Banana Bro (Banana Leaf Restaurant) – 5 March 2018

This restaurant just opened at Berjaya Times Square this month. The best thing is, it’s the only banana leaf restaurant /modern “mamak” store in the shopping mall. The concept is similar to Macha & Co at the Curve shopping mall.

We were there at 12.45pm for lunch and there was a queue to get in. Luckily the wait was not long and we got ourselves a table.

The menu below:

We ordered the following: -

Banana Leaf Set Meal – RM12.90 per set, comes with either white or Indian rice, 3 types of vegetables, papadam and 8 types of curries to choose from (need to find the appropriate person holding the bucket of curries) you want on your rice.

They even have their own "stamp" on the banana leaf

Chicken Masala – RM7.50. The portion is just enough for 1 person. The curry was alright but if you were to compare it with those chicken masalas from the proper Indian restaurants in Lebuh Ampang, it doesn’t really taste that nice but still edible.

Fried Chicken – RM7.50. The portion is just enough for 1 person. I do recommend this as it’s crispy and nice.

Butter Chicken – RM7.50. The portion is just enough for 1 person. It's not spicy at all and it's quite creamy. The chicken was quite tender.  

The service of this restaurant is ok. However, the waiters may not understand you really well. Their English is below average so we ended up repeating our orders to them. The price was expensive for the Banana Leaf Set Meal. As for the individual chicken / lamb dishes, the price of a small plate was reasonable. However, you can’t compare the curries that are served at this restaurant and Lebuh Ampang; the curries at Lebuh Ampang are much better and tastier compared to this restaurant.

Overall, we paid RM48.05, inclusive of GST 6% and service charge 10%.

The details of the restauarant:

Banana Bro Times Square

LG-59B, Berjaya Times Square

Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Opens daily

Macha & Co (Banana Leaf Restaurant) – 21 January 2018

We passed by this restaurant and it was crowded. We told ourselves that the next time we are at the Curve, we must try the Indian food in this restaurant.

We were lucky as we didn't have to queue during dinner time on a Sunday evening. We arrived before 7pm and we got ourselves a table. Here is the menu:-

We ordered the following: -

Banana Leaf Set Meal – RM9.90 per set, comes with either white or brown rice, 3 types of vegetable curry, papadam and choose the type of curry (chicken, lamb, fish or dhal) you want on your rice.

Kurma Chicken Curry Tavams – RM7.50. The curry was slightly sweet and the chicken was fried and thereafter put into the curry. The chicken was not boneless either. I would not recommend this dish. It was not up to my expectation of what chicken kurma is supposed to be.

Lamb Curry Tavams – RM12.00. There were not many lamb cubes in the curry and mostly it was added with potatoes. However, the meat was tender and was not chewy.

Roti Tissue – RM5.00. Kids just love Roti Tissue. It’s tall, crispy and slightly sweet. There was no honey or condensed milk added to it.

Teh Tarik (hot) – RM2.60

Cincau (cold) – RM3.50.


The service of this restaurant is fast. The price was alright and reasonable. It’s more or less the price you pay if you were to have banana leaf rice at those famous Lebuh Ampang restaurants. I would say it’s like a modern type banana leaf restaurant with air-cond and nice ambience. However, you can’t compare the curries that are served at this restaurant with those in Lebuh Ampang; the curries at Lebuh Ampang are much better and tastier compared to this restaurant. Perhaps, it is also to suit the taste buds of the many foreigners that frequent this restaurant.

Overall, we paid RM55.45, inclusive of GST 6% and service charge 10%.

The details of the restaurant:

Macha & Co. (Banana Leaf Restaurant)
Lot G41, Ground Floor
The Curve Mutiara Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03-7726 3366
Opens everyday

Restoran Kader (Banana Leaf Rice) – 21 September 2017

Entrance to the restaurant

I used to go to this restaurant quite often years back. Recently, my colleagues and myself decided to come here to have our banana leaf rice. This restaurant is situated along the busy street of Leboh Ampang. This restaurant occupies the ground and 1^st floor of the shoplot. Downstairs of the restaurant is always busy and so we decided to go upstairs instead.

The dishes and curries for you to choose

Downstairs of the restaurant

Upstairs of the restaurant

The service of this restaurant is pretty slow and the waiters are not really enthusiastic to welcome or serve you. We were waiting at our table and the waiters took so long just to clear the previous customers’ banana leaves and empty dishes. After we sat down, it took them easily another 10 minutes before they took our orders. We were very annoyed by then.

Our food came much later as they needed to go downstairs to pick up our dishes. The waiters were reluctant to serve us and we had to call for them to give us what we wanted, and then only we were served.

Apart from the above, please take note of the following:-

Check out the dirty tissues

Please wipe your banana leaf clean. Although they have washed it, do not assume that it’s clean. Please see the dirty tissues.

Do not expect them to pour curry onto your rice. Please do it yourself.

Chicken dish

Mutton dish

We ordered the chicken and mutton curry. The chicken was not that tender and we were given mostly bones. The mutton was cooked, but still had a strong mutton smell and a watery curry.    

