This is a very good meal and it is not filling. Service is okay.

I was visiting from out of town, and happened upon the Green Papaya with a cousin. Vietnamese food done with a nice flair; clean flavors, with a bit of a French accent. Nice service, and quiet dining room, added to the enjoyment at this lovely place in busy Bethesda.

A midweek dinner for 4 was just excellent. Frankly, if you don't like spicy Asian food or if you can't appreciate the many versions of spicy, this would be a bad choice. But if you do and can, then you'll love this place. Food aside, it's beautiful inside. Then there's the food. The soups were delicate and properly hot (in temp and seasoning). The shrimp in every dish were wonderful and plump. The Mekong Shrimp alone are worth a visit. Soft shell crabs for one of us were big, perfectly done and tasteeee. Ginger ice cream was a nice way to finish up. I know that others have found Green Papaya erratic and that's not good, except that sometimes, as during our visit, they are totally on.

This Vietnamese restaurant supposedly had good reviews, and is well located in an area filled with restaurants and movie theaters. We had reservations for a Sunday evening for 8 people. Called the reservation in twice - no live person, just a recording and message machine. They lost it. We ordered appetizers and dinners. Two appetizers came, then 10 minutes later, two more, then the others. The dinners were also slow in coming out - and not all at once either. The worst thing = the food was mediocre at best. I have eaten in family run Vietnamese restaurants, and big fancy ones, and this would be at the bottom. To be fair, it was not bad, but certainly nothing to write home about. The final blow came when the check arrived, and it had two items on it that we had not ordered. The waiter appoogized, and corrected the bill. This restaurant was a great disappointment. It almost seemed that they were short a cook or two in the kitchen, and that the 2nd string was working on a Sunday night. Lastly, the prices were not rediculous considering the neighborhood, but they were too high considering the quality.