Lemongrass Grill

Lemongrass Grill get 4 stars for the good drinks and good food. I have never had a bad experience with any Lemongrass that I’ve been to. I find the staff to be very freindly and attentive. The décor is a nice relief from the normally overdecorated chains that plague this country.

This place has gotten a little grosser since I last came here. They re-​did their private karaōke rooms but not in a good way. Basically, they made the big room even bigger to accommodate over 30 people and the small rooms even smaller. Plus, the small rooms are really awkwardly shaped, as they are rectangular and have seating on one of the the longer walls of the room and a table on the other long wall. The karaōke machine is on one of the shorter walls and there is more seating on the other short wall. People sitting at the far end of the room can’t even reach the microphone. All the seats also look raggedy and the floor looks like it’s just a concrete slab. Also, we couldn’t karaōke with Chinese music in at least 2 of the rooms as the machines were having issues. On top of that, there was only one bartender for the whole place on a Saturday night.
Anyway, I remember this place being better, but maybe that was when I wasn’t sober.

Just wanted to mention that this place has been redone, and now it’s called Shanghai something-​or-​other. Just in case you are looking for it as you stroll down 13^th, look for the restaurant with the Asian, minimalist décor and a misty reddishness overshadowing everything.
Izu is downstairs. Same great drinks, same great songs.

decent asian food — but Spice around the corner still beats it.
I do like that they have both Thai and Sushi available.
I got a Tom Yum Soup and Papaya Salad — I asked for the dressing on the side and the waiter looked at me weird and said I should have it mixed in. I then reiterated that I’m familiar with papaya salad and that I want the dressing on the side. Most restaurants think its weird to have this particular dressing on the side. but whatever I like it!
I get the salad. and the dressing is mixed in. They did offer to take it back, but I just ate it. All in all, the salad was good — a lot bigger than at other restaurants.
The dumplings appetizer was useless. My friends green bean and chicken dish looked good and she said it was tasty.
I didn’t like how the second it looked like we were done, the wait staff hurried in to clear our plates — I felt kind of rushed even though the place was only ½ full so there was no reason for this.
Kereoke looked fun.
All in all, it was a very avg Thai spot that I probably won’t hit up again unless I want to kereoke while eating some sushi.

The place FEELS a lot more spacious than it actually is. Nice design, minimalistic and not OTT. Probably the only thing I would come here to eat is the Pad Thai. If it’s good Japanese food you want you’d best head elsewhere. It’s not that expensive but I’m still not willing to waste $ 10 on crap food. The servers don’t really bug you, but they also aren’t very attentive. Most of the time they’re just happy to kind of stand aside and talk amongst themselves.
Then again, on 2 occasions I was served by really nice waitresses who were always at our beck and call, so I guess it depends on your luck.

Five stars for the karaōke, the awesome music selection, and the fantastic company, including Javier, Maria, Rod, Rob, and the elusive David S!
Add in numerous other hooligans (Mike, Glenn, Maggie, etc) and you’ll have a splendid time. The rooms add up quick but it’s worth it to avoid the screeching jersey trash hollering Madonna over and over again in the main room.
Minus five stars for the mentally challenged waitresses, and for having to run back and forth from our room to the bar, where the zombie barbie duo was about as useful as a solar panel on a submarine.
Somehow, though, after a few hours, my math came out to four stars. Go figure.

ugh. there’s just something about this place i can’t put my finger on. the food is bland/​mediocre. if anything, the food is pretty «blah». the décor is strange– there’s way too many fake bamboo stalks, the staff is kind of rude and the spacing is all very hectic. i hate that the bar area is absolutely bare. i used to walk by the place and say to myself, «eh». my boss frequently orders from here, so i just took a dive. bad idea.
sure– during the summer/​fall months, i was here 2 – 3 times a week. my friends are obsessed with belting out their vocals downstairs in the Lush Lounge (karaōke bar). despite that i was here every week– i still didn’t have the balls to try their food. my fellow comrades would order stale/​fugly sushi, hot wings and pad thai that looked retched funky… not very appealing to me. everything thing i’ve tried here has been completely boring or «eh».
pad thai= NO
appetizer sampler= HELL NO
red curry= NO
fried rice= YES
hot wings= YES
mango w/​sticky rice= HELL to the mutha effin’ NO
everything else= ehhhhhhhhh

