Todd B.
Yelp
I really enjoyed La Moon but had a couple issues stopping me from going 4 stars.
First, it is a cute Asian fusion restaurant and I love that they are able to open their front wall to allow the air in and provide an open atmosphere. We were sat right in front and were very comfortable and still got to enjoy the Virginia Highlands energy.
First reason, however, I can't go 5 stars is service. Our server was very nice but also very absent. Tables that got sat after us got served before us. If I had to guess I would say our server was enjoying some higher enlightenment, but I don't mean to disparage someone. I just mean she wasn't all there and may have been existing on another plane.
We started with a couple of drinks. I don't remember mine or my wife's, so this is very unhelpful. I'm not sure I loved mine though. I know I didn't dislike it, but I also don't think I loved it. This is an incredibly unhelpful paragraph and I apologize.
We also started with their mussels appetizer. It was delicious. The broth was amazing. But, it was also really small. For a mussels dish, there may have been a dozen mussels, maybe 15, and at least 5 were complete closed. So although it was good it was not worth the price.
For entrees, my wife got the lemongrass tofu and I got the chicken and shrimp pad Thai. Starting with my wife's, it was delicious. I don't know how they got the tofu that crispy and flavorful-I've stir fried tofu with a sh*t ton of seasoning and sauce and never got it this good. Top marks for her dinner. As for mine-it was good, but the server (might have been the bartender) who dropped it off said he thought it was the best pad Thai he ever had.
Okay, let's get into that. This gentleman was of Asian descent. I don't know his background but his confidence and profile made me believe I was about to eat the best pad Thai I've ever had.
It really missed the mark. I tasted very different from a standard pad Thai, which is fine if it really is better, but it wasn't. It was good, and i definitely enjoyed it, but there was way too much confidence in his opinion for what I was served. While I recommend it, and I do think you'll enjoy it, it is a 4 star entree. I've had better pad Thai. And that's okay. This was very good, but his opinion was writing checks that the cooks couldn't cash.
Also, just a side note, but can we do something about serving shrimp with the tail shell still attached? Why are we doing that? If it was a shrimp cocktail or something similar, fine. But this is a dinner with multiple ingredients. I'm supposed to eat it all together which is impossible if I have to de-shell the shrimp.
Anyway, you will enjoy your meal here. It's a very good experience. It's just not the best. Bu I still highly recommend it.