A new trend in chain restaurants has come most welcome to my tastebuds. Focus on regional cuisine has crept into the Asian dining market, expanding the horizons of the menu beyond kung po prawns and chicken satay. Pho and Thaikhun have brought us access to Vietnamese and Thai food respectively, but Banana Tree prides itself on a range of IndoChinese specialties.
On arrival, the atmosphere was chilled but it is tightly packed-in, so it’s not ideal for the diner who craves personal space. But if you enjoy a bustling experience then this should suit you. There are also funky low tables so you can sit cross-legged on the floor as you eat.
My companion and I were in the mood to celebrate and so splurged on a starter. Unlike many eateries, where starters are hardly adequate for one person, Banana Tree served us a plate of Sticky Thai Wings which we could happily share between us. The one problem with the menu’s broad reach is that it is a little difficult to navigate. There are “combos” of dishes, offering salads, rice, and crackers along with your main. Of course, because of this you can easily end up spending more than you budgeted for. If you’re trying to dine cheaply, head for the noodles section.
Slightly overwhelmed by the array of options, I gravitated towards a signature dish and ordered the Banana Tree spiced noodles. It was a sizeable portion which didn’t skimp on the chicken or prawns. It didn’t strike me as particularly different to the kind of thing I could get from Wagamama, but this might have been due to my neglect of the Nuoc Cham sauce. The sweetcorn cakes add a lovely additional flavour and texture. My companion found himself tempted by the Chargrilled Duck, despite the fact that the duck alone was around £15. The quality was good though, and you certainly get a lot of bird for your money. Both of us left quite certain that we would never eat again, completely full even though we had shared a single starter.
