Well, one thing we didn't manage to do when we were out in Hawaii this last time was have some Thai food. However, the Beloved Husband is up in Annapolis on business this week, and he thought (I agreed, of course!) it would be a brilliant idea for me to drive on up and enjoy the sights while he worked. So, I foisted the Munchkin off on some friends who were going camping (well, OK, they asked to take her...LOL) and drove up on Sunday, arriving at about 4:30pm.
...Which is, of course, almost dinner time!
Me being me, that means that I plan vacations around where I want to eat! Fortunately, the Beloved Husband LOVES Thai, and so we toddled off to a restaurant we'd found via Google Earth and its accompanying Yelp review: Lemongrass.
Wonderful! Everything was just great, except for two caveats. First, their little outdoor area, where we ate, has naked business lot around it. That's hardly anything they can help, and their area is well kept and maintained. The interior, from the brief glimpse I caught, is full of casual elegance: lots of wood, simple lines, and the rich aromas of the food waft enticingly through the dining area.
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Actually, once I caught a whiff of all those scents, I knew the food would be luscious... and I was right!
We started off with beverages: the Beloved ordered a Singha beer, and I ordered my first-ever mojito, because I couldn't resist the Ginger Infused part of the description...
Oh. My. Goodness!
I remember loving daiquiris on the rocks (LONG before all this "frozen this that and the other thing" madness) and kamikazis as well - it's no wonder I enjoyed this drink! The ginger was a nice, light touch in the background of this crisp and refreshing drink (yeah, I know, I'm using all my adjectives... C'mon, a thesaurus is your friend!)
We ordered five dishes (tom yum soup, lettuce wraps, yum woonsen salad, green curry and the duck curry), but I only took pictures of three of them [oops].
The husband had the tom yum - or lemongrass - soup, and finished it all. It might have been a bit mild for him; he enjoys a fair bit of burn in his Thai food. But he said the flavor was just right, and he didn't mind not having to pick out too many crushed lemongrass stalks and kaffir lime leaves...
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The lettuce wrap appetizer was delicious, although instead of iceberg lettuce, I would have preferred a bibb lettuce or a red leaf lettuce, but that's because I have a personal bias against iceberg lettuce. The chicken filling, however, had a fantastic flavor, and its heat didn't hit you right away. Instead, the spice in this dish came up over about two to three minutes until it was a lovely glow in your mouth. Absolutely nothing to make you dive for your water, but just a little warmth to make your mouth glow.
Then the yum woonsen salad came, and the spice level went up just a bit. Again, it was still nothing which would make you call the fire department, but it was a bit more assertive than the lettuce wrap appetizer.
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When my husband was based in Hawaii from 1990 through '95, we had a favorite Thai restaurant which would make this salad (a bit more simply) and called it "yum salad."
Well, it's certainly yummy! (OK, that was bad...)
While I'm more used to the small chicken strips in this salad, Lemongrass chose to use ground chicken and add a couple of tender shrimp. The bean thread noodles (and I may be using the wrong term - but these are my favorite noodles anywhere on earth!) were cool and held the sauce and other ingredients together nicely.
Once again, Lemongrass presented a dish which had marvelous flavor, beautiful and elegant presentation, and just the right level of heat.
The curries we ordered for the main dishes came up next, and this is where my other little quibble comes in: they don't have Thai sticky rice (unsweetened) to go along with dinner [pout]. They had regular rice, which was fine, but I really like Thai sticky rice with Thai food...
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Anyway, the Beloved Husband very much enjoyed his green curry with chicken. The flavor, he said, was perfect, and he gobbled it all up, leaving nothing for snaking on the next day {sniff].
My duck curry was equally mouthwatering. The red curry surrounding the duck was almost buttery, it was so smooth and rich. It didn't overwhelm at all, and the spices were fragrant and brilliant in my mouth.
Oddly enough, this dish had pineapple chunks in it, which seems rather strange. It worked beautifully, however, with the tangy-sweet taste of pineapple partnering with the lush curry spices like a match made in heaven.
Yes, I really loved that curry!
Unfortunately, after all this bounty, neither of us had any room for dessert, and so we didn't taste the Thai sweet rice and melon or the fried bananas and ice cream. I guess I'll simply have to force myself to return another time and indulge myself!
At any rate, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was professional and cheerful, and at $65 for the two of us (including drinks, but not the tip), it's not terribly expensive at all.
So the next time you're in this area, go on over to Lemongrass at 167 West Street, Annapolis, MD, phone (410) 280-0086. All major credit cards accepted, casual attire is fine, open seven days a week (but check for the specific hours).
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