Lemongrass

Style: Vietnamese, Thai
My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Website: www.lemongrassrva.com

Likes: Patient Staff, Varied Menu, Comfortable Atmosphere, Crisp and Fresh Vegetables

Dislikes: Rude Clientele, Lack of Hot Pots

Lemongrass Restaurant was another LivingSocial deal that I was intrigued with. What excited me was that it offered both Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, and not in a fusion style. They have lots of traditional dishes, but also some dishes that my husband and I had never tried before.

It is located in a strip mall outside of Short Pump Mall. On the inside, there are paintings and maps on the wall with many wooden tables and chairs. It was clean and decorated, but nothing fancy. It was calm and laid back so I loved it. However, there was a table of 60 something couples that were very rude. They complained that the menu was not in English, and when they ordered, they made so many changes that the dish on the menu was a completely different plate that would be brought out to them.

We ordered appetizers since it was our first time there. Brad ordered the Spring Roll with shrimp. It was the usual tasty shrimp spring roll that you get at decent Asian restaurants.

I ordered and shared steamed pork dumplings, because I love them. The dumpling pastry on these were soft and thick, making it the best feature of the dumpling. They were a little small and the dipping sauce could have had a stronger taste.

The entrees were what made our visit. Brad ordered the Arkhanay noodles. It was something that neither of us had tried before. I am so glad I did because it was delicious. It had rice noodles, stir fried with shrimp, scallops, and squid in a light curry sauce. For all of the seafood that was on this plate, we were pleased that it was only $13.95. The light curry sauce tasted like a mild orange curry and did not overpower the seafood.

I ordered the Pad See Eaw with pork, which is a traditional Thai dish. This was the best version I have had. What made it so special was the vegetables. While steamed, they were soft but also crisp at the same time. There was a freshness to the dish that surprised me because often Asian food tastes older or more processed. 

Brad and I just purchased another Lemongrass LivingSocial, and we are very excited to go back and see them again!