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| - The dining experience on the Vegas strip is without limits unless you're in the mood for some very good Asian food. Until recently, I was under the impression that you had to drive off the Strip to find any decent Asian restaurants, but The Lemongrass kind of changed that. Although it's not the best Asian food you're going to have, it will be a dining experience that will leave you more impressed and satisfied than not.
There were 2 forces that led me to the Lemongrass at the Aria: 1) I was staying at the Aria resort and 2) my wife was craving Asian food. I was feeling particularly lazy and didn't want to drive off the Strip, so we decided to give Lemongrass a shot. Unlike most of the dining options at the Aria resort, the Lemongrass won't cost you an arm and a leg, but expect to pay a premium over your typical Thai spot.
The restaurant is decorated in that simple modern look that is consistent with the Aria resort with subtle (or not so subtle) Asian cues. The servers were friendly and quick to fill water glasses or bring extra napkins, but weren't able to really offer suggestions from the menu (possibly a language issue). The service isn't over-the-top excellent but it's far better than what you get at most Asian restaurants.
For our late night snack, we ordered fried rice and the prawn spring rolls. The fried rice was good - nice chunks of meat. The real winner was the prawn spring rolls. Their interpretation of the dish was impressive and tasty, and it kind of made me wish that we were hungrier so that we could try another dish. Yes, the prawn spring rolls were pretty good - light and crispy, not oily, and loaded with flavor.
If you need a comparison: the Red 8 at the Wynn doesn't even compare in terms of food taste and service, despite the Wynn being a much better resort than Aria.
I paid $40 for fried rice and prawn spring rolls after tax and tip - much more expensive than your typical Thai restaurant but not bad for something on The Strip. Considering the dining options at the Aria, the Lemongrass is actually a decent place to eat - not too artificially upscale or pretentious.
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