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Banana Leaves

3.3 (440 reviews)
Open • 10:30 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

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Banana Leaves Photos

Business Info

BANANA LEAVES ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Banana Leaves

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Reviews With Photos

Linda O.

The setting is compact, with 2 levels of seating and a cute bar on 1st floor. Attractive space overall, if a little tight. Sells some Asian dry goods, condiments, etc., off to the side. The menu offers up lots and lots of different Asian cuisines/dishes, and, frankly, that gives me pause. The meal that I went with, luncheon bowl special, is simple, and that's A-okay, but it's also bland. The Saigon fried spring roll that comes with it is unrecognizable, spongy. A middling beef & broccoli is so tame as to be flavorless. Service is efficient. Staffers are courteous. Food is average, prices competitive for the Dupont Circle area.

Kyle S.

Swung by here on a lunch break and would definitely do so again! Tucked into this old townhouse is an excellent restaurant. Note that those with mobility difficulties will not be well-deserved here. The stairs inside and out are steep and plentiful. If you can climb stairs, get in here! The menu and ability to pay individually is available via the QR code at each table. If you're old school, full printed menus are available and there was no issue splitting checks. The food was extremely good and service was quick and helpful. Importantly for me, they brought big bottles of water to the table for filling. Ambiance wasn't much to speak of, but the building is very nice in and of itself.

Chicken pad thai and drunken noodle
Kesanee S.

The pad thai was plain, dry and doesn't taste like original pad thai with tamarin sauce. Drunken noodle was OK even if it should be spicy with herbs and noodle should stir fry with the sauce instead of separated by pouring the sauce on top of white wide noodle. I ordered with Uber eat, haven't experience the service or feel the ambiance there.

Susie W.

I drive by Banana Leaves every day on my way to work, it was finally time to try it out! I ordered for take out the other night, and was pretty satisfied with my experience! I really liked the hot and sour soup! The pad see ew was a bit dry, but I still enjoyed and felt like I got a hearty portion size. I would love to come back and try more of this menu!

Lo Mein Sushi Grand
Princess C.

The service here is interesting, they have no menus so you just scan a QR code. I am not a big fan of this as I feel like it takes away from the experience. When I entered the building they seemed confused I wanted to sit and eat and was not just grabbing takeout. The food came quick which was the best thing about this place. I ordered the lo mein which is alright. The sushi was unfortunately not the best. It did not feel fresh and was not super cold when I received it. I don't think I would return unfortunately.

Pad See Ew
Kerri C.

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.

Wrinkled String Bean
Bessy G.

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.

Unagidon
Caleb J.

I liked the ambiance for a solo meal with a book. It's a small restaurant with a few tables and a counter. The crab rangoon was fine, but the unagidon I ordered was way too saucy. The sauce was a bit syrupy and sweet. Others might enjoy it, but wasn't my cup of tea.

Ummmmm... panang chicken but mostly potatoes
Ali M.

So wanted to love this place- great restaurant name, solid looking menu and a good 2-for-1 offer on Uber Eats. We gave it a shot, but making other food for the fam now. All pretty bland... even the panang chicken (which has five pieces of chicken and the rest is potatoes and a few green beans)... and the 2-for-1 is pretty much one order total. The order was late and we walked to the main road to find the driver- no worries as it's a beautiful night. Overall, wouldn't order again, but wish the restaurant well, assuming we just got an "off" order and hope this helps them make improvements. Thank you for the effort! :)

Vegetable Spring Rolls (2 PCS)
Karissa M.

Picked up some late night take out from here with my friend. The General Tso chicken was actually pretty good, definitely typical Chinese takeout style. The pieces of chicken were large and well seasoned. I just wish it came with more veggies. It only came with a few pieces of broccoli. We split one order for the both of us which was good enough. It did leave us feeling full and tired. The spring rolls were large, but were too oily for my taste. You can really taste the grease on the outside. The area around the restaurant is a bit sketch, so just be alert when walking around at night. I don't see myself going specifically to this restaurant to eat, however, if I'm really hungry and want something easy and close by I might get it again.

Thai Style Fried Rice

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4 months ago

Favorite sushi restaurant in DC, high quality sushi and such a cute spot! The servers are also very nice

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1 year ago

Delicious food, attractive surroundings, in the heart of DuPont. My son and I both love this place!

