1026 Ryan Road
Cary, NC 27511
(919) 468-9958
Exterior View
Interior Decor
We visited Banana Leaf around 1 pm last Sunday. This Cantonese, Szechuan restaurant is located in the Cary Village Square Shopping Center off Cary Towne Boulevard. It's on the left side of the shopping center, around the corner from Ollie's. They are open for lunch and dinner except on Wednesday when they open only for dinner at 4:30 pm. I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while, but Hubby is on a low carb diet and there isn't much on the menu that is low carb. Their current sanitation rating is 90% while the website says 99%, so that was disappointing to see. That's the second time I have noticed lower scores in person than online, so be sure to check the score in person prior to ordering! Since this was the 2nd restaurant we had been to that day with a lower score than showing online, I decided to stay though I usually leave if the score is under 92%. We were immediately greeted and seated at a table. They only have three booths, but they have large round tables that will seat ten people. Those tables have a lazy susan in the middle so that everyone can easily share the food. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing.
The waitress was prompt and took our drink and soup order. Our drinks came out right away and our soup came out seven minutes later. We both ordered the Hot & Sour Soup as shown below. Hubby enjoyed it, but I wasn't crazy about it. It doesn't taste like your typical Hot & Sour Soup. It has red peppers in it and it wasn't very spicy. The crispy wonton strips were different also, they are more narrow and less greasy. Unfortunately, the entrees don't come with soup or salad, it's an extra charge. All of the food arrived at the table very hot, I recommend waiting a couple minutes for it to cool!
Hot & Sour Soup - $2.95
Hubby ordered the Dim Sum shown below and it appeared to be mostly shrimp. It arrived twelve minutes after the soup. He really enjoyed the flavors and having four different dumplings to try. I ordered the Sweet & Sour Chicken, it arrived seven minutes after the Dim Sum. The chicken was overcooked and dry and there was too much breading. I don't recommend it. It was a huge portion! It would be the perfect portion for two if you ordered an appetizer to share also along with some soup. I asked for the sauce on the side since I like to keep the breading crisp and I don't like much sauce. Normally, when I ask for the sauce on the side they don't add the pineapple and vegetables to it, but this restaurant did so. It was hard to fish out the vegetables. The rice was ok, but it didn't have that bit of stickiness that I enjoy.
Dim Sum Set Meal - $12.95
Sweet & Sour Chicken - $11.95
The waitress was one of the best I've had in a while. She was very friendly, welcoming, and attentive. I was especially impressed with her upselling techniques. She insisted we have their complimentary dessert. Oops, I forgot to take a photo of it. It's served in a small bowl with a spoon and it has the consistency and flavor of a sweet coconut water drink with a couple pieces of cubbed peaches in it. Hubby ate it all, but I just had a couple spoonfuls. It's just like the one served at Good Harvest. I would prefer complimentary soup rather than dessert. The waiter seemed to also be a hard worker and he refilled my drink, so they work together which I really appreciate. It was fun to watch the Asian family nearby sit at one of the tables for ten and enjoy their food together. It is rare these days to see a family sit at the table without looking at their cell phones. They clearly enjoyed their meals and time together. Hubby gives Banana Leaf four out of five stars and I give it three. I'm sure that if I ordered a different dish I would give it a better rating next time. I need to study the menu and figure out which dishes are the best because I would like to return soon. The Crispy Peking Duck looks good. They have a ton of dishes to chose from, so it's a difficult decision. If you have eaten here, what is your favorite dish?
Be sure to check out some of my other restaurant reviews, there are over 140 to read. They are all listed on my Pinterest Restaurant Review Board or simply click on "restaurant reviews" on the menu above.
Have a PEACEful Day!
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