I was feeling a bit adventurous today. In the mood for a Vietnamese roll, the plan was to drive down Prospect Road and order one from every shop that I came across. According to the Banh Mi phone application, there were at least 5 places to visit. Unless the signage was really poor, I could only find two stores on Prospect Road.

Lemongrass was one of those stores and because it was so new, it wasn’t even in the phone application. As you walk in, there’s a nice big menu board with English on the left and the Vietnamese translation on the right. On offer are 8 types of Vietnamese meat rolls, a selection of cold rolls, steamed rice dishes (note that they don’t mislead by using the term “broken rice”), rice noodles and salad. All the meats are traditionally marinated and grilled, and everything is made fresh daily using local produce.

The decor is neat and well presented with nice clean lines. With plenty of natural light flowing through the windows, the place has a very relaxed casual vibe.

For lunch, I ordered the Roast Pork Roll. Made on the spot, I was pleased to see all the ingredients even distributed throughout the roll.

The roast pork was well marinated, perfectly cooked and a generous amount was provided. Most of the meat was lean, and there was a good proportion of meat to crunchy skin. The pork skin wasn’t overly hard as to cause any visits to the dentist.

The pickled diakon and carrot were sweet and tangy, and the cucumber added a nice crunchy texture. The coriander was fresh and the chilli added a decent level of heat with every bite. The egg mayonnaise and pate spread gave the roll nice balance, while the roll itself was fresh and crusty.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was more than reasonable. The cost my roll was $5 which appears to be the average price in this area, although great value considering I had the perfect meat roll.

I’m not sure where all the other competition were on Prospect Road but this place would be hard to beat.

WHERE: 296 Prospect Rd, Prospect