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Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine
Category: Restaurants Malaysian Malaysian [Edit]
820 W BroadwayVancouver, BC V5Z 1J8
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
(604) 731-6333
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
51 reviews for Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine
Review Highlights
"The roti canai and the spring rolls are to die for."
(in 13 reviews)
"Their Singapore Laksa is fantastic at all their locations."
(in 3 reviews)
"Mango Chili Prawns are AMAZING."
(in 2 reviews)
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51 reviews in English
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Review from Allen C.
12/28/2011
Ah, Broadway and Willow Banana Leaf... you never let me down. This has been a week of returning to my favorite restaurants and my top favorites has always been Banana Leaf. It has been a number of years since I've been back, but the quality remains the same. This time I am back with a child and they accommodated us very well. The high chair and table setting was ready to go.
Lets mention the dinner set. The roti canai and beef/pork/chicken skewers is a must have. I love the sambal green beans and I'm not a crazy veggy fan but I can eat that alone and I am satisfied. The kung pao boneless chicken had perfect curry sauce to it. Finally the pineapple fried rice cannot be missed. Other than the nasi goren, it is my second favorite rice dish.
Parking is a hassle and it was a bit crowded for a big group, but I am happy with the food
If you are feeling like splurging my wife recommends the singaporean chili crab dish. It's definitely worth a try if you like seafood.
Note: reservations are important to make for this place during peak times. -
Review from Hayley G.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2012
Wow, this place is so overrated. Here's what I got and here's what I thought.
Roti Canai - tastes like dessert.
Nonya's Lettuce Wrap - should have been served with iceburg lettuce - the lettuce they served it with made it difficult to eat. I guess the flavours were okay, though.
Curry Boneless Chicken - it was the best dish I had at Banana Leaf, but that doesn't say much. I could have made it at home very easily.
Sambal Green Bean - ewww. Canned shrimp was enough to make this dish uneatable.
Pineapple Fried Rice with Seafood & Chicken - come on! This dish was so kitschy - I would expect this from a shitty restaurant on a Disney Cruise.
It was not disgusting, but I would never tell someone to go there.
You want south asian food in Vancouver? Go to Maename (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) for good quality (and good tasting) Thai food. -
Review from Ott p.
love the new remodel design. the place look stunning newer and much cleaner. The foods is absolutely delicious just like how i remember it.
Great menus, great drinks options, fresh- high quality seafood, wonderful and friendly wait staffs
will be back soon.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2009
been here many times, and every times the food and the service is always excellent!!! food are… Read more »
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Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
11/11/2011
Yes! Finally! I get to go to Banana Leaf!
My friends wanted to celebrate and what better way than crab? Why is this the location that serves crab? We got a table in the back corner and hunkered down for the mythical crab.
Our food came out one dish at a time. Since we weren't sharing all the dishes, some of us were waiting for food... watching the other lucky people eating. We ordered two separate orders of crab. My husband and I ordered fried tofu and fried rice. D ordered a roti to add to our order... and we shared amongst ourselves while the others ordered like the world was ending.
The tofu was so good, my husband ate most of it. Wha? You ate my tofu! The crab was amazing... it was all over my hands. I really wonder if anyone other than me orders crab on a first date (besides me)? Does anyone get a call back if they do? It's like eating ribs on a first date... you have a keeper if they come back after seeing sauce all over your face.
We had to keep asking if our food was coming and I swear our server just kept punching things in when we asked because she would run to that Squirrel thing and rapidly tap the screen. Besides the lag, the food and the service was great. -
Review from patricia l.
Vancouver, BC
9/28/2011
Best Singapore Laksa and best Roti with curry dipping sauce. They have good service and great drinks here too - give the Fresh Young Coconut a try!
They have multiple locations around the city and I have to give credit where it's due in terms of best consistency for a chain restaurant. Great job here, all the locations are the same in terms of friendly service and excellent quality of food. Their Singapore Laksa is fantastic at all their locations.Listed in: I HEART Food!
