Thai Lemongrass

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

The entrance to this deceptively large restaurant is via a small reception and bar area where silk-suited waiting staff exude an air of modesty and proficiency. The rust-coloured walls, hessian wallpaper and wood floors evoke a peaceful atmosphere, and the main sound in the room is the lilting chatter of diners. The extensive menu has some inventive takes on Thai favourites, including a starter of deep-fried pork that comes as long strings of tender fillet piled into a nest and attended by a spiky Thai mayonnaise. Chicken in pandanas has large, tightly packaged leaves swaddling the thick meat and protecting the moist centre from a spell in the deep-fryer, producing a moist, creamy coconut-tinged morsel. From the chef's specials, the roast poussin is juicy and gamey with a surprisingly sweet coconut and lemon-grass sauce, given an extra lift by being doused in brandy and lit at the table. And in a nice take on the green curry, a good slab of salmon fillet with wild-flavoured flesh is oven roasted and drenched in a silky cream sauce that pulls the dissonant flavours into an agreeable collusion. A nicely priced menu and good value lunch and banquet deals make Thai Lemongrass a very enticing option.

• High point: Inventive dishes at great prices
• Low point: £6 corkage on BYOB a bit steep