Izakaya Supa Banana — Restaurant in Redmond

Stepping into Supa Banana for the first time I found a minimalist, open, and quiet space. The food we enjoyed made me feel like a suit jacket would’ve been required, but I’m thankful that I could feel relaxed in jeans and a button-up, getting to be comfortable so I could enjoy my meal to the fullest.

I ordered the Pomegranate Honey Black Cod, and my partner got the assorted sashimi, while we shared the Spicy Toro Ceviche.

Both of our main dishes were traditional, but subtly elevated with high quality ingredients and cleverness. We were excited to get some REAL WASABI for the sashimi, and the house soy sauce was rich with flavor: meaty, malty, and sweet. The house soy was so good that I couldn’t help but dip my chopstick in again to enjoy the taste on its own.

Much like the sashimi, the black cod melted in my mouth. It was framed by a delicious skin that had the lightest possible crunch—if it could even be called that—a pleasing resistance that gave way to a satisfying chewiness. The sweet misos brought out the sweetness in the flesh, pulling out any hidden tastes that would otherwise be blanketed by the butteriness of the black cod. I probably wasn’t meant to, but I had to dip a single bite into the amazing soy sauce (and I didn’t regret the explosive flavor that followed)

We finished the meal with the kuzumochi. The matcha had a vegetabley bitterness and a slight tang. I’ve never had a matcha mochi that was so far from the sweetness I expected from a dessert, and I loved it. Occasionally I’d dip a little in the brown sugar syrup, but I wanted to enjoy the taste on its own too. Another four pieces of mochi were covered in a roasty soybean flour with as much addictive nuttiness as peanut butter. Some sweet red bean was also there to scoop and enjoy, and tasted equally good with both of the distinct mochi sets.

The price was higher than I often pay for a lunch out, but it truly felt like a steal. Inside this almost cafe-like location were dishes that bordered on fine dining for a price that was really only slightly more than an average meal in Redmond. You might pay a little more, but we got far more than our money’s worth. I’ve been to a few places around that cost as much or more, but Supa Banana was one of my favorite dining memories in my near decade of living in the Seattle-ish area. It was an experience, and every bite felt curated. The plates were small, but right sized, and I was shocked by how comfortably full and satisfied I felt.

There was an art to our dishes, but it didn’t fail to also be a real meal made of good feeling food. Walking home down the bike trail I felt refreshed by healthy ingredients, nourished by protein-rich food, and rewarded by time spent in a welcoming atmosphere.

The last thing I’ll highlight was the staff. I’m not very needy when it comes to hosts and waiters, and I often prefer to not talk and mostly just be left alone, but both of the staff members that helped us (I wish I remembered their names to praise them) made me not mind a little conversation. They were both experienced, knowledgeable about the food and what made it special. I never felt like I was hearing a script or upsell, instead beneath the calm professionalism I felt real excitement and curiosity towards our thoughts on our meal. When they discussed the menu it felt like deep down they were just someone excited to take you to their favorite spot, eagerly awaiting you to love it just as much they do.

I feel like they took pride in their work—and they deserved to. Supa Banana was a special place that made our day out much more special. I am already planning what I’ll be...

This review must be very embarrassing for Sonny. He has attempted to censor my review numerous times.

After allowing Chef Lam and his team, including manager Sonny, ample time to respond and ultimately being ignored. I feel compelled to share my experience with Supa Banana.

I bring over a decade of experience in the restaurant industry, spanning Japanese, French, and American cuisines. I have worked in both the back of house as a sushi chef and front of house at a Michelin three-star restaurant in the Bay Area. In all those years, I have never encountered treatment as unprofessional as what I experienced here.

Currently, I work remotely for a well-known tech company and, wishing to stay connected to the industry I love, I sought an opportunity to contribute locally. Supa Banana caught my attention because of Chef Lam’s impressive background, including his work with Gordon Ramsay. I was eager to learn from him and had scheduled an interview.

I arrived ten minutes early on a sweltering day, accompanied by my girlfriend. Given the heat, I suggested she wait inside to cool off while I met with the team. Upon entering, we were greeted by Sonny, who asked me to sit at a corner table while he finished serving the one occupied table in the restaurant. His manner was pleasant enough, though he appeared somewhat inexperienced and unsteady with his tray.

What followed, however, left me stunned. Approaching me, Sonny began with, “Hey, can I be honest with you?” I welcomed the candor, replying, “Always.” He then said, “Honestly, it’s not a good look bringing your girlfriend in here with you. A little helpful advice for your next interview.” He proceeded to unexpectedly cancel the interview.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. In all my time in hospitality, I have never seen an interview dismissed on such arbitrary grounds. If this is the standard of management, it raises serious concerns about the restaurant’s long-term viability. The fact that the dining room was nearly empty on a Friday evening seemed, sadly, to explain itself.

Chef Lam, I deeply respect your craft and your vision of reimagining izakaya for a modern audience. The potential of Supa Banana is undeniable. Yet with a manager who cancels interviews before they begin, your uphill battle becomes steeper still. For a restaurant positioned at your price point, polished, professional service is not optional. it is essential. Without it, even the finest cuisine risks being...

The review is based on the following items ordered:

imported sparking real fruit juice (Momo sparking juice from the grocery store) truffle kampachi nigiri seared foie gras musubi salmon mentaiko cereal nigiri

sashimi udon

katsu yuzu mazeudon

Our total was $130 after tip, for two. For lunch.

"Cereal" refers to the crispy rice tempura esque flakes that top the nigiri. That salmon thing was probably the best thing but I've had better salmon. The other bites left much to be desired and I had to mask the taste of 'something' with more soy sauce. Something just didn't taste right/fresh. They said the soy sauce and spam were made in house. The wasabi seemed grated but also watered down.

The sashimi udon came out and was not good. There was a huge fiber in the otoro and the fish in my opinion were NOT fresh, and would not be served in a sushi restaurant. Even the salmon, which should be super accessible here in Washington, was not fresh.

As for the udon, the onsen egg was perfect. The udon broth was bland and sweet; I prefer a more savory dashi. The accompanying salad and miso soup were also on the sweet side.

I felt I had to order something else to redeem the situation, so I got a saucy udon. The yuzu mazeudon was barely edible. So sweet even as it's hinting to a citrus refreshing palate. The best thing about that dish was the shrimp tempura.

The servers change out your plates and chopsticks after the apps which was nice but seemed unnecessary as it was taken away when the mains (udon) were brought out.

The servers were attentive when they were around but otherwise they were in the kitchen. They couldn't pronounce the items on the menu and tell you everything tastes good. I came in at 1:20pm and the restaurant was completely empty. I thought perhaps this place could be slow for lunch but could be bumping for dinner but it dawned on me, how can the fish be fresh if they're that slow?

I could not think of a situation where I would be back. I love the minimalistic decor, I thought the water glasses and jugs were high quality in appearance and the menu was well done. Everything looked clean and in place. The bathrooms were clean and had Ouai hand soap. The appearance bamboozled me, as it supports a higher quality of food and justifies a...