One of those is a great little Vietnamese restaurant called Green Papaya. It’s serving up more than just pho in a tight little restaurant catty-corner from Bob & Ellie’s.
Went in the other day to grab a bite for lunch. My dining companion and I split an order of Goi Cuon Tom ($3.95), a pair of spring rolls served with peanut sauce. Our waitress split the order and brought each of us one roll and a bowl of peanut sauce — which was dotted on top with a little sriracha and a sprinkling of peanuts. The translucent rolls were packed with vermicelli, with green leaf lettuce and gently boiled shrimp. They were surprisingly filling and a good inch and a half thick. A full order woulda done it for me.
My dining companion chose the Flat Noodle Plate with Shrimp ($9.95, same with beef, $8.95 with chicken or $10.95 for combination). It was a large platter full of broccoli, green beans, white onions and carrots and these big palm-size rustic rice noodles, with a fair amount of grilled shrimp included. There wasn’t much sauce with it, but with a little peanut sauce it was very nice.
I chose the Ca Ry Ga ($9.95), a green chicken curry served up with a mound of white rice. This I found to be excellent, a delicious pairing of Vietnamese-style curry paste with coconut milk. The simmered-in chicken, potatoes and onions were falling apart and tasty. The carrots and onions were somehow sweeter than I expected but they were also good. The whole mess was served up on green lettuce leaves — which were a little distracting to work around, but which made for a prettier dish, I supposed.
I’d like to go back — the menu is very extensive and includes fried and steamed rice dishes, several appetizers and a large vegetarian section. A gentleman at a nearby table was enjoying a very large bowl of pho that appeared to be swimming in beef chunks and cilantro, and I could get all behind that. The whole restaurant smelled divine.
You’ll find Green Papaya at 6301 Highway 271 South… it’s about a mile south of Zero Street. Green Papaya is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (479) 646-8884.
UPDATE; There's another Green Papaya these days on the north side of town. You'll find it at 4412 Grand Avenue.
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