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Lemongrass
58 Stoke Newington Church Street
Tel 020 7254 2473
Urban chic has come to Church Street, in the shape of Lemongrass, a new Thai restaurant.
Once through the pretty etched glass entrance, the long narrow room fronted by a gleaming
bar becomes a lofty yellow space illuminated by a huge skylight with cleverly recessed
lighting taking over at night.
Many of the recently opened Thai locals are a disappointment, cashing in on the current
fashion for all things oriental. If you are looking for a good Thai meal, the choice has
never been greater or more confusing. There are now hundreds of places, chucking rather
slapdash versions of Thai dishes, including pubs and greasy spoon cafes by day that
metamorphose into Thai restaurants at night. A lot of Thai eateries offer decent value for
many locals but you would not make a special trip to them. I am happy to report that
Lemongrass is not in this category. All the dishes we tasted were superb.
The hot and sour prawn soup (£4.25), a Thai classic, arrived in a beautiful square
porcelain dish. It was spicy with a citric lemongrass tang and a hint of basil. My friend
Nikki has spent some time in Thailand and reckoned it was the best thing she had ever
tasted. Praise indeed! The Gum Tai Talay (£4.95), a salad of lightly steamed seafood, was
prettily served with carved and thinly shredded Chinese leaves. It was eye-wateringly
spicy but had the right balance of hot sweet and sour.
The main courses did not disappoint, as they often do. The chef's special Ped Siam
(£7.95) -generous slices of slowly cooked duck in a rich brown sauce with crabmeat -
avoided the cloying soy sauce flavour of some Chinese dishes. Phad Sieuk Pak (£5.95)
-flat rice noodles with mixed vegetables, soy sauce and egg, a variation of the classic
Pad Thai - was faultless. The chef at Lemongrass, Team Wantavee, puts a lot of care and
skill into getting the sweet / sour creamy balance right.
My son and his lady friend tried Lemongrass a few days later and came back raving about
the set price menu for two at £24.95. While you will not find any surprises on this menu
you will find quality. Spring rolls are succulent not greasy, fish cakes not rubbery, and
the stuffed chicken wings decidedly moreish. Also available are green curry of chicken,
stir fried beef, and sweet I and sour prawns with vegetables and t steamed rice. A
particular high point is the sauces. They avoid the excess coconut, blandness, or the full
of heat of many Thai restaurants' dishes.
There is a short dessert menu - we were not able to manage a pudding - but green bamboo, a
butter and toffee ice cream with toffee sauce and roasted caramelised pecan nuts at
£2.95, looked tempting. Pearl of the orient, a vanilla, honey and lavender flavoured ice
cream was £2.95.
There is a well-chosen wine list, obviously put together by some dedicated oenophile who
has succeeded in the onerous task of matching wines with Thai food. We tried Palo Alto
from Chile £13.35, a very crisp, clean tasting white. Welteverde Gewurstraminer (South
Africa) at £15.50 is perfect with oriental food of any kind. The elderflower flavour
enhances rather than overwhelms the food. High country Shiraz £16.50 from Argentina will
cope well with the meat and curry dishes. The very drinkable house wine is £11.50 a
bottle. It is possible to use the stylish bar for a drink or a coffee. They have a good
classic cocktail list that will not break the bank, a good selection of spirits and a few
bottled beers - Becks, Tiger and Singh at a little more than pub prices.
Although Thailand is a Buddhist country, it does not have a tradition of vegetarian
cookery. Non-meat eaters fare well, though, as there are numerous seafood dishes. Beancurd
or tofu is used a lot, and there is a decent choice of vegetarian dishes, including set
menus.
 The service here is attentive, charming and well judged, with staff chosen
for their manners as well as their good looks. Consequently the atmosphere is relaxed and
you never feel rushed. The restaurant is non-smoking, but you can move to the bar, as we
did after dinner, to have a cigarette. The air conditioning is so efficient that the smoke
is not evident. On the whole Lemongrass is a very welcome new restaurant indeed.
Other places to eat
good Thai Food in Stoke Newington
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Yum Yum
30 S. Newington Church Street
Tel 020 7254 6751
The Coach and Horses
178 S. Newington High Street
Tel 020 7275 0423 |
Ryans Bar,
Opposite the Town Hall
181 S. Newington Church Street
Tel 020 7275 7807
Thai Café
3 Northwold Raod
020 7249 2618 |
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