Bananas
New American restaurant · East Village
174 1st Ave, New York, NY 10009
Highlights
Asian American fusion with inventive cocktails and dishes like etouffee
Asian American fusion with inventive cocktails and dishes like etouffee
"Bananas is catnip for a certain type of downtown diner. It's dark, sexy, committed to its banana bit, and there's a krapow chopped cheese available for photo ops and subsequent consumption. These are all reasons enough to keep the restaurant in mind for a fun night out, even if the menu has highs and lows. photo credit: Raychel Brightman photo credit: Raychel Brightman photo credit: Raychel Brightman Pause Unmute At best, the East Village spot seamlessly incorporates Asian flavors into American classics, like a Chinese five spice chicken liver mousse, and pork and shrimp wontons in a fragrant étouffé. Other dishes are noticeably over-produced—shrimp alfredo is bogged down by a too-thick tempura and overcooked udon noodles, and the karaage pancake, a spin on chicken and waffles, tastes more like bread on bread without enough lemon or condensed milk to cut it. Despite the misses, Bananas works nicely for a back-up date in the neighborhood. The banana theme is present but sparing: there's a banana shrine by the bathroom and a nod to the banana crypto-art-world concept piece on the wall. Otherwise, it's really just a white room with curvy furniture and people convincing themselves they like each other more and more with each glass of orange wine. Order the hits, and you're bound to have a good time. Food Rundown Chicken Liver Mousse This rich, sticky chicken liver mousse gets a lift from pickled scallions. We've run into some stale bagel chips, but it’s still a nice way to start a meal here. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Nola BBQ Octopus Imagine grilled octopus cooked so well that the inside is softer than a peach. Now imagine it drowned in a butter and worcestershire sauce. We like this dish quite a bit, but the $32 price tag does feel a bit steep for two pieces. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Étouffée This is the dish to get at Bananas. It has all of the flavors of a Louisiana-style crawfish boil distilled onto one plate, with little shrimps and luscious wontons to round it out. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Char Sui Bananas' roast pork dish comes with a full caramelized banana. It's fun and on-theme, but too much banana in one bite will overpower the pig. Alternatively, just a little works really well. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Krapow Chopped Cheese The rosemary flavor on the fries may be stronger than the thai basil is in the sandwich, but this chopped cheese is still a perfectly fine order (if a little bit sweet). If you're looking for these flavors on griddled beef, we'd point you to Zaab Burger and Little Grenjai first. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Karaage Pancake Skip these dense pancakes. Aside from the textural issue, there's not enough lemon to balance out the condensed milk on top. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Shrimp Alfredo The sticky, pecorino-forward sauce studded with peppercorns doesn't meld with the heavily battered shrimp. Steer clear. photo credit: Raychel Brightman Bok Choy You must get the bok choy at Bananas. The sauce is nice and savory, it’s rich, and there’s a bit of heat to punch up the steamed vegetables." - Will Hartman
"A one-of-a-kind East Village restaurant from alums of Blue Ribbon, Bond St, and Michelin-starred Shmoné that fuses the team’s culinary experiences with their Asian American upbringings; the name references what the team describes as “a slur to describe Asian Americans who are 'yellow' presenting but culturally white due to their upbringing in Western culture.” Menu highlights include creative cross-cultural dishes such as chopped cheese krapow, shrimp wonton etouffee, and lemon pepper karaage chicken." - Emma Orlow
"Shrimp wonton étouffee sounds promising. You can get some, once Bananas opens in the East Village. The minimalist Asian-American restaurant, from a few folks who worked at Shmoné and Blue Ribbon, will also be serving things like a miso caesar, alongside sake flights and shochu-based cocktails." - bryan kim
"The menu at Bananas aims to be playful and audacious — I read about dishes like chopped cheese kra pow, shrimp wonton étouffée, and char siu fried banana — so the concept’s success will depend on whether those bold fusions actually land." - Emma Orlow
