hen attending Penny Lane venues, you are greeted with two options, much like the choice between chocolate or vanilla. Either it will be a full-on nightclub in disguise as a restaurant or it will be visa versa. The latest PLE endeavor, Wild Ginger, is very much the former, and is highly satisfying in every way. The downer - it's unbelievably expensive for no apparent reason (other than a blatant attempt to capitalize on the up and coming oil heirs).

Upon entry, the bar is dim and the saketinis are flowing. Outfitted with dark, saturated reds and browns, the massive space, with seating for 450, is no mere neighbourhood nook. Though it’s far from the “House of Blue Leaves” (Kill Bill’s Crazy 88’s tatami house hang out), the illusion of a downtown Tokyo club - as apposed to the sake bar it was angling to be - is intact.

Executive chef and managing partner Shaun Desaulniers, the resident Shanghai Cowboy, stays firmly rooted in the core principles of East-meets-West flavours, putting prime ingredients on a sparsely designed plate and allowing them to speak with minimum interference – somewhat of a Feng Shui aesthetic.

The menu at Wild Ginger hones in on Pan-Asian flavours to appeal to the picky Western palate; a mix of hot and cold appetizers, house specialties, cooked entrées and sushi that can be tough to navigate (much like Columbus’ trade route attempts to China), but aims to hit all bases. The tapas plates are equally scrumptious but more creative.

While the Wild Ginger schematics and full-on lounge action are both surprisingly (considering the size of the space) and wonderfully executed, the fare is perhaps more ambitious. This can be remedied if you order correctly, so heed my advice accordingly. The sake-miso marinated sea bass, for example, is visually impressive, plated with a tempura fried vegetable roll. This is a big player with a good dose of flavour, but the accompanying cashew cilantro sauce is too potent, and renders the entire dish as a rich mess.