Banana Leaf Thai Restaurant

Tonight my husband and I decided to try a little Thai restaurant, newly opened in Woodstock. We have fond remembrances of our first introduction to this cuisine in Vancouver where we tasted a number of dishes with favorable results, and we keep searching for the spectacular yet simple lettuce wraps from that night. No one ever seems to have them.

Our waitress at the Banana Leaf was polite yet formal, extremely helpful but not obsequious. She answered our questions easily and suggested that two dishes would be ample for us. She was right. We ordered the Cashew Chicken and the Vegetable Fried Rice. The rice was my favorite but the chicken ran a close second. Unbelievably, we ate every bit of it. No take home bags tonight.

The restaurant is located at the rejuvenating west end of Dundas St. in Woodstock, Ontario, and is so new they don't have a website, a fancy menu, or pictures for me to display. What they do have is a lovely calm ambiance, helpful staff, accessible street parking and a soothing and welcoming atmosphere. I checked out the large table at the back and am already planning to bring a group of friends here for an evening. I think it will be spectacular.

And maybe I can talk the restaurant into putting lettuce wraps on the menu, or at least making them just for us!