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Restaurant review: Lemongrass impresses with its food, attention to detail
Feb 14, 2012 (The News-Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
With a name like, Lemongrass one might expect the eatery at 2805 E. State Blvd. would serve mainly Thai or Asian food. It's named after an herb with a lemony scent widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking.
But the small restaurant offers a mixed bag, from vegetarian offerings such as the Thai-me-up wrap and lemongrass noodle bowl to a traditional roasted turkey club sandwich and Angus burger. The eatery also serves traditional American breakfasts -- eggs, pancakes, etc -- and some fantastic made-in-house desserts.
Located in an older strip shopping center on East State Boulevard, the small restaurant's large menu is written in chalk on one wall that's been painted with chalkboard paint. The walls are decorated with original art that's for sale.
I was expecting to order at the counter, and was pleasantly surprised when we were motioned to a table where a server took our orders.
My lunch companion and I took our time considering the menu before deciding on roasted butternut squash and the lemongrass noodle bowl for her, and tomato basil bisque soup and a roasted vegetable panini for me.
Both soups hit the spot on a cold winter day. Each was served in a large coffee mug accompanied with a thin slice -- almost a stick -- of homemade focaccia bread perfect for dipping. The creamy butternut squash soup had a bit of sweetness that hinted at pumpkin pie. The tomato bisque had just a bit of texture, including finely chopped pieces of onion. It was creamy but not too thick -- just the way I like it.
My roasted vegetable panini sandwich was served on more of that delicious, homemade focaccia. Roasted yellow squash, zucchini, onions, mushrooms and fresh spinach were topped with just a bit of mozzarella cheese. Even without meat, it made for a hearty, substantial sandwich.
The panini was good, but the lemongrass noodle bowl was outstanding, both in presentation and taste. Steam rolled off a large bowl with a broth full of stewed vegetables topped by brown udon noodles, which are made from whole-wheat flour. The bowl was topped with fresh bean sprouts.
As my friend ate, she took inventory of the vegetables: carrots, onions, sugar snap peas, yellow squash, zucchini, sprouts, celery, red onion and mushrooms. Lemongrass and ginger flavored the broth of the vegan dish.
We rewarded ourselves for eating healthy lunches with dessert. I ordered raspberry cheesecake; my friend chose red velvet cake.
Lemongrass makes its own desserts, and the cheesecake was fabulous. The last time I ordered cheesecake at a restaurant, it had a distinctively mass-produced look and taste. The cheesecake at Lemongrass was the real deal.
It was only about an inch thick, with a thin graham cracker crust and an almost caramelized surface, drizzled with a bit of raspberry sauce. I could tell from the texture real raspberries had been used in the cheesecake.
Maybe it wasn't quite as pretty as those commercially baked cheesecakes, but it was a thousand times better.
My friend found the red velvet cake to be rather dry, so she did the sensible thing and ate most of the cream cheese frosting and left the cake.
Service was attentive and polite.
I had stopped into Lemongrass back in October shortly after the restaurant opened. The woman I spoke to there at that time described it as "new American" cuisine with traditional and ethnic dishes featuring vegan and vegetarian options and fresh produce whenever possible.
That's exactly what I found it to be.
I really liked Lemongrass, particularly for its diverse menu and its focus on homemade food. I didn't sneak back into the kitchen, but I bet if I had I wouldn't have found much processed, canned, boxed or bagged food back there.
And that leads me to a P.S. to this review. I almost forgot to mention the homemade chips that accompanied my panini. I could care less if I ever ate another potato chip out of a bag, but these razor thin, brown, crispy, homemade fries were irresistible.
That attention to detail at Lemongrass -- right down to making their own potato chips and desserts -- impresses me. I hope others will give Lemongrass a try. I think they'll be as enamored of the restaurant as I am.
Every other Tuesday, Cindy Larson describes a one-time dining experience at an area restaurant. The News-Sentinel pays for meals. This column is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of The News-Sentinel. You can reach her at 461-8284 or clarson@news-sentinel.com. To read other columns, go to http://www.news-sentinel.com/section/LARSON.
___ (c)2012 The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Visit The News-Sentinel (Fort
Wayne, Ind.) at www.news-sentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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