I don’t come here for the food, I come here for the rockin’ tunes in the basement karaōke lounge. This place felt undiscovered about two years ago when my law school peeps and I started showing up and taking over the mic.
I love coming here for karaōke, there’s something kinda dirty about this place and so old school that I feel right at home. Problem though, the bar service is well … hmm inconsistent at best? I think the Russian bartender, not scary lips, but blondie, hates me because I come in a lot with a guy she hits on. Therefore, my songs often get lost.
This place is great on week nights when hardly anyone is in there, once it gets crowded good luck getting to sing.

I’ve only eaten at the Lemongrass portion of the menu (Thai). Don’t let the fact that this place is a chain fool you, or talk you out of trying it.
Don’t forget the karaōke downstairs!
GREAT
Choice of Thai or Japanese food at one place
Nice décor
Tom Kha (coconut milk/​chicken soup)
Generous sized servings
NEEDS WORK
The waitstaff don’t circulate as often as they should, and certainly aren’t aware of visual cues!

since my stupid music background. I do not like Karaōke much.
however, most of my close friends. they LOVE to sing and sing and sing.
let me admit the fact, I am not that a great singer either, but I want my ear to rest.
please, you don’t need to YELL on mic. and you don’t need to steal other’s song. please please go to bed early, not bother others like that way!
arrrrrrggggggg… more drinks, please!
I need to breath also! what’s this smell from?

***NOTE — This review is for the karaōke bar downstairs at Izu***
What I’m gone do with all my junk?
All that junk inside my trunk?
Ima get, get, get, get you drunk
Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps (Check it out)
I drive all these Unilocalers crazy
I do it on the daily
They treat me really nicely
Giving me all these U. F. C.‘s
Compliments and
PM’s
So many
I can’t read them
But yo! I ain’t complaining
Keep sending me red flames and
Smiley Faces
Blue Snow Flakes
Then I’ll rub my humps
All up in yo face
My humps, my humps, my humps, my humps…
My lovely lady lumps.

**DISCLAIMER: For those of you who didn’t know this already, all my reviews are done in ICR format (In context reviewing) Meaning that a 4 star rating for a Halal Cart is not to be compared to a 4 star rating for Jean Georges; since each rates that way in their respective universes and genres. Likewise, I feel obliged to assign 3 stars to Izu because as a Karaōke place it lacks a number of pleasantries that I consider essential in such places. Nonetheless I must say that I like Izu, very, very much, but I must classify it within the Karaōke universe, and hence the reason for this disclaimer**
There’s many qualities that make Lemongrass an excellent venue for karaōke par-​tay; location is perfect. In the thick of Union Sq. and yet somewhat nondescript; hiding underneath the quaint Japanese venue, Izu; you descend to this cozy and small basement with a few cushioned inlets for groups of 4 – 6, a bar and one single screen. That’s it. Cute. Selection is limited but standard robust; no Korean songs, but plenty of Japanese and Thai. (They also lack a Spanish repertoire which is sad) Drink-​wise they have excellent frozen Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris; furthermore, they have a half price Wednesdays for all frozen drinks! (I’m getting to love hanging out on Wednesdays and all the different happy hour/​specials there are out there)
The three and a half stars is because it lacks two essential things:
— Intimacy (No rooms available for private parties)
— Repertoire (I was looking and looking for several songs which weren’t there)
All in all, it is a great place for karaōke if in Union Sq and wanting an intimate sing fest, without having to partake in a long queue on a packed Karaōke Lounge on K-​Town or elsewhere.
**Update** — — — — — — — -
Just found through minions and little birds that the place has IN FACT private rooms. 4 that; 4

