LEMON GRASS HOUSE

Located on the first floor of an industrial like building in Richmond Hill, Green Lemon Grass is one of those restaurants that you’ll only find by word of mouth. The building has sign naming it “Richlane Mall” and the first floor is occupied with restaurants that are a step above food court with private dining areas and store fronts.

This was my second visit to Lemon Grass and the food is consistent. The BF and I split a small House Special Pho and a Curry Goat Brisket Roti. While ordering the pho the server asked if we’d like our bean sprouts cooked or raw, which was nice to have a choice. The pho arrived piping hot with the rare beef still pink and fresh. A minute in the broth and the beef was perfect. Toppings also included tripe, beef balls and tendon. The broth itself was tasty but not as savoury and a bit flat compared to Pho Dau Bo’s. I was still pretty full from a late lunch that day so only had a few bites of the curry. What I did taste was rich with just a touch of spice. The curry also wasn’t overly salty and the roti held up to generous scoops of sauce. The goat brisket was lean and tender. There is a reason we keep ordering this dish. I might be in the minority but I loved that they had potatoes in the curry. My taste buds enjoy a good piece of curried potato or carrot as much as any protein. I was expecting to be thirsty after the meal and was pleasantly surprised.

Service was minimal since we knew what we wanted to order. Our food arrived hot from the kitchen, pho first, followed with the bowl of curry and plate of roti. Utensils, sauces and small rice bowls are set up on each table so you’re pretty self-sufficient once the food arrives. I asked for an empty bigger bowl to split the pho and that was provided. Note that there is an additional charge of $0.50 per take out container.