New Local Favourite: The Banana Tree in Maida Vale…

I stayed in bed until 3pm today. Lazy right? I know. Fuelled by mugs of steaming tea lovingly made by the boyfriend, I read a bit, wrote a bit, planned a bit and listened to a little bit of Paloma Faith, ready for tomorrows acoustic gig at Union Chapel in Islington. (And I just squeeeed a bit. I’m really excited to see her sing live). Finally, when the man got up to turn on the shower, I decided it was now or never, and jumped in before he got the chance. Cheeky…but quite funny. I stole the best towel too.

Anyway, at about 3.30 when we were both suitably cleaned and polished, we decided that kind of laziness needed counteracting, so wrapping up against the chill, we went for a stroll. Sounds a little crazy but after being cooped up for so long and barely able to move, an afternoon walk was just what I needed. If you know Maida Vale you’ll also know that it’s gorgeous on days like these, the light does beautiful things as it starts to fade, dancing in the branches of the trees, casting shadows on one side of the impressive white houses that we long to own one day, and bouncing off the canal, creating shafts of light that seem almost magical. As we passed across Elgin Avenue, up towards Formosa Street and back along the water, the skies were a perfect blue, everything felt fresh and clean and the chill in the air was exhilarating, rather than unpleasant. We took our time, stopping occasionally for a drink or just to chat, until eventually, hungry and happy, we settled in to the Banana Tree next to the Tube Station for a late lunch and a cup of Jasmine Tea.

The Banana Tree, which specialises in “Inochinese” cuisine, has been in Maida Vale for approximately a year now, and while we’ve often mentioned dropping in, for some reason it’s never happened until today. Which seems a shame, as I have always enjoyed the food at their other branches, and was equally impressed today.

Despite being around 4.30pm by the time we arrived to the tiny restaurant, we were still able to make the most of their superb value lunch menu. Starting at just £5.95 (or £2.95 for small plates), you really do get a lot for your money. I chose the Chilli, Ginger and Basil stir fry with chicken, while James picked the Green Curry. I also fancied some Kau Chi steamed dumplings to start, while he went for the Vietnamese spring rolls.

The starters arrived surprisingly quickly, which was welcome, and the presentation was great. My dumplings came in a delicious rich soy based sauced, with some fried onions, chopped spring onion and chilli, and in my opinion were one of the nicest things to pass my lips in ages! I let James have a couple of bites but really didn’t want to. I probably could have eaten 3 or 4 bowls of these…and my mouth is watering just thinking of them now. Really impressed. James was equally happy with his spring rolls, which come with a hot & sweet sauce, large lettuce leaves and fresh herbs. The idea is that you place some herbs on the lettuce leaf, wrap that around your spring roll, dip in the sauce and eat. Scrumptious.

Next, our mains arrived, and along with our ordered dishes we also received a generous portion of rice and  a salad. Not bad for less than £7. My dish was hot, but not painfully so, and the chicken was soft, tender and delicious. The sauce was also packed with vegetables and the flavours were balanced wonderfully. I cheated on my Paleo a little today but it was completely worth it…as I enjoyed every bite. James’ curry was also packed with flavour and freshness – and you can tell we were both enjoying our meals as we hushed completely for a few minutes. Always a good sign!

We didn’t stay around to try anything from the “Sweet Tooth” menu, which I was interested to notice exists. When I originally visited the Soho branch back in 2011, one of the things that I recall surprising me was the lack of desserts available, so I believe this may be a new(ish) thing. If I’d have been feeling naughty I may have allowed myself an extra cheat on the diet (seeing as it’s the weekend and everything), but in all truth we were both perfectly satisfied from the amount of food we’d had.

2 courses and 2 teas at Banana Tree came to less than £25, which is excellent value, in my opinion. Each bite was delicious, the portion sizes were spot on, the service was good and best of all? It’s right on our doorstep. The only negative is the positively tiny space of the venue, which means you can’t help but not only overhear other conversations, but almost feel like you should join in too. But – as we discovered while we were there – they also do takeaway, so we could always pick something quick and tasty up on the way home from the station. Perhaps the best restaurant in Maida Vale for me – especially for takeaway.

In a way, it’s a shame the Banana Tree sits in such a small venue and I believe they could fill a larger venue every night with ease. I’d definitely recommend if you live nearby – and if not? Try one of their other venues. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you’ve eaten at a Banana Tree recently, either in Maida Vale or elsewhere, please do comment below and let me know your thoughts. Agree or Disagree? I’d be interested to hear from you!