Star Ginger...

After a hostess telling me, "Just walk up to the menu when you're ready to order." So, do I order from the menu - although it says lunch - or do I wait for you to seat me? Turns out, you're seated. What's the point of the host station if you're gonna tell me to walk up to the menu to order?

Confusing.



Apparently, the owner of Lemongrass Cafe has found a niche of white Americans loving a Californian version of Southeast Asian classics, go figure. We opened our meal with Samosas. Not the triangles of Russet potatoes with a side of Raita I'm used to, but crispy purses of tender Red Bliss potatoes and Garam Masala with a side of coconut-coriander "chutney." I think we're getting ahead of ourselves by labeling every condiment that comes with Indian food a chutney. It came with a side salad, which is supposed to be an edible garnish. But, how can I eat a pile of colourful lettuce THAT'S NOT DRESSED? I'm not a fan of inedible garnish. If you're gonna place a salad on my plate, that shit better be dressed. I didn't care for the chutney, but the samosas were delicious. Then again, can you really go wrong with a potato stuffed anything that's been deep fried? Me thinks not. But, for $7.95 for three, eh. Who serves an appetizer in odd numbers?! So, we each had one and a half.

I get better samosas from a food vendor in SF at the farmer's market, 3 for $5. And his chutneys are killer.

My dining companion ordered the Pad Thai. This was not Pad Thai...at all. I have never eaten a Pad Thai with snow peas. I couldn't taste or see the egg. I couldn't see the peanuts. I couldn't taste a depth of flavor or the $13.95. I understand you want everything to be colourful, but the purple cabbage I got on the side just reminds me of mistakes first year culinary students make when they want their plates to be colourful: chop up yellow, green and red bell peppers and use them for garnish. Yes, the Pad Thai was pretty, but shit, they should have focused more on not over cooking the shrimp to a rubbery squeak than toss purple cabbage on the plate.



I got the pork chops, $12.75. Three - which is really one - thin, grilled pork chops, over 2 cups of rice, a ginger-sesame salad and a side of chile lime sauce. I tell you what, I much prefer that salad than my chops. That salad was what they should have done to our samosa salad garnish. It was a perfect blend of sweet, salty and sour. My pork chops were ok. Yes, just ok. But, they got better after dipping them in that chile-lime sauce. That chile-lime sauce could make a leather boot taste good. Trader Joe's might be better though.



This place reminds me of a modern cafeteria. It has more of a upscale deli lunch cantina feel than a fast-casual dinner place. But, I'd rather go to Hoa Viet on Broadyway and sit in a dive, eat the same pork chop (except charbroiled) and rice meal for half the price.