With only 20 seats available in the tiny Smiling Banana Leaf in Highland Park, diners have to wait for available tables most of the time.
But they don't seem to mind.
The freshly prepared, traditional Thai food has been well received by the public. Owner Jane Chounaem has been very busy ever since she opened on May 9 last year.
Chounaem, 31, has created a pleasing menu for those looking for adventure without breaking their wallets. No entree on the menu is over $12.50.
"We get a lot of takeout, and on the weekend, we're packed," says Chounaem, who moved to Pittsburgh from south of Bangkok 10 years ago. She now lives in Highland Park. "It's a lot of work — I have many long hours — but it's getting better and better."
When Chounaem first moved here, she worked in many different Thai restaurants, such as Nicky's Thai Kitchen, Bangkok Balcony, Typhoon and Green Mango. The Thai community in Pittsburgh helped her a lot, she says, and encouraged her to open her restaurant.
"They're all so nice to me," Chounaem says. "They helped with the financing and support. There is no competition (with other Thai restaurants) in Highland Park. The people who come here are so nice."
Smiling Banana Leaf has high ceilings in its cozy space, with mint green walls and hardwood floors. Unusual white, cone-shaped lamps with black stripes are suspended from the ceiling, and banana leaves hang on the walls. Chounaem chose the name because banana leaves are very popular in Thailand.
"I used to cut banana leaves in Thailand, which are used for decorations," she says. "And most Thai people are happy and smiling. That's how I came up with Smiling Banana Leaf."
While most Thai food is spicy, she says, diners can order dishes that are milder in flavor. Her menu is extensive, with many appetizers and salads and a few soups.
Entrees include the popular curries (red, green, panang, pineapple, pumpkin or roast duck), fried rice, noodle dishes, noodle curries and chef specials.
Specials sound tantalizing: stir-fried mixed seafood with onions and sweet chili paste; deep-fried tilapia with fresh mangos; teriyaki chicken with steamed vegetables; shrimp and vegetables in a sweet and spicy chili sauce; tofu eggplant with basil leaves and spicy green bean tofu.
"I didn't know how to cook when I first moved to Pittsburgh," Chounaem says with a laugh. "My mom is a very good cook, especially with the curries. But after working in different restaurants for 10 years, I learned how. It's not hard at all."
The only downside to owning your own restaurant is having no days off, she says. Only one other cook works with her in the kitchen, so Chounaem is there all the time. While it was difficult to get the restaurant ready for opening last year, with all the construction needed, Chounaem considers herself fortunate.
"I'm lucky — this location used to be a restaurant before I got it," Chounaem says. "The best part to owning a restaurant is that I can change things and create things on my own. It's not just about the money."
Chounaem's goal is to educate Westerners about Thai culture and food. She's not concerned with how tiny her place is, because she loves having a small restaurant.
"It's not going to get bigger — I'm not going to expand," she says. "People come here and they eat and they are happy. That's what I want to do — to make people happy."
Smiling Banana Leaf owner Jane Chounaem calls Pad Ped Talay the national dish of Thailand. A delicious, spicy seafood stew with scallops, squid, shrimp and fried tilapia, it is served with long-grain white rice. It's a good idea to have lots of water on hand, too, as the dish packs a lot of heat.
Chounaem uses Wing Fat Hong in the Strip District for all the ingredients listed here. Other Asian specialty markets in the Strip District carry these ingredients as well.
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, freshly chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground chiles and garlic in oil
• 1/4 pound chopped squid
• 1/4 pound scallops, cut thin
• 1/4 pound medium-size shrimp, tails on
• 1/4 pound chopped tilapia
• 1 cup diced white onions
• 1 cup diced sweet green bell peppers
• 1 cup bamboo strips
• 1 cup cut green beans
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 cup basil leaves or kaffir lime leaves
Fry the tilapia in 3 tablespoons vegetable oil until golden brown, for 4 to 5 minutes, and set aside.
Place the remaining vegetable oil in a wok and heat to high.
Add the garlic and cook until golden brown ( Photo 2 ).
Put the ground chiles and garlic in oil into the pan, and then add all the seafood except for the tilapia ( Photo 3 ). Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Put all the vegetables in the same pan along with the rest of the ingredients and stir until everything is cooked, for 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the fried tilapia and incorporate thoroughly.
Serve with long-grain white rice.
Makes 2 servings.
Additional Information:Smiling Banana Leaf
Cuisine : Thai
Hours : 4-9 p.m. Mondays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, noon.-9 p.m. Sundays
Entree price range : $8.50-$12.50
Notes : Major credit cards accepted except for American Express. Handicapped accessible. BYOB.
Address : 5901 Bryant St., Highland Park
Details : 412-362-3200 or online.
