Green Mill: by Mark Whitman

Attractive Fusion Restaurant re-opens with New Chef

I realize that I have written about the Green Mill before, albeit quite a while ago and recommended it highly for its laid back atmosphere and excellent quality food. A few weeks ago I mentioned that it had re-opened having been closed for several months and promised a report. It’s nice to welcome back one of the more civilized eating places in the City.
I’ve visited it twice in the past month or two, the second time very recently when I took a friend there for his birthday. Not then a typical meal. To be honest little has changed from its earlier manifestation. There may be a new chef and he is certainly keeping up the standard but the menu is the same. Still if you don’t happen to know it the following should be of interest.
You’ll find it in the road which runs beside the Lanna Hospital on Super Highway. Heading from, say, Amari Rincome it is about five or six minutes drive. Take the first exit immediately after the first underpass and take the first left after the hospital.
Green Mill is an attractive white building about half a kilometre down on the left, more or less opposite the Lanna View Hotel. It is in three ‘sections’. One is a coffee room, serving top notch coffee and cakes and tempting sweet dishes, including an intense chocolate cake and a decent tiramisu among others. Good for a day time visit or sheer indulgence after a dinner.
Another large section of the building is given over to a very up market home cinema and sound system shop. I know a couple of people who have been lucky enough to have systems fitted and very good they are too. Still, that is not what we are here for today. Rather more relevant is the little wine shop on the right of the restaurant as you enter, which ensures that Green Mill has one of the best wine lists in the City.
Some of these can be a bit pricey (quality often is), but on the most recent visit we enjoyed a good Sauvignon Blanc from Chile at 720 baht. You can also take your own wine and the corkage is 200 baht, but to my mind you will save every little since I doubt whether the wine chosen would be available at much less than 500 baht retail. The remainder of their drinks menu (apart from soft drinks, coffee and tea) is limited to beer and grappa, so don’t expect fancy cocktails or other spirits.
As mentioned above, the comprehensive menu might best be described as fusion. There are plenty of pasta variations, but spend a few minutes looking through the clearly laid out pages and you’ll find a whole range of Thai dishes, some western variations and plenty that mix intelligently between the two. You’ll find something as simple and tasty as a clam chowder along with classic Thai soups.
As said there are spaghettis on one page but turn to another and you’ll find ten variations on their wonderfully fresh Ruby fish (220 baht or so). We chose this simply grilled with butter, although you could have it deep fried, steamed or with garlic, chili and so on. Ours came with a super spicy sauce. There are other good fish, including salmon and sea bass in a variety of guises.
As a contrast to the grilled fish we also chose a spicy salad with smoked salmon- a satisfyingly complex dish. Also stir fried broccoli and carrots with prawns. My friend also had the clam chowder and garlic bread to begin with, abandoning a previously successful diet as a birthday treat. The dry white wine made an excellent accompaniment to all of the above. Following this with his tiramisu and a chocolate slice and a coffee for me, plus a grappa each we pushed up the bill to 2000 baht with a tip.
This was not the normal expenditure! Prices are in fact quite reasonable given the quality of the ingredients. Enjoy a glass of house wine or a Singha beer with a choice of dishes with rice and the price should run between 250 and 350 baht a head with service added at your discretion. The menu is extremely large with plenty of variation. All food is freshly cooked but with only about 24- 26 covers service is both friendly and attentive and not slow, though not rushed. This is quite a ‘classy’ but not flashy eating place with pleasant background music and comfortable seating.
I am certainly glad to see them open again as it used to be a regular haunt on the way back from concerts at Payap, although be warned they do close the kitchen at 10p.m. You’ll find them open every day except Sunday from 10 in the morning. The actual address is 43 Sookkasame Soi, which is the very first turning after the Lanna Hospital, a well lighted and signed landmark on the main road. Their ‘phone numbers are 05321 0999 and 053321 24000.

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Pork with Basil stir-fry

Another very traditional Thai recipe and one that is easy for any home cook. A true ‘wok’ dish, it has a tantalizing flavor that comes from the combination of so many items. By the way, it is important to crush the garlic and chili together and this is best with a mortar and pestle. As usual, if this is a little hot for your taste, you can reduce the amount of chili and remember to remove the seeds!

Ingredients                 serves 4-6 Sliced pork loin                      500 gms Onion sliced                          200 gms Red Capsicum                       100 gms Green Capsicum                    100 gms Basil leaf (chopped)                5-6 Garlic                                    2 cloves Chili (red)                               3-4 Vegetable oil                          4 tbspns Fish sauce (Tiparos)               4 tbspns Sugar                                    1 tbspn Oyster sauce1 tbspn

Cooking Method
Crush the garlic and chili together with the mortar and pestle. Add oil to the wok and heat quickly and add pounded garlic and chili to the oil and fry quickly. Now add the sliced pork and stir fry until cooked (do not overcook). Add the onion and the capsicum until cooked, followed by the sugar, fish sauce and oyster sauce. Finally, add the basil leaf and stir for one minute and then serve with steamed rice.

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