Galangal Thai Cuisine

YVONNE MARTIN

Looking for a new take on Thai, Yvonne Martin tried the menu at a Cashel St restaurant.

Cavernous hunger

It wasn't so long ago that the Mythai Restaurant and Monkey Bar was offering exotic Thai fare in Hereford St. It has since disappeared, but pad thai, tom yum and Thai curries are now as common in Christchurch as souvlaki and sushi.

A Mythai chef for seven years, Om Coe long dreamed of running her own restaurant. Last year, she opened Galangal in Cashel St, just around the corner from open-all-hours Manchester St.

Pre-warned that this cavernous converted office lacked ambience, we booked for a Saturday night when we felt sure we wouldn't be dining alone. Several small groups were already eating when we arrived and a table was promisingly set for 12. Still, in a restaurant of such gargantuan proportions, we were steered past many empty tables to two window seats.

Beside us, a large concrete block wall was painted a similar colour to the cabernet sauvignon (Jim Barry, $9) that quickly appeared, along with a Mamre Brook shiraz ($10). The dark décor could be drab in a smaller restaurant, but it helped shrink the walls of this one and provided a degree of intimacy.

The menu was easy to navigate, divided into soups, salads, 'in the wok', curries, seafood, and rice and noodles. First up, the grilled chicken entrée ($7.50) was a generous plate of marinated, melt-in-your-mouth chicken drumsticks, served with sweet chilli sauce and toasted sesame seeds. The fried spring rolls ($5) were golden bites full of real vegetables, which came to life when dipped in chilli sauce. We were off to a flying start in this near-empty, aircraft hangar of a restaurant.

Galangal is a pungent, ginger-like root, but we couldn't see it on the menu. The nearest we could find was 'ginger and black fungus', which our attentive waiter assured us was a signature dish. He also recommended the 'chilli, garlic and basil' as a vegetarian option. It seemed odd ordering a dish by what it was cooked with, rather than the main ingredient, but the waiter obviously knew the menu better than we did.

The ginger and fungus had sizzling chunks of beef and vegetables wok-fried with plenty of shallots and red wine. My broccoli, cauliflower and tiny green beans passed the 'crunch' test and were bathed in ginger and chilli, with fresh basil leaves on top. That was after we'd gone looking for forks and knives (which, incidentally, are gold rather than silver), as the mains arrived sans cutlery.

All mains come with rice. Portions were plentiful enough to appease the hungry cyclist and myself, but as this Thai restaurant offered the bonus of a dessert menu ($10 a dish), we felt duty-bound to try it.

His deep-fried banana had a doughnut-type batter and was served with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. My lemongrass crème brûlée was adequate, but had little hint of lemongrass and would have been better served warm. The side biscuit was a nut and seed toffee concoction, so sweet it needed to be shared.

"I'm full and I'm a big eater," he said, as the last plates were whisked away.

By now, another couple and a group of 10 had arrived, filling the chasm we had tried to ignore. Besides, a busy liquor store and a hotel over the road had provided live improv theatre.

Galangal attracts Asians and non-Asians, those dressed to impress and others in jeans and puffer jackets. Next time, we might try taking a crowd. The chefs deserve one. Service was brisk right from the starters. We left an hour later, feeling warm and satisfied, with enough time to catch a movie.

Where: 200 Cashel St.

Hours: Lunch, Mon-Fri 11.30am-2.30pm; dinner, Mon-Sun 5.30pm-10pm.

Prices: Reasonable, lunch $10; dinner mains $14-$22.

Wine: Fair range of South Island wines. BYO wine only.

Service: Friendly and attentive.

Ambience: Could be lacking on a quiet night. BYO crowd.

Amenities: Modern chic.