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Review from Tanya T.
New Westminster, BC
9/9/2011
I love this restaurant. It's one of my favourites in Vancouver.
I always order the Roti Canai and the Chicken Satay skewers. The roti is so flaky and delicious, and the chicken satay is so nice and tender.
A great restaurant to go out with friends to! -
Review from Jon M.
8/21/2011 1 photo
Been to Vancouver twice, and I've eaten at Banana Leaf both times. Simply amazing, and worth every penny.
+ Lamb Shank is so tender it'll fall right off the bone.
+ Mango Chili Prawns are AMAZING.
+ Haven't had anything I didn't like from here yet.
Very delicious, quick friendly service, even with other tables full on a Saturday night.
~ (TIP) Parking is FREE in the back alley. Not many spaces, but better than paying for expensive street parking due to the hospital nearby. -
Review from Cat D.
Richmond, BC
7/18/2011
Order the Dungeness crab and be prepared to weep with joy.
Do not do so on a date unless you have been together a LOOOONG time. You will get messy. You will eat like an animal.
My friend and I ate here. We were greeted at once, quickly seated and ordered the crab and a side of roti. The crab arrived not long after - a monstrous, alien pile of legs smothered in sauce, a pile of fresh roti on the side. We attacked and later realized we hadn't spoken to each other - or even looked up - for a good ten minutes because we were so absorbed in the food.
The mountain of crab legs sits atop the main shell, so you don't realize until you've plowed through all the legs that there is this giant shell filled with the crab fat and delectable sauce just sitting there. You just see it and yell out:
MORE ROTI PLEASE!!!
Service was absolutely terrific, ambiance just right. Love it love it love it. I would eat here every week if I could.
Damage: Approx $40 including crab, 2 orders of yummy roti, tax, and tip.
Well worth it!!! -
Review from Patrick H.
7/29/2011
Stopped in here for lunch today. Scored a primo table by the front window which was great!
Took a little while for my meal to arrive but it was worth it. The lamb curry was delicious. Most, flavorful and bite after bite of deliciousness!
Topped off with a Stanley Park Amber it was the perfect mid-day respite. -
Review from Dan W.
6/26/2011
Visiting Vancouver and our cousin took us here for lunch.
The Roti is addicting and the sauce on the side should be a dish in itself. We had chicken curry, pineapple rice for the kids, fried chicken wings and mixed satay.
Everything was flavorful and not spicy. Despite the little hot pepper icon next to item on the menu, it just wasn't spicy enough for me.
Kids loved the food and so did we. Having just returned from Singapore, the food here is quite authentic. -
Review from Shawna L.
Burnaby, BC
11/19/2011
Good food. Long waits at lunch time which doesn't make it ideal for lunch takeout if you work in the area like I do. Nice for dinner out with friends. Portions aren't huge but the food is tasty. Good date place and nice girly drinks.
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Review from Vivian Y.
7/3/2011
So, so good!
The exterior is so misleading. Upon pulling up, I thought I was going into a dumpy restaurant but walk in an behold, a really nicely decorated and renovated interior!
Despite a very kid friendly environment, there are no change tables.
Other than that, the food was all fantastic. I came laksa and the fresh fried oysters caught my eye. Our entire family ordered about 10 different items and everything was excellent! The oysters were awesome, as were the roti, laksa, spring rolls, Satay and unfortunately, we left no room for dessert!
Can't wait to go back again on my next visit. -
Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
We haven't been Banana Leaf for ages. We were craving for Malaysia food this afternoon and tried it out again. It has warm decor and friendly staffs.
Malaysia bread was flaky and so good
Singapore Laksa was tasty and strong coconut soup base with seafood on top.
Malaysia fried rice was a bit spicy and delicious. -
Review from Quddous B.
