Lemongrass & Staccato Gelato

Lemongrass has been one of my favorite special occasion restaurants. I love the fried tofu, and hadn't ever encountered anything I didn't like. But tonight was, I hope, an anomoly.

Lemongrass has a heat scale from 1-20, with 20 being insanely hot, and 1 being totally wimpy. I like heat, but I don't kid myself -- 4 is getting close to uncomfortable for me. Tonight, we were out with a friend who doesn't like it very hot -- and 3 is her too-hot zone, so we ordered our dishes 2.5

I was shocked when the food was blisteringly spicy -- my lips and mouth were burning, I was gobbling white rice and glasses of water. So we talk among ourselves that the kitchen has made a mistake.

Mind you, I've snuck bites of level 20 dishes, and I think they weren't a lot hotter than this.

The waiter (the owner's son?) comes by to ask how our meal was. Our dishes are glistening with chili oil. So I say that the food is too hot -- that we've eaten there before, and the food is too hot. He says, well, 2 is very hot, and I thought you guys knew better. Knew better?!? Is that something you say to a customer?

We ended up eating only a tiny bit of our food, and I should have stiffed him on the tip (though I didn't). A trip to Staccato Gelato cooled off our mouths and filled them with bright clear flavors -- like Lemongrass should have. The fresh local strawberry gelato was to die for.

posted by vj @ 9:10 PM