Chad Lovan – Lemon Grass Restaurant
This month, we welcome Adel’s newest dining experience, Lemon Grass Restaurant featuring contemporary Lao and Thai cuisines.
Lemon Grass Restaurant was previously located in West Des Moines for 8 years.
Owner Chad Lovan, his wife Bouany, son Jordan and daughter Salina decided it was time to change locations for this family business.
Adel offered a smaller space in the former Rendezvous Lounge off the historic downtown square.
Selecting this space allowed the family to renovate the dining area and kitchen to their needs, while providing a quiet, upscale dining experience in the dining room.
The new Lemon Grass location is designed with art and decorations of Lao and Thai tradition.
Moving to Adel allowed the family to revamp their business model. Lemon Grass Restaurant is now open for lunch and dinner during the week, closed on weekends and major holidays.
This was an important decision for the family; the kids are teenagers and involved in many activities. Family time became paramount. Father, Chef and Manager Chad Lovan says simply with a smile, “I need to spend more time with my family.”
Lemon Grass Restaurant has made a name for its self with the help of healthy, tasty dishes. Chef Lovan and his team create each recipe by hand- making hundreds of crab ragoons, egg rolls and steamed dumplings (shrim shaomai).
Traditional dishes like Pad Thai, Tom Kha (coconut soup), and Pad Kra-Prow (a combination of stir fried onions, mushrooms, green peppers, sweet basil and chicken) are staples on the Lao & Thai menu.
True fans of Lao-style Pho (pronounced f’ah), will need to try the Beef Noodle Soup, featuring well-known ingredients from this forest and mountain region.
With 20 years restaurant experience, Chef Lovan is well known for the ambiance of his locations- casual yet upscale, perfect for a business lunch, family dinner, or date night.
Longtime fans of Lemon Grass Restaurant will be pleased that the chef has kept the menu including his signature dishes Lemon Grass Chicken, Triple Delight, Teriyaki Delight, and Seafood Asparagus.
Chef Lovan say his take on these traditional recipes “are very different than any other restaurant. They taste very delightful.”
The Lovan family is pleased with the warm welcome they have received at the new location in Adel, with diners traveling from all around.
Chad looks forward to many years ahead as part of the community and hopes his customers will let him know how to keep the restaurant in top form as more and more visitors find Adel.
“What I like best is the community and friendliness of Adel and the surrounding areas. I am getting to know everyone, from the local businesses and people who just stop by the restaurant to say hi. Please come out and give us a chance to serve all of you.
If you dislike something, please let me know so I can make it better next time. I want everyone to know how much I care about our family-owned restaurant.”
Visit Lemon Grass Restaurant in Adel Monday – Friday for lunch from 11am – 2pm, and dinner from 4:30 – 8:30pm.
Order ahead for carry-out dining ready in about 20-30 minutes. Freshly made to order authentic Lao and Thai foods now available in Adel!.
Lemon Grass Restaurant
909 Main St.
Adel Iowa, 50003
Phone: (515) 993-2031
Facebook: LemonGrassAdel