Vancouver, BC
1/2/2011
We went to Banana Leaf for dinner yesterday. After the first two appetizers - Satay (Lamb) and Roti Canai, I was so excited to go home and write a 5 star review of the restaurant. The two dishes were so amazing. Maybe it's just that I haven't had an Roti in a long time. That stuff is delicious.
Needless to say, they did not live up to the hype created by the first two dishes. Their chicken (which my friend and I remembered was dry on our last two visits) in the curry chicken was dry again. King Prawns were also on the dry side (overcooked).
The Rendang beef curry, lamb curry and the sambal green beans were quite good. Well cooked and with good flavour.
The deep fried banana dessert was as good as I've had.
Prices are reasonable
$1.5/skewer for satay
$11-$15 for most main dishes
Rice is ordered seperately -
Review from Vanessa C.
Vancouver, BC
9/18/2011 3 photos
The appetizer platter for two ($16) was really great - had calamari, vegetarian spring rolls, satay, roti canai and a refreshing slightly spicy salad. Satay was really tender.
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Review from Debbra V.
Vancouver, BC
2/25/2011
Banana Leaf is consistently good at certain dishes. What they do well, they do really well. The Satays, Roti Canai, Fried Eggplant and Sambal Green beans are all wickedly flavourful. I also like the fact that they have some good BC wines by the glass that pair well with the spicy food.
I have to say I've been disappointed by the main dishes, even the seafood. The rendang I make at home is better--and it just comes out of a package! So I've learned what to order and I'm generally happy. -
Review from Steph L.
7/12/2010 9 photos
Banana Leaf has become the standard by which I compare all other Malaysian/Indonesian restaurants - which is a bad thing because I've yet to find another that measures up! This wouldn't be a problem if I was still living in Vancouver; luckily, I visit often. (I always say the reasons I go back to Vancouver are [in this order]: 1. Mom, 2. FOOD, 3. Friends)
Over the six years I've been coming here, there have been a few additions to their menu and the prices have gone up a bit (damn you inflation!), but little else has changed - in a good way. Besides the food, two standouts are the Malaysian décor (e.g. traditional Malaysian kites, called mau, hang on the walls) and the very attractive female staff. As for the food, I've tried many of the items on their menu. But since I don't have the luxury of coming here whenever I want anymore, I've pared down the menu to a select few favourites that I always order.
I start off every meal with a half-order of ROTI CANAI (flaky layered bread, http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). It's incredible - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and full of buttery-goodness (but surprisingly not that greasy). The curry dip is amazing with it but the roti itself is so good it doesn't really need it.
The pièce de résistance has got to be the SINGAPORE LAKSA (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). O-M-F-G! My mouth has a mini-orgasm every time I have this. The coconut soup is so rich and incredibly flavourful with the dried shrimps and lemongrass. The rice vermicelli, which has a large surface area : volume ratio, is perfect for soaking up lots of soup! Same goes for the sponge-like tofu puffs :) The bountiful toppings of bean sprouts, egg, chicken, fish cake, squid and shrimp are all fresh and never overcooked!
Another favourite is the Alaskan BLACK COD WITH CARAMELIZED GINGER SAUCE. The sauce is sweet, savoury, garlicky, and goes perfectly with rice. Despite how flavourful it is, the sauce doesn't overpower the fish - which is fatty and super-flavourful itself.
For dessert you can't go wrong with the always-popular fried banana with ice cream. For something a little different, I always get the PULUT HITAM (black sticky rice pudding, http://www.yelp.ca/biz..., served with coconut milk, with or without durian). The sticky rice is served hot, has a great chewy texture, is not too sweet, and has a wonderful nutty/chocolate-y flavour.
Recently, I had the fried oysters and braised lamb shank. The oysters (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) were crisp, plump, and well seasoned with loads of cracked peppercorn. Though the lamb shank (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) wasn't as tender as I would like, it was flavourful and I liked all the cumin in the broth.
