Ginger & Garlic

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Address

335 Stafford St
Timaru
Region: Canterbury
Licence: Fully Licensed
Cuisine: A La Carte
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Contact

Phone: 03 688 3981
Fax: 03 688 3989
Website: www.gingerandgarlic.co.nz
Email: jason@gingerandgarlic.co.nz

Open

lunch 12-2pm dinner 5pm-late

Comments

Whether a romantic dinner for two or an executive gathering. A family birthday, or dessert and cocktails. Ginger & Garlic is where you need to be.

With views over Caroline Bay and The Timaru Port; outstanding food incorporating only the freshest local produce, and unmatched service

Jason and Kerina bought Ginger & Garlic restaurant almost five years ago, after searching for hospitality opportunities throughout the South Island.

The sparkling view over Caroline Bay from the upstairs restaurant left no doubt in their minds.

Ginger & Garlic will surpass all expectations.
Timaru's premier fine dining destination.

Menus

900_09_wnter_a_la_carte_dinner.pdf

Overall DineOut Score based on 17 reviews

Total		8.2
Food		8.2
Dessert		8.2
Presentation		8.3
Service		8.1
Environment		8.6
Toilets		8.4
Child Friendly	Very

Review by: AnniePinot (64) on 12th August 2010

Total		6.3
Food		6
Dessert		6
Presentation		8
Service		5
Environment		8
Toilets		7

Went with great expectations with one of my dining companions of the same time last year “fluffycheeks 69”, and two others.
Unfortunately it did not live up to the previous exceptional experience. My calamari and prawn spring rolls were OK (quite hard), but my venison main, although beautifully flavoured was overcooked – no pink at all on this Bambi. “Fluffycheeks” said that his pork main was overcooked as well.
Again, the crčme brulče just wasn’t special. All meals were, however, very well presented.
Service was OK but not particularly memorable. Also noticed a large difference in the size of the wine pour by different staff.
Prices are fine dining prices, but expensive for our lack of complete satisfaction with the experience.
Fortunately the good company made up for some of the deficiencies.
Ah well, there’s always next time..

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Review by: Mr Lu [DineOut VIP] (383) on 31st July 2010

Total		8.0
Food		8
Dessert		8
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

There’s a thriving, prosperous community south of Christchurch that is worthy of an investment of your time. You may not have spared even a nanosecond of thought for Timaru in recent months, perhaps years, and this is possibly one of the reasons why Ginger & Garlic in Stafford Street was devoid of customers on a beautifully warm & sunny late winter’s day in July. Or was it because the target demographic was out ploughing the nearby fields of this spectacular South Canterbury region or that the Serious Fraud Office was upscaling their mischiefmaking into the Hubbard Empire, scaring everybody out of town.?
Although the good people of Timaru didn’t roll out the red carpet on my arrival I quickly forgave them this oversight as the town was a gracious, attractive place to visit; people were super friendly, the buildings all well kept and parking spaces in Stafford St were easy to find, as was Ginger and Garlic.A pervading sense of quiet charm and ordered contentment was evident in this lovely town of rolling hills, voluptuous red brick post-Victorian homes and verdant open spaces.
Up the stairs I bounded and into the irregular-shaped space of the restaurant which enjoys views in three directions. The sun was pouring in - always a good sign as sunshine makes us feel better and I believe it is perfectly possible, at times like this, for some of us to unknowingly exude a benevolence befitting that of Mother Teresa.
I sat, I was attended to and I polished off the cold glass of very pure water that was placed before me in a timely fashion. I liked the menu and although it was lunchtime I knew in my heart that it would be a transgression of etiquette to leave this place without having had three courses. Yes, indeed!
Over the next hour or so I saw but one other person, the waitress, and she acquitted herself with grace, style and efficiency, making my short encounter a very memorable one in every respect. With the dining room to myself I felt like the Lord of the Manor……or Prince Phillip stood up by Elizabeth after a morning tiff…alone amidst the splendour.
Ginger & Garlic offers a robust wine list that, notwithstanding a creditable cross-section of local & national wines, could be better. There’s some evidence of international wines but I suspect they have a good selection, not on the wine list, tucked away for those special guests. I noticed a box of Grange Hermitage and some other rather fine wines in a glass-fronted cabinet. Worth remembering if you are looking for something not usually found in provincial town restaurants, to anoint your parched & most deserving palate…..
A glass of Barletta ‘Bros” GSM Shiraz from the lovely Clare valley in South Australia sought instant beatification from Pope Lu and I’d have to confess that this 2001 was a most excellent drug of choice to start the lunch.
The management flattered me with a delightful Macadamia & Spinach amuse bouche about the same time.
Arriving next , in style atop a flat white porcelain limousine, was Duck Liver Pate with toasted breads, a fair offering at $13.00 and ever so well laid out for my pre-consumption approval. I sipped and I supped contentedly as I drank in the sweeping view of Caroline Bay.
Another glass of Barletta had me suitably primed for a main of “ Seared Angus Pure Beef on toasted Ciabatta with Caramel Onions, Crumbed Egg & Baby Spinach Salad”. A very fair price on the face of it at $22 but the steak , although cooked to my med rare requirements, was just a tad chewy with noticeable stringy, sinewy characteristics.
“No worries mate!” , I found myself saying in a whisper as I had genuinely enjoyed most aspects of this dining experience so far. I was disappointed with the steak but placed my faith in the kitchen to deliver on the dessert, Vanilla Crčme Brulee. Out came a fine expression of this iconic, internationally popular treat, with a firm but easily penetrable crust, a simply exquisite, soft, textured inner effusively releasing aromas of Manuka honey as the whole basked in a sugary world and then there was the raspberry sorbet…. A beautiful note to finish on and although the coffee to close was not, in the words of that Turkish proverb, “Black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love”, it was as good as it gets south of the Maginot Line or, perhaps in this case, the Rangitata River.

