crowds, and they reminded me that it’s been way too long since my last Basho sushi fix.

I made my way back to Shojo’s table twice; Nick Lee’s  lobster bisque with truffle foam was warm, velvety, and perfect for the chilly gray March day.

Crowds flocked to the Bao table for bao and the good energy the chef was putting forth. Looks like Bao will be a hit in Boston!

Other favorites included these rolls from Empire. I’ll fully admit that I have a bit of thing against Empire because of their awful television commercial. I can’t stand when restaurants have commercials; it makes me not want to visit them. This sushi was out of this world though; I had at least two and longingly looked at the table each time I passed. We definitely ate well at Spoonful of Ginger; it was fun being able to taste food from many restaurants I have never even heard of. I clearly need to get out and about more often and to try some of the  lesser-known (to me) restaurants we encountered at this event.

To top it all off, Spoonful of Ginger offers some great music and entertainment, education about diabetes in Asian communities, and recognition of honorees each year. This year we heard from Ming Tsai, who shared that Boston celebrity chef Jasper White (also in attendance) is is hero for changing his own lifestyle when being diagnosed with diabetes. It all definitely made me think about my own eating habits and was a good reminder to cherish and take care of my health.

Do you have a favorite charity event? Do you think it’s weird that I avoid restaurants that have TV commercials? 🙂