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Banana Leaf on Davie
Category: Restaurants Malaysian Malaysian [Edit]
1043 Davie StVancouver, BC V6E 1N2
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 669-3389
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Touristy
- Has TV:
- Yes
19 reviews for Banana Leaf on Davie
19 reviews in English
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Review from Robbie G.
Toronto, ON
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was brought here in February by a local Vancouverite that raved about the food. Turns out she was right!
On the first visit I ordered the Roti Canai to start, and Satay Chicken and Gado-Gado as my entree. The flavours and overall experience were fantastic. If I had only eaten there this once though, I'd have given the resto 4 stars...
HOWEVER, I found myself back in Vancouver mid-April, and just had to pay Banana Leaf a visit ;) This time we went with the Roti Canai, again (that stuff is addictive!! Delicious flaky, soft goodness) and we split the Caramlized Ginger Black Cod, and Rendang Beef Curry. OH DEAR LORD that beef is something else! Truthfully, I've been craving the dish since returning to Toronto. Somebody please open a Banana Leaf in the east and bring these recipes with you! Oh...and the black cod was great too!! hehehe All this, and the menu is moderately priced. Can't ask for more.
I'm anxiously awaiting my next trip out west just so I can partake in a great meal here. Miss it dearly! Any travelers want to bring me a doggie bag? ;) -
Review from Karl D.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2012
Been walking up and down Davie Street past this place since moving to the vicinity last Autumn; tonight I stopped to peruse the menu they've posted in the front window and quickly decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did, this place serves terrific food. I started with a mango slush drink made with good quality ripe mango puree and juice and wasn't overly sugary. It came with what at first I thought was a maraschino cherry, but was in fact a cranberry--somebody put some thought into that detail; the tart cranberry was a much better accent to the sweet mango than a cherry would've been. Next I had a satay chicken and pork appetiser. The meats were perfectly cooked and remarkably tender, the cucumber cubes were cool and fresh, and the satay sauce was a nice balance of sweet, piquant, and peanutty.
The Saturday special prawn dish was tempting, but I went for the lamb shank. I do not order lamb shank carelessly; it was my (late) father's favourite, and so eating lamb shank makes me think of him, and so an indifferently or thoughtlessly prepared one (or just a plain bad one) would be an especially unpleasant experience. This one was fantastic--the meat had been braised in a complex and yummy mix prominently featuring star anise, which complemented and augmented the lamb's flavour. It was lean and fall-off-the-bone tender. Really nicely done! Accompaniments were perfectly-cooked, perfectly-textured rice, just slightly sticky as it should be, and a dark green leafy vegetable, cooked correctly (not overdone), which was probably a relative of spinach.
I hadn't any room for dessert; the mango slush served that role admirably.
This is not inexpensive food; it's priced beyond everyday drop-in levels, but for the quality and quantity, the prices are well within the reasonsphere especially for this part of town which tends to be pricy. I have seen and had the displeasure (at other restaurants) of paying much more money for much less enjoyable food. Service at Banana Leaf is friendly, attentive, prompt, and unobtrusive. When I entered the restaurant, it was lit only by table candles. A sign (and the greeter, who was also my waiter) explained that in observance of Earth Hour, the electric lights and the stereo had been switched off. That was fine, and the atmosphere was quite enjoyable. Everyone was having conversation without having to raise voices above the stereo. Not long after I arrove, I guess Earth Hour was over; the lights and stereo were gradually raised. Too much, the latter; the music was loud enough to make it difficult for me to focus on my delicious food. I asked my waiter about it and he promptly and courteously turned it down to a more reasonable background level. So overall no complaint there.
I will definitely be back! -
Review from Herman E.
3/1/2012
Came in here on a whim for lunch a little while back. Had only a small sample of the menu.
Char kway teow
Roti
Both quite tasty. No complaints. Service was very friendly from a Persian guy who grew up in Malaysia and speaks Malay. Go figure! -
Review from Josh G.
Updated - 3/1/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Best....that's really all I can say. Last night's meal definitely bumped the leaf into the 5 star territory for me....and if you disagree, I'll have no choice but to kill you.
What a feast, we had the seafood tamarind noodle dish, the curry chicken with coconut rice and veg, the mussels in ginger coconut broth and of course, some roti to soak everything up.
Every single bite, every morsel, every ounce of food on those plates was lights out. I was quite excited for the mussels as I've never been a huge fan, and I always love trying something I've steered away from for years, and being completely converted to the other side within a matter of bites. These mussels did exactly that, they were perfectly cooked, soft and juicy, they literally melt in your mouth. The broth that they are served in was to die for, I was literally scooping it up with my empty mussel shells and if the restaurant wasn't packed, I probably would have just dunked my whole face in that bowl......ah will power.