The price was alright. I paid RM14 for a rice meal, with chicken and mutton and 1 sirap drink. It’s not a place I would like to go to again. There are other restaurants that serve better food and will give you better service.

I was told that this is Indian Boli sweet flatbread 

The restaurants also sells Indian sweets

The details of the restauarant:

Restaurant Kader

24 & 26, Leboh Ampang

50100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2072 8244

Restoran Karai Kudi Ganesan Mess (Banana Leaf Rice) – 8 September 2017

Such a long name for a banana leaf restaurant. Also, it was not really easy to find this restaurant as there are so many along the busy street of Leboh Ampang. This restaurant is on the 1^st floor of an Indian prayer shop. Once you see the sign, you need to walk up to the 1^st floor and you will see a crowded restaurant. We were fortunate that we were able to find a table and seats during their busy lunch hour. 

Entrance to the restaurant. Just walk up

You sit down and let the waiters know what you want, i.e. banana leaf, white rice, Indian rice or Biryani rice. If you choose banana leaf, they will place a banana leaf in front of you, scoop out 3 types of assorted vegetables, Indian/ white/biryani rice and a poppadum, with complimentary water or you can order your own drinks at a reasonable price.

Inside the restaurant. As you can see, not many tables and chairs

Then, they will bring the chicken or fish curries to you and serve you small dishes of meat, fish and eggs. All you need to do is choose your plates.

Choose your plates

I decided to order chicken and omelet. I was also given complimentary Rasam.

My meal, 3 sides vegetable dishes, 1 chicken and 1 omelet

Rasam

Poppadum. Normally you will only be given 1. If you want more, you need to request.  

Dried chillies ( you need to request for these) if you need your food to be spicier

The whole meal together with syrup only cost me RM13.00 and it’s so worthwhile, with tasty Indian food that managed to fill my hungry tummy.  

A waiter will come over to your table and give you the bill. He will assess what you have ordered.

After your meal, bring your bill to the cashier and make payment

The service in this restaurant was good and fast. Waiters are quite attentive. 

I suggest that if you want to come to this restaurant, don't drive. Just take the LRT and stop at Masjid Jamek, exit from the station and walk towards McDonalds. After McDonalds, you will come to a T-junction, turn left and continue walking until you see the name of the restaurant.

The details of the restauarant:

Restaurant Karai Kudi Ganesan Mess  

18, Leboh Ampang

50100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 014-790 0001

Restoran Bunga Raya Indah (Banana Leaf Rice) – 1 September 2016

My colleague, Derrick Lee invited me for lunch today and he suggested this banana leaf restaurant on the 1^st floor at a busy junction of Leboh Ampang. You will not see many other races in this restaurant as it’s mainly populated by Indians. 

The staircase leading up to the restaurant

As I walked in, it reminds me of my school canteen, long tables with stools. Also, don’t expect air-conditioners, only ceiling fans. 

Inside of the restaurant

You sit down, and the waiters will come and serve you. They placed a banana leaf in front of us (you may want to clean it with wet wipes or trust that it has been cleaned for you), scooped out 3 types of assorted vegetables, sometimes cooked in dhal curry (I was informed that they changed the types of assorted vegetables everyday), Indian / white rice and poppadom, with complimentary water (don’t ask me whether it’s mineral or not, just drink it). 

Then, another waiter will come by and ask you whether you want fish or chicken curries or dhal. 

Fish curry for me please

My meal, i.e. Indian rice, dry curry potatoes, dhal and non-spicy dhal with chickpeas, properly laid out, topped with fish curry. This meal will cost you RM5.50 only

You can have the rice with the given 3 types of assorted vegetables or walk to the front counter and order your meat, i.e. lamb, chicken or fish and they will put it onto a small plate and bring it over to you.

Front counter serving only meat dishes and eggs

Front counter serving only meat dishes and eggs

I decided to order a dry curry chicken (which I think it’s called the Chicken Varuval) and lamb and Derrick ordered fried chicken.

Chicken Varuval 

Lamb

Fried chicken

Normally it will be so much tastier if you were to eat banana leaf rice with your fingers but we decided to use fork and spoon.  

After the main meal, I asked for my favourite Rasam (spicy and sourish soup, an aid to digestion) and Derrick asked for Tairu (fresh yoghurt that is supposed to tone down the spiciness).

Rasam and Tairu

Also, please be reminded that after you have fully completed your meal in an Indian restaurant, I was informed by my Indian friends that you fold the banana leaf towards you if you think that the food is good and will come back again; and fold outwards if you think the food is bad and will not come back again.

Remember to fold the banana leaf towards you if you find the food was good and will come back for more

The service in this restaurant was good, as the waiters kept asking us whether we wanted more rice, curries and sides vegetables. However, they were not so generous with the poppadoms though.

The whole meal only cost RM22.00 for both of us and it’s so worthwhile, with tasty food. The only drawback is hot curries, be prepared to sweat a lot!!!!

The details of the restauarant:

Restaurant Bunga Raya Indah

41, 1^st Floor, Lebuh Ampang

50100 Kuala Lumpur