Lemongrass Thai

Contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of things to like about Canberra – unfailing politeness, a usable network of bike lanes, workplaces that are desolate by 5.30pm. A notable omission from that list is good Asian food. Though staunch defenders of Canberra will always point to one of the few-and-far-between exceptions to this general rule, it’s fair to say that for the most part, Asian food in Canberra is an overpriced disappointment.

Leading the charge in the bad-Asian-food stakes is Thai cuisine, and it was after a depressing run of at worst, awful, at best, mediocre Thai food (including a dry, overcooked pad see ew in Kingston and a sensationally expensive and dull seafood stir-fry in Manuka) I turned, defeated, to these staunch Canberra defenders for advice.

The advice pointed unequivocally in the same direction – Lemongrass Thai – a chain of three restaurants located in Civic, Woden and Tuggeranong. The Civic restaurant is a no-frills affair situated on a functional stretch of London Circuit and the Monday night crowd suggests that it’s no secret.

It’s an extensive menu so we put our trust in one of the ‘favourites’, the red duck curry. It pays off, with succulent pieces of duck bobbing in a mild, curry sauce, sweetened with lychees and tomato.

Also a hit is the massaman beef, comprising big chunks of meat slowly cooked to fall-apart perfection in a gloriously thick, rich sauce – the kind that makes you go back for more and more rice to mop it up with long after you’re full.

Less spectacular is a special of lemongrass marinated chicken, which is punchy in flavour but a little dry in texture. It’s layered over lettuce and served with an overly dressed, overly sweet papaya, tomato and green bean salad.

Last to arrive is a ‘popular’ (is that slightly less popular than ‘favourites’?) dish – seafood pad garee – a mix of crab, mussels, prawns, squid and egg in a yellow curry sauce.  The crab is served, impractically, in one piece and still in its shell, and what meat can be retrieved with a fork without losing all dignity in company is overwhelmed by the tide of egg and coconut milk. The mussels fair better but the prawns and squid also fail to stand their ground against the sauce, which isn’t bad in and of itself, but is too rich a force for these delicate seafood flavours.

All up, Lemongrass Thai is a solid player – definitely good enough to satisfy a green curry craving and a significant step up from any other Canberra Thai I’ve tried to date. Though I can’t help feeling grateful that Sydney’s Spice I am and its glorious green papaya salad is just a Murray’s bus trip away.

Lemongrass Thai

Canberra City

Melbourne Building, 65 London Circuit

Ph: (02) 6247 2779

Lunch: Mon­­–Fri,  Dinner: Mon–Sat

Woden

Corner Corinna and Ball Streets

Ph: (02) 6282 1144

Lunch: Mon–Fri,  Dinner: Mon–Sun

Tuggeranong

Shop 9c Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Anketell Street

Ph (02) 629 31455

Lunch: Mon–Sun, Dinner: Mon–Sat