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Banana Leaf On Denman
Category: Restaurants Malaysian Malaysian [Edit]
1096 Denman StVancouver, BC V6G 2M8
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 683-3333
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 3 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:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
91 reviews for Banana Leaf On Denman
Review Highlights
"Whatever you do, make sure you order the roti canai."
(in 21 reviews)
"My fave is the Rendang Beef Curry and the green beans."
(in 7 reviews)
"Our server recommended Sambal Green Bean."
(in 4 reviews)
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91 reviews in English
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Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
10/18/2011
I feel like I have to write a review just for the service we had. While it ended a little slow (they got really busy) our servers were fabulous, cute, fun, peppy and awesome. I think I'd go there just to hang out with the servers.
Our food was also great (awesome in fact) the four of us shared the lunch for two (or rather two lunches for two). Really lovely, the food was great, fast and tasty.
The meal is a little on the pricy side just for lunch, but if you're like me and have a huge lunch it's worth it....food coma here I come! -
Review from Herman E.
2/10/2012
Came in here on a whim for lunch. 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!
I think I am falling asleep at my desk right now. -
Review from Derek B.
Vancouver, BC
1/30/2012
Checked out Banana Leaf on Denman on an impulse to try their Dine Out 2012 menu; I've lived in the West End for a decade and I'm a little ashamed to admit I'd never been there before.
The appies (satay chicken and murtabak with rendang beef) were a little underwhelming, but the mains we had (black cod in caramelized ginger and soy/assam curry tiger prawns and scallops) were amazing, the servers were friendly, and the wine pairings were decent. Highlight of the night was definitely the pisang goreng (deep fried banana) for 2.
I'll definitely be going back again! -
Review from Alvin L.
Vancouver, BC
12/28/2011 1 photo
Banana Leaf is one of a couple of famous Malaysian food chains in Vancouver that consistently rank high on annual review charts. Complete disclosure, I am arguably the worse person to eat at a restaurant like Banana Leaf because 1) I was born in Malaysia 2) I was raised eating the very best Malaysian food you could get and 3) My family is in the restaurant business with over a dozen chefs in my immediate family.
With all that said, it is no surprise I found my lunch disappointing. The roti canai was served slightly cold which is baffling because roti should always be served hot. The curry sauce if it can be called that was completely bland and flavorless, I didn't end up using it. As for the laksa, the broth was prepared quite poorly and it affected the entire bowl. Overall, I was not pleased at all with the meal which compared to what I am used to paying back home, was absurdly expensive. =( -
Review from A B.
12/31/2011
Worth the time and wait. Really enjoyed this place on a recent rainy night. Was packed when we first arrived so we went to a pub nearby and came back 45 min later and sat right away.
Way too much food, split the appetizer and even an entree. The Spicy Beef Panang was a bit bland but the seafood soup and entree rice dish (without the pineapple) was fabulous and really large. Great atmosphere even though place is small. Highly recommend. -
Review from Beverly W.
Vancouver, BC
10/15/2011
I have been going to Banana Leaf for several years. I have gone for both sit-down meals and takeout. I have gone to all four locations of Banana Leaf but I think that the Denman location is the best. It is smaller and more intimate. I also find that it's less busy and less noisy, especially compared to the Kitsilano location. The Davie location is new and I also like that one as well.
I would recommend the following items:
Appetizers:
- Satay - Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb (you can get an assortment(
- Roti Canai (this is a must, get a few orders, you'll love it!)
- Tofu Goreng (I love the sweet chili sauce that goes with the tofu)
Main Courses:
- Alaskan Black Cod in Caramelized Ginger Sauce with "Kicap Manis" (the first time I had this, it was excellent; the second time, the fish was not as fresh as I had hoped)
- Nasi Goreng (this is an amazing fried rice dish)
- Sambal Chili Fried Okra, Eggplant & Green Bean
Dessert:
Kuih Dadar -(being a coconut fan, this is an excellent coconut crepe) -
Review from Liza B.
Vancouver, BC
10/6/2011
Flavourful stuff. A no-brainer when in the West End for Malaysian food! It's small, clean and smartly decorated. I can't really find anything to complain about!
Try the roti canai. And the curried chicken. And the chicken satay. And the calamari...and..and ...and...*sigh*. -
Review from Alice A.
10/22/2011
Surprisingly good. I was afraid that food from my part of the world would disappoint but it didn't.
