Red Ginger Restaurant

RED GINGER is a fresh approach to Asian fusion, merging the best of Western and south-east Asian cuisine to create tantalising taste sensations. Owners Mie Mie Wing Kee and Prue Brown wanted a name for their new venture which reflects their energy and passion about good food as well as a blend of Asian and Western influences.

Red symbolises many things, including courage, love, warmth, excitement, energy, life and vitality. It is a sensual colour, as well as a symbol of pride and strength.

Ginger is used around the world as a spice or food additive. This wonderfully spicy herb is used in many Asian cuisines for flavouring savoury dishes, but in Western cuisine it is used mainly in sweet foods. During the Middle Ages, ginger was often used as a preservative. Because baked goods made with ginger did not spoil as quickly, they were thought to be magical!

Mie Mie is branching out from the hugely successful Makanan Indonesia in West End to continue the challenge of keeping Brisbane’s taste buds stimulated and entertained. Prue is following her dream of sharing her joy and love of food with others.

Mie Mie was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia and moved to Darwin in 1977. She learnt to cook by watching the women in her family – her grandmother, her mother, her sisters. There was no such thing as recipes and measurements. Now she cooks by taste, feel and touch – she cooks from the heart.

Prue grew up with the multicultural flavours that came into Australia during the 60s and 70s, particularly Italian and Middle Eastern food. Her love affair with Asian cuisine began from her travels overseas and living in Darwin – a multicultural melting pot. With a huge collection of cookbooks and magazines, Prue’s specialty is desserts and baking, as well as vegetarian dishes.

Where possible, they use organic, free range and fair trade ingredients in the dishes to be sure that they are as healthy as they are delicious. Their small herb garden provides many of the fresh herbs for the restaurant.

Old Chinese saying: the older the ginger is, the more spicy it is!