The curry chicken was amazing, delicious and sitting atop of heaping pile of delicious veggies. The seafood noodle dish was really fun, a variety of seafood to pick at, amazing flavors and some soft tasty noodles to suck up all that great taste.
The entire feast only set us back $40 for 2 people, which in my opinion is phenomenal value for the variety and caliber of food that the Leaf on Davie dishes out. I will be back....maybe next time with a bib....but probably not.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/12/2011 ROTD 10/21/2011
Boo ya! This was my first experience with Malaysian food...needless to say, I am a fan! Just decided… Read more »
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Review from Sameer K.
2/28/2012
We were in Vancouver on vacation looking for a nice place to spend some of canadian bills on. We hit the mark on this one. Very tasty food and attractive atmosphere. For ~30, the two of us ate (or overate) lunch till our hearts content and then had to take some to go.
We had the roti appetizer- so good with the dipping sauce and nice and light and flaky. We tried the special sampler that had tons of different things including kabobs, beef, calamari, rice, fish, cucumber, mango salad, pickle, and spring roll. We also had a noodle dish with seafood. Great all around.
If we lived in Vancouver, I am sure we would be back. I am sad to see there are no Banana Leafs in Seattle. I will have to start looking for some place for comparison. -
Review from Dai H.
Vancouver, BC
2/4/2012
Affordable and absolutely delicious. The very best of the southeast Asian options in the west end - that I am aware of, anyway.
I'm a little weirded out by the bizarre pictures on the menu of actors playing delighted customers - this seems tacky for an otherwise nice place. But the food more than makes up for it. I'd recommend in particular the roti, the spring rolls and the curries. Very nicely done. -
Review from Megan S.
12/22/2011
The upside to visiting an inconsistent restaurant is that sometimes you get really great food! But, most of the time you don't.
Once upon a time I had a phenomenal dinner at the Banana Leaf on Broadway. So good, in fact, that my uber-picky brother ate (AND LIKED!!) curry and shrimp for the first time in his life.
So when a Banana Leaf opened up the street from my work last year serving well-priced lunch specials, I was pretty stoked...until my food came. I had ordered the sayur lemak, a mild veggie curry. Unfortunately they didn't get the memo that mildy-spiced shouldn't mean flavourless - the sauce was also super thin and runny and contained a disproportionate amount of cabbage.
The next time I went I tried a co-worker's recommendation: the chicken satays with gado gado. It was delicious, everything was perfectly seasoned and I loved the mix of textures. So naturally, I ordered it the next time I went and...they seemed to have forgotten the salt (or fish sauce, more likely). The gado gado tasted like unsalted natural peanut butter poured over bean sprouts. Blech.
So, I moved on to another co-worker's recommendation: the rendang beef. This was good, the beef was tender and the flavours were nice, but it was served with a side of the godawful sayur lemak. Still flavourless, still runny, still too much cabbage.
This place has done a good job of making Malaysian food accessible to the masses - multiple locations, snazzy décor and lunch specials in and around $10. But when it comes to the food, this place could take a few pointers from Seri Malaysian.Listed in: Davie Street - the best (and…, The Miss List
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Review from Irena L.
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love Banana Leaf. I've loved it since the day I tried it two years ago. Eat in, take out, make your pick, it doesn't matter!
I've enjoyed many of their delicious creations, but this was my first time at this location. Oh yes, the delicious roti with even more delicious curry dip! Spring rolls are pretty good too! My assam curry tofu with vegetables and coconut rice did a great job on clearing up my nasal pathways and satisfying my palate.
A bit of jasmine tea and I'm good to go...
Just a note, me and my friend went early on Saturday (around noon) in order to avoid crowds and be able to talk....it does get quite busy in there...go early and go fo the window table! -
Review from Gretchen C.
Vancouver, BC
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
i was so stoked to learn that a banana leaf opened up on davie and burrard! i'm a big fan of the one in kits and it's awesome that there's one downtown now that's not in the west-end (don't get me wrong, the west-end is great, but just way too far, especially when it's raining).
the roti is probably my favourite appy. there's an appetizer tray that was like $16 for two people and it included the roti, calamari, spring rolls, and a papaya salad! great deal, and everything included was delicious.
as for dishes, my personal favourites are the beef rendang and the hainan chicken (with the hainan rice). the pineapple rice is pretty good too (and comes served in a pineapple shell). the mie goreng and nasi goreng aren't really authentic (as i lived in indonesia for nine years and visited malaysia frequently) but they're still alright.
i love their fruity alcoholic drinks too. i had the mango slush with vodka the last time i was there, and i've definitely had a lychee slushy concoction in the past as well.
this location has a nice, casual, and comfortable ambiance. our waiter was also pretty awesome the last time i was here, and i've never really had horrible service at any of the banana leafs. -
Review from Gabe A.
