Name: Kirby, Nguyen Anh Dung

High-quality Vietnamese cuisine

Green Lemongrass restaurant in Vancouver is special to me because it sells all of the Vietnamese traditional delicacies, and the taste reminds me of my memories when I was still in Vietnam.

My first impression, it is not a simple Vietnamese restaurant like others in Vancouver. This restaurant has heavy Vietnamese accents with décor that can reflect dramatic scenes from a lot of Vietnamese tourist attractions. The menu items are inspired by famous Vietnamese authors. Besides, they use agricultural materials to decorate the atmosphere; they masterfully combine the modernity of the West and the modesty of the traditional Vietnamese culture. It is simple and brightly lit. The outside makes it look newer and more modern than it is on the inside. The atmosphere makes me feel like I am eating in my home country because there is a lot of typical furniture (wooden table) with the pictures of tourist attractions (Bana Hills, Hoi An, Danang City) in Vietnam. Immortal love songs (ballad) of Vietnam in the 1980s resound with melodies just like my beautiful memories of my grandma singing to me every night. I was also fascinated by the unique but familiar taste of a bowl of pho recreated by the staff.

As soon as I entered with Andrea (my homestay mom), we were greeted and told to sit where ever we wanted. We sat down at our seats, and they brought us some tea and menus. Their menu is quite extensive, offering a variety of dishes: slight variations of noodle bowls, rice dishes, spring rolls, salad rolls, etc. I decided to choose a rare round steak and beef balls with lychee on ice. My host mom chose lemongrass chicken and pork chops rice, papaya, salad rolls (she asked for extra peanut sauce) and dried beef. The food came out right away, and it was extremely tasty. First of all, it was very traditional with great presentation. Our papaya salad with dried beef was a great starter, tasted nice and fresh. Our egg rolls were wrapped in rice paper (Vietnamese style), and they tasted great. The broth for the pho was not too salty, and I did not feel thirsty after eating it. The soup was flavorful; the tomato added a nice tang, the beef is tender, and the noodles were cooked just right. I also noticed that the plate of bean sprouts was very clean and the veggies were not old at all. There was also plenty of basil, and they have also included a chili and traditional Vietnamese vegetables (cilantro). The service was good, and the friendly staff gave us some extra dessert. Just by writing this, I can recall the fresh scent of lemongrass, the steam coming from my noodle bowl and many other remarkable smells that reminded me so much of home.

It brings and holds a lot of memories and amazing experiences of my country while I’m living far away from home. The prices and service are cheaper with the others in Vancouver. The real value here is the fantastic ambiance and a great bowl of Pho noodles or a plate of rice. Of all the Vietnamese restaurants along Kingsway street, this one is definitely worth a return visit. I highly suggest this restaurant to anyone who wants to try Vietnamese food to visit Green Lemongrass in order to get a traditional, authentic taste of Vietnam.

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