🍴Finding Lemongrass requires a small leap of faith. You’ll wander past JW Marriott’s garage, down a hallway lined with conference rooms, wondering if you’re on the right floor. Once inside, you may not feel immediately reassured either with the bright lighting, decor a little stuck in time, and a practically deserted dining room. But stick around, the food makes the case for itself.

The menu hops across Asia — Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, China, and Japan — and the kitchen handles the range with impressive confidence. The ambience is more business lunch than candlelit rendezvous and the location practically dares you to stumble upon it, but for a casual dinner with friends or family where food is the point, you’ll be glad you trusted the short trek.

The standouts came early. Beef gyoza stuffed with tenderloin, truffle paste and drizzled with goma dressing were rich and deeply savory, quickly becoming a table favorite. The Lemongrass spring rolls (more accurately summer rolls) were bracingly fresh, with the chili dip offering just enough kick. For the curious, there’s a tuna foie gras nigiri that may sound like a dare, but is worth trying. The smashed cucumber salad was cool and punchy, and the duck spring rolls were satisfyingly rich. There wasn’t a dud in the bunch.

The mains held steady. The half Peking duck came with all the ceremonial trappings — paper-thin pancakes, hoisin sauce, cucumber, and leek — and tasted every bit as good as it looked. The Kung pao chicken struck the right balance of heat and crunch, and the cashews pulled their weight. The vegetable pad thai was rich and scratched the noodle itch that follows any pan-Asian visit.

Dessert brought a few surprises, not all of them intentional. The Japanese cheesecake was dense, but still delicious. The pistachio matcha crème brûlée looked gorgeous and tasted good, though the matcha itself seemed to have wandered off somewhere. The mochi — listed as two pieces, one yuzu, one mango — arrived as vanilla and mango. Not a disaster, but not exactly what we ordered.

Fair warning: the kitchen took its time. Dishes arrived at a leisurely pace, so don’t arrive hungry. But when the food lands, it lands well — the portions are generous, ingredients taste genuinely fresh, and the cooking is careful without being fussy. Reservations are encouraged. Want dinner and a show? Book their teppanyaki experience.

💵 Per person: EGP 1.6k–2.1k

🪑 Outdoor seating: No

🍺 Alcohol: Yes

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

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