A very tasty and convenient little Malaysian place that we visited when we were in Vancouver - it was actually our lunch on the day we left. A welcoming but dimly lit restaurant with warm interior design and comfortable seats, the food was quick and delicious. Everything we had, from the spring rolls to the curry dishes, were well seasoned and well proportioned. This is a great option for dining when you are in the area.
21/30Listed in: The 30-Day Challenge
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Review from BB H.
Burnaby, BC
12/27/2011
Same as the other Banana Leaf places on Denman and W. Broadway so go read the reviews there on the food. It is tasty. I'd recommend Mee or Nasi Goreng and the deep-fried banana with ice cream is to die for at all the Banana Leaves (Leafs? as in Tarrana Make Beliefs?).
I'd give the Davie one five stars because there's more room here at this location including when you're waiting. You know what I mean when you're squeezed in that entrance at the Denman location.
They have a small bar area with the TV above to catch the game--nice touch. -
Review from Ryan G.
8/20/2011
Yes, finally they are open! I salivated on the sidewalk when this place was under renovation, only to open as the famed Banana Leaf. I lived down on Davie, so walked past this place for some time, in the mornings and after work. Finally we made it here tonight, after our favourite PHO place, just down the street was too full to seat us.
I had currey chicken with vegetables, she had the lamb shank.
The lamb shank was something SERIOUS. I love lamb, and couldn't get enough of this meat falling off the bone shizz... Woah!
5 dollar pint of 1516 quenched me, while she had a glass of Pino, which was ice cold... so refreshing after a day of solemn financial markets!!
Who cares? I've got my succulent curry! My ice cold beer! It's Friday evening, and what better place to take my date than BANANA LEAF! -
Review from Will H.
Vancouver, BC
2/17/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I have only been for lunch so I will update after I try dinner. The lunch is a great deal, they usually have a daily special. the day i was there it was the beef for $6 could have been enough for one perosn easily and was sooo tender. I cant wait to go back I hear the crab is to die for....
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Review from Cody S.
7/7/2011
I really like Banana Leaf and their menu. It is full of Malay spices and the culinary influences are out of this world.
The Roti Canai and the curry boneless chicken are my favourites here.
The pineapple/seafood fried rice are a nice addition. Make sure you get the vegetable spring rolls. Amazing.
The service here is pretty good. It's not the best in the city, they are moderately attentive.....I can deal with it.
I am really excited that Banana Leaf has opened on Davie. The street is all the better because of it! RIP Kam's on Davie.....we miss you......will frequent your new place on the other side of the bridge.Listed in: Davie Street Hangouts
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Review from Bill T.
Vancouver, BC
Food is always consistent, delicious and authentic. And I would know as I am Singaporean originally and we are neighbours with Malaysia so I am very familiar with Malaysian food.
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Review from Tori M.
12/28/2011
This was a new cusine for me and I really enjoyed it. I thought the prices were in line with all the other restaurants we visited in Vancouver. Really enjoyed the Mango rum drinks too.
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Review from win l.
Vancouver, BC
12/6/2011
Food was pretty decent. Prices seem generally in line with other Malaysian restaurants. Large groups of 6 or more are charged automatic 15% tip but beware since this is a manual calculation on the bill after it's printed. If they insist on an automatic tip of 15% it's expected that they do the calculation correctly & apply it on the pretax amount. What actually happened was the tip got charged on the food AND the tax. When told a mistake was made on the calculation the waitress brings it to the duty manager who explained it's their policy to calculate the 15% tip in that manner & claimed that no customers in the past have complained about it or brought this to their attn before at any of their locations altho he is not the one who made the policy. After a discussion that went almost 10 min the manager finally agreed to calculate it correctly. I had to be adamant that any restaurant charging a mandatory tip on tax was wrong. It's one thing to be overcharged but having to really press the point their practice was wrong & insisting the math be done correctly ruined a nice dining experience or else this review would have been 4 stars.
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Review from J M.
Vancouver, BC
11/19/2011
Disappointed in my 1st visit to Banana Leaf on Davie. The hot & sour soup was inedible, completely overpowered with vinegar. Rendang beef was OK, but its curried vegetable sidedish was cold.
Service was spotty-we waited a long time for them to take our order. Water was served warm, without ice. Our two soup dishes were served 5+ minutes apart.
The music choice was odd for an Asian restaurant-dance electronica(?!)
I would not return! -
Review from April R.
9/25/2011
Great food! I had the Rendang Beef Curry and it was good. My husband had the Jumbo Scallops in Assam Curry Sauce. He ordered his extra spicy and he LOVED his meal, one of his favorites in Vancouver. The drinks were kinda weak and the service was alright.
