Restaurant Review: Lemongrass
LEMONGRASS VIETNAMESE CUISINE 10417 51st Avenue ~ lemongrasscafe.ca Instagram: @lemongrasscafe_yeg Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew + Ms. Thibault
Lemongrass is a restaurant that has been around for as long as I can remember. Located in the southside neighbourhood of Empire Park, it's the kind of place that might not always come to mind - but maybe it should. Edmonton Journal named Lemongrass Best Vietnamese Restaurant 2020 and with the beautiful updates that they've made in recent years, they are certainly worth checking out. I visited on a Saturday evening and was reminded of the ways that the restaurant has kicked things up a notch. Their signature colour is a beautiful green that is reflected on their outdoor signage and on the walls inside. They used to go by the name Lemongrass Café but have now simplified to only Lemongrass, which feels a bit more modern. The restaurant has installed several garden boxes out front, all beautifully inscribed with the names of different herbs and plants, which they use to grow actual ingredients for the restaurant (in the warmer months). Entering the space, everything feels fresh. The pop of green on the walls really stands out and the beautiful rattan lanterns hanging from the ceiling help to complete the atmosphere. They've done a wonderful job in refreshing the restaurant and making it feel more current. It's like they've taken the idea of the lemongrass plant and channeled it into the vibe of the restaurant, which I love. It feels more cohesive. Seated at one of the round tables, I began to consider my beverage choice. Lemongrass has got a truly insane caesar called "The LG Fireworks" that I was tempted to try. In fact, the restaurant dares you to try it. It's a caesar topped with a green onion cake, spring roll, kimchi and shrimp. This type of "piled-high" caesar has certainly been a trend over the last few years and I liked seeing that Lemongrass has thrown an entry into the ring. I didn't order it this time but I will definitely return to do so. Instead, I was pretty excited by some of the other very fun drinks on the menu, such as; boba iced Vietnamese coffee and a beautiful whipped matcha drink. I chose the Thai Tiger ($8.00) due to my very strong love for Thai iced tea.
The brown sugar style of boba is another very hot trend these days and it became very clear to me that Lemongrass is attempting to keep things current, which I don't mind seeing at all. This bubble tea drink was HUGE! As a Thai iced tea it tased delicious and combined the flavours of a milky iced tea really well. But then you toss some brown sugar pearls on there... And that just can't be wrong. I loved the sweet, syrupy flavour and the whole drink just spoke my language. For an appetizer it had to be the Green Onion Cakes ($7.00), a true Edmonton food innovation.
An order comes with "two pieces" but what they mean by that is "tons of green onion cake!" The value is very good. Served with a sweet chili sauce, these morsels are satisfying and easy to eat. Green onion cakes are a huge deal in this city and you'll typically find two types. There are the ones that are made in more of a pancake style (think Fringe) and then there are the more fluffy style which is what Lemongrass serves. Both are good in their own right. The benefit to the fluffy ones is that because of their puffiness, there are more cervices for the dipping sauce to get into. I typically prefer a spicy sauce myself but sweet chili was a nice alternative. Golden brown with a slight chew on the inside, I enjoyed this version of a classic Edmonton offering. The food menu is long and extensive at Lemongrass. There is a lot to choose from and certainly different ways that you can choose to approach your meal. I gravitated to the "Vermicelli in a Bowl" section of the menu because I felt that these dishes might encapsulate the overall Lemongrass experience the best. I wanted something that truly felt like a Vietnamese dish (but wasn't phở, which they do also serve) and that showcases an array of ingredients. I went for the Combination of Spring Rolls, Charbroiled Prawns and Lemongrass Chicken ($14.50). A vermicelli bowl with cut up spring roll on top has always been a little item of joy for me.
The food came out quickly and I was excited to get into it. Served on a bed of vermicelli noodles, fresh bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, and cucumbers. Garnished with pickled carrots, fried green onions, and peanuts. Served with a homemade fish sauce. I immediately poured the entire contents of the fish sauce overtop the entire bowl. Vermicelli is a very thin rice noodle that absorbs the flavours of whatever is served around it. I went about tossing everything together so that my bites would be more of a mix of everything. The spring rolls were maybe my favourite part, hand wrapped rolls filled with shrimp, seasoned ground pork, vegetables, and glass noodles. Deep fried to a golden crisp, these were flavourful and I enjoyed their light crunch. The proteins were very enjoyable as well. I liked that this dish included both their signature charbroiled Lemongrass chicken and prawns. You can also substitute beef instead of chicken should you prefer it. I really enjoyed that the charbroiled flavour was present on both the chicken and shrimp. The chicken especially developed a nice caramelized char on the outside which was lovely. The rest of the vegetables were fresh and I'm always happy to see a sprinkling of crunchy peanuts. I almost wish that the dish had been even more flavourful somehow. I enjoyed the bowl a bit more when I got closer to the bottom, where the noodles were sitting in a pool of the fish sauce and I wish that there had been more of that big flavour throughout. Maybe I need two fish sauces - one for pouring overtop and one for dipping. Overall, I enjoyed visiting Lemongrass once again after many years. The service was helpful and friendly and the food came out hot and fast. There are a lot of options when it comes to Vietnamese food and one might be inclined to lean more toward the phở or bánh mì side of things (which are solid choices!). However, it's nice to see a restaurant that covers a bit more ground than those two things and has a broader reach. I think that Lemongrass has really upped their game and created a beautiful space full of wonderful things to try. I've definitely gotta return to try that crazy caesar!
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