I've never really had a dish I didn't like. Other notable items are the kari lamb, Malaysian curry chicken, anything with sambal sauce, and mee goreng (Malaysian fried egg noodle). -
Review from Angela S.
Coquitlam, BC
8/6/2011
Brought my Dad here for dinner. We ordered the sampler for two. Soooo good but a lot of food. Go hungry. Of all the 4 of 5 appetizers and 4 main dishes there wasn't a thing we didn't like. Black cod, curry beef, seafood curry, green beans, rice, chicken satay, mussels, calamari, roti, papaya salad... then to top it all off deep fried banana with ice cream. Add a singha beer or a berry sangria and you're set. Mmmm
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Review from Brenda R.
8/25/2010 3 photos
After two failed attempts at finding yelp recommended restaurant in Vancouver (both restaurants were closed), we finally found a place that fulfilled our needs for Malaysian food. It was a Tuesday and it was pretty busy. We only waited for about 10 minutes, which wasn't bad.
For appetizer, we ordered roti canai. The flaky bread was one of the best I've had. It was crunchy on the outside but was soft. The curry dip was delicious also. The papaya and pineapple green salad was also good. The salad had a good amount of pineapple and papaya pieces with mixed green salad and tomato in a house vinaigrette dressing.
For our dinner, we ordered rendang beef, black cod with caramelized ginger sauce, and sambal kang kung. Of course, we had to pair everything up with white rice. The rendang beef was to die for and a must order. The beef was tender and the curry sauce was perfection. The black cod with the caramelized sauce was sweet with the right amount of ginger infused into it. I just had to be careful when getting pieces of the fish because it had some fish bone. The sambal kang kung was okay but I think it had too much shrimp paste for my taste. We didn't get to order dessert since we were full. We left with some leftovers, which still tasted good the following day. We will definitely go back here when we come back to Vancouver. -
Review from Britta R.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Get here early if you want the dungeness crab. We were seated around 7:30 and they were out of them. Husband was not too pleased. He got the super prawns instead. The sauce was very flavourful and those were some really meaty prawns!
I got the Singapore Noodle dish. I absolutely love coconut milk sauces, this one was amazing!
We also got the spring rolls. We are on the quest to find Vancouver's best. My husband rated this place as first so far. I want to come back for lunch! -
Review from Maha E.
7/13/2009 ROTD 12/26/2009
Nothing inspires you to try a new restaurant more than staring at its big yellow sign from across the street while waiting for the 99-Bline in the cold Vancouver rain.
I have to admit that I'm not the foremost on Malaysian cuisine, but I AM quite the Asian Persuasion connoisseur.
Being a student, I definitely feel the dent in my wallet when I order a dish and it's boomerang'd back to me with very little substance, but I was happy to see that this wasn't the case at this establishment; Banana Leaf delivers from their freshly squeezed juices and savory appetizers, to their fully-stocked main dishes.
The service wasn't the most attentive, but they were very kind when they were.
The place was smashingly colourful, ethnically decorated and exuded a great vibe.
Recommend Bevvie: Guava Juice.
Recommended Appie to share: Steamed Clams in Soy Bean Sauce with Chili & Ginger- careful, it's hot... this is where that Guava Juice comes in.
Recommended Main deal: Tiger Prawns in Gulai Sauce.
Score: This place... is... BANANAS... B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Mmm, bananas. -
Review from Szeying t.
8/6/2008
I love Vancouver because it has not one, two, but a plethora of Malaysian restaurants. Banana Leaf is probably one of the better ones. They have three locations in Vancouver.. one in the West End, one on W. Broadway, closer to the east side, and one in Kits, also on Broadway.
Try the calamari appetizer and the oh so good char kuay teow. (Their roti canai is probably the best in Vancouver) Not anymore. Sorry, Banana Leaf, Jonker Street beat you with the Roti. If you're adventurous and a Malaysian food virgin, they have a great tasting menu for $25 per person.
