1. How many years has your cafe been open for?
We have been running the restaurant since 2003 but the cafe opened in 2007 where we introduced our Thai menu, which has since become very popular.
2. Please share the history and story of your shop and café.
GINGER started in 2002 as a small accessory shop in Chiangmai. In 2003 we took over a large compound in the old part of Chiang Mai which had a beautiful old colonial house build in 1937 plus several other buildings. Today all the buildings have been developed into shops and restaurants all operated under the GINGER brand. I have enclosed enclosed the history of GINGER in an attached file
3. Please share about your head chef or chefs working at your café. (Any particular training, awards, or interesting info our audience can know about your chefs?)
Currently we have two head chefs Aree and Boy (nicknames). Aree has been with us for many years and has a great knowledge about Thai as well as Western food. Boy has also ben with us for a long time but was away for a few years but has recently joined the company again. In Thailand most chefs start as a junior chef or even dishwasher in a hotel or restaurant and works their way up. So the skills of a chef often depends on the experiences he/she has had and senior chefs they have been working with. Both Aree and Boy have had many years of experiences.
4. What is popular on your menu?
Khao Soi is definitely one of them as this is a dish all people have to try when they come to Chiang Mai. Another very popular dish we have is "pineapple fried rice" served in a pineapple - you can call it a signature dish of GINGER & Kafe. It is especially popular with our Chinese guests. Another signature dish is our "pomelo salad served with crispy pork.
5. Please share about your Khao Soi dish. The recipe and cooking method. How is your Khao Soi different from other restaurants?
Its hard to say - its all about the paste and how you balance your spices. And honestly speaking there are many different opinions on how a Khao Soi should taste. I guess it somehow depends on what you grew up with. But GINGER & Kafe is famous for our Khao Soi so we have probably managed to hit the right balance. We spent a very long time developing it.
6. Why is your Khao Soi a dish people must try?
As mentioned above it is a traditional dish served in Chiang Mai so even Thais coming to Chiang Mai must try it.
7. Can our host help to cook the Khao Soi with your chef? What are some of the things you would allow her to do? We hope she can be a part of the whole process (Eg. preparing the curry paste, cutting the chicken or beef). Let us know, she does a lot of cooking shows and is confident in the kitchen.
We are very happy to have your host help cooking and being a part of the entire cooking process. We can start out with preparing the curry paste and show your viewers what goes into a curry past. Lets have FUN :-)
Thank you and Best regards,