Ming Tsai to Open ChowStirs in Downtown Boston; Concept Could Become National Chain

Last month, we reported that a celebrity chef with local roots was going to be closing one of his restaurants and that he would be starting up a new concept. Now we have learned a bit more about what could become a chain of dining spots.

According to an article in The Boston Herald, Ming Tsai has made the decision to close Blue Ginger in Wellesley so that he could focus on his next project--ChowStirs, a fast-casual stir-fry concept that will focus on the use of fresh and healthy ingredients cooked in a wok in front of customers. The post says that the first location plans to open in downtown Boston between January and March of 2018, and that Tsai has an eye on making this a national chain, saying that he hopes to have the concept help fund Family Reach, a nonprofit that helps families dealing with the financial struggles of cancer. (Tsai says that if ChowStirs became a national chain, families tied to Family Reach would be able to eat there for free during off-hours.)

Blue Ginger is set to close its doors at the end of business hours on June 3.

[Earlier Article]
Blue Ginger in Wellesley Is Closing

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Blue Ginger in Wellesley Is Closing

An award-winning suburban restaurant from a celebrity chef is shutting down.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Blue Ginger in Wellesley will close at the end of business hours on June 3, with owner Ming Tsai indicating that the decision to shut down the Washington Street dining spot was brought about by the end of its current lease. The article mentions that Tsai will focus next on a new quick-service stir-fry concept called ChowStirs, which will debut in early 2018 in an as-of-yet undisclosed location and will help raise money for Family Reach, a nonprofit that offers financial help to families of children who have cancer. (The Globe mentions that Blue Dragon, a restaurant in Boston's Fort Point that Tsai runs with Sean Gildea--who will also be teaming up with Tsai on the ChowStirs concept--will remain open.)

Blue Ginger first opened in 1998, bringing to Wellesley a place to get gourmet Asian dishes with western influences; the restaurant has received countless accolades over the years, including being nominated by the James Beard Foundation as "Best New Restaurant 1998," according to the Blue Ginger website.

The address for this soon-to-close dining spot in Wellesley is: Blue Ginger, 583 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA, 02482. Its website can be found at https://www.ming.com/blue-ginger.htm

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Ming Tsai Is Opening Blue Dragon in Boston's Fort Point Neighborhood

Last week we reported that celebrity chef Ming Tsai was planning to open a restaurant in the Fort Point section of Boston, and now we have details on what kind of dining spot it will be.

Based on information from a community meeting in Fort Point this evening, Ming's new restaurant will be called Blue Dragon, with the 70-seat casual neighborhood eatery being open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Its lunch menu will focus on burgers and sandwiches, while dinner will include small plates ("east meets west" tapas), along with items such as Peking duck and dumplings. It appears that a late-night menu may also be available as well, and it may be a bit different from the dinner menu. Blue Dragon will have a full liquor license, though it looks like plans for a roof deck have fallen through.

Blue Dragon may be open by November, though it could be as late as February of 2013, depending on how things progress.

[January 29, 2013 update: A Twitter post from Blue Dragon indicates that the restaurant plans to open in "ten days." (Thanks to Grub Street Boston for bringing this to our attention.)]

[February 11, 2013 update: A note sent to us from the restaurant mentions that Blue Dragon will be opening on Wednesday (February 13).]

[February 13, 2013 update: Eater Boston has confirmed that Blue Dragon is now open.]

The address for this new restaurant in the Fort Point section of Boston is: Blue Dragon, 324 A Street, Boston, MA, 02210.

[Earlier Article]
Ming Tsai Plans to Open a New Restaurant in Boston's Fort Point Neighborhood


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Ming Tsai Plans to Open a New Restaurant in Boston's Fort Point Neighborhood

A celebrity chef who owns a popular restaurant in the western suburbs of Boston is looking to open a second eatery, with this one being in the heart of the city.

The Boston Herald reports that Ming Tsai of Wellesley's Blue Ginger is going to be meeting with folks in the Fort Point section of Boston to talk about a proposed new restaurant at the corner of A Street and Melcher Street, where the A Street Deli used to be. The article mentions that the spot  that Ming is eyeing has 2,100 square feet of space and a potential capacity of 70, plus additional room if a proposed roof deck comes to fruition. It is not yet known what kind of restaurant it would be, though rumors have been floating around as to a possible concept for the place (as soon as we can confirm the exact concept, we will post an update here).

[July 18 update: The Boston Globe mentions that the new eatery from Ming Tsai will be a Chinese restaurant.]

[July 19 update: Leah Mennies of Boston Magazine reports via an email from Ming Tsai that his new Fort Point dining spot will NOT be a Chinese restaurant, and Ming is keeping the concept a secret for now. But the Fort Point Boston Blog indicates that we may know soon, as Ming is having a community meeting about the eatery at 12 Farnsworth Street next Monday (July 23) at 6:00 PM.]

Ming Tsai is also the host of "Simply Ming," a cooking show on PBS.

The address for this planned restaurant in the Fort Point area of Boston is 324 A Street, Boston, MA, 02210.


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News Elsewhere: Ming Tsai to Run a Pop-Up Restaurant in a Cranberry Bog

Pop-up restaurants seem to be all the rage these days, and a particularly unusual one is coming to Manhattan today and tomorrow.

According to the Mass. Market blog, celebrity chef Ming Tsai (of Wellesley's Blue Ginger) is going to be running a pop-up dining spot within a "cranberry bog" at Rockefeller Center. The article mentions that the restaurant will feature cranberry-infused drinks as well as appetizers, and there will be a simulated bar section as well as tables for approximately 30 people (diners need to enter a drawing to get one of the spots). Guests of the pop-up restaurant will have to work their way through a large pool that contains 2,000 pounds of floating cranberries to get to their tables, according to Mass. Market.

Ocean Spray, a cooperative of cranberry and grapefruit growers that is based in Lakeville-Middleboro, MA, is behind this pop-up restaurant.

For more information on this story, please go to the Mass. Market link below.

Celebrity chef Ming Tsai opens a new restaurant – in the middle of a cranberry bog

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