Lemongrass Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

Ok, I know I am going against the crowd on this one, but I have gotten food poisoning TWICE from Lemongrass and my wife got sick once (but she only ate there once). Why did I go back the second time? Because I thought maybe it was a fluke or something I ate somewhere else. After the second time, there is no mistake. This wasn't just upset tummy sick either. This was trash can on your lap while sitting and everything evacuating your body, from every possible orifice, at a rapid rate sick. I even passed out at one point it was so intense. And no, I didn't have any alcohol. All the names written on the wall are supposed to be of people who have eaten there... But since you write it while you are still dining, I wonder how many of those names represent people who only hours later were begging for the grim reaper to carry them home... Or longing for the cool refreshing waters of the river Styx as they floated toward their impending demise. I WANT to love this place. The staff is awesome and the atmosphere lively. But alas, I could not go back a third time. I'm afraid it would not be the charm, but the exact opposite. All that being said, you are wondering what I ordered, aren't you? The first time, which was almost a year to the exact date from the second time I ate there, I had some sort of seafood medley. The second time, I had Khao Soi Gung. (shrimp Khao Soi). I believe I "sea" a pattern here. Don't order the shrimp. For the love of all things precious and good, don't order the seafood!!! We are 12 hours from the ocean in Chiang Mai. That alone should be reason enough. To be fair, I don't order seafood anymore from places here in town. And that is so sad since I am a native of Louisiana and seafood is one of my favorite foods. I should have mentioned this fact earlier to answer the question running through your mind whether or not I have a sensitive stomach. We eat stuff caught in ditches (bayous) and shoot and eat stuff that eats the stuff from the bottom of those ditches. I have a stomach like a iron potbelly stove (shape and fortitude). I guess I will end this little review right here. Sorry for the negative Lemongrass. I never want to be sick...

We actually walked past the restaurant to go to the Night Bazaar. On the way I noticed two ladies outside queuing to get a table. My wife said that she had read some great reviews about the food at this place. On the way back we decided to try for a table. The wait was quite long (20 minutes approx). When seated there was only one seat at the table. So I let the waitress know. She acknowledged me and brought one over. The menu was brought over and we ordered our food within 15 minutes. But this is where it went South….. (So before we were seated we got talking to a couple seated near the entrance. We actually thought they had finished, due the empty plates on there table (wasn’t theirs. They had been sitting there for 20 minutes already)). So around 45 minutes later I had to get up and ask where my food was that we ordered what seemed a lifetime ago. Also asking for the family of four sitting behind us, two children under the age of six. 15 minutes later 3/4 of our order arrives. The family of four and the couple by the door still are waiting for their meals. (Now I need to take a deep breath)…. I am not a South Asian food connoisseur. But the food was amazing (was it because I was hungry?). The staff were so polite and apologetic… So, for me 5 *’s for food and staffs smiles. And 2 ’s for service and wait time. So I give it 3 *’s in total....

It says on a sign at the entrance that this charming restaurant was created in 2007. When I was iin Chiang Mai 2011, I failed to discover it. Well, now we are at the end of 2022 and I have found it!

What to say? Plenty! They serve the seemingly vanishing Chiang Mai traditional dish of Kao Soi (or Khao Soi depending on your transliteration preferences). It is full of different flavours pleasantly competing for your attention, the dish has different textures and is copious. Quite simply,, this gem deserves to be found by a wider audience. The banana spring rolls served with local honey are a delight! The restaurant is staffed by a true team. I do not mean a group of people who have to work together! This team gives the impression they genuinely seem each other and this transmits to the ambiance and the food. True, they do not all speak perfect English (nevertheless it is significantly better than my Thai) and they help each other out when necessary. In addition the menu has pictures as well as names and the images are accurate representations. Please don’t tell the owner but this restaurant would still be good value at twice the price!

I think I have just found my new go-to...