By: Bali Channa & Andrew Copeland, contributing writers, Omar K. Elmore, senior writer

Hub City Eats is the Old Gold & Black’s new food column, offering two different takes on restaurants in the Spartanburg area. Bali Channa ’20 hails from Boiling Springs, SC and is a strict vegetarian, never eating meat in her life; she considers herself an expert on managing an herbivorous lifestyle. Drew Copeland ’19, who is of African-American, Hawaiian and Thai descent, is a proud carnivore from Inman, SC and a self-proclaimed foodie, enjoying the cuisine of different cultures.

Lemongrass opened in Oct. of 2016 and is Spartanburg’s first Vietnamese restaurant. The eatery is owned by Thang Bui and her husband Tony Nguyen serves as head chef. Nguyen used to run a restaurant in Los Angeles before relocating to the Spartanburg area.

Lemongrass serves authentic Vietnamese food including bun and pho and also specializes in unique teas and coffees.

Bali

“I was really excited to go to Lemongrass Kitchen this week. I’ve heard great things about it from different people and I wanted to try it out for myself. I had never tried Vietnamese food before so I was nervous but still excited because South Asian cuisine is one of my favorites.”

“I ordered the Vermicelli Stir Fry with tofu and it was packed with flavor. It was not too spicy but I still added pepper flakes and Sriracha to it. I would definitely recommend trying Lemongrass because it is different than other restaurants in town.”

Lemongrass Kitchen offers Wofford students a 10% discount. Additionally, as November 3rd is their one-year anniversary, they are doing 25% off of all lunch orders. “I will definitely be going back for more.”

Drew

“I really enjoyed Lemongrass Kitchen. It was different from other Asian restaurants I have been to before. It is a hole in the wall type restaurant, but is really good! I ordered the chicken fried rice and really enjoyed it. I have had my fair share of fried rice before and that one was definitely different.”

“I was expecting a bit more flavor, but it was still worth it. The only negative thing I have to say is the pictures on the menu are not exactly what you are going to get. Nonetheless, Lemongrass Kitchen is definitely worth a visit!”