Green Papaya, Bethesda

I am shocked that this restaurant was rated as one of the Top 100 restaurants according to Washington Magazine. My husband and I were very disappointed. There are only a few vegetarian options. We specifically asked for the food to be "very spicy" and the food was bland and without much flavor. When we pointed this out, they just gave us some spicy sauce. Server was not friendly. I think the only reason this place is in business is because of its location. Don't waste your money.

The decoration and ambience was nice, which was probably the only thing this restaurant had paid attention to. We ordered Pho, fried rice, salad and a fried noodle (forgot the name) for our lunch. The food was mediocre, if not terrible. The noodle was greasy, Pho soup was just warm but not hot at all, and all dishes were tasteless like pouched food. The price tag was designed to match its decoration, and had nothing to do with the quality of its food or services. We were left alone and had to yell to get services. We still paid 20% tip for the services we got - they automatically included that amount in our check because we have 5 adults and 2 kids. Smart strategy! I think I might still come again in the future - after some other business takes over the place and converts it to a wine bar or something.

I've been there twice, most recently two nights ago and have enjoyed my meal both nights. I had a very tasty duck salad and this wonderful soup. I wish I had written down the name of the soup because I want to find a recipe for it. It was a sweet and spicy broth with bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, other veggies and pineapple. I definitely recommend this restaurant.