Small Bites: Chevy Chase Sri Lankan Restaurant Plans to Open Next Week

Plus: Smoothie King to open second Bethesda location, another Rockville Town Square restaurant closes

August 28, 2014 10:19 a.m.

Banana Leaf Plans Early September Opening on Connecticut Avenue

Raj Perera, the owner of a new Sri Lankan restaurant in Chevy Chase, D.C., that’s been in development for the past year, says the eatery is finally ready to open after a series of delays. Perera said Wednesday he plans to open next week and will invite workers from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, D.C., for the grand opening. Perera originally planned to open in June, but ran into problems with the District permitting process and wasn’t able to get approval for the space until this month. The restaurant will have the same menu as its sister restaurant in New York City, which includes curries and lamprais, a Sri Lankan signature dish featuring saffron rice with lamb, beef, chicken or seafood combined with cashew curry, eggplant, plantains and chili pepper sauce that’s wrapped in a banana leaf and then baked. The restaurant is located at 5014 Connecticut Ave.

Smoothie King Moving into former Zen Tara Tea Location

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Smoothie King is opening a second location in Bethesda. A banner posted on the front window of 4710 Bethesda Ave., the former location of the independent tea shop Zen Tara Tea, says the smoothie maker is “coming soon.” The tea shop closed last year after the owners said they were going to work on projects in Thailand and Dominion Tea stepped in to offer some of the teas the shop formerly sold through its online store. Smoothie King also has a location at 7720 Wisconsin Ave. in Woodmont Triangle, but the building that houses it is scheduled for redevelopment. The property owner, The Bernstein Companies, plans to build a Westin Hotel and an office building on the site.

Carbón Peruvian Chicken and Grill Closes at Rockville Town Square

Yet another restaurant has closed at Rockville Town Square, according to Rockville Nights blogger Robert Dyer. Carbón Peruvian Chicken and Grill closed its 100 Gibbs St. location, shut down its website and disconnected its phone. The closure follows a string of other restaurant closures at the development in the past year, including Oro Pomodoro, Cosi and Pho & Rolls.

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