Foods from Lemon Grass
Comments
2010 Nov 12
After seeing the different reviews, I figured I could pop in to check it out. I tried the Elgin location (kitty-corner from Pure Gelato).
Atmosphere: very nice decor, good chairs with a nice high back. I was a little nonplussed at the very large tablecloths put on angle, with the long corners draping off where you sit - long enough that I could use it quite effectively as a napkin on my lap. At first, I was sitting on it and nearly pulled on the cloth rather brusquely.
Appetizer: I went for my usual, and often a good barometre of the place: Poa Pia Phak, vegetable spring rolls. They come in pairs in a martini glass(!), with the sauce cup balanced between the rim and the rolls. Certainly different, but without a plate, it's difficult to eat over the glass and not make a mess on the black tablecloth. I did like the air crispy texture, though I had to wait a bit to not have it sear my palate - they're served right off the fryer it seems. However, the taste was bland. Bland bland bland. I couldn't discern what was in it - only that there was something in it. The crispy fried skin was all I could taste. Not a good start. Maybe the other rolls have a better taste.
(schniken, they didn't seem to have carrots or sprouts, but I admit I didn't look much inside them. I certainly didn't taste any.)
For my main, I went with the Mu Makhua Yao, pork with eggplant and basil. It's not spicy, so it's a great test of how flavourful the kitchen can be without trying to mask it with chilies. The presentation was wonderful, and the dish looked great, smelled nice - the very nice amount of pork amongst the warm purple of the eggplant and the deep red of the sweet peppers, with the sliver of onions throughout.
Sadly, again, nice texture but very little flavour. Some, definitely more than the rolls, and the sauce at the end was quite nice - but the pork by itself was completely bland.
I've been to many Thai restaurants where flavours were strong and complex in simple dishes without any heat or spices whatsoever (in Ottawa and elsewhere). This experience tonight was not what I was looking for.
The "fragrant Thai rice" also had no flavour, it felt like basic sticky rice, though the bill did say Thai rice. Not impressed either.
The lemongrass tea was without reproach, though.
Service was fine, nothing to say there.
On a Friday evening, I would expect the kitchen to be on its A game; this did not impress me or make me want to go back. I have many other, closer or as-distant places I can go for much more flavour, which is what I prize in Thai cuisine.
I must make a small note on accessibility, though I expect the place inherited the setup from the previous tenants: part of the restaurant across the bar is a step higher than the window area; and in both bathrooms, the toilet is sitting on a raised platform(!), the men's being particularly noteworthy as it's tiny. I almost tripped on the raised platform right next to the entrance just trying to hit the light switch. In fact, you have to stand on that platform to open the door to be able to exit. Plain bizarre, but not the restaurant's fault...
Oh yeah, the website location above is incorrect - it's ottawalemongrass.com and not the other way around. Also, the menu online for the Elgin location seems out of date in a few respects; the veg spring rolls I had are listed online as a pack of 5, but only as pairs on the on-site menu.
Atmosphere: very nice decor, good chairs with a nice high back. I was a little nonplussed at the very large tablecloths put on angle, with the long corners draping off where you sit - long enough that I could use it quite effectively as a napkin on my lap. At first, I was sitting on it and nearly pulled on the cloth rather brusquely.
Appetizer: I went for my usual, and often a good barometre of the place: Poa Pia Phak, vegetable spring rolls. They come in pairs in a martini glass(!), with the sauce cup balanced between the rim and the rolls. Certainly different, but without a plate, it's difficult to eat over the glass and not make a mess on the black tablecloth. I did like the air crispy texture, though I had to wait a bit to not have it sear my palate - they're served right off the fryer it seems. However, the taste was bland. Bland bland bland. I couldn't discern what was in it - only that there was something in it. The crispy fried skin was all I could taste. Not a good start. Maybe the other rolls have a better taste.
(schniken, they didn't seem to have carrots or sprouts, but I admit I didn't look much inside them. I certainly didn't taste any.)
For my main, I went with the Mu Makhua Yao, pork with eggplant and basil. It's not spicy, so it's a great test of how flavourful the kitchen can be without trying to mask it with chilies. The presentation was wonderful, and the dish looked great, smelled nice - the very nice amount of pork amongst the warm purple of the eggplant and the deep red of the sweet peppers, with the sliver of onions throughout.
Sadly, again, nice texture but very little flavour. Some, definitely more than the rolls, and the sauce at the end was quite nice - but the pork by itself was completely bland.
I've been to many Thai restaurants where flavours were strong and complex in simple dishes without any heat or spices whatsoever (in Ottawa and elsewhere). This experience tonight was not what I was looking for.
The "fragrant Thai rice" also had no flavour, it felt like basic sticky rice, though the bill did say Thai rice. Not impressed either.
The lemongrass tea was without reproach, though.
Service was fine, nothing to say there.
On a Friday evening, I would expect the kitchen to be on its A game; this did not impress me or make me want to go back. I have many other, closer or as-distant places I can go for much more flavour, which is what I prize in Thai cuisine.