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Astoria DC - Fried chicken wing flats

Astoria DC

4.3(643 reviews)
0.5 mi•Dupont Circle
•$$$

First time visiting this place after saving it on my list for a while now. Well, let's just say…read morethat it's worth the hype! Advice: sitting outside might be better in the cooler weather because we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes and fighting off flies. I really hope that they consider some type of nature oils near the tables to help guests feel more comfortable outdoors. Also, it would help to get more than one fan. Hospitality: aside from the bugs encounter, I would say that we did not have reservations (they were packed inside) so the hostess was nice enough to accommodate us outdoor. Our waiter, Anthony was a ball of energy and he really understands the dishes and was able to give great recommendations, some of which we plan to try on our next visit. Portions: the dishes are shareable so we only ordered the beef noodles and walnut shrimp and both were more than enough for a party of 2. DRINKS: I ordered the dark and stormy which can best be described as not too sweet and perfect for anyone desiring a well balanced drink. The bourbon smash was also really good. Well balanced with a smoky flavor which I loved. FOOD: Beef noodles- gosh this was so divine! Be warned however, there is a bit of spice to it but nothing that you won't be able to handle. I think the spices paired with the preparation of the noodles and the beef all made this dish memorable. Walnut shrimp- another memorable dish which came with a side of white rice. The shrimps were HUGE! But the flavors on each shrimp paired with that crunchy texture and creamy sauce, spectacular! Safe to say that we enjoyed both dishes and cannot wait to return and reserve indoor tables lol

Dishonor to my cow and my entire family for not taking a picture of this food! The people here were…read moreso kind--literally the sweetest. I don't even know how to describe the energy in this place, but you can just feel it the moment you walk in. The restaurant has a dark aesthetic that gives it such a cool, cozy ambiance. My daughter and I ordered the Dan Dan noodles and spicy wontons. Everything was so filling that we ended up ordering another bowl of the Dan Dan noodles! And honestly, I still crave them. The Dan Dan noodles were SO good. The sauce was the perfect combination of creamy and spicy, and there was a generous amount of minced pork that balanced everything out really well. The wontons paired perfectly with the chili sauce that came with them! They were spicy--my ears turned red and my nose started running--but I literally could not stop going back for another bite. Even the wontons alone were incredibly filling. I don't live anywhere near this place, and I genuinely wish I did. I traveled pretty far to get here, and I'd absolutely do it again. This was one of those meals that stays on your mind long after you've left!

Photos
Astoria DC - Interior dining space. Narrow but really nice on the inside.

Interior dining space. Narrow but really nice on the inside.

Astoria DC - Fried rice

Fried rice

Astoria DC - Lost lake and rum runner

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Lost lake and rum runner

Shōtō - Pork belly skewers

Shōtō

4.0(713 reviews)
0.9 mi•Downtown

After walking past this place nearly every day for two years, I finally made it in…read more Overall, I enjoyed the meal. The menu spans a wide variety of Japanese cuisine (or at least, how one might traditionally imagine it), and there were some genuine highlights: the steak (it wasn't billed as wagyu, so I'm not entirely sure what it was), the eggplant taco, and the corn. That said, as someone who's particular about Japanese food, I do feel that restaurants specializing in each of these dishes execute them better -- Uchi's sushi and Izakaya Seki's yakitori both outshine Shoto's versions. The room itself is glamorous in a very Miami way: sleek decor, a showy bathroom, and it takes on a bit of a nightclub vibe as the night goes on. My main gripe was pacing -- service felt rushed at first, then there was a sudden lull, and dessert took forever to arrive.

My mom & I went Shōtō in DC for an early birthday treat and we had such a great experience! The…read moreservice was immaculate from start to finish. They started us off with warm towels, which was such a nice touch, and everyone was so attentive and welcoming throughout the meal. I started with a martini that came with a shot of sparkling sake, while my mom had a cappuccino. For food, we shared the Wagyu no gyoza and OMG... so good! Definitely an 8/10 and something I'd recommend trying. I also ordered the grilled octopus with potatoes, and that was delicious as well. My only wish is that the portions were a little bigger, but honestly, the excellent service and the fact that we shared several dishes made up for it. My mom ordered the Suzuki yaki, branzino, which was delicious, and the corn was SO good. It's covered in butter and absolutely worth trying! We ended the night with the matcha tiramisu, and they even wrote "Happy Birthday" on the plate for my mom. Such a cute touch and a perfect way to end the meal. They said online that we might leave hungry, but we were actually pretty full! I definitely think sharing several dishes is the way to go. If you're only ordering one entrée for yourself, you may leave wanting more, but with a few dishes to share, we had plenty. Overall, I'd definitely recommend Shōtō. It's definitely a bit pricey but the service really stood out, the food was delicious, and it felt like a special place to celebrate. I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the sushi!

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Shōtō - The beautiful bar

The beautiful bar

Shōtō - Premium omakase (tempura)

Premium omakase (tempura)

Shōtō - Seating area

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Seating area

ANJU - Yukhoe

ANJU

4.3(683 reviews)
0.2 mi•Dupont Circle
•$$

We went to Anju with friends and had the best time sharing several dishes! The restaurant has a…read morenice ambiance, and they were playing a bunch of 2010s hits this evening (which was a fun throwback). Fig Around and Find Out: 4/5, not too sweet, and you could really taste the prosecco Chikin: 5/5, you can't go wrong with this Anju classic! This is a perfect appetizer for four people. Our waiter provided some hand wipes so we could clean our hands off afterwards. Yukhoe: 3/5, this was sweeter than I expected, and the sugar/nuts/chili basil overpowered any beef flavor. Chadolbaegi Fried Rice: 4/5, great smoky flavor but I wish the butternut squash had been cut bigger to enjoy more with each bite. More pork also would've been nice. Kimchi Jjigae: 5/5, we added noodles, which was a great move. This was such a delicious stew, and I loved the kimchi.

