Lemongrass takes its Thai menu late into the night

By Elizabeth Large | Sun restaurant critic

January 13, 2008

Baltimore's Thai restaurants have always been valued for being small, family-run and authentic. If the dining rooms are a little -- well -- unhip, so much the better.

Nothing wrong with that, but the owners of Lemongrass in Annapolis have come up with a different model. They know that when the space is cool and the servers have funky style, the young and the beautiful will come. When the food is decent and the prices are moderate, everyone will come.

This concept worked so well in Annapolis that there are now two Lemongrasses there, and a third has recently opened in the Tack Factory complex in Baltimore, a block behind Little Italy. (The building also houses a sister restaurant, Tsunami. More about it another day.)

The pre-Civil War building has been renovated, so there is now a long bar and lounge area with an enormous statue of a Thai princess. I was told a Buddhist priest had come and blessed it, and the kitchen staff leaves offerings in front of it every day. In back of the statue is a good-looking, contemporary dining room divided into several seating areas.

Lemongrass is primarily a restaurant, but it's also a lounge for hipsters, with a late-night menu from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. It's open until 2 every morning.

Don't let the fact that the place has style fool you; it's not style over substance. Lemongrass' food is good, and the presentation, like the decor, is often stunning. The one exception is the restaurant's signature appetizer, Crispy String Beans. There's just no way it's going to look elegant. This is a pile of string beans, just tender, fried in a tempura-like batter, then stir-fried with freshly ground pepper so the beans have lots of zip. The sauce is supposedly a light garlic sauce, but it has a sweet-sour component. It's one of those dishes you can't resist even though you know you'll hate yourself in the morning.

But I prefer the beautiful little steamed dumplings filled with ground pork, shrimp, crab and water chestnuts. I would recommend them even over the popular lettuce wraps with chili lime sauce that you fill with either minced chicken or "crispy fish." I've had them with the fish and the contrast of textures is great, but the chicken doesn't generate the same excitement.

Lemongrass' menu here is pretty much the same as the one in Annapolis. Something new, our waitress told us, is the Shrimp Egg Nets, an odd name for a beautiful little plate. Four tiny rounds of cold omelet are topped with baby shrimp, coriander, peanuts and a sweet chili sauce. The combination tastes as intriguing as it looks.

This time of year it's worth noting the heartwarming soups: both the classic lemon grass broth or coconut milk-based soups and the restaurant's take on wonton, with delicate shrimp and chicken wontons and tender-crisp vegetables. But the cold salads -- such as roast duck or Tiger Crying (beef) -- will also warm you with their spicy heat.

Of all our entrees, the one that lingers in my memory is the Lemongrass Pork, fiery enough to make your eyes water but with quite distinct flavors of garlic and the herbs used in its preparation, like lemon grass. The mixed vegetables that are arranged with it are bright, fresh and not overcooked.

If you can't stand the heat, Pa Ram Long Song is a happy compromise, with slices of chicken in a mild yellow curry sauce served on a bed of broccoli with zucchini rounds and a few green beans. Ground peanuts are also involved. (I could have used a few more vegetables.)

Lemongrass has a decent pad Thai -- you won't go wrong there -- but I was more taken with the Lemongrass Noodle, broad, soft rice noodles tossed with shrimp, mussels, squid, a scallop or two and string beans. The chili sauce is spicy but not overwhelmingly so.

Probably because it's also a late-night spot, Lemongrass had a larger drink menu than usual for a Thai restaurant, with decent wines, beers and lots of cocktails like the pear bellini made with pear puree. Desserts include one of the best sticky rice with mango around, and also bananas fried in egg roll wrappers with ice cream, chocolate sauce and honey. It's not sweet, oh no. (Fried ice cream with chocolate sauce and honey is also an option.)

Lemongrass is only the latest example of the fact that moderately priced ethnic restaurants don't have to be downscale. Indigma, Lebanese Taverna, the new version of Minato and even some chains like P.F. Chang's all have plenty of style.

I'm not saying Lemongrass has the most authentic Thai food around, but it doesn't have the least authentic Thai food around either. Parking isn't difficult, and until it gets crazy busy, this newest addition to the downtown restaurant scene is a very nice place to be.

elizabeth.large@baltsun.com

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Lemongrass takes its Thai menu late into the night

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