Crazy Delicious Thai Food at Red Ginger Restaurant

Red Ginger Restaurant hosted two sold-out Thai Food Nights last week with some really delicious Thai cuisine. Guest Chef Lek from Emon’s Thai Cafe in Naples, Florida, prepared a feast that drew a hungry crowd (many repeat guests from Thai nights she has hosted over past years). Jeff and I were lucky enough to snag a table on Night 2 and I left totally inspired by the deliciousness.

Maybe going out at night isn’t so crazy!

The menu: Tom Kha Coconut Soup, Stir Fried Clear Noodles, Panang Curry, Cinnamon Pork, Snapper with Sweet and Sour and Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango

Yum. I’m inspired to get cooking. Or at least try. I feel like we are set up for success in Thai Cooking in Belize. The ingredients, at least in theory, should all grow right here. San Pedro, Belize is at 18 degrees N latitude and so is Northern Thailand. Coconut, cilantro, lime, lemongrass, peppers, seafood, tamarind…sweet, sour, bitter, spicy. We’ve got ’em!

But let me stop talking about my cooking fantasies/delusions and get back to the Thai dinner at Red Ginger…

Red Ginger Restaurant is the lovely, chic and COOL-on-a-hot-summery-day eatery in one of my very favorite hotels in San Pedro – The Phoenix Resort. (See my stay there a few years back…heaven)

Here are some daytime pics of the interior – we returned a few days after the dinner. The AC feels like heaven…and they have the most comfy bench seating.

But back to the Thai Night. I had to take a sunset shot on the way to the event. I’m so rarely out at this time!

And then we sat down with a very fun crew to eat…champagne was flowing…chatting with some amazing folks that I don’t chat with often enough and…I forgot to take pictures.

I hear you asking: And you call yourself the Scoop?

Sigh. The food was amazing. The complex creamy coconutty lemongrass soup was incredible. The curry sooo delicious. And I love love love cool coconut sticky rice with salted peanuts, mango and ice cream. Perhaps the perfect tropical dessert. It became obvious that reproducing this kind of food is going to be difficult. Layering flavors…just the right amount of heat and salt and spice.

I’m up for the challenge. Please send me any great beginner level Thai recipes that you have. I can’t wait to try.

And before I share a few more photos from my Thai dinner and then the lunch a few days later, let me share some information that will be especially exciting for wine lovers.

• Red Ginger is going to be adding a few of the Thai dishes to their already varied menu SOUP SOUP SOUP…I hope. And will be offering some Thai specials for the rest of August (check out their FB and Instagram for announcements)
• They offer 50% off wine bottles on Wednesday and Saturdays – they’ve got a great wine menu
• Everyday, any open bottles from the previous day are 50% off by the glass until the bottle is empty
• Sunday brunch is delicious and popular – they’ve got a mimosa bar 🙂

I’m a fan of this lunch menu. A really broad selection – something for everyone at the table – and the food is really good. My friend Jamie had the Baja Fish Tacos and LOVED. Raved about the huge chunks of fresh snapper.

I had a delicious pita…

We headed out, down to the beach to walk into town. I took a last picture before I exited the Phoenix Resort. One of the prettiest views in town.

And you can see how effective the AC is at the restaurant…the picture was a bit fogged up from heading out into the heat and humidity.

If you are NOT into AC, they have outside seating. But in August in Belize? It feels like bliss.

For more on the Phoenix Resort and Red Ginger Restaurant, click thru to the links.