Monday, May 25, 2009

Lemongrass Thai Bistro

Long-awaited by the drooling masses, Lemongrass Thai Bistro opened last Tuesday at it's 442 Cherry Street, Macon location. Keep your eyes peeled as you cruise Cherry Street, because the frontage is modest in size. To overlook it would constitute a heinous, nay criminal, deprivation of the taste buds. It's on the right, about half-way as you travel from 3rd Street to MLK Blvd.

The cozy, modern interior is uncluttered and tasteful, with clean lines and a calm ambiance. The team of new waitstaff is eager to serve and quick to provide explanation about any item on the menu. We chose the appetizers recommended by our server: spring rolls and purses of mushrooms (having trouble remembering the name, but it's something like "bags of money" or words to that effect). These were very fresh and tasty. The spring rolls were light and delightfully cooked with a notable absence of greasiness. The mushrooms in their crisp pastry purses were flavorful and balanced with a spicy sauce. Delicious!

For the entree, I chose the traditional Thai Clay Pot (one of the specials) which consists of rice noodles, shrimp, bacon, and a variety of vegetables. This hearty meal was very satisfying with complimentary flavors and textures, and well-balanced seasoning. My co-diners selected the Masaman Curry (chicken) and something (the name escapes me again) like sour bamboo with ground beef. I sampled both of these dishes and each bespoke quality - I'd be glad to select them on my imminent return visit.

The menu offered much variety and this means lots of return visits for me. As good as the food is, I fear a line may form down Cherry Street for the chance to eat at Lemongrass Thai Bistro. This fine eatery has filled a culinary niche in Macon's repertoire of restaurants and will no doubt be frequented by many. Check them out on Facebook too.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What Lemongrass is lacking is taste. Nice interior, yes, but the food was very bland. Sorry dude!

The Hobbit said...

The Hobbit can't help but wonder which dishes anonymous tried, to conclude that the food was bland or what expectations he/she had.

Some dishes, including some from Thai cuisine, aren't particularly spicy or filled with bold flavors. One of the dishes that the Hobbit tried had simple flavors and little or no "spice" - it didn't make it bad; it was just a simple, hearty dish. The other dishes were exceptionally flavored.

One can't judge a restaurant by one dish, or even one visit. There is great variety, and, truth be told, any restaurant can have a bad day. The Hobbit hopes anonymous will return to Lemongrass and give them another chance to wow his/her socks off.