We had sambal vegetables, sambal prawns and pineapple fried rice. Obviously it was the sambal I was craving, but in the end it was the fried rice that was our favourite, so light and fluffy and chock-full of ingredients. The sambal is a little too sweet for my liking, but it was still authentic and tasty for sure.
Lovely for a special date night. -
Review from Chris M.
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
The array of Golden Plate stickers and other adornments on the outside of this small place on Denman St. don't lie. The food here is absolutely awesome. It can be quite busy and you may have to wait a bit, but once you're seated you can choose from a fairly wide menu of Malaysian delicacies.
From my point of view, you absolutely have to try a couple of things if you eat here. Firstly, the roti canai. Soft, flaky, hot roti served with a spicy dip - I could live off the stuff. Secondly - the eggplant dish with oyster sauce. Wonderful. Sit in the cozy space with a refreshing Singha beer and enjoy the aromas and flavours - many of the dishes are easily shareable if you go with friends. There's more to taste where that came from, including great Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng, prawn dishes (super spicy chili or milder, sweeter mango versions), a tasty dish with beans, beef Rendang... it goes on. There really isn't a weak spot on the menu! Lots available for vegetarians too.
The staff are friendly, and it doesn't take too long for your dishes to arrive - both likeable aspects when it comes to service.
Highly recommended! They also have a bigger, slightly fancier-looking location on Broadway, but if you're in the Denman area this is one of the real standouts. -
Review from Edward L.
Banana Leaf is one of the best Malaysian places in Vancouver, hands down.
We came here for some takeout. Specifically, the chicken rendang.
The location was quite packed, since it was a Fireworks night. The foyer was cramped. We had to work our way through to the front to place our order. The food came quickly, in under 10 minutes.
The chicken was a bit dry, the the sauce is killer awesome. You can taste all the herbs and coconut. It's the real deal.
My only complaint is the price. The food is good, but not $16 good. $10 would be a lot more reasonable. Because of the sardine factor, I would recommend their other locations (West Broadway comes to mind). -
Review from patricia l.
Vancouver, BC
Excellent good eats found here. I always get the Singapore Laksa and Fresh Young Coconut drink, then I get everyone to order everything else on the menu so that I can pick through their plates and I get to eat everything I want. I'm all about EPIC WINS for me ;-)
Listed in: I HEART Food!
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Review from Curtis R.
Vancouver, BC
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Finally a meal that delivers what it advertises - fresh, Malaysian, great spices and diverse influences. I was beginning to wonder after a few sub-par meals over the past few weeks if I was doomed to bad food and service and need to stay at home more.
Great tasting menu for $28. I was stuffed after eating the Deep Fried Banana Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream (Pisang Goreng) topped with Gula Melaka sauce. The appetizers included chicken satays, mussels in a coconut cream sauce, roti canai and calamari. The salad course was a Papaya & Pinapple Green Salad with Crushed Peanut. The mains included Alaskan Rock Cod with Carmalized Ginger Sauce and the Rendang Beef Curry. All tasty and well prepared.
Good flavours, good portions, good friendly efficient service. Left very full and satisfied. -
Review from Karen D.
6/2/2011
My mother and I were visiting Vancouver on a Vancouver-to-San Diego road trip. This restaurant was recommended by a friend of mine in India who often has business trips to Vancouver. Our road-trip lasted 17 days and this was the single BEST restaurant we dined at. If I lived locally, the Banana Leaf staff would know me by name.
The restaurant was centrally located. Street parking was easy for us as we went during Game 1 of the Canucks/Sharks playoffs! I guess everyone was watching the hockey game! :)
Banana Leaf has such a lovely, peaceful and calm atmosphere. It is wonderfully decorated; not gaudy and tacky like Thai restaurants that I'm used to in San Diego.
What we ordered:
Satay - two chicken, two lamb.
Curry Boneless Chicken
Tiger Prawns in Sambal Sauce
Mango Sticky Rice
The chicken satay was very tasty. The lamb satay however, was to. Die. FOR. Holy moly it was melt-in-your-mouth good.
Mom's Chicken Curry was very good and was very, very flavorful. Mom loves lemon grass + coconut!
I had the Tiger Prawns in Sambal Sauce. There are just not enough words in my vocabulary for me to accurately describe just how amazing this dish was. Try it. Trust me.
Single best plate of mango sticky rice I've ever had (and I've had many). -
Review from Brian L.
