Banana Leaf Original (Broadway & Oak) — Restaurant in Vancouver

We had originally planned to try John 3:16 on Broadway but for whatever reason they are closed today. So we ended up here at Banana Leaf.

I haven't been to a BF for a significant amount time and probably for good reasons just at the moment I didn't recall why.

We were greeted by a robust humourless man. No small talk, asked us how many, I replied 2 and the people behind us are not with us. The man frowned with disdain. Okee. He must be the manager or owner with such sour demeanour.

Then he went away for a long time. The people came after us have already ordered and nearly finished before our food even arrived. FYI, the restaurant just opened so cannot blame the "crowd" for lack of service considering there are only 5ish tables.

We ordered 3 dishes; beef rengdang, a rice dish with fried chicken and a seafood curry.

First of all the portions are all on the small side. The beef rengdang was superdry. Sign of excess overcooking or reheating. 1/5.

The curry seafood contained 2 prawns, 2 scallops, 6 mussels with 2 empty shells so 4, some squid and fish, but major was fillers was string beans and carrots. 1/5

Finally the lasi nemak, the rice dish is the only passable dish. Steam rice with some dried fish and a few pieces of fried chicken. It was not spectacularly tasty or difficult to make. 3/5

Overall foodwise it was lacklustre, bland and water down comparing to authentic Malaysian cuisine. This is the nature of chain restaurants, I suppose?

Now I remember why I stop coming to...

I had some surgery in Vancouver and was staying at the Holiday Inn. During my walk in the morning after the surgery, I was checking out various places for my friend and I to dine.

My friend arrived and we took a short walk to find where we wanted to dine. She said she heard the Banana Leaf restaurant was good. I had never eaten Malaysian food, so I thought it might be a bit of an adventure.

It was 5:00, so we could still choose from the happy hour menu where the appetizers were half price. . I just kept ordering. We started with eggplant fries, which were literally the best fries I have ever eaten and I have eaten some quite tasty fries in my time from Canada and Europe. They were delicate and beautifully seasoned.

The two dozen mussels in a coconut cream sauce can only be described as heavenly. There was a beautiful Papaya salad; half of which I enjoyed the next day. It was fresh and delicately seasoned. The huge tiger shrimp dish with fresh pineapple and peppers was perfectly mildly spiced. The shrimps were succulent and juicy. And I had the opportunity to enjoy the rest of this dish before I retired that night. The lobster was cooked beautifully and delicately presented. The coconut rice was fragrant and was comforting in its flavour.

I can’t say which was my favourite dish as they were all uniquely delicious. The service was very friendly and well attended. Another feast in downtown...

I visited Banana Leaf Broadway for the first time just a few hours ago and was amazed by the quality of their food and service.

Their service was top notch. I was part of a group of nine, and we were seated quickly despite our sudden arrival. Our server was attentive throughout our stay of 2-hours. Sometimes I would just look around the place and stare at the fanciful decor, and our server would always promptly appear, just in case my looking around meant I had a request. Food was served discretely while my group was talking amongst ourselves. And any confusions in the order and payment process were promptly and professionally resolved. (Forgot his name, but the Korean gentleman deserves recognition for his work and diligence).

The food we received was impeccable in both taste and presentation. Compared to other Malaysian restaurants I’ve been to, Banana Leaf had a level of refinement that made for a great experience. All the flavours were rich, refreshing and balanced; I didn’t feel uncomfortably full even when I wolfed everything down in 10 minutes. The presentation/plating was thoughtful and looked designed to be shared. And the ingredients and portions of each dish were of fantastic value.

I will be returning, and will also be recommending Banana Leaf to friends and family as a solid...