Get high on Thai delights

Abu Dhabi: Those who have been to the Lemon Grass restaurant in Dubai would not have come back without going gaga over its lovely ambience and even tastier food. The standalone restaurant near Lamcy Plaza has been my favourite Thai eatery ever since I discovered it a few years ago.

So it was with such palpable enthusiasm that I walked into the Lemon Grass in the Mushrif Mall in Abu Dhabi last week. Though the settings and décor were somewhat similar to its Dubai branch, the restaurant lacked the finess that I was expecting. Tucked away in the far end of the food court on the third floor, it can still make a great choice after a weary shopping trip to the mall.

‘A book should not be judged by its cover’ logic applies to a restaurant too. So we quickly tended to our task at hand.

Vegetable spring rolls and Satay Gai made our starters. A good start indeed as the spring rolls were crispy and the marinated chicken on the skewers was grilled to perfection. The peanut sauce on the sides, however, lacked the punch as it was a bit watery.

If you love those spicy salads, Lemon Grass offers a good selection. The Green Papaya Salad with prawns and roasted peanuts (Som Tam) that we ordered never made it to our table. Blame it on the sloppy service and inattentive staff who seem too busy. If I sound grumpy, that is not without reason. During the course of our dinner that took around an hour, we had to chase the staff to come over to our table every time we wanted something.

Don’t get discouraged. The restaurant was packed on a Thursday evening – proof of the loyal customer base Lemon Grass enjoys in Abu Dhabi as well.

For the main course, we ordered Gaeng Kiew Wan (Green curry with Thai eggplants (vegetarian) and jasmine flavoured rice, which brought back the smiles to our faces. The vegetarian curry was both spicy and creamy and made a great combination with the finely cooked yet not too sticky white rice. For the non-veg option, we went for Pad Ped (wok-fried hammour fillet in red curry sauce with basil leaves). Hammour fans will love the dish which is a bit tangy and spicy with the right mix of spices. My companion who savoured it along with fried rice named it the dish of the evening.

I concentrated on Pad Kee Moa, which is stir-fried flat noodles with chicken, fresh chilli and Thai basil. One of my favourites in the Thai cuisine, the dish was an absolute delight as it was well-cooked, non-oily and with a generous mix of spicy veggies, chicken and basil leaves.

We had our fill for the evening and decided to give the dessert a miss. It was surprising that the staff did not even notice or bother to ask. But if you want to do full justice to your sweet tooth, I would suggest you try the Tako Haew (sweet sako and water chestnuts in coconut custard) as a better way to wrap up a gratifying meal.

DETAILS

Lemon Grass

Meal for two: Dh150-Dh200

Location: Third Floor, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi

Timings: Noon to 11pm

Contact: 02-650 0205

Our ratings: Ambience: 3, Food: 3, Value for money: 3

We suggest: Vegetarian Green curry and Pad Ped