Vancouver, BC
7/3/2011 1 photo
Banana Leaf has been a stable in the west end and I've always enjoyed the food there. Yesterday (Saturday), my boyfriend and I walked past it on our way to an afternoon on English Bay and saw a sign on their window:
Happy Hour
Friday, Sat, Sunday
3-5pm
50% off on appetizer
(limited time)
We thought: What a great idea! after the beach, here's where we'll park ourselves.
Came 4pm, we arrived ready for a couple of drinks and some appys.
The appetizer platter, at $16, looked delicious. I asked if it's included in the 50% off deal. The waitress seemed confused, went away, came back and said: It's included but you have to buy a second one.
"What?" I said.
"You buy another one and you get the second one 50% off," she said.
"So it's buy one get one half off, NOT 50% off all appetizers, as your blackboard says," I asked.
"It's the second one, the lower value."
We walked out.
Today, we walked past the restaurant and the sign is still there in the window, luring unsuspecting diners.
I will never go back. Happy hour or not. -
Review from Brittany W.
North Vancouver, BC
7/15/2011 2 photos
A Malaysian restaurant along Denman with a large menu, good portions and decent dishes - great for casual dining in the West End.
A friend and I went at noon and ordered off their lunch menu (very well-priced!):
- Tiger Prawns in Gulai Sauce ($12) - delicious spices and creamy coconut sauce
- Rendang Beef & Sayur Lemak with Rice ($8) - flavourful
Yup, I'll be back sometime, or I'll try the new one on Davie :) -
Review from Ryan G.
Vancouver, BC
8/7/2011
From the outside, you are like, WHAT IS THIS PLACE? Cuz you can't really see inside from the street... but what awaits you inside is a dream of southeastern cuising. Large menu with good pricing is what keep this place full, I mean FULL... always wait for a seat when I visit Banana Leaf.
I've had a few rice dishes and have been very satisfied. It's one of the best places to eat on Denman. Hands down.
Enjoy! -
Review from Lisa T.
8/13/2011
While traveling through the Pacific Northwest, we stayed in Vancouver's West End. There were so many dining choices along Denman street and we chose this place based on Yelp reviews. It was fantastic! We arrived for an earlier dining time and were seated promptly. By the end of our dinner, the place was full.
Everything we ate was delicious, but I cannot remember exactly what I ate because it was over a week ago. When we come back to Vancouver we will certainly come here again. -
Review from Karma S.
8/17/2011
We visited Vancouver BC recently and our dinner one night at Banana Leaf on Denman was a highlight.
Our server recommended we start with the Roti Canai, which was a good way to begin. The flaky roti picked up the generous serving of spiced curried sauce. I had to take another bite with my spoon when the roti was gone.
We knew we wanted to try Abundance of Seafood in Gulai Sauce, and asked for help for a complement to the dish. Our server recommended Sambal Green Bean. The two went together so well! The seafood dish is delicious, a bit creamy, sweet, curried. The green beans were fresh, still crisp (barely cooked), with slightly spicy chili and garlic sauce. I think the shallots on top were fried, so just a hint of crisp crunch but not greasy at all. So the two dishes were perfect together, the rich, dreamy seafood was the perfect foil for the crisp, flavorful green beans (I've never been so excited about green beans...)
Server was very knowledgeable, portions were perfect (not gigantic like so many American restaurants serve, but not too small, just right for the two of us), cocktails were interesting and refreshing (Lychee Mojito, Mai Tai with cranberry garnish).
We'll definitely go back again when we're visiting Vancouver. -
Review from Jenna L.
4/25/2011
I love banana Leaf!
Their lunch specials are such a great deal. Make sure you look at the menu in the back for the lunch menu if the server doesn't point it out.
We ordered Singapore Laksa, lamb curry, and king prawn curry between me and parents. For me the best dish was the Laksa hands down! The portion is huge... The soup is rich and flavorful. I kept sharing it with my parents but still had noodles after noodles left. The lamb curry had many flavors and spices. Dad loved it. But it doesn't come with rice so order a bowl. The king prawn curry was more fruity tasting than my heavier laksa.
The veggie spring rolls for $5 was crispy, spicy, and so good when dipped in it's sauce.
I highly recommend eating here for lunch or dinner! The service could be spotty. The owner lady wasn't very friendly but the others were excellent. -
Review from namit m.
