Lemongrass, Chichester
Lemongrass is the third Thai restaurant to open in Chichester in just over a year.
What's going on? Has some decree been passed that stipulates only a certain type of cuisine can be served in the city, or are the Thais just canny operators who have spotted a void in the market?
Before this Thai invasion – and very welcome it is too – you'd have to travel quite a way to get decent south-east Asian grub.
The owners of Lemongrass – they have two other restaurants in Sussex – have spared no expense in decorating the long, L-shaped restaurant. Stylish, swish and seductive was obviously the brief to the designers.
Strong colours play a part with red and yellow hanging lights, very comfortable red armchairs and yellow banquettes marrying well with black tables and beautiful carved panels.
Staff are equally colourfully, decked out in traditional Thai dress with the namaste greeting part of the Thai experience.
The menu is vast: choose from over 100 dishes or a few helpful set menus if the whole menu has you dazzled or bewildered. Starters, from just under 6, include well-known ones such as satays and fishcakes.
These are joined by the more adventurous steamed mussels with lemongrass; kanom jeep (Thai dim sum) and crispy crab claws.
Tom yum soup is here as are Thai salads, the list continuing with grills of all types including beef fillet on a sizzling plate (14.95); Thai curries (roast duck in red curry, chicken, beef or lamb in a jungle curry 7.95); stir-fries (ped paradise: duck in a tamarind sauce); squid; seabass; king prawns; vegetarian dishes.
The list really is challenging. Just go for ingredients you know and love or trust those set menus or the staff for suggestions.
My all-time favourite Thai flavours are its herbs: kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai basil, coriander, galangal, a type of ginger, and subtle spicing bar a chilli or two.
What's not to like about penang curry with slices of beef, Thai basil, chillies, kaffir lime leaves and red and green peppers blended in a coconut sauce?
Presented with the panache associated with Thailand – carved vegetables and flowers – the rectangular dish had won me over even before tasting the food, the curry compounding the belief that Thai flavours are hard to beat. Rather overcooked sticky rice was the only downside.
Crab claws preceded the curry, but even the carved vegetable and the chilli sauce couldn't disguise that the minced filling was somewhat disappointing.
My bill came to 21.75 including a good glass of Sauvignon Blanc and some bottled water.
Carol is a chef, former restaurateur and editor of Savour, the Guild of Food Writers magazine
Lemongrass, 5–6 St Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 7AJ
Tel: 01243 533362
Open: Seven days a week from 11.30am–2.30pm and 5.30pm–11.30pm
Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: *****
Disabled access: At rear, steps in restaurant
How to get there: Exit A27 at the Witterings roundabout and follow road past station (Market Avenue). This becomes the one-way St Pancras. Restaurant is on your left. Parking in the New Park Road car park and on street.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
