Lemongrass reminds me of L.A.'s Thai restaurants. They have intriguing names like Cafe Talesai and Cool Basil, contemporary decor, with-it young waiters and decent wines that actually go with the cuisine. The food isn't necessarily anything more interesting than the usual suspects (like satay and pad thai); but it's good and inexpensive and the places are hip.
You can tell Lemongrass is going to be just that kind of restaurant because it has such a great name. The name sounds cool, and it's appropriate because the flavors of Lemongrass' food -- like all Thai cooking -- rely much more on fresh herbs than dried spices (except for chiles, of course).
Lemongrass is the aromatic herb used frequently in Asian cuisines, particularly Thai and Vietnamese. Although the scent is lemony, it gives a subtly different flavor to dishes than lemon juice does.
Lemongrass the restaurant, housed in an attractive old building painted lemony yellow, has been a hit pretty much since it opened its doors. No reservations are taken, and by 7 p.m. or so the dining room is usually full. Then the hostess will send you next door to the chic Metropolitan to wait. It has the same owners, but drinks at Metropolitan's bar may end up costing you more than your dinner will.
In Lemongrass' minimalist dining room, hardwood floors gleam. An ancient Thai proverb, which our waiter thought had something to do with beautiful women and spicy food, is written decoratively on one lemon-with-a-touch-of-lime wall. Banquettes line the sides of the room, and there is more seating on both sides of the long counter down the middle. The draped fabric near the ceiling in the same lemony color was put up after complaints about noise. It seems to have helped. Artsy young waiters, wearing torn blue jeans, deliver good, fast service; and early one recent Sunday evening, the kitchen was unbelievably quick as well.
Lemongrass the aromatic herb is a star player in a number of the restaurant's dishes -- no surprise there -- but nowhere more successfully than the signature hot and sour soup. The citrusy, spicy broth is lighter than its thickened Chinese counterpart. It overflows with a large shrimp, two sweet mussels on the half shell, one fat, ivory scallop, a couple of pieces of squid, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and fresh Thai basil, which has almost a clove-like flavor. Watch out for the decorative but dangerous whole red peppers.
