Recently me and my other half headed into
London’s West End for a meal on the town. While gallivanting past our usual
haunts, such as The Stockpot, Balans, Amalfi and Browns we crawled out of our
comfort zone and decided to try something new. At the end of Old Compton
Street, we turned right onto Wardour Street where Soho turns into Mayfair and a range of appealing and
alluring restaurants can be found.
Although Byron immediately attracted my
attention because of the good vibe and its lively crowd (especially for a
Tuesday night), the menu was simply off-putting. The place offers hardly any
choice and the cook seems to have an unrestrained obsession for beef, resulting
in a menu consisting of chicken burgers, veggie burgers and beef burgers. So,
undoubtedly, if you are looking for a decent quality burger this is certainly
the place to be, but if a slightly more sophisticated kitchen it is you are
after, it would not hurt to try another popular joint a few doors down the
road, namely the much more appealing eatery of the Banana Tree, part of a chain of six restaurants throughout London, it offers an authentic selection of dishes and specialties from the
Indochina region.
The grand but personal room is a
designer-free zone with its shiny, wood-grain tables and black brick walls on one side (with a huge image of what is most likely rush hour in Vietnam) while the other half of the restaurant has a more serene and light ambiance to it. The place breathes trendiness and modernity, and it certainly has a proper
‘city’ feel to it. We were seated at a table in the centre of the restaurant
where we could soak in the lively, vibrant atmosphere created by a loud,
outgoing audience, without being too much in your face. The restaurant fills up
quickly but the noise is not unrelenting: it is not necessary to shout in order
to make yourself heard, while one can easily hold a private conversation
without being overheard.
While studying the trendy brown and black
menu card, which had a bit of an exotic touch to it, we were overwhelmed by the
excellent, original choices. The menu invites its customers on a culinary tour
through the region of South East Asia, offering all the best that Vietnam,
Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have to offer. What about ‘a four hour
meltingly tender stew with star anise, closed, cinnamon and galangal, prepared
with a Vietnamese slant, using coconut water to sweeten the sauce’, or the
Gaening Keo Wan, which goes down as an ‘aromatic Thai curry cooked with green
spice paste, sweet basil, lime leaves, peppers, bamboo shoots and coconot
milk’; finger licking descriptions that certainly got us mouthwatering. I
decided to play it safe and ordered the ‘chicken lemongrass, turmeric and
coriander’, while my other half opted for the roasted duck breast with Pei Pa
Hoisin Sauce, as recommended by William Chow, the founder and chef of Banana
Tree. In next to no time the polite waitress brought us a bottle of their
decent house red, a French Jacques Veritier.
Soon – perhaps slightly too rapid – the
food was brought in and really got our taste buds going. The unpretentious
portions were faultlessly presented and staff checked on us to made sure we
were satisfied. My chicken was sweet with a delicious spicy aftertaste that
made you long for the next gnaw. The savory and aromatic sauce, consisting of
lemongrass, coriander and turmeric, was complimented with peanuts, peppers and
oriental veggies. The ‘added dash of fish sauce’, as stated on the menu, could
not be identified, surely the spices and lemongrass dominated and with chicken
as the backbone of the dish adding fish sauce seemed a bit out of place.
Meanwhile, my partner took proper care of his roasted duck breast, which was
presented excellently. Even if duck is not your thing, you might reconsider
given the fact it was tastefully topped with mildly spiced hoisin and a sesame
sauce, served with cashews and coriander. Simply divine!
The quality of our dishes seemed to shine
through the entire dining experience at this trendy 40-seater. It has a vibrant crowd of any age and culture and breathes a
relaxed, open-minded atmosphere. It is reasonably priced and I will definitely
come back to try the Dirty Thai Guy, one of the many interestingly named
cocktails on their menu. From the well-balanced, flavorsome dishes
to the friendly and easy going staff, Banana Tree truly is the home of the Indochinese cuisine in
London’s West End.
Banana Tree
103 Wardour Street - Mayfair
Michiel Willems © May 2012 Pictures: The Local Data Company / FluidLondon.co.uk / Londonchow.com.
