THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Gigi's Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar Restaurant Review:

Gigi’s Asian Bistro & Dumpling Bar is the chic anchor of The Galleria’s restaurant row. But there’s much more to this restaurant than just glamorous crowds congregating in the Zen garden among bamboo trees and papasan chairs. Head indoors, past the bar with blue velvet banquettes and a row of private dining alcoves, and into the Cherry Blossom room where the exposed brick walls collide with a ceiling hung with pink blossoms. It's here that you’ll find tabletops brimming with contemporary Asian dishes. We suggest starting with the "heavenly" beef --- oven-dried sirloin with coriander seed and chile sauce. Bite-size shu mai are filled with steamed crab meat and shrimp. But the pièce de résistance is the whole crispy fish, a beautifully plated, nicely browned striped bass swimming in a tamarind chile and Thai basil sauce that's spicy, but not overpowering. On weekends, the pretty people congregate on the patio for an endless brunch of dim sum and mimosas. Desserts, such as a gooey molten chocolate cake with ice cream, do not follow the Asian route. There’s a decent, albeit pricey, wine list, too. Gigi Huang is the brainchild of this namesake eatery, and the heir to the Huang family’s Asian fine-dining empire.