I loved the space, but I wasn’t crazy about the food. I think Lemongrass grill should just stick to Thai food and maybe serve sake or something in order to celebrate the Japanese half of the deal. My friend and I ordered the Tuna Avocado Salad, the Combo appetizer platter, Duck Choo Chee, and Kimchee YakiUdon. Perhaps it was my bad for ordering japanese, korean, and thai food at the same time, but that’s the way I eat, I like to try lots of different flavors at the same time or else I get bored.
The Duck Choo Chee and the combo platter was pretty decent actually, so for those I’d probably come back and give the place a 4. But the kimchee udon and the tuna avocado salad? I hope to god I remember how bad it is the next time I come back so I don’t order it on accident.
The tuna had a really fishy smell to it and eating it made my stomach a litlte bit queasy. The Yaki Udon had basically no udon, just a lot of kimchee and dry dry dry chicken.
I’m already not a big fan of chicken to begin with, it’s dry, it has no flavoring of its own, and the fact that it is the only meat a high cholesterol person like me should eat just makes me NOT want to eat it. So when it’s dry, that just grinds my gears.
Oh and the kirin which was on draft, was warm. Warm Beer — that was the icing on the cake for me. YUCK.
When I left, I thought I wouldn’t come back, but I think I would to try out the karaōke, plus I thought our server was really awesome. Next time though, I’ll stick to the Thai food.

Date: saturday, september 08, 2007
Time: 05:35am
Site: home @ jersey city, NJ
i put the time there for a very specific reason. change «5:35am» to «12:35am» and thats what time I really should have been home. but nooooooo… we had to goto Pho32 for some noodles and soup and whatnot. And we had to leave there around 1am. And we had to walk to 14^th street from 32^nd street to accompany Joolie to her bus. We HAD to see if IZU was open, the time now being almost 2am.
When we head on downstairs, the place is half empty. I see the bar and I ask Audrey if she’d like a drink. So being the manly man that I am, we ended up getting two midori sours. How did we end up singing a couple of songs? How did i end up with a mojito??? how the hell did we end up singing «umbrella», «wake me up when september ends» and «step by step» anyway?
though i did get a big thrill when the doorman asked if WE were the last ones there? Good to see the «crack» doorman being on top of his job.
PS did we mention that they have a special «10 Shots for $ 30» package? the flavors are jolly rancher, lemon drop, kamikaze and something else i dont remember. Oh, i didnt mention this? Ooopsies…
UPDATE 12÷11÷07: On a recent trip back, there were four of us and we wanted to get the 10 shots for $ 30 special. Audrey somehow convinced Dice that since there were four of us, 10 shots wouldn’t even out. So instead of getting 12 shots (three shots per person), we ended up with 16. SIXTEEN SHOTS??? So yeah, Dice rocks and so does Izu!

