Green Papaya, the serene and lovely Vietnamese restaurant at Bethesda Row’s 4922 Elm St. is closed. The restaurant’s sign is down and all the furniture has been removed.
Federal Realty, the landlord of the space, confirmed that the restaurant has been shuttered.
Opened in 2000 by Michael and Elaine Phan, the restaurant was voted “Best Vietnamese” restaurant by Bethesda Magazine readers in both 2010 and 2011. The menu featured an extensive collection of appetizers, soups, noodle and rice dishes, and some stand-out caramelized poultry and seafood.
The popular golden pancakes, actually crispy rice crepes called banh xeo, were often among the daily specials; Michael Phan’s mother used to make them for special occasions while he was growing up in Saigon.
Efforts to reach the Phans were unsuccessful.
