“Is there really such a thing as blue ginger?” asked a friend after I had eaten at the namesake restaurant in the heart of the Gaslamp District. Unless you crack open the aromatic root plant and splash blue food coloring over its whitish flesh, there is no such thing.

Yet as a proper noun, Blue Ginger is used prevalently throughout the U.S. for naming sushi joints, bar lounges, a clothing line and even an East Coast marketing agency. Here in San Diego, it marks an ethereally-designed restaurant that specializes in praiseworthy Cantonese and Mandarin cuisine.

What sets Blue Ginger apart from other Chinese restaurants are intricately prepared sauces that sing splendidly to classic preparations such as Kung Pao this and Moo Shu that. A doctored-up hoisin sauce accompanying our excellent tofu lettuce wraps, for instance, was thicker and more lip smacking than most because the chef cooks it down in a wok with onions and, of course, ginger. The restaurant’s starring ingredient also lends oomph to the silky and tangy sauce slathering an appetizer of BBQ Pork Slices, which, along with rice vinegar hovering in the background, tenderizes the shoulder-cut medallions right down to their centers.

And then there’s the bewitching Ginger Soup, which I’ve never encountered anywhere else before. The lightly perfumed broth is achieved simply by reducing water infused with shaved ginger until it strikes the perfect flavor intensity. An abundance of veggies gets added – zucchini, water chestnuts, carrots and a few threads of par-cooked ginger for added zing. So what if it was 80 degrees outside that evening. My companion and I lapped up the steamy soup as though it were a winter’s night before I jumped bowls to a very good Hot & Sour Soup that released its spicy heat insidiously, like it should.

Less impressive was an order of Shanghai Pot Stickers that are available with pork or vegetable filling. We chose the latter and felt their interior mulch of tofu, cabbage and green onion was under-seasoned. Warm Chinese red vinegar came on the side for dipping, which added all but a spark of interest to these pan-fried nibbles.

Given the mad dinner rush that hit shortly after we wolfed down our first courses, the atmosphere sustained an overall feeling of serenity, although our efficient headwaiter could have clearly used more backup for servicing the packed dining room and outdoor patio. His job started looking humanly impossible to us.

Fresh orchids adorn the tables and booths, and a faux brick ceiling soaks up the noise, giving way to low-beat techno music that jibed to the tropical fish bobbing gracefully inside a 1,000-gallon aquarium – the focal point in the main dining room. A blue wall of trickling water dominates an attractive bar lounge on the other side.

Despite the shortchanged wait staff, a decent tableside presentation was given at the arrival of a chef’s special – Sizzling Beef Filet in black pepper sauce. The two components are transferred from a bowl onto a super-heated skillet to give off a dramatic sound like that of water hitting a hot frying pan. The large slices of beef alternated in tenderness, some of them as soft as hamburger while other pieces required more jaw power. The pepper sauce was particularly satisfying, with the viscosity of hunter’s gravy but made with mushroom soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chicken broth, black pepper and sugar.

Our other entrées, chosen by my vegetarian companion, included Kung Pao Tofu – the brown sauce striking a medium spice level as requested and the tofu arriving perfectly cooked and just firm enough to mimic meat. The menu’s reference to “energizing peanuts” in the mix incited a few chuckles.

Spicy Eggplant with Garlic Sauce tasted even better. The chili-laced sauce raised the earthiness of the eggplant, as did a few dark and delicious black mushrooms strewn throughout. Entrée portions are generous, and they’re easy to swallow as take-home leftovers the next day.

Had a third mouth been present, I would have encroached on a couple more dishes that seemed titillating on paper, at least – Great Wall-Nut Shrimp glazed with sweet honey sauce and served with walnuts and broccoli, and California Citrus Chicken tossed with fresh oranges and chili peppers.

So what if ginger isn’t evident in all of the dishes here, or that so many of the menu items smack of familiarity (Sweet and Sour Chicken, Crispy Duck, Beef with Broccoli, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, and all the usual rice and noodle dishes). You’ll still come away knowing that you ate a whole lot better compared to eating from those steam-table buffets in other Chinese restaurants.