I must make a small note on accessibility, though I expect the place inherited the setup from the previous tenants: part of the restaurant across the bar is a step higher than the window area; and in both bathrooms, the toilet is sitting on a raised platform(!), the men's being particularly noteworthy as it's tiny. I almost tripped on the raised platform right next to the entrance just trying to hit the light switch. In fact, you have to stand on that platform to open the door to be able to exit. Plain bizarre, but not the restaurant's fault...
Oh yeah, the website location above is incorrect - it's ottawalemongrass.com and not the other way around. Also, the menu online for the Elgin location seems out of date in a few respects; the veg spring rolls I had are listed online as a pack of 5, but only as pairs on the on-site menu.
2010 Jul 31
bored with what's out there and looking for some decent worldly flavas? give this one a try:
tom kha kung @ lemon grass on elgin. hot and sour soup with loads of shrimp in a coconut milk emulsion with galangal, peppers, onions, veg and a variety of shrooms. dunk in your rice noods for a satisfying & comfortable lunch and carry on your day to the max.
now go get your bus.
tom kha kung @ lemon grass on elgin. hot and sour soup with loads of shrimp in a coconut milk emulsion with galangal, peppers, onions, veg and a variety of shrooms. dunk in your rice noods for a satisfying & comfortable lunch and carry on your day to the max.
now go get your bus.
2010 Jul 31
phat phed tha-lay @ lemon grasss on elgin. unleash your inner babe with this stir fry of shrimps, scallops, squid, eggplants, bamboo shoots with full flavored curry sauce and thai basil leaves. enjoy by laying it all down on a tushy mound of fragrant rice serving as a thai flavor bed. purdy good lunch amidst the sea of corporate fast food cookie cutters along the strip. will not hesitate to pop in again when mozying down elgin.
2009 Sep 30
Friends got delivery last night and I was a taste-tester. No-one was satisfied. Shrimp spring rolls were ok but shrimp were very small. Won ton noodle soup featured soggy, overdone noodles, limp veg, and a minimal amount of broth. Pad thai tasted like ketchup. Delivery took a long time and the total bill was not itemized but the price came to about $4 more than it should have based on the menu prices. Maybe there was a hidden delivery fee? In any case, there is no next time, unless its post-bar.
2009 Sep 27
We've been a few times and all was fine but tonight everything went wrong.
Warm beer, forgot our appetizer, brought only my plate and my wife's five minutes later. Cold rice. Service very poor, long wait for food. No apology from anyone.
People that walked in after us were served before us.
Once we told them about the appetizer they wanted to bring it after the meal.Following this the service got even worse.
WOW, what more is needed.
Last time they see us.
Downhill all the way.
Spoiled our Saturday evening.
Warm beer, forgot our appetizer, brought only my plate and my wife's five minutes later. Cold rice. Service very poor, long wait for food. No apology from anyone.
People that walked in after us were served before us.
Once we told them about the appetizer they wanted to bring it after the meal.Following this the service got even worse.
WOW, what more is needed.
Last time they see us.
Downhill all the way.
Spoiled our Saturday evening.
2009 Jun 15
Ok, even though they no longer have pho, we still decided to order in. Here's what we got:
Shrimp summer rolls (2) - very fresh but could have used bigger shrimp
Veg. spring rolls (3) - crispy and fresh, served with hoisin sauce or some tangy thick sauce. They were pretty good but they could have used a bit more filling.
thai shrimp mushroom soup - Chef's recommendation - very good, but sadly I ordered the wrong item - i wanted the one with coconut. still very good though.
Thai vegetable soup with shrimp and vermicelli - a large portion served with a side of hot sauce and a side of hoisin. I enjoyed it but I prefer pho to this soup.
bubble tea - i drank the lychee bubble tea which was excellent.
All in all, I was impressed with the quality of food and the delivery time. If you are looking for thai food to be delivered to your door, I would recommend ordering from Lemon grass instead of bon thai or spring roll king (much more authentic). But I do hope they hire another Vietnamese chef so they can put pho back on the menu though.
Shrimp summer rolls (2) - very fresh but could have used bigger shrimp
Veg. spring rolls (3) - crispy and fresh, served with hoisin sauce or some tangy thick sauce. They were pretty good but they could have used a bit more filling.
thai shrimp mushroom soup - Chef's recommendation - very good, but sadly I ordered the wrong item - i wanted the one with coconut. still very good though.
Thai vegetable soup with shrimp and vermicelli - a large portion served with a side of hot sauce and a side of hoisin. I enjoyed it but I prefer pho to this soup.
bubble tea - i drank the lychee bubble tea which was excellent.
All in all, I was impressed with the quality of food and the delivery time. If you are looking for thai food to be delivered to your door, I would recommend ordering from Lemon grass instead of bon thai or spring roll king (much more authentic). But I do hope they hire another Vietnamese chef so they can put pho back on the menu though.
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TheNatureMan