Downtown Vietnamese Restaurant worth a shot for students
The great joy of food is that it can take you anywhere: places you’ve never been before that you have only ever heard about on the travel channel or the new, intimate conversations of self-discovery brought on by smells that strike a chord, or back to your kitchen table surrounded by your family and friends. In an instant food can transport you to anywhere you may want to be but for whatever reason, you cannot make it there today. I love food the most on rainy Wednesdays in February, which is always the coldest month in the South, and my bite of chicken tikka masala takes me to Northern India if for only fifteen minutes. It is because of my great love for food that over my three or so years going to Wofford and living in Spartanburg, I have searched high and low for the best places to eat. I’m hoping to shine a spotlight on a new restaurant every few weeks to spice up your normal routine.
One of Spartanburg’s hidden gems is located on Dunbar St. directly behind Pokenori. Lemongrass Kitchen is home to the best Vietnamese food I have ever tasted. On my last trip there, I was accompanied by two friends who are just as eager for their delicious food as I am. Walking in, you’re immediately taken by the smell of fish sauce that tickles the senses since it is unlike any smell found in your standard Spartanburg haunt. We started off with the eggrolls, which are four for four dollars, making them an excellent appetizer to share with friends. Although I will admit that the eggrolls are so good you might not want to share.
Lemongrass does not have a huge menu, but in my opinion, that plays to their strengths, allowing the kitchen to become really good at a few different dishes. If you were to go with a group of friends for the first time, I would recommend the beef pho, the chicken glass noodles, or the shaking beef. The beef pho is a classic Vietnamese noodle soup that really hits the spot in colder months. The broth is a little sweet before a wave of savory hits. You can load it up with chili paste to taste if you want to add a kick to your meal. The chicken glass noodles are my favorite item on the menu because they have a little bit of everything. It is a stir fry preparation of these clear noodles hence the name. There are a lot of vegetables mixed in with the noodles and chicken making the dish a little lighter in general compared to the pho. The flavor is really savory. The first time I went to Lemongrass Kitchen I was talked into getting the shaking beef. Shaking beef is a lot like the glass noodles without the noodles; thus, it is a beef stir fry with white sticky rice and vegetables like carrots and broccoli. The best part of the shaking beef is the dipping sauce it comes with that has great flavor. All the beef needs is a slight dip into the sauce to give it the most amazing garlic taste.
Lemongrass Kitchen is a local restaurant worth the visit. It is open from eleven to eight on Monday through Thursday, is open until nine on Friday and Saturday and is closed on Sunday. The next time you and your friends are trying to figure out where to go for dinner on Saturday night, give Lemongrass a chance. You just might find a new location that food can transport you too.
Written by Charlie Pruitt
