Lemon Leaf

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

-Romeo and Juliet, Act II Scene II, William Shakespeare

V and I were walking around near Karlovo náměstí, and it was time for lunch. After a brief discussion about the options in the area, we decided we were in a Thai mood.

We headed down to Lemon Leaf, which has both Thai and "continental" offerings.They were doing good lunch hour business and most of the tables were occupied when we got there.The restaurant had a buffet for 169 CZK. I took a quick glance, but it didn't appeal to me.There were chicken legs, a beef soup, some basic salads, and a few fruits and vegetables. This was continental. We came for the Thai.

Also on the continental menu, they offered items like pork tenderloin wrapped in Irish bacon with mushroom and Gorgonzola cheese (205 CZK), pastas, salads, and such.

The tables are a bit crowded together, but the ceilings are very high and that helped dissipate the many conversations in concert.The waitress tried to give us a table in a main traffic area near the kitchen door when we arrived.

We asked for a different table, and were told the empty ones were reserved. We persisted and she offered us a table near the bar.

I saw on their chalk board that there was a special lunch menu for 99 CZK.

And from 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm, they would take 25% off the regular menu prices.

Another draw for the restaurant is that they offer free Wi-Fi.

I didn't get a chance to test it myself.

Not all Wi-Fi hot spots are created equal.

They started us off with some bread and spread.

I thought the rolls were fairly ordinary, but V liked them.

Neither of us liked the spread.

It was a chalky cream cheese, mixed with chopped red and green peppers.

Now, I've heard good and bad things about Lemon Leaf over the years.

I can't really say which is correct. I always order the same dish from the Thai side of the menu every time I go, so I can't vouch for the rest of the menu.

I got my usual sweet beef red curry with lime leaves (209 CZK). It had chopped peanuts, spicy chili seeds, big slices of lightly-cooked sweet red pepper, and a lot of fish sauce.The beef was thinly sliced and very tender.

The sticky rice was extra (37 CZK).

It was little more gooey than sticky. It was better on my previous visit.

But I still liked it combined with the curry.

It might not appeal to everyone, but I have a thing for sweetness in Thai food.

V is less that way, but also thought it was good.

Perhaps that is because we are both partial to dishes with lime leaf and peanut.

In fact, V liked the red curry sweet beef more than her own selection.

She got the yellow Thai-style curry with vegetables, coconut milk, and cashews (145 CZK).It had eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes.

I thought the ground up cashews added a great flavor to the sauce, but it didn't have as much going on compared with my main course. It was very spicy and also very sweet (thought it did not mention sweetness in the dish's name).

I enjoyed it more than V did, but we agreed that the sweet beef was the better choice.

The yellow curry can also be ordered with chicken (167 CZK) or prawns (249 CZK). She got it with jasmine rice, which is an extra 37 CZK.

V had a half-liter of Hoegaarden witbier (57 CZK). It took a long time to get to the table.

When V asked the waitress when it was coming she was told, "I don't know. I don't deal with the drinks from the bar."

Nice.

I got a bottle of Korunni sparkling water (38 CZK). And that's all we had.

Now, I'm not recommending you go running to Lemon Leaf for Thai food. I'm just saying I like one dish there. And be aware that is very accurately described on the menu.

By any other name, it would still be sweet beef.

Lemon Leaf
Myslíkova 14
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 224 919 056


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