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| - For years, when going to the theater, my friend and I have eaten across the street at Indian Spices, or occasionally next door at Christo's, looking out one window and into the window of Lemon Grass. They never looked especially busy (but then during theater times, I've rarely been anywhere downtown that really WAS 'especially busy') and we really didn't know anything about it. So on this particular foray into a night with Lily Tomlin, we thought we'd try something different.
I see all the growling reviews here complaining about...well...everything...from service to food, and frankly, I'm not quite sure we were all at the same restaurant.
I'm also a bit confused by most people calling it 'Thai' when the menu says 'Cambodian'.
Lemon Grass was pleasant. They did seem to operate with minimal staff, but they certainly seemed to keep up. There was a small group of diners when we arrived, and that number grew while we were there, seemed like mostly people who were going to the same show we were.
The menu options were quite ethnic and unusual from things I'd seen on most Asian menus, which to me, was very cool. Couldn't pronounce them, but the ingredients were certainly unlike the others, so we decided to try a couple of dishes we'd never tried before, including an appetizer.
The appetizers were called 'Na Taings' and were like little non-sweet rice krispie treats that came with a very yummy pork and curry sauce to top them with. There were five on the plate. Several of their appetizers came 5 to the plate. Ok folks, what is UP with the odd numbers on appetizer plates around here lately? If you're sharing with another person, do we really want to incite a riot over who gets the last one? Even Stevens is best on any shared plate. Two for you, two for me, or three for you, three for me...not 'Oh no, you go ahead' 'No, YOU go ahead, really'.
Anyway, the appetizer was quite tasty and hit the spot.
My friend ordered hot tea, which seemed to come in a magical pot. The pot was only about two inches tall, and about as round as a very small tortilla, but it filled both of our normal sized cups three times. It was a beautiful little creation of a pot, I must say. It looked like cast iron, and was very ornamental, and came with its own matching trivet to rest upon. The tea was a very flavorful jasmine. How six cups managed to fit in that tiny pot is amazing.
For the entrees, I cannot remember the names of the dishes, nor can I find them listed online. Lemon Grass doesn't seem to have its own website, and all of the menu sites only appear to have a minimalist lunch menu, or something outdated.
My friend ordered something with many vowels and consonants, that was a seafood-curry-vegetable mix on a bed of 'crispy rice noodles', and I ordered another dish with many vowels and consonants, that was a pork based curry and vegetable (but lower on the veggie count) also over a bed of crispy rice noodles.
After the waitress took our order, she came back from the kitchen to inform my friend that the dish she'd ordered was out, so my friend opted for the same as I.
The dishes arrived. There was a giant mound of crispy white rice noodles, and they were indeed 'crispy', with a decent sized spot of the actual meat and curry portion nestled against it, with a ginormous decorative flower made of beet (my plate) and carrot (her plate) on a landscaping of parsley. We switched plates...beets make me gag. Then the waitress asked if we wanted chopsticks, and well...not so functional for a blind woman, but I opted to use them.
The dish was unusual and quite delicious - but a CHORE to eat, with either a fork OR chop sticks. The first bite I tried to take with the chop sticks literally thrust the end of a very rigid rice noodle right up my right nostril. In my friend's case, even with a fork, rice noodles were flying. But, all in all, it was quite delicious. It was pork, a curry gravy, some bean sprouts, and fried egg strips. Honestly, except for the grrrrrr of trying to contain the crispy rice noodles to the plate, it was a tasty and filling meal. Quite pleasant, and it was nice to try something 'new' to us.
The bill wasn't outrageous, just under $40 for two entrees, an appetizer, and a pot of tea.
We both agreed that we'd go back...but next time we'll avoid the 'crispy' noodles for something a bit more malleable like rice or soft noodles.
The staff was fine and helpful - the food decent. Heck the only thing that made the evening even slightly unpleasant was the cackling yinzer at one table who apparently thought she was in her own dining room at home.
For the pre-theater or concert scenario, I do recommend it. It's worth a shot, especially if you're an 'outside the box' eater. Try something you can't pronounce...what the heck.
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