Banana Leaves - Washington, D.C.

We intended to go to Bucca Di Beppo across the street and that was a mistake. We couldn't get seated despite reservations, so we left and walked over to Banana Leaves. So glad we did. Service was attentive and quick. We ordered various dishes: edamame, chicken pad see ewe, string beans, Chinese fried rice, tofu with vegetables. All were yummy. Drinks are not refillable and come in bottles. Will be back.

The crab Rangoon and Korean Kimchi Bacon Fried Rice were sooooo good. I wasn't expecting much since it's like a fusion type of spot but I will probably go back for this rice every time I'm in DC. The prices are reasonable, too.

I went to this place twice in one day to try out the different menu items and boy do they have variety. They have Chinese, Japanese, and Thai cuisine, and do a great job of showcasing all three menu types. The service is extremely quick, and was crowded for lunch and dinner which was great to see. The food was a little bit bland, but some menu items (spicy chicken wontons were extremely spicy. Overall, I'd come back here again just to try out their Japanese cuisine and see how their sushi rolls are, but definitely a great sit down lunch/dinner spot for any occasion :

Average food spot Pros: great location lots of food they make their own chili oil nice waiters easy to have separate checks Cons: empty on a Thursday night mediocre flavor

We went to Banana Leaves because it had good reviews and my mom was in town staying at a hotel nearby. This is a hidden gem in the city- not terribly expensive, kind workers, and absolutely delicious food. I live about 10 miles away and am specifically going to go into the city to return. We ordered the vegetable spring rolls, pork dumplings, chicken wonton soup, chicken pad see ew and vegetable tempura. The vegetable spring rolls were crispy, chock full of veggies, and delicious. The dumplings were perfectly fried and had so much flavor. I will dream about the chicken wonton soup- it's not like what I grew up eating in NY with just broth and a wonton. It was so much more flavorful, had multiple wontons, pieces of chicken, and vegetables too. By far the best wonton soup I've ever had. The shrimp tempura also may have been the best tempura I've had- it wasn't greasy at all and super crispy, and came out piping hot. The pad see ew had lots of chicken and broccoli- definitely wasn't a cheap helping. It was a tad salty and a little bit too saucy but that's my personal preference. I'm looking forward to returning for date night! I want to try their cocktails! Thank you for an amazing lunch.