Banana Leaves Asian Restaurant & Sushi Bar
| Address: | 2020 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA |
| Phone: | +1 202-986-1333 |
| Site: | mybananaleaves.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 12–3PM 4–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 11
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Nathaniel Moore
For a Saturday night it is quiet. But that is okay with me. Im at the bar and another is here at the bar as well. Tables are full but no wait. People coming in to pick up take out seem like regulars which is a good sign. No sushi chef hello! I miss that. Same as the Rikasa place I went to last night. And where is the little cucumber salad chef treat? Not here. I miss that too. The small things, right? Sushi chefs are right at the door and should give a greeting. Sushi restaurant 101. Dirty menus but otherwise the place is clean. Could use a little more volume to the background music but at least it is not too loud. Lower is better than louder. Service is prompt and courteous. Food is FAST. Miso soup is delish chauk full of tofu. Could be a little warmer. I like a very hot miso to sip. Sushi arrived half way through Miso. Too soon. California Roll pieces are perfect size, but a little too big on nigiri sushi pieces. California roll crabmeat is go my to be your basic - not freshly minced. You know, you dont want too small but too big is difficult to eat in one bite. These are only SLIGHTLY too big. But excellent! Fresh. Great rice. Your presentations is basic. This is okay. Nothing fancy here. Ok. This is a three in my opinion. Very average. Not bad. I would definitely come back as a regular if I lived in the neighborhood. Its a neighborhood hang out sushi pan Asian place. Not a destination.
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A Private User
We visited this restaurant because they had a wide variety of food. Ordered the roti - the curry sauce was a little salty and the bread wasnt crispy like it should be. We had the mango salad and it was probably the best thing that we ordered, although that isnt saying much. The soup that we ordered (seafood hot pot) tasted like Korean ramen without the noodles and had small bits of seafood but HUGE chunks of vegetables. Probably 90% of the soup was vegetables. The basil chicken was absolutely horrid. All you could taste is the soy sauce and had no hints of basil at all. Also, there were probably only 6-7 small pieces of chicken and a slurry of vegetables - once again probably 90% vegetables. Bad flavors with nothing that sticks to the ribs = below average. Service was ok though.
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Nick Pitts
Came here to start off our Saturday night in DC by grabbing a few sushi rolls to share and some unique cocktails (a little on the stronger side not that its a bad thing). The food itself was very good from the Tuna platter to the Uni everything was prepared very well and came out quickly to the table. The only issue I did have was after being seated it took 10+ minutes to get the servers attention so we could start ordering drinks and food. Besides this longer than usual wait to order everything was great and if you are in the area and looking for a decent priced sushi restaurant with good food then stop by. I recommend the Spicy Tuna roll, or the yellowfin nigiri for the minimalist
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M Sams
Bearing in mind this was a Wednesday night, we had a very large party, which grew as the night went on. The service crew was able to accommodate.Our waiter (Herald or Henry..sorry) was excellent! He was very friendly and patient with our large group. There is a small bar on the first floor which serves as a good meeting place while one awaits for people to arrive. The upstairs is tranquil and very good for conversation (not loud). Food is a large variety of east Asian dishes from Malaysia to Korea. Everyone should be able to find something they like. I do recommend the hot pot but ask for it to be extra spicy, if you are a frequent hot pot consumer.
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A Private User
My best friend and I ventured up to DC from GA and were craving sushi (as usual)... we stayed right down the road from Banana Leaves at the Hilton-Washington. When we first walked in we loved the feel. They had relaxing music and the design was cute. We ordered quite a bit off the menu and everything we ate was delicious! The price was VERY reasonable. We had 3 appetizers and 2 different sushi rolls each for under $50! There were not a ton of rolls to choose from but I was able to add and subtract things from one of the rolls on the menu to have it customized to my liking. When I come back to DC I will be visiting Banana Leaves often!
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Jason Yin
Ordered the curry special with chicken and was not even mildly impressed; very plain with little flavor, curry extremely watery, only redeeming trait was coconut rice was good. However, what really disappointed me was the "indian pancakes" I ordered were just regular storebought frozen pancakes they heated up (I know this because I literally have the exact same one in my freezer right now). Sad that they can get away with this lack of effort with their customers. Really one star, but giving two stars because delivery driver was nice
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A Private User
My husband and I have eaten here twice and enjoyed ourselves both times. After reading the other reveiews, I agree that more refined sushi can be found elsewhere. But for the price, I think this restaurant is a fantastic place to have sushi and a drink. I concider it my go-to place for asian food in the city because of the wide food selection (for those who do not like sushi), taste, and price, plus there always an open table.
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Cary Brown
Pan-Asian food served quickly from a large menu. The restaurant is located in a brownstone, with steep concrete steps. The sushi chef and his work area takes up about one-half of the first floor. The menu contains at least ten vegan entrees. It also includes many Pan-Asian items. I had Kung Pao Tofu. It was good. Prices are moderate. The second floor bathroom requires a steep walk-up. Not wheelchair accessible. Street parking.
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Michael Henry
I wish I came here more often. A solid lunch spot, everything on the menu is very good. You simply cannot go wrong between the sushi, curry, noodles, or frankly anything else. Many pan-Asian places do one type of food well and mail it in on the rest, but not Banana leaves (though if you want really authentic fare, do look elsewhere). For a sit-down place, the prices are pretty decent.
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Stephanie C. Whelpley
This place gets the job done and the service is good. I usually get food that I end up not LOVING, but its still good and tasty, and I eat it and enjoy it (and usually I blame my choices and not the food). I have yet to get the sushi here, but I have friends who love it. Its not super close to me, so its not really worth a trek to go unless Im meeting people.
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Adrienne Rigby
Located one block from the Washington Hilton Hotel and Connecticut Ave. Elegant upscale Asian atmosphere. First floor sushi dining area and bar with an upstairs main dining area. Menu options are from different asian regions. Portions are small to average, tasty and a little pricy. Service is excellent with attention to details and customer service.
