Banana Tree

The last time I went to a Banana Tree it was in Watford. I really enjoyed it and was disappointed when they closed the branch. The restaurant in Angel is well situated for those going to Sadler’s Wells and the staff are well aware of the different events happening nearby (there’s a sign by the till with all the details).
I came with three friends and brought my Taste card which permits 2 for 1 on starters, mains, sides etc. but only for two people so we effectively got 1 person for free. Very happy :)
The service was a bit odd. We seemed to have 3 waitresses which meant there was no coordination. We arrived before 6 so we thought we’d take advantage of happy hour and order some cocktails but Waitress 1 came back and said the till wouldn’t accept the order (5:55pm fail). We accepted her apologies and said we’d look at the drinks again and order with our food. Waitress 2 came for our order and she told me I’d get 2 for 1 on mocktails (I tried to explain it might not be possible but was happy either way). Five minutes later Waitress 3 came with our original 2 for 1 cocktails! Woohoo! We asked he to ensure the other drinks were cancelled and we were happy to get our original choice. Then Waitress 2 comes over with the second drinks order… my my, it gets so confusing and I can only imagine this makes little sense to read.
The food was alright. I remembered that Beef Randang to be better when I last had it, but it was certainly not bad. I was adequately full by the end of the meal (using a Combo) and I’d go back again if I was near Angel. I know the starters are good but didn’t have any on this occasion.

As someone from ‘Indochina’ I loathe to have to write this review, and I loathe myself for having been here, and I loathe myself to give it a three star, but Banana Tree has begun to up their game.
I reviewed the first ever Banana Tree in Soho and absolutely hated it. Unauthentic, stodgy and failed the Asian test. Since then, I’ve been working across the street from the one on St John Street and I have to say, it’s now… Ok. Do I hate myself for dragging my sorry calories through the door of a place that says ‘Indochinese Kitchen’? Yes. Why? Because the food of each of the countries is so different there isn’t any way someone could make all of it well. Sadly, this truth does extend also to Banana Tree. Food here is tasty. It’s what you’d imagine food from South East Asia would taste like. My go to when I need some reminiscing is the Mee Goreng on the lunch menu. It does taste like home. Service at this particular store can be hit or miss. Miss when it gets really busy, hit when it’s quiet.
I feel a little less ashamed now to step through these doors, because yes, if you wanted cross S.E. Asian cuisine, this is one of the places that does it decently well outside of Soho/​Chinatown. *shrug* Reluctant — South East Asian pride hurting 3*.

I have had a Tastecard for a couple of years now and I keep on forgetting to use it. Whilst, it gives you access to discounts at the run of the mill chains, it does also give you some independent surprises local to wherever you may be in London.
Following the back to work Monday blues, I grabbed my mate and we headed to Upper Street for some exciting food shopping (yes, I am being sarcastic). Following our hunt around Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, it was time to get some food in our bellies.
Surprise! For once, I remembered I had may Tastecard and opened up the app for a search for local treats. We opted for Banana Tree, just down the road from Angel station.
This particular Banana Tree is noisy, not sure if it is the layout, acoustics or whatever, but it can be consuming. Good or bad thing, depends on your mood.
For starter I had half a grilled aromatic aubergine with caramel sauce, fresh herbs and crispy shallots. Wow, the sweet sauce blended well with this fruit. Ksymena opted for steamed chicken dumplings in fresh herb sauce which was not too tough. For mains, we went for the Grill Combo, I had the Chicken Jawa and Ksymena had the Blackened Chilli Pork. Both servings of meat were tasty and well-​seasoned. For an extra cost, you could add aromatic spiced rice, spicy green papaya salad with crushed nuts and viet cracker. The Pork was marinated in aromatic dark soy, palm sugar and chilli, while the chicken was immersed in Javanese spices.
The portions were full-​on and full of flavour. For drinks it was sparkling water and a glass of wine. We also had a cappuccino and double espresso.
With the Tastecard, we received 2−4−1 on food, so the final bill came to a very pleasant £35.10 (inc service charge). That is an average of £17 each, which is great value for what we had. Two things here to note, 1) Banana Tree is not the best in Asian cuisine, but is good as a local option if you live near one and 2) get yourself a Tastecard and USE IT. There are deals to be had, mostly Monday thru Thursday.

Went there yesterday with my friends. First of all it’s a really good location just minutes walk fromAngel station. Easy to find.
It wasnt busy Saturday evening. Drinks we ordered are quite nice. I order the sweet sour chicken with rice as my main and tbh it taste nothing different from those you can find in a Chinese buffet in Chinatown. There wasnt anything bad but there isnt anything that is really good which makes me wanna go back again.

