Open Mon–Sat midday–11pm; Sun and Bank Hol midday–10.30pm
Situated on Westbourne Grove, Banana Tree was, surprisingly, completely empty when we arrived, but this was 7pm on a Tuesday and the seats rapidly filled, maintaining a constant buzz of diners in and out for the rest of the night. The layout is what we have come to expect of pan-asian restaurants; a minimalist design of wooden benches around long tables, involving you in the shared-dining experience (though Banana Tree has many smaller tables, allowing for a more private meal if you wish), paper placemats and a plethora of chopsticks at the ready.
The waitress, although very polite and welcoming, couldn’t seem to understand a word I said – she excused herself and got us another waitress who could understand us.
We decided to start by sharing a classic – a quarter of crispy aromatic duck pancakes (£11.50). As Indochinese cuisine, the components of this dish differed from the norm of cucumber and spring onions, with additions such as achar nutty pickle and fresh herbs (the coriander and mint added depth of flavour), overall bringing out the taste of the wonderfully crispy duck.
For main, the other half’s roasted duck breast with pei pa hoisin sauce (£10.50) was, as it said on the menu, ‘simply divine.’ The cashew nuts created a beautiful texture combination with the saucy duck and brought a sweetness to the dish. Opting to ‘combo it up’ (£2.95), his dish came with a small array of sides. We particularly liked the not-so-spicy crackers and sweet corn cakes. The extra dishes added necessary bumf to his portion (you would normally substitute the combo for a bowl of rice or noodles), but easily equalled the actual course in terms of flavour.
My dish of crispy chicken with mango and sweet lime sauce (£7.20) had a deliciously crunchy salt-like crust around the sliced succulent chicken. The mango and lime sauce was beautifully balanced; an explosion of rich mango flavour was followed by the lingering zingy freshness of the lime.
Feeling full, I opted for the mango and summer fruits sorbet (£3.40) and we were tempted by the banana ‘frotiteroles’ (£4.50), which were a delightful twist on the classic banana fritter. Four nuggets of banana in a crisp, light batter arrived on a banana leaf with a large scoop of ice-cream and a silky smooth caramel and banana sauce.
The selection of wines, cocktails, mocktails, raw juices and teas cater for most occasions and the food is varied and well executed. With a relaxed atmosphere, reasonable prices and polite, helpful service, Banana Tree Canteen is a great place for a get-together with friends or family.