They have pretty yummy cocktails too!Listed in: Have you eaten yet, lah?
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Review from Christine K.
Vancouver, BC
7/25/2009
I used to be a huge fan of Banana Leaf. Now we go to Tropika on Cambie when we want Malaysian. Our major pet peeve is that the food NEVER comes out at the same time. So no matter if there's 2 or 3 or 4 of us, 1 or 2 of us is sitting there for long periods with nothing in front of them. This is EVERY time we go too! Last time we went for lunch my friend said, "Can we please get our orders at the same time?" The waiter said, "We'll try". But no. I got mine way before he did and it became uncomfortable again!
Also, I usually always order Mee Goereng & it wasn't good this last time! This used to be one of my fave lunch stops but no more! The last service/food pushed us over the limit and it will be a loooooooong time before we return! -
Review from Reena M.
8/14/2009 1 Check-in Here
I came here with a big, massive party of 20+ ( people just kept showing up!) and the restaurant was full house! So, you can imagine how frustrated the staff must have been, but they did the best they could and it was appreciated.
The food was amazing and they had it coming out fast! I shared the 7 course dinner for 2 for $25 and what an amazing deal! It comes with roti canai, spring rolls, satay, beef curry, seafood curry dish, green beans and eggplant dish, an awesome salad, and dessert! It was all really tasty. I should come back more often. -
Review from Alison S.
1/14/2010
Banana Leaf is my go-to place for Malaysian food. I love their Hainanese chicken, the char kuey teow, the laksa, and oh yes, the roti canai....like, if it wouldn't be super overkill I would eat everything with their roti canai and the sauce. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the dessert with all the different jelly things swimming around in it (forgot what it's called)
Another thing I like about their menu is that they have lunch specials that come out really fast if you're in a hurry Mon-Fri. They're geared towards the doctor/nurse/admin crowd that fills up the place between 12 and 1 pm, but also perfect for regular student-people like me who are just really hungry!
Service is sometimes kind of spotty...if you get seated in the back it's hard to wave down someone, but usually someone eventually will come by for taking your order, getting your bill, etc. -
Review from Mary S.
8/17/2009
FLAVOR FLAVOR FLAVOR.....MMMMMmmmm...I would definitely come back for this restaurant. I live in the States and I can't wait to go back!
The crabs were a very good size.(We ordered 2 crabs.) The king prawns were huge, the mussels were yummy, the coconut rice...I haven't have that taste in a loooooong time. The string beans with shrimp was good. Also the appetizer that was flaky dip in curry was also good!
Service was excellent!!! Also the dessert ..fried banana...not a big fan of the dessert but it was good.
Always make reservation before you go....the wait can be long! -
Review from Dani B.
11/27/2009
This place is amazing if you love Malaysian food (or Asian food in general).
This place would've gotten the 5 star rating but their Gado Gado was not the best i've had, but it was pretty damn good.
This place isn't the most veggie friendly but they do have a section with strictly veggies, so that was nice.
If you do eat seafood this is the place to splurge. They have the freshest fish and unique creations packed full of flavour and spice.
Great place to go on a date or to catch up with old friends.
Can't forget the amazing service either, its almost like they can read your mind and stomach they are so attentive.
Ohhh, just thinking about this place is making my mouth water. -
Review from Kelley R.
Vancouver, BC
7/6/2009
I had never sampled Malaysian food until this weekend. I think I might be in love. And how couldn't I be? The flavors were like some kind of Indian and Thai cuisine lovechild! We had the "Perfect Lunch for Two", which offered Fish in Caramelized Sweet Ginger Garlic Sauce, a vegetable dish with a light curry sauce and Kari Lamb. We also ordered the spring rolls and the Roti Cani - way too much food for two, but it sure was tasty and fun to try all the different dishes. My favorite was the Kari Lamb - super tender cuts of lamb in a red curry sauce. My husband loved the Roti Cani and devoured most of the generous serving before I knew what happened.
