Lime Leaf: Thai Food Worth Talking About
As COVID-19 continues to disrupt the country and people yearn for normalcy, it is no surprise that eating establishments have opened up. Many restaurant owners hope to gain back lost business to stay afloat. Most restaurants have taken a big hit since the start of the pandemic and as a result have either cut back on portion sizes or increased the prices of their food. Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant is not one of those restaurants.
I ordered some carry out from Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant this week and was more than happy with the quality of the food, the pricing, and the portion size. I ordered my carry out over the phone, which proved to be very easy and efficient. You can place your order by calling 434-245-8884, or by visiting their website: http://limeleafsiam.com. My food was ready within 15 minutes of calling in my order, and all I had to do was go into the restaurant and pay. Lime Leaf Thai is not like most Thai restaurants in Charlottesville; it has a variety of authentic Thai dishes at an affordable price. Entrees range from $11 to $29, while small plates and appetizers range from $4 to $10.
The restaurant is nestled between Tropical Smoothie and Skrimp Shack in the Rio Hill Shopping Center off Route 29. The address is 1958 Rio Hill Center, Charlottesville, VA 22901. From the outside, the restaurant looks ordinary, however, upon entering the friendly staff greet the customer. The staff members, will direct to the customer to the payment area and then hand over their order. The staff is accommodating and will double-check that they got the order correct. They will ensure that each person walks out of their establishment with everything they want.
Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant offers lunch 11:00 a.m to 2:30 p.m Tuesdays through Saturdays. Lunch is offered from 12:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Dinner hours are 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday. On Mondays, Lime Leaf is closed.
Although indoor seating is closed and tables are pushed back, there is no doubt that customers’ eyes will still be drawn to the huge airbrushed paintings of people and landscapes which make up most of the wall decor in the restaurant. The aroma of bay leaves and other herbs fill the space. The ambient music that plays throughout the entire eatery is soothing and creates an incredibly relaxing atmosphere for all who enter the restaurant. The restaurant is clean and has an open floor plan.
This week, I ordered my favorite dish. I got the Stir-Fried Noodles with beef, it cost $12 and it was prepared and executed beautifully. Stir-Fried Noodles is a noodle dish that is made with wide rice noodles (rice flour and water) that are stir-fried in a light brown sauce with broccoli and egg. It sounds very simple, but when all the ingredients come together they are perfectly balanced. The sweetness of the brown sauce combined with the savory egg and seasoned broccoli creates a very light flavor. The grilled smokiness of the beef combined with the sweetness of the noodles creates an explosion of goodness in the mouth. The dish does not contain any peanuts and is not spicy at all. Spice can be added, upon request, but I personally would not recommend doing that because it might disrupt the (already perfect) flavors. The portion of the dish is quite large, and I actually could not eat it all in one sitting. I saved half of it for the next day. I reheated it in my nonstick pan, and it was just as good.
Overall, I give Lime Leaf four stars. The restaurant is excellent not only by food quality standards but also by cleanliness standards. The food is consistently good and affordable. The atmosphere is extremely positive; the staff is not only helpful but also kind, and the service is brilliant. The only thing that would make Lime Leaf better is if they had curbside pick up or were on a food delivery app like GrubHub or UberEats.