Updated - 1/1/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Ok after several visits to Banana Leaf I am upgrading it to a 5 star. The Roti Canai is still awesome. However everything here I mean everything here hits it out of the park.
The Laksa
The Seafood curry
The Rendang
The lettuce wraps.
Can not wait me to get some more.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/16/2010
Oh I wish this restaurant was a little bigger. Have given up a few times to fight the lines.
The… Read more »
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Review from Lynea B.
10/11/2011
Excellent food. Friendly staff. Overall, great experience. I went twice in my 1 week stay in Vancouver! It was definitely worth it.
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Review from Irena L.
3/1/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Really love the food here! Its a very small place and they don't take reservations so it's better not to go in prime time because you will be stuck waiting in line. I usually order a take out!
Everything I tried was amazing!
Definitely check it out! -
Review from Tee D.
9/8/2010 1 photo
The roti canai was really tasty. The guy said it was like naan's skinny cousin. I'd have to agree. I liked the curry dip that came with it as well, but I did think it was a little bit too oily (but that didn't stop me from eating it).
Our other dishes were absolute misses. His Kung Pao chicken was very chewy and sickly sweet, and my curry tofu and vegetables were also a bit on the sweet and unspicy side.
They charge extra for rice, which I guess is common these days; although, I do have to say that it annoys me when an Asian restaurant charges for a bowl of rice - especially when the entrees are sorely overpriced.
Our bill was over $50 - for lunch! They had some lunch specials going, but nothing on the lunch menu really stood out to us. Maybe it's our fault for bad ordering, but I was really unimpressed with the entrees, the service, and how overpriced the food was. -
Review from Courtney S.
9/18/2011
So glad I listened to what my fellow yelpers had to say. This was a fantastic meal that I am not going to forget any time soon. We ordered the nine course tasting menu for two and walked away talking about the great flavors and just the right amount of heat. Banana Leaf is a must in Vancouver!
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Review from T F.
Vancouver, BC
1/25/2011
My favorite menu is the roti canai.
I think their roti is best in Vancouver for me.
The curry, shrimp with sambal sause, nashi goren are super good.
I sometimes order crab and clam which are marcket price.
They are delicious but a little expensive by this restaurant. -
Review from Nai G.
6/4/2011
We got the roti cani , redang beef and chicken curry with a soda to top off lunch all for less than $30. Its good I'd like to try Pisan Goreng next time because another table ordered it and it looked delish. We got there right before they closed for lunch at 245pm. They open back later for dinner.
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Review from Ryan L.
8/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
A tiny little spot, but they pack in a good sized crowd in a beautifully appointed space, all while serving up delicious Malaysian cuisine. All our dishes were fantastic, service was solid, but my drinks from the bar were more ice than anything else.
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Review from breanne k.
8/14/2011
ok, let me start by saying that i live in ny. and we have some pretty great malaysian food here, so my viewpoint might be different if you have never had this before.
the food was tasty. exceptional? no. but it was good.
we got the roti canai (bread awesome, sauce ok). the belacan (okra, string beans and eggplant in a shrimp paste sauce - usually my favorite dish. this was good but not amazing.) and char kuey teow ( a noodley concoction).
like i said, if you want malaysian, and you cant get it many places, this is a good option. but if you have access to an amazing spot, you might want to skip this one. -
Review from Jessica H.
11/14/2010
As an out-of-towner here with locals, I must say that we all enjoyed this food immensely. We got there at 6ish and didn't have to wait long for a table, but it's a small place and I imagine there's usually a wait. For what it's worth, we were still chatting after we paid the bill and the waitstaff gently pressured us to leave, which I thought was fair, given the size of the restaurant.
We ordered the tiger prawns in sambal sauce, a flat-rice-noodle dish
the fried spicy calamari appetizer, and green beans. I can't vouch for any meat dishes, because we ordered fish and veggies, and all of that was good.
The location is on a fantastic strip of restaurants and bakeries near the beach, so that was nice too. -
Review from vanessa G.
Vancouver, BC
7/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
When i used to live near the Banana Leaf i would eat there weekly. It's a great place to grab take out, and at a 10% discount.. it's very reasonably priced for the amazing quality and flavors.
It's a vegetarians paradise. A massive lunch with lots of options will put you back about $8 each. Tropical salad, Gado gado, Tofu goreng, Roti Canai, and there coffee are my tops for myself or for sharing. I actually don't ever order a entree. The appetizers are huge and great for sharing.