Pad Thai was as great as ever and now it had better crackers; it used to be tasteless, greasy fried Wontan wrapper. I cannot see any flaw in this dish. The Black Glutinous Rice Pudding was flavourful and the accompanying Coconut Ice Cream complemented it very well. The service was quicker on 26 January.

I came here on Saturday night with a friend before catching a film at Vue Islington. It’s only a few steps away from Angel station and relatively close to the theatre, so ideal for a quick bite. We didn’t have a reservation but we were seated immediately, though the restaurant was reasonably full. I ordered the beef rendang as a combo, which means that for £3.50 extra it comes with rice, salad, corn cakes, and rice crackers. I can’t imagine not doing the combo because the rice itself is £2.50, which is a bit of a rip off. The food came within about 5 minutes. I wasn’t the greatest fan of the rendang, and it didn’t seem like much of a curry when it was a few large chunks of meat and a very thick dark brown sauce. I also got an orange/​carrot juice, which interestingly enough, came in a glass with orange juice on the bottom half of the glass and carrot juice on the top half of the glass, literally not blended at all. That’s not made fresh to say the least! For dessert, we got the chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream, and a Vietnamese coffee, which were both ok but not great. In fact, everythingwas pretty mediocre at the restaurant, including the service, and it feels like a cheap chain restaurant. There are definitely much better options in Islington.

I wish I could’ve liked this place, but wow is it not good. It’s not even real Thai — it’s just mediocre and not worth a trip.
The food doesn’t have much taste and isn’t spiced right at all. At least the stir-​frys are like that. The way they are described, you’d think it would be packed with flavor, but you can’t really barely taste any of the flavors described. The portions are small, rice is incredibly expensive (but it seems to be that way every where in this city), and it’s not a place I’d seek out again.
On a Tuesday evening, there was a pretty good crowd around dinner time, but no wait. Ambiance is not bad, but very chain like — not personally charming. Seats are not convenient because you can’t sit with your back resting on the booth. It’s placed too far from the table, so you constantly have to lean forward.
Wouldn’t go back.

Checked in to Banana Tree today after a very long time. My last visit was more than a year ago and to be honest it must have not been memorable because I don’t remember what I ate back then! If it were good I would have remembered :-)
This time around I went for the lunch menu — had the Chicken Dumplings and a Chicken Rendang. The dumpling arrived quickly and were OK and nothing exceptional. There was bit of a wait for the main. The portion sizes were OK. The chicken (thighs) was cooked perfectly and the gravy was interesting. Cost wise it was £7.85 for the Rendang and £2.95 for the dumplings + 10% service charge.
Their drinks menu looked quite interesting but I skipped, I wanted to try out the Lychee Mojito as it looked nice. Overall food wise this gets a three star from me but the other aspects has earned a one star, particularly the way I was treated during a very busy lunch time.
The staff were attentive provided me with a choice of seat in spite of being busy and topped up water when it ran low. Upon enquiring whether they offer a local business discount they gave me a buy one get one free voucher as they didn’t have any other discount scheme.
Good selection of Pan Asian dishes and I recommend you do try this next time you are in Islington, it is a short walk from the Angel tube.

A good quick place for lunch, and being a fan of corn cakes, I tried theirs. They’ve got good flavour, but I’d like a bit more corn. The happy hour lunch drinks were strong enough and the Pad Thai was nicely fried. We were in and out inside of a lunch hour so it’s great as a quick place for a sit down lunch. Staff were quick with service and happy to seat me while I waited for my friend. Apart from a fire (?) alarm going off during the meal (which everyone seemingly ignored) nothing else happened that gave me cause for concern.

The four of us visited Banana Tree for the first time as I had been craving for Asian cuisines for so long and we were not disappointed! We arrived around 7pm which is supposed to be the busiest time for a restaurant and most tables were full already, we briefly waited for 10 mins to be seated and I am very happy with that!
We took some cocktails to start with, my Lychee mojito was refreshing and tasty. Then we ordered 4 starters: Crispy seafood money bags, sticky Thai wings, fresh Indo herb wraps and Satay sticks. We loved each one of them. Personally the chicken wings and satay sticks were my favorites but if you prefer lighter flavors to start with, go for the wraps! The dip can really open your appetite, and I like putting a touch of their house chili paste to spice it up a little, yummy!
As for the mains, we ordered: tamarind spicy aubergine combo, the legendary rendang with beef combo, laksa and blackened chili pork. My beef rendang was absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection, really tender and the balance of the flavor was on point. To be honest at this point we were so full but we couldn’t stop! I’ve never tried corn cakes before and these little crispy balls are lovely and tasty. After the main we ordered another round of drinks and then, desserts! Yeah we always have our second stomach with us for desserts! So we took the Banana ‘Frotiteroles’ and Coconut stuffed green Thai pancakes to share. Pandan and coconut always go well with each other and Jesus I love the coconut ice cream with sesame on top!
Overall we were just more than happy with our first Banana Tree experience. Isti, the assistant manager was very fun and knowledgeable, also patient as we were struggling with decisions. Very prompt service and we didn’t need to wait for too long for the dishes. The restaurant was clean (toilet as well, thank god) and the vibe is good. Relaxing atmosphere to have a chat with friends.
Before I go I did read some negative comments about them earlier this year and I feel they have really taken it on board and made a change. The food is amazing and service is great for me. I’ve never given such a long review but Banana Tree Angel def serves it!

