Our friends told us exceptional things about Lemongrass before we stepped foot inside: that it was hip; reminiscent of a Manhattan or Vegas spot; the type of place that adds some pizzazz to our city.  We found out first hand that the rave reviews are for real.

We walked into the building, longtime the site of the Holland Tack factory, and instantly absorbed the hipness. [We just checked- surprisingly, hipness is a word.]  Lemongrass’ modern bar is complimented by long, couch-like seating areas that are ideal for kicking back with a few adult beverages and appetizers.

In between the bar and the main seating areas, is the most striking part of the establishment - a towering Thai Princess named Tavee (meaning “angel”).  You can’t help but stand there and check out this two-story creation.  We walked upstairs and checked out the loft, which is open Thursdays through Saturdays, has it’s own bar and DJ booth, and overlooks Tavee.  We agreed it would be an ultra-cool place to have a party.

We’ll be the first to admit our limited experience with Thai eateries, but we’re not afraid to expand our horizons.  The staff that we encountered at Lemongrass was quite knowledgeable about the drinks and dishes, and we ordered to their recommendations.  Needless to say, we came away pleased with this strategy.

We were taken to our table in a room where the stylish, modern characteristics jumped out: wood floors and table tops, an exposed ceiling, and decorative flowers and art.  We ordered the Elder Flower Martini (bar manager Shawn Cochran has a great story about how they harvest the flower to make the hard-to-find St-Germain liqueur) and the Sawat Dee, a house specialty.  In what is quickly becoming a trademark of this column, take our advice and order these two drinks.  Seriously.  For most of the general populous, these drinks will be adventurous and pleasing.  Don’t be afraid to try one of their unique martinis or something from their funky list of house drink selections.  Later, we tried the Royal Tiger, and like the others came away impressed with the uniqueness of the drink.

We began our meal with the Crispy String Beans, which we were told was their most popular appetizer, and it turned out to be one of our recent favorites.  The string beans were, according to the menu, lightly battered and deep fried until crispy, and stir fried with fresh ground pepper and garlic sauce.  There is no need to explain why this is a top seller.

In the middle rounds, we again went with the recommendations of our server and tried the Tom Ka Gai soup, which featured chicken breast in a combination of coconut milk soup, lime, and mushrooms, and the Lettuce Wraps [essentially, the appetizer version of their Larb Gai salad] which comes with a small bowl of minced chicken tossed with onions and roasted peanuts with a spicy lime dressing.

The Lemongrass dinner menu is split into four categories: entrees, vegetarian, curry, and noodles & rice.  Erin was set on choosing from the latter, and went with the Lemongrass Noodle, in which a variety of shellfish was stir-fried with wide rice noodles and string beans in a roasted chili sauce.  At the beginning of the meal, general manger Jennifer Russell had mentioned the Crispy Duck, and Chris did not hesitate to order it.  Slices of crispy boneless duck are deep fried in a light batter, then stir fried with garlic sauce and basil leaves.  Both of us were delighted with our entrees, but agreed to try something new on our next visit, so we could experience more of this tremendous Thai menu.

Our hats are off to Shawn and Jennifer, who since their November 10^th grand opening look to have the making of a winner.  The hipness of Lemongrass and the friendly staff is unquestionable, and they have proved to us that both their food and beverage menus are unique and refreshing.  The stories are true, folks. 

LEMONGRASS 1300 Bank Street, Littly Italy  410.327.7835