Service is always excellent.. i think i may just have to make a trip there this week because i got myself all excited writing this! -
Review from Aly M.
8/3/2010
How do you rate a place with a crazy directionless wait, a couple yummy dishes, and then a flop of a dish?
To start, we get to the door and are completely confused about what to do. People just look at you as you ask about a host/ess. Finally someone might take pity on you and tell you to put your name up on the chalkboard behind you, but not necessarily on which side. Eventually some people will leave and the hostess will come by and look at the list. We got there around 8 and didn't get seated until 30 minutes or more later. Which isn't bad, but you don't really have a clear idea and no one is very helpful.
We ordered the Papaya & Pineapple Salad and Chicken/Lamb Satays. These dishes were tasty and had us looking forward to our main course--Rendang Beef. Luckily we asked for Coconut rice, because it helped drown out the crazy spice level of the beef. I'm ok with some level of spice, but this was too hot to enjoy the flavors. On top of this, the beef was not as tender as it should have been for being in a stew-like dish.
The service was friendly once we were seated, and the atmosphere is interesting (although people staring at you from the waiting area is a little unnerving) . . . but I don't know if I would go back. -
Review from robert m.
10/2/2010
We visited The Banana Leaf last night, hearing of its high ratings and raves. The restaurant is modest in size, but the wait, for a Friday night, was brief. There's a chalk board system that may leave the first timer confused, and there are only four chairs in the front, so one may have to stand outside. We were pleased to find there was no big screen television, streaming the local sports or reality show. The wait staff was generally friendly, though they wore decorative aprons which draped below mid calf in front, but often revealed an above knee dress in back.
We ordered the Papaya / Pineapple salad, the Rendang Beef Curry, and Sambai Gren Bean dishes. Now, we do not claim to be well versed on Malaysian inspired, fusion cuisine, but disappointment would be the mildest, kindest review. The tomatoes in both the salad and bean dish were unripened, hard, and flavorless, Several chunks -- they do not shred the papaya, as is custom in other Asian restaurants --- was also unripened, The cucumber chunks were practically microscopic, and not cut in that manner, it seemed, as a matter of taste, but of, perhaps, to cut costs. The salad, as a visual statement, appeared to be prepared sloppily and in haste.
The beef curry was low quality, and apparently not stewed / simmered in the curry sauce, but cooked separately then added. In fact, when we glanced into the kitchen, which was a health inspector's Purgatory, there were at least a dozen tubs of sauces in a steam table, suggesting the sauce was indeed added before the dish was brought to the table. The beef was tender, admittedly, but the sauce was largely unimaginative and tasted rather 'stale,' not made with fresh ingredients and spices.
Because the beef curry was so mediocre, we decided to order the green beans. Mistake, The shrimp were the size a pinkie finger nail, either from a can or frozen, certainly not fresh. The beans, in and of themselves, appeared fresh --- they had a 'crunch,' weren't droopy --- but the sauce was too salty, so any flavor was overpowered.
In sum, a real disappointment. We noticed, after looking over the reviews, that the most positive were from Vancourites, and the most negative, largely from out of towners. My companion, in speculating on the food, the experience, being so disappointing suggested that there may have been a new cook in the kitchen. We leave the reader, and the possible consumer, to draw their own consclusion. -
Review from Crystal D.
Vancouver, BC
12/26/2010
We finally decided to try Banana Leaf. We were a little bit disappointed. Nothing to complain about but nothing really wowed us either.
We had to wait about 20 minutes for a table because the restaurant is really small but we were willing to wait. The service was good once we got a table.
The appetizer sampler for 2 was probably the highlight of our meal because we were able to try 5 different appetizers. I enjoyed the roti with curry sauce. We ordered the Curry Chicken which was really bland and watered down, I was surprised that I couldn't taste the lemon grass or coconut cream. The Rendang Beef was definitely more flavourful but it was too spicy for me to enjoy (not the restaurants fault!).
I'm glad we tried it but we probably won't go back because there are much better restaurants in the West End that we absolutely love. -
Review from Rick C.
9/17/2010
Banana Leaf is a good place to have more exotic Asian food. It's safe and easy to try stuff. It can get pricey but is generally worth it.
The roti is always good and don't forget the chicken rice. The chicken and seafood dishes are particularly good. It's a friendly, casual, easygoing pace to enjoy some Malaysian food. The staff is friendly and helpful with any questions or suggestions.
