When both of my favorite "foodie" type people e-mailed me in less than a week to rave about Lime Leaf, I could barely wait to get over there. They are never wrong - at least about food - so on a recent evening, hubby and I headed to the Tinseltown area for dinner.
Now, "charm" is not the word that comes to mind when I describe this part of Southside Boulevard, but the new Tapestry Park development has it in spades, with brick streets and tasteful shops just waiting for tenants.
Another winner is Lime Leaf itself. While a debate went on over dinner about the acoustics in the tiled space - it was very loud - everyone had good things to say about both the service and the food.
The kitchen got a head start, with experienced owners and chefs from a popular Thai restaurant on Baymeadows making this their new home. They are clearly on solid ground here, and it shows.
We started with the Chicken Satay ($7.95). While the large chicken strips were tasty, the crisp cucumber salad and peanut dipping sauce completely elevated this simple dish. Another table-pleaser was the Crab Rangoons ($7.95). The crab was plentiful, but a winning addition of curry and chives put these little morsels over the top. We split on the Fried Spring Rolls ($7.50), with one diner complaining that they weren't crispy enough. I found them to be delicious, with fresh vegetables and a nice kick of black pepper.
Dinners ranged from very good to fantastic with the Drunken Noodles ($14.95) being the table favorite. The rice noodles were stir-fried with egg, sweet red bell peppers, mushrooms, jalapenos, cashews, spicy chili sauce and plenty of Thai sweet basil.
I also enjoyed a dish called "The Amazing" ($14.95). My chicken was simmered in a coconut milk and a peanut curry sauce before being spooned over fresh spinach. Steamed broccoli adds color and plenty of crunch to what may be my new favorite Thai meal.
The Massamun Curry with Beef ($17.95) came with fork-tender potatoes, while the Thai Fried Rice ($14.95) was fragrant with jasmine rice and chunks of fresh crabmeat. The Lime Leaf Seafood Special ($25.95) was a delicious take on a sweet Thai chili dish, and the bowl was overflowing with large shrimp, scallops, crab claws, squid and mussels.
Worth noting: This place does not skimp on anything. When they say "seafood," they mean it - and you won't leave hungry.
Once again, my foodie friends were right. Lime Leaf is now near the top of my list for Thai food in Jacksonville.