Located in the corner of the the Riverdale Park Town Center building, Banana Blossom Bistro will have a soft opening starting on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The restaurant will be open daily from 4 to 9 p.m. for two weeks before it officially opens with regular hours.

Annie Ha Esguerra, who owns the restaurant with her husband Phil, is a third-generation restaurateur whose parents run five Vietnamese restaurants in Sacramento and San Jose.

The couple’s young daughter has a food allergy, which was one of the reasons they wanted to start the restaurant, which is accommodating for people with dietary restrictions, focuses on fresh ingredients and uses alternatives to MSG.

“Our family has a long history of cooking and operating restaurants,” Esguerra told the Hyattsville Wire. “The recipes have been passed down three generations, originating in Saigon. Annie’s twist on the recipes allows for vegan and allergy-sensitive options not traditionally seen in some Vietnamese dishes like pho.

Banana Blossom Bistro held a launch party last night, with several dozen guests including Riverdale Park Mayor Alan K. Thompson and local business leaders such as Blake Sloane and Jonaki Sanyal of Forty Third Place, who did woodwork for the tables and seating.

Some of the food samples on Saturday included pho served with fresh herbs, bean sprouts and lime wedges, a Ha family specialty for more than 60 years; bun, a chilled vermicelli noodle salad; and cơm, a steamed rice plate.

Protein options were grilled season pork, lemongrass beef and grilled marinated chicken; while mint, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots were among the options for toppings.

The 46-seat restaurant could be a game-changer for downtown Riverdale Park, which has a lot of potential with the nearby Town Center Market and the Bikram Hot Yoga studio.

Esguerra said the couple picked Riverdale Park because of its “charming character and welcoming diversity,” saying they were excited to join the growing local restaurant scene.

“Because food, community and hospitality are our core values, we wanted to create a space where you can enjoy your meal and also feel at home,” he said. “Our space was created with the intention of bringing together local artists and makers.”