On July 9th, 2017 my daughter & I decided to come to this restaurant after a long day of driving from Belfast to Dublin then doing the touristy thing like whiskey tasting (had to twist our arms for that one. ha ha) as it was conveniently located next to our hotel plus we didn't want to eat the traditional hotel food, whether it be in the restaurant or room service.
When we first walked in we were immediately hit by the smell of seafood. It wasn't too overpowering but I don't really like the smell of it as it makes me nauseous. We were contemplating either staying & just dealing with it until the hostess asked if we would like to sit outside which I immediately said yes. The outside seating is not out in the elements but rather in an enclosed patio but you still get plenty of fresh air and for me, could not smell the seafood which was a good thing. The enclosed patio (outdoor seating) was not loud at all, though we were the only ones sitting out there but I don't see it getting loud like the main restaurant as there are only 4 tables out there. With the decor of the of the patio (bamboo, miniature Japanese maples, a Buddha, etc.) it gives you a very calming & tranquil feeling.
On to the menu....it is off the charts! So many things to choose from that all sounded so yummy we didn't know where to begin! We decided to start with their Beef Gyosa, which is a Japanese grilled beef dumpling with ginger, garlic, sake wine & soy sauce and oh so delicious! My daughter ordered the Massaman Lamb. This dish is a slow cooked Thai lamb with baby potatoes, red onions & crushed peanuts. It looked like a lamb stew (see picture), and it was served with steamed rice and vegetables. My daughter loved it! I ordered the Spicy Chicken & Basil. It is wok fried chicken breasts with basil, ginger & soy sauce, served with fried rice & steamed vegetables. Loved it! All the food was very light, not heavy on the stomach, and had unbelievable flavor! It actually reminded me of a restaurant in my own town in California that I love and it is also called Lemongrass.
I kind of think they forgot about us as we were the only ones sitting in the patio area and it took quite a while and several attempts to get our check. We did speak with a woman who I think was the owner as she came to check on us. She was very nice & friendly. We discussed various food types, the restaurants delicious food and when we got on to Korean food she mentioned a Korean restaurant in the town of Dublin (we were on the outskirts in Saggart which is South of Dublin) that was good and then she started saying she was graving it. Pretty funny & friendly.
All in all, it was a very good restaurant and food was great! When we got back to our hotel (next door) we noticed in their room service menu that you can order Lemongrass food from room service & have it delivered. Can't get anymore convenient then that! If you're staying at the City West Hotel & Golf Restaurant I would definitely recommend this restaurant. And if you're not but you want a nice treat I also recommend coming here for some delicious Thai Asian Fusion food. Food pricing is not inexpensive by any means, it's more a mid range to a little expensive but it's worth it in my opinion. The food is delicious and the flavors will pop in your mouth! read more