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Review by: AnniePinot (64) on 13th August 2009

Total		8.4
Food		9
Dessert		8
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		8

It had been a couple of years since I last dined at Ginger and Garlic and was looking forward to going back immensely. I wasn't disappointed.
Went to the restaurant alone but met some work acquaintances who asked me to join them. These were two Aucklanders and a Christchurch resident. This turned out to be a very fun night.
I must have similar tastes to the last reviewer - started with the divine calamari rings with chilli coriander noodles and citrus dressing. I can still taste the flavours, a great combination and very tender calamari.
Main was the pork fillet with crackling on the side - or in the case of both myself and my dining companion the cracking did escape onto the table on occasion. Again great flavours in this dish.
I very rarely have dessert, but the Bannoffee pie was calling my name - or maybe it was the couple of wines from the good wine list - and it didn't disappoint either. One of the others at the table had the very unusual chocolate ribbon pasta, which was an intriguing combination that seemed to work.
All of the diners at my table were extremely impressed with their meals but my Christchurch companion "fluffycheeks69" especially so. He is vowing to bring down some friends about to get married just to dine at Ginger and Garlic, as a wedding gift.
"Higher end" prices for Timaru but definitely higher end delivery, and great value for the experience.
Well done Ginger and Garlic, and I agree, worth traveling to Timaru for this experience.

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Review by: annanich (1) on 7th May 2009

Total		9.3
Food		9
Dessert		10
Presentation		10
Service		9
Environment		8
Toilets		9
Child Friendly	Very

Thankyou Thankyou, what a wonderful experience. The food, presentation and service was impeccable. Having dined at many restaurants I have to say that this is one of the best.
For my entree i had Fried calamari rings w chilli coriander noodles and a citrus dressing. Talk about melt in the mouth; a perfect blend of flavours. I couldn't get away from the pork for my main and am happy with my decision- perfectly cooked with diverse flavours that again blended well together. The desert had to be the most creative- a very unique homemade Black forest dessert pasta w berry compote, chocolate ganache and vanilla sugar - delicious!!
Anyone looking for genuine hospitality then dine at Ginger & Garlic. I noticed there was a criticism about the waiters serving the pepper. In my view I think this adds value and enhances the personalised service that they are trying to create. There are too many restaurants trying to take this element away. I take my hat off to anyone bringing some traditional service aspects back into fine dining.
Anyone in Timaru or passing through, stop at Ginger and Garlic and be pleasantly surprised

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Review by: notsolocal (18) on 14th April 2009

Total		8.9
Food		9
Dessert		9
Presentation		9
Service		8
Environment		9
Toilets		9
Child Friendly	Very

OH MY GOD, I think Timaru actually hosts one of the finest reataurants in the country.
I am not going to go through the menu step by step. In a nutshell, it was a damn fine experience and worthy of a visit from anyone passing through Timaru.
It is well located with fab views and the service is exceptional.
In fact if they were participants of the Dine-Out program, I would make this a regular ritual.
Congratulations to the G & G for putting Timaru on the map, finally.
p.s. I am pretty sure the same people own the Petite cafe in the Royal Arcade, that too was an excellent experience for us over the weekend.

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