Restaurant Review: Lemon Grass is now Lemon Leaf

The informal, semi-open space that sits right at the turn on Bandra’s busy Pali Naka crossroad was abuzz on a rainy grey afternoon, even though it was way past the traditional lunch hour. Choosing between the limited spaces still up for grabs, we initially thought it might be wiser to sit in the enclosed, glass semi-circle at the core of the space, rather than right besides the entrance outside. But a few minutes of the chill in the inside section was enough to convince us otherwise. The indulgent staff didn’t so much as blink at our oscillations.

Skimming through the expansive menu, we wished that our tummies were like one of those expandable bags that can be unzipped to make room for more. Anyway, that was unlikely to happen, so it all boiled down to choosing well. The kiwi and green-apple sangria spiced with mint and lime was refreshing no doubt, but the Thai Style Spiced Cold Coffee with condensed milk beat it hands down.

The gloomy weather seemed perfect for some spicy treats so we opted for Shanghai Street-Style Chilli Chicken, which was perfectly spiced and the Spicy Cottage Cheese with garlic and crackling spinach, which was medium hot, but very soft. If you’re ever in Bandra looking for comfort food, try these.

Pic: Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll

Vietnamese Pho and Rice Paper Roll, Sri Lankan kuthu roti with eggs, onions, tomatoes and spices, Indonesian Nasi Goreng, Korean Sea Food Curry, Malaysian cucumber sambal with beef samosas... after flipping the menu pages back and forth several times, we finally called it quits and settled for the Chef’s signature—Thai grilled-chicken with curry, salad and jasmine rice; and Vegetable Stir Fry with black bean sauce. As good as the chicken and rice tasted, Som Tam (green papaya) salad stole our tongue.

When we asked for the dessert menu, a plate full of desserts was walked over to our table; we instantly agreed on the coconut custard with almond biscuit, which came with a macaroon on top. If you’re fond of a strong coconut flavour, you’ll like it. But if you’re in for the almond biscuit, you may be disappointed.

We may not have eaten a lot (the portions were so huge, we took back a doggy bag), but we spent a delicious two hours over it, despite the quick service. If only we had expandable stomachs, you can bet we would've spent a few more hours here.