Set between the Waterfront and the harbour, with lovely views but far enough away from all the shoppers, Ginja has a hip, contemporary design, with a deliciously wholesome menu. They really have kept things simple. They don’t do starters, there are some lighter meals like salads, wraps and sandwiches, and a few key mains and desserts to choose from. Each of which they seem to do very, very well.
Ginja Review
STARTERS’ISH
Halloumi Salad // 125
Because there are no actual starters, we shared a salad to get us going and it was packed with the good stuff. Thick “steak-like” pieces of grilled halloumi, with plenty grilled artichokes, avo, charred sweet corn, tomatoes and a delicately sweet dressing on a bed of greens. I’d definitely recommend a salad to start – they are generous and perfect for two.
MAINS
Patagonian Calamari // 145
Choose between cajun grilled or deep fried with a side of your choice. We had cajun because we can’t say no to a little heat with a side of butternut chips. The calamari was very well-cooked, but it needed a little more oomph in the cajun department. The butternut chips on the other hand were perfection – crispy and seasoned with herbs. They inspired me so much that I decided to make them over the weekend and they were… floppy :/ Anyway, I digress. The tartare sauce was quiet a lovely surprise as they made it with cottage cheese, which I have never thought of before. I like the the simplicity of the cheese, as opposed to the normal mayo.
Seared Tuna // 150
I had to shield my plate from Marvin, because he had some major dinner jealousy going on here. This mammoth piece of yellowfin tuna steak, was salted and seared, giving it a salty crust. It was topped with a tomato, onion and cucumber salsa and served with (my choice of) hulk-ish polenta chips with a lightly fresh green chutney. Between the crispy chips that were just the right amount of soft in the middle, the sharp chutney and acidic salsa – the mix was really magical. And add to it that I insisted on tasting the blue cheese and mushroom sauce (to dip my polenta chips, ya know?) this was the real winner of the night. 
DESSERT
Deep Fried Chocolate // 110
When this arrived at the table, I was a tad disappointed because I was expecting an entire deep-fried chocolate. And then I put some in my mouth. Rich melted chocolate, enveloped in a thin spring roll, with light coffee semi-fredo on biscuit crumbs, with fresh berries in a tart berry coulis. A mouthful to say, and a mouthful to eat. Crisp, soft, hot, cold, sweet, bitter, sharp, tangy – a great blend of flavours, textures and temperatures to make a divine dessert.
Ginger and Pear Tart // 70
A biscuit-base, topped with red wine poached pears, cream, a red wine syrup and nut brittle. If you’ve read any of my reviews, you may have picked up that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth (except for melted chocolate and malva pud) so I would have preferred this without the syrup. But the tart itself was creamy and dreamy and those pears were fragrant and firm.
A lovely atmosphere, dishes executed beautifully, and all-round great service from the moment we walked in until the moment we left.