We were seated near the kitchen door and got a glimpse of many dishes passing by. The soups look phenomenal and all of the plates were presented beautifully!
The pre-set menus seem to be a great way to sample several dishes - I will definitely be back to try they seven course menu for only $25. And you save on drinks when you add them to a pre-set menu.
The atmosphere and service were delightful. We will definitely be back soon for another go at the menu! -
Review from Vanessa S.
Vancouver, BC
10/24/2009
Ate at the Banana Leaf last night, a Friday. Our table of three had to wait about 45 minutes for a table, which was expected because I know it's a popular place.
It was very busy in the restaurant for the duration of our meal, and I thought the service was great. Our server and the people who brought us some of our dishes were extremely pleasant, attentive and friendly.
The food was great, very tasty, abundant, and served hot.
The atmosphere was good.
If you have to wait when you go to the Banana Leaf, it will be well-deserved once you get to your table. It's a great restaurant! -
Review from adam b.
12/10/2010
I had the shrimp lunch special and the roti. The roti and dipping sauce was amazing as well as the sauce the shrimp was in. The shrimp could have been more fresh. Enjoyable lunch!
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Review from Cyrus G.
Vancouver, BC
3/28/2011
Redang beef, the roti and the papaya soup are awesome.
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Review from Cyril S.
Vancouver, BC
1/2/2011
Great food, and exceptional staff. Always very friendly. This place can get pretty busy on most nights.
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Review from Sheila W.
BC
11/12/2008 1 photo
This place is a super-friendly way to introduce non-ethnic-food-eating people to some delicious Malaysian food. I have taken my meat-and-potatoes father and a group of visitors from Ohio (if you haven't heard, it's not a State known for its International food) and they've all raved about it.
The food is all served family style, so you can order a few dishes and share them with your group. It's a great way to experiment with a lot of new flavours and ingredients. The food comes out as soon as it's ready, so if you don't share one person might finish their meal before all the plates have arrived. So share!
The service has always been as warm as the colours on the walls. There's a nice selection of wine and beer to choose from. I've tried a lot of their menu items, and enjoyed all of them. My favourite is always the Abundance Seafood in Gulai Sauce. That Gulai Sauce is so good you just want to lick the plate. Another favourite was a seasonal plate with mango, prawns and chilli. It's not on the regular menu, but it was such a treat that I now pay close attention when the server goes over the specials!
One of the bonuses is that the food is rarely spicy. I find that even the food that they might label as spicy is not. I really like spicy food, but it's easy to add heat to a dish. These dishes have intense flavours without the heat, so you don't have to worry about having something to give spice wimps at your table. -
Review from Brett C.
Toronto, ON
9/9/2009
Brett's To-The-Point™ Review:
Everything deserves four stars. Could get that fifth star if it was cheaper or the food was just a tad better. -
Review from Marina G.
Vancouver, BC
2/19/2009
If you are looking for spicy, tasty, cheap food- Banana Leaf is your place! Make sure to start with a order of Roti and then try and narrow down your main course choices. The spicy shrimp green beans are awesome and there are lots of traditional meat dishes to choose from. Make sure to get a few orders of coconut rice and finish your meal with deep fried banana and ice cream. If you plan to go for dinner on Friday or Saturday night make sure to call ahead and make a reservation or you will be waiting for a bit in the cramped waiting area.
Make sure to try their guava juice- yummy! -
Review from Rose N.
Vancouver, BC
3/16/2010
Eat your Crab out!
This remains my favourite local Malaysian restaurant and it's where we usually go to catch up with friends and enjoy a lovely dinner, knowing that you will NEVER be disappointed.
Although Roti isn't authentic as my Indian friends say, they still approve because of the sauce and the enormous portions. They decide depending on how many of you are at the table. I have eaten at this place over 15 years so I've tried everything on the menu, but I highly recommend the crab cooked in garlic & chilis, curry mussels, fried rice. I wouldn't recommend the seafood mix, because it is mostly fish that they put in. I think it should be more prawns and squid, but they don't put that much in.
