Tall Lemongrass, Crows Nest

A few weeks ago, we were invited to visit Tall Lemongrass as part of the restaurant's 5 year anniversary celebrations.  The restaurant is situated on the main strip of Willoughby Road on Crows Nest and serves a combination of modern and traditional Thai dishes.  The Tall Lemongrass has a sister restaurant in Haymarket called The Small Lemongrass.

Overall, we found some dishes to be quite clever in its use of traditional Thai flavours in a modern way but other dishes a little disappointing.

Prawn crackers

As we arrived, prawn crackers were waiting for us at our table.  These were quality and had a strong prawn flavour and very addictive.  Definitely not the same as the prawn crackers you'll find garnishing dishes at Chinese restaurants.

Mieng Khumm

First up, we had the Mieng Khumm which consisted of sweet radish, ground peanuts together with prawns, fresh galangal, lime, ginger and red onions wrapped in an egg net.  The dish came with a side of tamarind sauce which helped to tie the flavours together.  It would have been an even better dish if the egg nets came crispy to add a further texture to the dish. 

Larb Pedt on Witlof

Next we had the Larb Pedt on Witlof - roast duck with crushed toasted rice, mint, coriander and chilli on a leaf of witlof.  This dish combined traditional Thai flavours with a modern twist and creative presentation. The chilli gives it a good kick and the witlof and fresh herbs make the dish refreshing.

Yum Aubergine Stack

Onto the first of our mains, this was by far the highlight of the night and also the signature dish of The Tall Lemongrass.  The Yum Aubergine Stack combines chicken mince with prawns, onions, mint, coriander, chilli sandwiched between 2 layers of deep fried eggplant.  The sauce is morish and there is a generous serving of prawns.  Although deep fried, the eggplant is still soft and juicy on the inside.  We cleaned off this plate without any difficulties. 

In order to give us an opportunity to try out more of their dishes, chef Wendy Khouphongsy thoughtfully prepared 2 smaller portions of their pad thai wrapped in egg net. Unfortunately we found this dish to be a little disappointing, a little lacking in flavour compared to other pad thai we have tried in the past.

Penang Beef Ossa Bucco

Onto the last 2 mains - the first was the Penang Beef Osso Bucco (above) and the second was the Crispy Pork with Caramel Dressing. (below)  The Penang Beef curry was very flavoursome and had a good balance of sweet and spicy.  Definitely the sort of curry you would finish up with a side of rice.  The pork belly was also a great hit - the skin was crispy and the meat itself tender and not overcooked although K found it a little on the sweet side.

Crispy Pork with Caramel Dressing

The decor is a combination of modern and traditional Thai elements and the service is warm and attentive.  Throughout the night, we saw many people come for takeaway meals so clearly this place is a hit with the locals.

C + K dined as guests of The Tall Lemongrass and Missy Mischief PR.