bland pan-​Asian food for British taste buds. Better than Wagamama worse than Sainsburys sauce in jar.
Cocktails were terrible with none of the complexities of a real cocktail. Tasted like cordial.
Beef randang was stringy and the sauce too heavy. Monk vegetables tasted like crap which is amazing as I don’t get how you can fuck up monk vegetables.
Spring rolls had no flavour and dropping with oil.
If you’re the type of Slapper that like wagamamas you’ll be at home here. Nice loud environment with sterile furnishings.
For everyone else save yourself the effort and get a microwave dinner instead.

I believe if you order the right thing Banana Tree can be good. But it’s not like I’ve been here before to judge myself but heard too many people complaining about the bland flavours of the wok dishes. Most chain Chinese restaurants do lack that skill to give wok dishes that needed wok energy as it requires time for the wok to heat up and dealing with a very high temperature wok that can be dangerous if you are not used to it. Therefore to keep it safe I went for a Laksa which is hard to get wrong whilst my friend went the Pak Choi Noodle Soup.
My Laksa was actually very good, very mild so not for those who are looking for the more authentic and spicy version. It is slightly more sweeter than the ones I’ve had in other Singaporean and Malaysian’s restaurant but with me having a sweeter tooth I enjoyed it a lot. It was fragrant, perfectly seasoned and a good depth and thickness to it to cling on the noodles as I was slurping them. The noodles were the average egg noodles, cooked perfectly to remain that bouncy soft texture and I enjoyed the crunches of the beansprouts alongside each bite. The deep fried tofu were also great after soaking up the creamy broth which really added to the taste of it. If anything the portion of noodles was a bit small but good if you’re planning to have starters and sides it was a good amount. I was using a Tastecard to get 2 for 1 anyway so it was a bargain.
As expected my friend’s vegetarian broth in her noodle soup lacked that depth and was quite bland. It is hard to get a vegetarian broth rich as it does require a lot more time to extract all the flavours of the vegetables for a naturally sweet broth. But still the variety of ingredients like the pak choi, carrot gratings and deep fried tofu really gave it’s natural flavour to the dish– like a salad, light with delicate flavours.
Dessert is a must here. Although I doubt the chocolate sauce in the chocolate fondant was suppose to be thick inside I actually enjoyed the chewy texture it gave instead. I think it wasn’t heated enough for the chocolate to melt inside but nevertheless it was a nice indulgent treat with the ice cream slowly melting in for that creamy combination. But the highlight of it all was the Balinese ‘Pulut Hitam’ Pudding– warm black rice, al dente with a generous amount of coconut cream on top to smooth it all out, cooled with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream that also gave it the slight sweetness and flavour it needed. It was sooooo good I wished there was more of it. A nice mint for presentation and sesame seeds sprinkled on top for that punch of nutty flavour.
Banana Tree is a easy-​going chain restaurant, a simple but nice looking wooden décor, dimmed lighting for that perfect atmosphere to catch with friends for dinner. It is comfortable and service was good. Menu seems to cater for everyone. Overall a good dinner based on what I ordered. Will hopefully be able to try the other dishes to review them as well.

I’ve been here alot as I work nearby. this place is cheap and cheerful. Quick and tasty. you cant knock it for that! Staff are efficient and the restaurant is clean. Good hangover grub.

Delicious Indian food at reasonable prices, there are several branches of this chain across the city.
The food is tasty and arrived quickly.
They also have regular offers on drinks

Banana tree is a staple lunchtime place for people working in the area. Delicious food with an express menu which cuts down on the time spent waiting around and gives you more time to enjoy the food.
Pad Thai is tasty and the phở soup dishes are really generous, the kitchen staff are really friendly and happy to tweak your order if there is something you’re not too keen on.
Pretty busy towards the end of the week at lunchtimes so worth coming a little earlier or booking a table so you don’t miss out.