All in all, the Banana Leaf is a cool place for some good food and a pretty decent dining atmosphere. -
Review from DAVID H.
Vancouver, BC
6/19/2010
As for a Southeast asian restaurant I find the food - very good, especially the Spicy Crab! Again I had better, there was once a Malaysian/Indonesian Restaurant on Davie St called Nonya BaBa, the food was Amazing & Out of This World!!! I would Rate it 10 Stars!!! I still miss it after it's been gone for 12 years! I & all my friends enjoyed it for 15 years then it disappeared. Any one remember this Reataurant?
Well, Banana Leaf will just do for now.... it's good. -
Review from duke d.
10/31/2010
Crowded, dark, small, long wait - but it's all worth it. Excellent food, period!
We walked along the street looking for a place to eat, but decided to go inside this plain looking restaurant with a poster of three sexy exotic women holding tropical drinks and trays of fruits.
We had the following:
Light salad - tangey with sprinkle of peanuts, mixed greens, tomatoes, two red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, cantelope, and pine apple - nice start.
Appetizer sampler: $16 with enough for 2
spring rolls - okay, not great
calamari - ok
roti- ok
chicken sate - we loved it (moist and perfectly cooked)
appetizer served with 3 different kinds of dipping sauces. One is soy based, the other is peanut curry, and we don't know what the third was.
Papaya and pumpkin seafood soup was flavorful. There was a lot of ginger in it to warm us up. There was 1 oyster, 1 clam in the clear broth. It tasted sweet and spicy without the msg taste.
For the main course, we had prawn and chicken.... They were all good and memorable.. Because the food was so enjoyable, I forgot to take further notes and enjoyed our evening eating and partying.
FOOD - Excellent
SERVICE - good
LOCATION - safe location, but the restaurant is small so plan on waiting if you come in a large group.
PARKING - street parking.
We will definitely come back to this place to try other dishes. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 11/27/2009
A dinner of Mee Goreng that left me swooning, not sweating; whatever they do to their spice palette is fantastic. It's the type of spice that hits hot but tapers off before your bite is done. Perfect for me as I loathe the lingering burn that sometimes accompanies a spicy dish.
The thing about Banana Leaf and other yummy Asian fare is that you definitely have to be with dining companions that compliment your style of dining. For me, its an injustice to forgo family style. A plate of Mee Goreng is fantastic on it's own, but it's so much better when shared and therefore, have an abundance of other dishes to taste. I guess you could say I'd go family style anytime, anywhere! Who's with me on that?Listed in: Favourite Vancouver…, A Halfer's Guide to Asian…, A Happy Vancouver Day On West…, Service with a Smile!, Vancouver's Spicy Foods
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2009
Lunch time - no rush, no huge lineup out the door, even for a small space. Just the way I like it!… Read more »
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Review from Nicole B.
9/27/2010
Vancouver, seriously has the best savory food doesn't it?
Anyway, Banana leaf is one of my favorite places to dine. I love the coconut chicken curry and the fried rice in a pineapple boat. Those are my 2 favorite things on the menu. I've tried some other things on the menu, but these are the ones that really stand out.
I like this location better than the other ones. -
Review from Gersham M.
Vancouver, BC
5/4/2009 ROTD 10/7/2009
One of the best restaurants in Vancouver (food wise).
Having just spent a couple weeks in Singapore on a foodie adventure I returned to Banana Leaf with a new perspective afterwards. It held up quite well indeed.
They do an excellent job here of Roti Canai with curry sauce and Rendang Beef. Other dishes are quite good as well but those would be the two I'd hi-light and suggest giving a go of. -
Review from Rachel K.
8/24/2010
I gotta say, I wasn't really impressed... it was just OK for me.
We ordered the curry boneless chicken and a soy-sauce/chili based rice noodle dish with seafood. The curry had a very interesting flavor with interesting vegetables, but it wasn't my favorite. Not to mention, there were very few pieces of chicken in the dish! The noodle dish was also similar - there was really nothing exceptional about the flavor, and there was definitely not a hint of chili that I could taste - only soy sauce. Plus, we found maybe two pieces of shrimp and three pieces of calamari but enough bean sprouts to start a farm. I love bean sprouts, but I gotta say the ratio was very unbalanced in this dish...
The service was fine, the decor was interesting, but the food was just average and overall just didn't make enough of an impression. I don't think I'll be going back.