«My name is Audrey, and I am an enabler.»
«Hi, Audrey.»
…I am also an insomniac.
Now…being an enabler and an insomniac? That is a dangerous combination.
A timeline of tonight:
1:50 AM, between 22^nd and 23^rd Street: Rod A. and I make sure Joolie T. hops on her bus back home. I make the decision to walk the 15 or so blocks home, and since the PATH is along the way, Rod accompanies me.
1:58 AM, approximately 18^th Street: «Hey…do you wanna do a walk-​by of Izu? You know, that karaōke place I told you about?»
2:03 AM, standing in front of Izu: *looks at Rod* «Hrmmm…should we go downstairs and check it out for a sec?»
2:04 AM, downstairs in Lush Lounge (attached to Izu): After standing at the entranceway for about 10 seconds… «Hey…do you wanna grab a drink?»
2:09 AM: Dude, they have Christina Aguilera’s song PARODY «Will the Real Slim Shady Please Shut Up»!!! WTF! That’s so awesome. What kind of karaōke place carries THAT?!
2:15 AM: «*poke poke* We should do a song! Just sayin’…»
***One hour later… a.k.a. (1) two of the strongest Midori sours known to man are consumed later, (2) one of the strongest Mojitos we’d ever tasted is served in a MILKSHAKE-​SIZED glass later, (3) we notice the kitchen stays open until 3:30AM later, (4) Billy Joel, Green Day, and Oasis later, and (5) I’ve asked the guy in charge (I’ve since found out his name is Dice) if they have Korean songbooks — NOT because I speak Korean, but just because I wanted to know, and the guy is super apologetic that they’re trying to «expand» their Korean repertoire… even though they are a Japanese restaurant and really have no obligation to stock Korean songs — or the Chinese and Thai songs that they DO have — later.***
3:15 AM: «The bar has been SET!» — random guy singing Weezer.
3:21 AM: «Hot damn! Someone’s gonna sing „Umbrella!“ Dude, can you believe they even HAVE „Umbrella“??? That song came out like… yesterday.»
3:24 AM: Annnnnnnnnnd… somehow…people are majorly booty-​shakin’ as WE are singing «Umbrella.»
3:27 AM: «The bar — it has been raised.» — Rod A. and I to the random guy who sang Weezer.
3:42 AM: I’m «shake, shake, shake-​in’ Señora» with the random guy who was singing Weezer and is now singing «Jump in the Line.»
4:15 AM: We sing our last song — New Kids on the Block «Step by Step.» Yeah. We went there.
4:20 AM, a.k.a. more than two hours after our little «detour»: The guy holding the exit door open for us asks as we are leaving…“You guys are the last ones, right?” «…Yes. Yes, we are.»
It is now 5:13 AM as I am about to post this review.
«My name is Audrey, and I am an enabler.»
They say the first step is to admit that I have a problem.
…*crickets*…
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UPDATE 9÷15÷07: Went back yesterday (Friday night), and it was packed (no booths available). I asked Dice how long of a wait until a booth was available, and he said he’d give us a room. Like… give us a room — for free. Because it was slow, and he could tell we wanted to get our no rae bang on. So we got a room, and it was cute and well-​furnished and had EVERY SONG BOOK KNOWN TO MAN in there. Then, when a booth opened up, he alerted us to the fact and guided us to our booth outside. DICE ROCKS. In the meanwhile, we had ordered the 10 shots for $ 30 special. That’s TEN shots for $ 30 — lemondrop, grasshopper, kamikaze, or UFO catcher (which is some AWESOME shot made with guava juice and cognac). Which, at $ 3 a shot, is already an awesome deal. And… LO AND BEHOLD, FIFTEEN shots show up. Again, DICE HOOKED US UP.
*dreamy sigh*
Seriously. I love this place.

I’ve been here a total of three times as of last night and I think the fine people at Lemongrass/​Izu deserve a quality review for their plethora of spirits, services, and songs.
I ate here a few months back. I wanted to treat myself to something delicious and get away from my roommates for a bit. Prior to dining here I had only glanced at the very zenified décor and declared to myself that it was delightfully peaceful and worthy of a return trip. So when I made that trip I did it alone. Unfortunately the hostess sat me down next to obnoxiously loud co-​eds who were celebrating a birthday and unnecessarily groping each other. Made it hard for me to concentrate so I ordered my old standby of Yellow Curry and to this day I delight in the taste the food left for me to savor. Really good food. Sadly I couldn’t focus on the book I had also brought with me to read because of said obnoxiously loud co-​eds but I’ll probably return with a couple friends or by myself on a weeknight when it is not so conducive to obnoxiously loud groups.
I karaōke here on occasion. Last night it was bursting at the seams with groups of obnoxious 20 somethings (my friends and myself not included … we’re too cool for school). What I learned from my experience here last night is that if you order the Long Island Iced Tea you get the most bang for your buck and no one (not even a rapper) should karaōke rap. It’s kind of like smoking. Bad for everyone around. You can have a platter of ten of their shot specials (Kamikazes, Lemon Drops and two others I have yet to try) for 30 dollars! Pretty sweet deal at 3 bucks a shot. Bring a friend, order the platter, and the two of you are in for a fabulous evening since you are now loose enough to tackle the giant array of music available. Guaranteed to have your old standby and some new-​ish pop music as well. They seem to update their selections pretty frequently. The Karaōke Master doubles as bartender and serves up songs and spirits in a timely fashion. And if you become a regular he’ll bump your song up in line.
Love the food, love the karaōke, love it, love it, love it.