Also the waitresses are super helpful when it comes to recommendations and everyone is knowledgeable as it is family owned.
Banana dessert is ok. It isn't authentic fried bananas, this has to be made with S.Asian bananas, not the reg ones we eat, which is what they used. The best one is Salathai in town, they know how to do it exactly like Thailand.
Great for business meetings,family dinner celebrations, birthdays, or even dates, if you have an adventurous foodie! -
Review from Steven N.
Kingston, ON
10/20/2009
What happened Banana Leaf? I'm not sure if the kitchen was having an off day or if they changed owners, but the food was uninspired, lukewarm and plain.
We ordered the roti which came out slightly burnt. $6 for 2 pieces? Quite expensive for roti. Also, we ordered the mussels in cumin sauce which had an incredibly fishy smell with it. Had about three of the mussels and had to return it back to the kitchen. The waiter was very kind about it and removed it off our tab, but fishy mussels? Not the greatest experience by far.
This used to be my favourite consistent restaurant in Vancouver. Time to move on, bleh. -
Review from Eric W.
1/24/2011
Ok, this would have to be one of the best Asian meals we have ever had! Incredible flavors, fantastic and very friendly service. We visit Vancouver often and The Banana Leaf is a must visit each time. Wish we had a place like this back in Virginia!
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Review from beki L.
Vancouver, BC
9/29/2009
If i were to review this restaurant solely on taste, then it is very deserving of the full 5 stars!
have been a fan of this busy malaysian chain for many years, most recently was at this location for my roomies bday dinner.
as usual, the lobby was packed with people waiting to be seated. the servers were running to and fro getting out orders and serving hot delicious plates to their tables.
we had made reservations and ended up waiting for about 15-20 mins, which is quite reasonable considering the high traffic at that time.
i had come from a late lunch prior so i regretfully had no room for a meal.
i did however ordered myself the double lychee mango mojito which was strong and tasty! and i can never go here without having their signature deep fried banana dessert... oh, how everything just tastes better when its deep fried!!
everyone had an order of the roti to start...which i had to sample of course. one of the dishes i always have to order as well when i come here. the bread is soft and chewy and dipped in their mildly spicey peanut sauce just completes it. in fact, the roti is delicious on its own.
my room mate had the pineapple fried rice, which is served right out of the pineapple shell! a delight to the eyes and even more pleasant to the tummy! another dish i have had many times before and always praised. the pineapples make the normally salty dish have little bites of sweet surprises...much fun! and if you dont like the hot spice of malaysian dishes, this one wont leave your tongue burning.
my other room mate ordered the mango chili prawns.... i have never sampled this before so i had to steal a few off his plate. i love eating fruit in my mains!! although the dish itself wasnt piping spicey hot, the mango had the perfect balance with calming the chili prawns. i just love those jumbo prawns...slurp slurp!
if i had to rate solely on service, i would probably give 3-4 stars. not rude, but not exactly stellar. it's too bad, because the very first time i ever tried banana leaf, the server for our table was so friendly and happy, i fell in love with his jolly nature. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Victoria, BC
8/18/2010
Having spent time in Malaysia, I expected Banana Leaf's fare to be less than perfect. I was wrong. I stopped in for lunch and for less than $20 had a meal that transported me back to one of my favorite destinations. I tried the Roti and the Kari Lamb and Sayur Lemak with rice. The lamb wasn't as spicy as I remember it, but the flavor was all there and it was so tender it literally fell apart on the fork. The portions were extremely large for the price, I even left more than half of the rice behind. My only complaints are the Iced Milk Tea was sweetened with syrup that was still glopped on the spoon and left the drink with a slightly gritty taste and the Roti was a little oily (still perfectly delicious though). Overall, my next day trip to Vancouver will definately include Banana Leaf..
