Basil Ginger

Since opening the doors of Basil Ginger in August of 2017, Gino Kuang has seen his family business grow as the Valley grows around it. Basil Ginger’s menu features a high-quality selection of Thai and Chinese cuisines. Many of the recipes Kuang uses in his kitchen were handed down from his family, but Kuang maintains a vibrant dining atmosphere amongst the delectable dishes that Basil Ginger puts out.

“It takes passion and consistency. You’re putting food into peoples stomach. If I went out there and had something to eat, I wouldn’t expect nothing but the best,” Kuang said.

The dining room at Basil Ginger features breathtaking views of the Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains from its perch atop Wasilla on 850 Roberts Street. The tables evenly dispersed throughout the room are clean and decorated with fresh flowers. Kuang is proud of the warrior statues he presents in the lobby, split by a rock waterfall at the hostess station. Large TV’s are not hindering the view of the scenery around Basil Ginger, but the bar area does have well placed televisions. The ambiance provided by the acoustic cover station playing is pleasant, ranging from soft remakes of the Green Day classic Wake me up when september ends to a cheery version of A-Ha’s Take on me. The functionality and welcoming display of the restaurant that surrounds the succulent plates does not in any way deter from the eating experience.

“You’ve got to think quality. You’ve got to be passionate about it, otherwise it won’t work,” Kuang said.

MONGOLIAN BEEF

Kuang said that Mongolian beef has been his hottest menu item ever since Basil Ginger opened in 2017. The often imitated, never duplicated Kuang family recipe left the beef tender and not overcooked. The array of vegetables and rice were not drowned in liquid, but provided an ample ratio of sauce absorption into the rice. While red peppers were present on the plate, they were left out of the dish as not to make the heat unbearable. While three of the four dishes Kuang served featured some presence of heat, none of the variety of spices used at Basil Ginger are overpowering or take away from the flavor of the dishes. The customer who sampled the mongolian beef was particularly impressed with the variety of fresh vegetables, a theme in all of Kuang’s dishes.

CASHEW SHRIMP

Of the four dishes sampled by Frontiersman editorial staff, the cashew shrimp may have been the simplest but was in contention for the most enjoyable. The crunchy variety of vegetables intertwined with the buttery, delicious shrimp was worth ordering twice. The shrimp was neither too salty nor too lenient with the butter.

PANANG CURRY CHICKEN

Kuang served a bowl of panang curry chicken alongside the thai spicy New York steak salad. The rice was buried under a pool of soft and sweet chicken amongst the savory curry. Even eaten as a leftover, the chicken curry’s surprising sweet heat was a delightful eating experience.

THAI SPICY NEW YORK STEAK SALAD

Kuang provided his most artistic display on the plate of the Thai Spicy New York Steak Salad. The dish featured a dozen vegetables along with the succulent New York Steak pieces, complemented nicely by the crunchy french onion crumbles. The heat in the sauce of the salad was not at a high temperature, but noticeable enough to be an enjoyable juxtaposition to the steak.

Among all of the features at Basil Ginger from the decorations to the ambiance to the amount of flavor in each dish, Kuang strives for quality.

“People will pay for good food, quality food,” Kuang said.