They are everywhere, serving bowls of noodles in tasty broths with spiced grilled meats and fresh greens. Aside from being a tasty and moderately healthy lunch option they tend to be very reasonably-priced. So the arrival of the Green Papaya to the 4th Street restaurant strip has been highly welcomed. The Green Papaya took over the corner location of 2202 - 4th Street SW and have been packing them in since day one. It is a pleasant, bright space with noisy hardwood floors and a high ceiling.
Staff are young and a bit overwhelmed by the instant popularity of the place.
And the Green Papaya wants to be more than just another noodle shop. They have created a menu that leans more to the upscale, French influenced side of the cuisine. The menu is startlingly similar to that of Indochine, a rather lovely restaurant in Bankers Hall. But at present they do not have the ability to carry off this cuisine. When the menu says caramelized onions they should not send out raw ones even if they have been marinated for awhile.