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Hand out the cigars!: By Farrah Praisal
Ginger @ Kafe
Well, it was bound to happen! You leave a
handsome, successful restaurant like The House all alone in
a compound with a sexy, cute fashion house like Ginger and
eventually they are sure to get together and produce an
heir. And it is with great pride that the birth of that heir
took place in February. And what a lovely baby it is…son of
House, otherwise known as Ginger @ Kafe. After only six
months the restaurant is already running strong.
Ginger @ Kafe is located in the airy, well appointed space
adjacent to The House where they used to sell a variety of
home accessories. The décor is wonderful, whimsical, chic
and comfortable. The room features overstuffed cushy sofas,
big tables and a nice open feeling. The ceiling is high with
a variety of ceiling lights fashionably brought together
under a shroud of white fabric for a different and stylish
look that is very inline with the rest of the eatery.
However, now there’s an even better reason to go: Chef Poms
fusion- inspired food, which soars as high as the ceiling.
 The
menu is diverse and if you consider the fact that in
addition to the regular Ginger @ Kafe menu a guest can also
order from the daily House menu as well as the regular tapas
menu you realize you have not only a plethora of choices but
a real diversity. On a recent visit I noticed seasonal
favorites like som tam with soft shell crab at 180 baht and
a tempting rhubarb trifle for dessert.
There was also a talented visiting guest chef from Mexico
who has created exotic and delicious taste treats like
fajita chicken with avocado and salsa roja at 180 baht and
tortilla baskets with three different ceviche fish fillings
at 230 baht. Although her talent in the kitchen will be
missed as she returns to Mexico at the end of the month, I
am told that the dishes she brought with her will remain
available at least through the summer months.
On my last visit every dish was on the mark. Pom is an
expert at harmonizing flavors and the chicken with cashew
nuts was fresh and scrumptious. It’s a beautiful dish with a
clean, rich flavor and a slight burn from chiles. It was not
only a visual delight, but the flavors popped. The dish is
paired with lovely stir fried mixed vegetables and crab
fried rice and offered as one of two Thai set platters at a
very reasonable 190 baht. A favorite of mine is good old
fish and chips and the Ginger @ Kafe has one of the best.
The fish is an entire sea bass with a beautiful batter
coating and a white and snowy inside…delicious!
I also highly recommend their version of a Nicoise salad at
190 baht. The salad featured tender, succulent strips of
fresh tuna on a bed of crisp greens with a light dressing
and hard boiled eggs. It was an afternoon delight and a
great lunch for anyone watching the calories. The steak
sandwich with onion chutney at 240 baht was composed of
lean, tender and perfectly prepared beef and the chutney was
a perfect accompaniment. I could go on and on describing the
variety of curries, stir fries, pastas and noodle dishes but
suffice it to say I think you will be happy with whatever
you choose. Style is a big motivator here and some dishes
look as if they came out of the finest of French
kitchens…and artistic delight!
Lest you go and eat as much as I did, I must first warn you
that you must at all costs save room for the desserts. Chef
Pom is as adept at the sweets as he is at the savories. On
my last visit the sweet treats included a blackberry and
apple crumble, banana coconut muffins and a delicious milk
chocolate tart amongst others. There was also an old
fashioned banana split on the menu that I am saving for my
next outing.
The proprietor, the always friendly and gracious Hans, has
informed me that the future holds a traditional weekend
brunch with standards like eggs benedict, pancakes, waffles
and maybe even a blintz of two. This is something I think
Chiang Mai is lacking and I look forward to seeing it come
to fruition.
The Ginger @ Kafe is open seven days a week form 10am to
10pm. They offer a wide variety of coffees, teas, wines,
beers and soft drinks. Ample parking is provided and with
only 7 tables inside and 5 outside you might want to phone
ahead. The address is 199 Moonmuang Road (inside moat road).
Tel. 053-419-011.
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Chicken Drumsticks in Orange/Soy sauce
This recipe is based on an old Indonesian dish known as “Ajam berkuah jerik
manis dan soya”. A true stir-fry, it does however take some time in the cooking
stage, as you have to make sure the chicken drumsticks are cooked through.
Cooking Method
Rub the chicken drumsticks lightly with salt. Heat the
oil in the wok and add the onion and fry until transparent. Add chicken and
stir-fry for eight minutes. Now add garlic and chilli pastes and add the orange
and lemon juice, chicken dipping sauce and five tablespoons boiling water.
Stir and add the palm sugar then bring to the boil and simmer for three minutes.
Mix the corn flour with two tablespoons of cold water then add to the liquid in
the wok, stirring thoroughly as it thickens. Make sure you move all the
drumsticks through the thickening sauce and simmer for another two minutes.
Arrange the drumsticks on a warm serving dish and pour the sauce over them and
serve immediately.
Ingredients Serves 4
Chicken drumsticks
12
Vegetable oil
3 tbspns
Onion, chopped
1 large
Garlic, chopped fine 1 clove
Chilli paste
1 tspn
Orange juice (no pulp) 5 tbspns
Lemon juice
2 tbspns
Chicken dipping sauce 4 tbspns
Palm sugar
1 tbspn
Corn flour
2 tspns
Salt
as required
Water
as required
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