Since moving to Richmond I have been on a quest to find some amazing Thai food. Unfortunately, after reading over a dozen reviews on over a dozen restaurants, there were no agreements on the "best" Thai place. So when Weston came in a few weeks ago, we did some research of our own and after much contemplation, settled on Ginger Thai in Carytown.No pictures so sorry about that - but I promise, here is a very detailed review for you.
Atmosphere: BUSY BUSY We were waiting in the "foyer" for a good while. But the smell was awesome. If you're claustrophobic this might not be so good for you because we could literally bump elbows with the couple next to us and I definitely heard a possibly illegal conversation going on at the table to my right.
First Course:
We ordered their spring roll - not fried. It was alright - not worth $7 in my opinion, even if it came with a side of some pretty good peanut sauce. The filling was lackluster: a few mint leaves, some noodles, cabbage, and about 5 slivers of carrot. But it was enough for 2 to share.
Second Course:
Dish A - Yellow Curry:
This was wonderful, in my opinion. Chicken cooked in chili infused coconut sauce - you can't go wrong with that. The curry also had pieces of potato and carrot in it. The carrot tasted a bit off - acid-like almost and the potato seemed like it had been baked and then put in the curry, so it had a slightly hard crust on it. But the chicken was cooked well and the flavor of the sauce was very good.
Dish B - Pad Thai:
Initially I thought this was very good, too, but then I spotted a flaw that I couldn't get over... The flavor was nice - on the spicy side which both Weston and I enjoy. And I loooove it when they serve that little wedge of lime because I think it adds so much flavor. There wasn't a puddle of oil under the noodles either, which I was grateful for. So what ruined the memory? The noodles. They were brittle. I don't know if it was because they weren't cooked through all the way or maybe that was how the restaurant intended to serve them. It just didn't do it for me. But I will say this: although the ingredient usage is not perfect, Ginger Thai does deliver on flavor.
I suggest you order the Thai tea because it is really wonderful - not too sweet and not orange. The bill cost about $50 which seemed a tad high- but each entree was enough to share and we had a lot of leftovers. If you do decide to go, I'd stick to one appetizer and one entree. Then hop down the street to Bev's for a nice ice cream nightcap.
For your enjoyment and a little added extra review - earlier in the day we tried that little bakery in the Carytown shopping center near CanCan - Jean Jacques, I believe it is called. AMAZING!!! I ordered a lemon poppy seed muffin and it was perfect - I have been dreaming about them since. Just enough fat to hold a nice crumb, lemon zest throughout, and the occasional pocket of baking soda so you know it's homemade. The way people were googling over their tiramisu, I am guessing this bakery has quite the following. Weston got a strawberry danish and since he didn't offer me any I'm guessing it too, was very good. In his defense, I don't think I shared my muffin either ;) Love you, sweetie! If you're looking for a cute place for breakfast tasties or entertaining delights, I suggest you give this bakery a try.
