I have been here about a total of 10 times in the last few years. Id had an ok if not average…read moreexperience on my last visit and I gave the restaurant a miss fora while but tonight I would try it again my my 20 year old son. We eat out a lot and we are fussy. Japanese is one of my favourites and I have visited Asia many times so finding something I like here is not easy. Add that and a background in the hospitality industry and as a customer I'm probably a bloody nightmare. That said, its lent so no wine or beer for me tonight :( .............. to start I had the sashimi and my son had the duck egg rolls. Off to a great start and OMG wow. The tuna was so fresh it melted in mouth and the salmon was perfect as was the shrimp, of course we have to try everything so he loved it also and the duck rolls were excellent, some of the best I've ever had. For our mains he went for the surf and turf medium rare and it was cooked perfect and also the turf, the shrimp were a fabulous size and seasoned perfectly. I went for monkfish teppanyaki served on a bed of vegetables also cooked in the same sauce and a sauce on the side, both dishes came with fried rice. The monkfish was a great piece of fish and large, big enough that I gave half to my son, he loved it. It wasn't my favourite but that was my fault not there's. Service, on my last visit I wasn't that impressed with it but on this visit it was fantastic. We opted to sit at the bar and eat there and we were the only ones doing this. People in Ireland don't do this too much but I've no idea why? great seat, in the middle of everything, lots to watch, great immediate service. Sean was our bartender and YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY fantastic bartender, barista, cocktail maker, server, looking after the waitstaff and the customers hanging out waiting on their tables. For dessert he had the banana fritters and I just had a macchiato perfect by the way, you would be surprised how many staff don't know how to make one. Not Sean, no he knows his stuff, and the bar was clean as a whistle. He cleaned as he went and even had time to chat. If I had my bar in this town Id poach him:)
The restaurant was busy, the owner/manager/front of house etc was flying around the place making sure things ran smoothly and she went out of her way to accommodate us. She even came and chatted for a minute.
The Kitchen is open so to speak well the wall is so you can see the chef's at work, interesting when someone orders teppanyaki like us so lots of big fire etc. Dinner and a show.......................
I didn't have a reservation and they were booked out until 9.15pm. I opted for the bar as 1. its my favourite place to sit and 2. no wait needed at all for these seats.
All in all it was a really pleasant experience. The decor is inviting and warm, and the restaurant is kept tidy and organised. No mess lying around and my food came with chopsticks, I didn't have to ask. I'm a fan now and will most definitely be back and will recommend it to anyone. I'm celiac, lots of the dishes here are GF friendly there is even a section in the front of menu with low calorie options and the calories listed. I know they will all have to do this eventually but its nice that its there.
Next time Im having the Seabass and the son, well he is having Nasi Goreng, yes we were eyeballing people's food. The Nasi Goreng looks fantastic and served exactly the way they serve it in Thailand. The rest of the menu is excellent also and it was difficult to make a choice as it all looked great and I wanted to try everything. Nice wine list also and good prices.
I have eaten in other Lemongrass restaurants but they had different owners. This one is very different and has the same owner as the Citywest location, everything including the sauces are made by the chefs in house. How do I know this, well I asked.........................