March 3, 2011

My daughter told me to check my reviews. I told her we have gotten about 48 great reviews from the local newspapers and our 11 international awards are still hanging on the wall. She said "No, your customer's internet reviews. Daddy now a day you can write your own review over the internet."

I have looked though these reviews before but I feel like I should address some of them. There are about fifty to sixty reviews in total and we were lucky enough to average four stars. We are thankful for the good and bad reviews. The feedback is very helpful and it helps us improve.

A few reviews claimed we were not authentic and criticized that we served sushi and hamburgers. As a foodie I agree. Let me explain... In 1994 when we moved into Armory Square we changed our name from "The Authentic Thai Restaurant of Syracuse" to "Lemon Grass." Since that day we have labeled ourselves as Pacific-Rim Thai, giving us the freedom to add more variety and different flavors that just "Thai." We do have some very authentic dishes, however, I also take inspiration from everyplace I visit. This is how I keep my food exciting.

Lets talk about Sushi for a bit. About half our Sushi menu is our own creation. Now a day it is normal to see Sushi on the menu from Japan to France. Our Sushi menu is getting more and more popular. I was toying with the notion of taking it off the menu and everyone one told me "No Way!"

As with the hamburger, we tried it for a month or two and took it off. We put it on the lunch menu because we wanted to promote Bistro Elephant for lunch. We were trying to appeal to a wider audience and increase our lunch business. We have had a lot of requests for Bistro Elephant entrees for lunch so we added a few steaks and a fried grouper to the lunch menu. So far the feedback has been very positive. We will see how it goes.

Your Chef,

Max