Ginger Farm and House by Ginger are two restaurants owned by the same company in Chiang Mai that pride themselves to use local suppliers for organic food ingredients (and no MSG). Ginger Farm Kitchen is a casual eatery while the House has a more sophisticated vibe.
The visit: Ginger Farm Kitchen
Ginger Farm Kitchen is the casual offshoot of the Ginger “world” located in the fancy Ond Nimman mall. There is a branch in Bangkok as well.
As you can expect from the location, it is a casual yet hipster place.
I chose their salad with grilled aubergine, prawn, minced pork. and quail egg. It was great, but also massively spicy!
One of their herbal teas helped.
Then I had their crispy pork belly with three different dips and homemade pickled cucumbers. The pork was firm, reasonably juicy, and the skin was crispy and tasty. But it was a massive portion and I could not finish it.
After service charge, I spent 583 THB (18.5 USD). Considering the quality and quantity of the food in a fancy location, it was still reasonable.
The menu, profusely illustrated, was huge, and all the Northern Thai classics and more were present. It is one of the best restaurants in Nimman One shopping centre.
Address in Chiang Mai: One Nimman Nimmanahaeminda Road (one of the stores facing the main street).
Check their menu online.
The visit: House by Ginger
House by Ginger occupies a large enclave facing the East moat of the Old City. It is a small village including the main restaurant, lounges, and even a shop.
The restaurant has a decor resembling the living room of a wealthy household, with plenty of sofas and decorative objects. On the upper floor they have some nice private spaces.
The menu is also extensive and includes classics along some more sophisticated dishes. One of these was a dish with seared scallops in coconut chili dressing, magosteen, young coconut, and Sichuan pepper. The dressing was spicy but reasonably so and the scallops were meaty. A delicious dish.
Then I had a Massaman yellow curry with tender beef cheek.
Finally I had a chocolate ice cream that was bigger than expected and quite good.
The check was 1,122 THB (36 USD). I guess that the curry could have satisfied two people. Clearly the dishes of the House lean more toward fine dining territory in a menu that include so many Thai classics and even some Western items.
Address in Chiang Mai: 199 Moonmuang Rd.
Website: https://www.thehousebygingercm.com/