I love to sing.
My parents didn’t really encourage that kinda thing; I think it’s because my dad loves to sing, but, wow, he’s not really such a good singer.
So, I had to wait until I was on a ski trip (something else they didn’t encourage) that I really enjoy singing in front of other people. Huh, who knew?
Since I work right down the street from Lemongrass, I figured how good could it be?
Well, my friends from work dragged me there one night a couple years ago now, and i have to say, it’s one of the best karaōke places I’ve ever been to.
They work hard on the atmosphere, yes, but the key to a good bar is good acoustics, good sound system, and, of course, great songs. They keep it up to date, and mix in a lot of more obscure music along with the American standards of Sweet Caroline, etc.
So, when D’yer Maker comes on, that’s probably me. Look out!

My friend I and had plans to meet up for dinner. She wanted Japanese and I wanted Thai. What do we do??? Come to Lemongrass @ Izu of course! She got her sushi and I got my Curry Puffs and Pad Thai. YUM! C’mon Curry Puffs and Pad Thai are pretty hard to mess up. They’re kind of the staple of a Thai Restaurant.
Not only are the staff friendly the food comes up super fast.
There was only downside to the evening… we wanted Green Tea Fried Ice Cream but they ran out. We had to make due with Vanilla.

Out of all the Manhattan places that I’ve been to (and it’s not very many), Lemongrass is my favourite place to karaōke.
Why?
(1) Extensive song collection — Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, & English. I was especially pleased with their huge list of Chinese songs, something that Second on Second sorely lacks.
(2) Inexpensive drinks — Japanese beers were only $ 5. They also have some tasty frozen cocktails, including a non-​alcoholic tasting piña colada.
(3) Large private rooms — We were given the large room at a discount so maybe I’m being a little biased here.
(4) Lack of a crowd — You can always get a room. I’m kind of scared of this place going out of business, actually.
(5) Not too expensive — We karaoked for 6 hours straight on a Saturday night and it ended up being about $ 50 pp (incl drinks) split among 7 ppl.
I want to go karaōke again!

Actually, I’ll give it 3.5
I have no idea why the name of this place is so complicated. If it’s Lemongrass, it’s Lemongrass. If it’s Izu, it should just be Izu. But I guess they gotta make it all complicated because they serve both Thai food and Sushi. Since it’s decent and I’ve gone back so many times, I’ll try cutting them some slack.
Lemongrass at Izu looks like a posh Thai restaurant on the inside, but don’t be fooled by their Japanese appearance on the outside, you are at the correct address. I was literally at school for about 8 months and even one day trekked waaaay west in search of Thai food near school, but I never knew that Izu or Lemongrass or whatever was a Thai place. And it was right there!
Sorry. I am babbling. The food. yes. The food. The food is good, solid good Thai food. Their duck salad is cheap ($ 6 or $ 7?) and it’s huge. Their pad thai was good as well. This place is big so bring your big groups here. It seemed pretty happening on Friday nights, which was sad because I was always just on dinner break from working at school. Sigh.
They also have karaōke in the basement that I’ve been meaning to try. Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean? and English songs galore. Sounds like paarrtay.