Superlative is the word!
I got the ‘Ying Yang’ Laksa, £8.6. It was fine. Noodle, noodle, coriander meatball (admittedly tasty) and more noodle. A standard tasty coconut milk curry broth, flourishes of aubergine and tofu. Not that much food. At £5 perhaps a bargain. After ‘optional’ service charge at Banana Tree… inessential spending.
Right, but that’s just the contextual starter for this dialogue. The main course is:
*Gaeng Keo Wan*
‘Aromatic Thai curry cooked with green spice paste, sweet basil, lime leaves, peppers, bamboo shoots & coconut milk’…with tofu, £7.2.
‘Do you want rice [steamed white, £2.5] with that?’ asked the waiter.
‘No,’ answered my companion. ‘Just the curry.
Are you sure — it IS curry!
Yeah, I’m fine, thanks.’
£7.2
That’s 83.7% the price of my dish. What appeared, however, was not even quantifiable. It was magnificent. SUPERLATIVE.
It was: THE least generous food offering I have ever been party to. Oh. my. The bowl was about the size one would expect to find two scoops of double fudge ice cream.
Except that would have been more food. It’s not that the present splash of thin diarrhoeic sauce was missing the visual aspect of coconut milk one associates with a ‘Thai curry’ — I didn’t taste it, there could have been something to that — it’s that I could have disgorged its entire collection of solid contents with one grasp of my fist.
There was nothing to it! It was meagre apotheosised! I was overjoyed.
‘Is something wrong?’ asked the waiter.
‘Um…is this IT?
Yes, it’s a curry.
I mean, I expected a little more. This is…
Yes, it’s a curry, that’s why I asked if you wanted rice [steamed white, £2.5].
…
I can get you something else.‘
And so, we didn’t go away hungry (actually, we kind of did — even after my comparatively reasonable dish, I was ravenous within two hours). But we did go away mystified and thoroughly unsatisfied with Banana Tree.
In the objective sense. Me, I’m kinda turned on by the idea of bringing along four or five unsuspecting friends and ordering up a round of curries. How would THAT stimulus dynamise the situation?! Banana Tree, you got the menu-​redesign team ready?

Frequented a couple of times for lunch. It really is like a canteen — I actually felt like clearing away my own dishes and cutlery before leaving! Having said that, the staff were attentive and polite.
I can only speak of the beef rendang and the pad Thai with prawns. I don’t have the most cultured palate but both were tasty. This place accepts Taste Card (not on express menu), so if you’ve got one, financially it may be worth a visit.

I like my Asian food… made and loved by Asian people. It’s true. Authentic doesn’t come pre-​packaged and with pretty menus and interiors, mostly. Not a hard and fast rule… but, surely if mom’s old recipe gets passed down from generation to generation to restaurant family, ish is gonna be good. Right? Right.
A pal and I stopped in to Banana Tree one evening for dinner, and it was totally and perfectly fine. The service smiley, prompt. The beers cold. The food hot (and fast!). It’s totally acceptable. But it didn’t blow my mind. By any stretch.
Skip the phở (seriously, phở is an art) and get the rengang (my pal said it was quite good). Optional upgrade for £3 gets you rice, crackers and salad with your main order… good deal.
Wash it down with a Singha or Tiger beer!
It’s not the best and its not the worst. If you need a hot meal in a pinch, this’ll surely do but it felt a little too corporate to me.
Dinner for 2 + 2 beers: 34 quid.
*Also, this is the first time I’ve used «quid» in a review. Brits, please correct me if done in error. Americans, as far as I know… its the equivalent to «bucks.»

Came here on a friend’s recommendation for a quick pre-​show dinner on Saturday.
Banana Tree runs in a similar vein to Wagamama and Busabai Ethai — not sure if I like this ever increasing number of street food chains …
It was nice to see a slightly different choice of dishes. I chose nasi goreng while others at our table whent for the mee goreng version, as well as green curry and laksa.
We were impressed with the size of the portions, and all our dishes were very tasty, albeit rather greasy. Good value for money all around and dinner ordered, served and eaten in well under an hour — a good thing when coming for a quick bite before a show.

Even when mediocre food is relatively inexpensive, it’s still just mediocre food. It’s a shame really, but unfortunately cheap prices don’t magically make food taste any better.
In Banana Tree Canteen’s case, I really wish this was the case as the prices are really reeeeeally cheap for lunch. Heck, even during non-​cheap-​as-​chips hour the prices are very affordable and well below average. However the food was mediocre at best and a bunch of other words that were mentioned in Sahar’s review at worst.
It’s never good news when you leave a cheap restaurant feeling like it wasn’t worth it…