Bananas (East Village) – When Gimmicky actually works, big time

Not sure if you recall my post here of my favorite restaurants in Manhattan after 40 years of living here, and my mapped Brooklyn faves. Adding Bananas to the list.

I’m hesitating to calling it gimmicky as the name is actually a big part of the owners story. It’s creative Asian, new American, with a NOLA twist opened by a duo with extensive experience in NYC including Michelin. Level of cooking is quite high as expected, and still very much under the radar. Bananas is the theme in more ways than one but flavors at the very least are of a Michelin Bib Gourmet level. And a shockingly good Hungarian white by the glass.

The liver mousse is a standout thanks to the pickled scallions. The rich onion dip was a hit. The Etouffee is a signature for good reason. Deep lasting flavors. Char Siu is a cooking masterclass on how to introduce addictive sweetness without sugar. Dynamite Fried Rice was excellent but a little strong with the burst Masago so may not be for everyone, but we quite liked it. If you like caviar, you’ll like this.
The bummer was that they ran out of octopus.

Go!