I debated whether I wanted to give this place 3 or 4 stars…read more 1. Mandu (3/5) - while it tasted good, the temperature was lukewarm which was disappointing. 2. Half chikin (4/5) - why do they call it chikin? It made me think it wasn't real chicken like what veggie grill calls their fake chicken. Anyway, it was messy but it was crispy and hot - it was fine. I've had better. 3. Lobster steamed egg (1/5) - the lobster was rubbery and I'm not a big fan of mixing sweet and savory together and for me, the sweet peppers ruined the entire dish. For me, the dish as a whole was less than the sum of its parts. 4. Ssam (5/5) - this dish saved the rest of the meal. The meat was tender the pear was nice and refreshing but to be honest, I consider this hard to mess up as long as the meat is good. My wife said that she wishes we just ordered two of these and nothing else lol. 5. Drinks (non-alcoholic - one was yakult and the other I think was passionfruit) - my wife really enjoyed both drinks so I guess I'll round up the review to 4 stars. If I lived in DC, I would probably go back here but since we're from out of state and visit DC once a year for work, we probably wouldn't come back here.

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ANJU - Upstairs dining

Upstairs dining

ANJU - Korean "Jambalaya"

Korean "Jambalaya"

ANJU - Tuna bibimguksu

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Tuna bibimguksu

Kanpai - Front door

Kanpai

4.5(286 reviews)
11.0 mi
Locally owned & operated
Private events

So glad we finally got a chance to try out this place. The best part was they let us make…read morereservations even weeks ahead! We celebrated 2 birthdays together over dinner on Saturday and it was truly amazing. The server even helped us grill all the meats/seafood, a big help since we also had a hot pot to attend to. A very good selections of buffet bar from seafood to Southeast Asian Street food, everything was surprisingly delicious. The restaurant is nicely decorated. The birthday team of staff brought out those big sparkling candles on top of a complimentary non-alcoholic drink. Loud music & singing, exciting & super fun atmosphere. Our kids were thrilled with the surprises. While you only have an hour 45 minutes for the all-you-can-eat meal, most people get stuffed after an hour. Our server m.k. was pleasant and friendly. She was also very efficient and handled everything quickly. A BIG thanks to her. If you have never been to this place, I would highly recommend it. I'll be taking my other family members here very soon :)

Such a great AYCE place for a group of friends who can't decide what they want to eat. They have a…read morehuge variety and offer KBBQ, hotpot and seafood. A little something for everyone You order the KBBQ and hot pot food on a tablet and the seafood buffet is self served. They consistently kept the buffet well stocked and clean. I love that they have a huge sauce bar selection.

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Kanpai - Window seatings

Window seatings

Kanpai - Front desk

Front desk

Kanpai - Party room

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Party room

Love Makoto - Hand rolls

Love Makoto

4.5(580 reviews)
2.0 mi
•$$$$

Review for Hiya Izakaya--the cocktail bar option in this "Food Hall" style restaurant…read more Visited for our one year engagement anniversary and it was the Perfect vibe. Loved the creative cocktails and every appetizer we tried was insanely unique and delicious. I am still salivating over their edamame 4 months later! We also took the plunge and ordered the biggest sushi assortment, unknowingly ordering a boat to our table. They were awesome, fresh, and flavorful. Too much for us to finish at dinner so we also had leftovers. Servers were very attentive. Since visiting, we have ordered takeout from Love On The Run and it was VERY good.

Love Makoto is a cool food hall with different restaurants inside. We tried Dear sushi for a…read morebirthday and the staff was so polite and professional after the group got rambunctious after a few bottles of sake. God bless them. The table got à la cart nigiri and they received large portions of fresh fish. The toro is great here. I ordered the omakase. While it had a cool concept of "old vs new school" methods of preparing the sushi. I ended up liking the simple flavors so next time I'll just go with the à la cart menu. The non sushi dishes were unremarkable. I found the omakase to be of poor value because the non sushi dishes were bland and uninteresting, and I was so hungry after. The thing that I couldn't get over was the rice. The rice was large kernels that tasted kind of like brown rice and had an odd texture. It did not stick together well and was falling apart when you picked it up. It was so distracting. Next time I will only order sashimi.

Photos
Love Makoto - Pick up area

Pick up area

Love Makoto - Omakase Express Lunch came with these 5 sushi. Otoro, hamachi; bluefin tina, salmon, snapper.

Omakase Express Lunch came with these 5 sushi. Otoro, hamachi; bluefin tina, salmon, snapper.

Love Makoto - Emperor butterfly mocktail

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Emperor butterfly mocktail

Banana Leaves - asianfusion - Updated October 2026

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