Banana Leaf

(bestfoodinchina.net)
Updated: 2008-08-07 11:14

Banana Leaf

Location(s): No.4 Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing

Tel:010-65068855

Service quality: good

Food quality: very good

Price per head (RMB): 100-200

Environment: good

Make no mistake about it: the Banana Leaf restaurants are one of the most popular and successful in Beijing and China. The Sanliturn property is one of several in the Asia Banana Leaf Group (the original began as a noodle restaurant in Hong Kong in 1990), with an ambitious goal. Our gracious hostess Rita, the General Manager, said plans are to open 10 new restaurants in the next year, ultimately leading to a 110 property franchise.

The foreign-trained business owner leads an all-Chinese team with a two pronged philosophy: happy customers and happy employees. The typical business day begins early with a test taste sampling to ensure quality. Customer distribution is 30%-35% foreigners and the rest local customers.

Claiming the best Thai food in China, Banana Leaf offers a huge menu with pictures and English captions. Customers come here not just for the excellent food but also for the eye candy and entertainment. You can count on a very lively environment: this property seats 600 diners at a time and on this mid-week night there wasn’t an empty table in sight.

Many customers come here to celebrate birthdays, presumably so they can be embarrassed by serenading troubadours who get the parties to stand and dance and generally have a good time. Lots of laughs and photo opportunities and stress relief abound here, one reason for its’ popularity.

The Sanliturn restaurant occupies two floors, seemingly an environment within an environment. Sumptuous décor with lots of bamboo and rattan, hundreds of autographed pictures of celebrities, fish tanks with crabs and fish, wine bottle displays and open glassed-in kitchen areas. You can watch fresh fruit crushed ice smoothies (more fruit than ice) being blended, a tall East-Indian chef slapping paper- thin sheets of dough like a flared flag and dabbing it with clarified butter and folding it up for further preparation (from his feet to his chef’s hat all of 7 feet tall) and see the flames from the woks reflected on the walls and glass.

The second floor is made up like a courtyard, the central dining area surrounded by a tile-roofed veranda. Over head is artificial foliage with Durian pods (the famous “stinky fruit”) hanging down and with hearts, badminton rackets and balls to add a little serendipity.

We began with a mango slushy (no added sugar), very refreshing on this warm Beijing evening. A small bowl of Shrimp Tom Yum soup followed. Always recommended, this Thai classic features flavors and spices that go off like little firecrackers on the palate. A plate of cold Green Papaya salad (vinegary, spicy and crunchy) was a perfect follow-up.

I had ordered a side dish of Fried Green Beans, though on second thought I considered it might have been too prosaic. Wrong.

Banana Leaf

It as delicious: the perfectly fried green beans (with red bell peppers and onion) in a chili paste and salty bean paste was a hit.

Two fish dishes followed: huge meaty mussels batter dipped and fried with a fruity sweet sauce and Banana Leaf’s #1 signature dish Crab Curry. Both were excellent. The Crab Curry was spectacular: a cracked crab on a huge platter floating in a marbled pool of coconut cream and curry sauce. A bowl of rice took care of all that sauce. I would have licked the platter if I was alone (yes, really).

A cold chowder of beans, corn and mung beans in coconut milk broth and a platter of fresh fruit slices cooled things off to finish our meal.

Diners can typically expect to spend between 130RMB-150RMB per person and Rita strongly suggested reservations for this popular destination.