Lemongrass

Lemongrass
2348 Polk St (between Green and Union Sts), 415 346-1818,
11am-10pm Mon-Thurs & Sun, 11am-10:30pm Fri & Sat.

Lemongrass has been around for 10 years, a good period for a San Francisco restaurant. Thai food has become very popular, and there are dozens of Thai restaurants in the City. Most provide good food, with a dozen or so in the excellent category. Lemongrass is one of them, and I am glad to include it in my list of Affordable Restaurants in San Francisco.

This is a large high-ceilinged place, which seats about 60. It is not as exotically decorated as some Thai places, but it has comfortable tones. The tables do not have tablecloths, but there are cloth napkins. The portions are large, and suited to family-style meals for two or more. Food is not only excellent in quality but attractively served.

The last time we ate at Lemongrass, we started with a Combination Appetizer from the Specials of the Day. It consisted of chicken satay, Thai Stick, and vegetarian rolls, a total of some eight pieces, with three sauces, and decorated with raw onions and veggies ($9.25). Then, we had a delectable curry dish with chicken, with an unusually tasty sauce ($7.95) to complete the meal handsomely for two. We had no room for dessert. The food was not only superb but also affordable. Usually, two can share an appetizer, soup, or salad, and one main course, for a satisfying meal.

Lemongrass does an unusually large take-out business from local residents and small businesses in the neighborhood. Delivery is free, minimum $12.00.

This review is mainly for dinner. Lunch features a Combination Special with steamed rice and choice of two traditional dishes for $7.25. Most a la carte dishes are lower in price at lunch than at dinner.

Appetizers include veggie egg rolls $4.95, marinated chicken or pork with fresh herbs and spices, served with cucumber salad and peanut sauce $6.95, boneless chicken wings stuffed with silver noodles, ground chicken, shrimp, black mushrooms, served with sweet and sour sauce $6.95, fish cakes with green beans, served with cucumber sauce $6.75.

Salads, a choice of six, include grilled shrimp salad with chopped onions, lemongrass and chili $7.25, BBQ beef seasoned with lime juice and chili $6.95, papaya salad with tomatoes, green beans, dried shrimp, prawns, and green papaya strips $6.50,

Soups, choice of six, include fresh garden vegetables, tofu, galangal, & lemon leaves $6.50, spicy chicken soup, with lemongrass, mushrooms and & lemon leaves $6.75, spicy and sour prawn soup with lemongrass, mushrooms, and lemon leaves $6.95, spicy and sour with combination of seafood (prawns, calamari, mushrooms, fish) $7.95.

Original Thai curries include mild yellow curry with potatoes and coconut milk $7.95, sliced beef in mild yellow curry with peanuts, onion, potatoes, & coconut milk $6.95, spicy green curry made with fresh green chili, coconut milk sweet basil & eggplant $7.95. Sauces are especially tasty.

Poultry, choice of seven dishes, includes sweet and sour chicken with assorted vegetables $6.95, sliced chicken with spinach and peanut sauce $7.25, marinated chicken breast sautéed with garlic and black pepper, served on hot plate $7.25, sautéed chicken with mixed vegetables in bean sauce $6.95.

Pork, choice of four dishes, includes pork sautéed with eggplant, green chili and sweet basil $6.95, pork Thai-style with sweet and sour sauce, with seasonal vegetables $6.95.

Beef, choice of six dishes, includes beef sautéed with broccoli in oyster sauce $6.95, tender beef sautéed with fresh chili, basil and hot chili sauce $6.95.

Seafood, choice of 16 dishes, includes shrimp, calamari, fish balls, and fish cake, with rice noodles, & spicy red sauce $6,95, New Zealand mussels sautéed with garlic and pepper sauce $7.25, prawns sautéed with basil, bamboo shoots, & hot chili sauce 7.95, Thai-style prawns with sweet and sour sauce and sweetened vegetables $7.95, sautéed prawns with silver noodles, onion, & ginger, in clay pot $7.95, prawns, scallops, calamari & mussels in spicy green curry, cooked with coconut milk and sweet basil $9.75, fresh pompano deep-fried and topped with mushrooms, onions, ginger, and tamarind sauce $9.95. deep-fried snapper with red chili, coconut milk, & lemon leaves $8.95.

Noodles (sautéed), five, dishes, include pad Thai with beef, chicken, or pork $6.75, with shrimp $6.95, combination seafood sautéed with broccoli, garlic, & cabbage $7.95.

Thai noodle soup, five choices, includes Lemongrass Special Noodle Soup with shrimp, ground chicken, fish ball, fish cake, with lime juice sauce, & rice stick $7.25, Seafood Won Ton with shrimp, calamari, fish ball, fish cake, in won ton soup $7.95.

Vegetarian, 12 choices, includes fried bean cake with sweet and sour sauce $4.95, silver noodles with mushrooms, red & green onions, cilantro, crispy tofu, & chili, in lime juice $6.50, sautéed minced vegetable, or broccoli in oyster sauce $6.50, tofu sautéed with fresh ginger, onion, bell pepper, & mushrooms, with bean sauce $6.50, assorted vegetables in red curry sauce and coconut milk $6.75.

Desserts include fried banana with honey $3.00, fried banana with ice cream $3.75 (recommended, compare with desserts of $5.00-700 in some restaurants), boiled banana with coconut milk $3.25. Desserts can be shared.

Beverages include Thai iced tea or coffee (sweet) $1.75, hot coffee or tea $1.00, Thai beer (Singha) $3.50. House wine is $4 glass, $6.50 half-carafe, $12.00 carafe. Bottled wines are expensive. Corkage is $10.00.

Special Menu. Each day a Special Menu is offered. A recent one offered eight dishes, including an Appetizer Combo for $9.25 (described in the introduction above), a seafood salad with prawns, calamari, and mussels, with chili and mint $8.95, salmon green curry with coconut milk and bamboo shoots, served with rice $11.95, prawn pumpkin curry with rice $10.95, sautéed asparagus with prawns, scallops, ginger, mushrooms and rice $11.95.

Gourmet Menu prepared by Chef Toi Lawatdee, consisting of three courses plus wine, and dessert, $29.95 per person. This special meal is obviously not part of my “affordable dining” deals, but I would recommend it for a very Special Splurge Occasion, such as a wedding anniversary, a birthday, or a graduation. The meal starts with a choice of a special Chardonnay or Zinfandel wine, or Singha beer, a First Course of three assorted appetizers, then a Second Course of a Thai soup with garden vegetables, lemongrass, galanga, lime juice and mushrooms, followed by a Third Course of Pad Thai, which consists of sautéed rice noodles with prawns, egg, bean cake, bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts, and, finally, a Dessert of vanilla bean ice cream, topped with crushed peanuts and drizzled honey. All courses are ample, and handsomely decorated. Truly, a meal for a special splurge occasion.