Kanna Curry House Restaurant — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

🌞 Sun 07 Jul 2024: A day when curry leaves whispered secrets, and our hearts danced to the rhythm of spices. 🌶️🍽️🎉

🌿 Introduction: On this sun-kissed Sunday, as the week-long staycation drew to a close, my wife and I found ourselves at the bustling heart of Petaling Jaya. Our nephew, a gracious guide from Sunway Serene, led us to the iconic Kanna Curry House. Nestled on Jalan 17/45 in the vibrant Seksyen 17, this eatery promised an authentic South Indian experience. The air hummed with anticipation as we stepped into the lively restaurant, seeking solace in its air-conditioned embrace.

🍛 Banana Leaf Set Meals: A Symphony of Flavors: The banana leaf set meals unfolded before us like a vibrant canvas. Each element played its part, creating a harmonious symphony of flavours. Let me paint the scene:

Deep-Fried Chicken Legs: Appearance: Golden-brown and crispy, these chicken legs beckoned with irresistible allure. Flavor: Marinated to perfection, they revealed a tantalizing blend of spices—cumin, coriander, and a hint of turmeric. Texture: The first bite yielded a satisfying crunch, followed by tender, juicy meat. Taste: A dance of savoury notes—savory, slightly tangy, and oh-so-satisfying.

Tenggiri Fish Cuts: Appearance: Freshly deep-fried, the fish cuts glistened—a testament to their freshness. Flavor: Delicate and ocean-kissed, they whispered of the sea. Texture: Flakey, yet firm—a delightful contrast. Taste: Subtle sweetness, kissed by the spices of the curry.

Accompaniments: A Flavourful Ensemble: Curry Dahl: Velvety and aromatic, it flowed like a golden river, inviting us to dip our rice. Fish and Chicken Curry Sauces: Rich, robust, and fragrant—the essence of tradition. Special Deep-Fried Onions: Crispy, caramelized, and fragrant with curry leaves—a revelation.

🌶️ Spices and Heat: The curry leaves whispered secrets, and the chili heat danced on our tongues. We reveled in the interplay of turmeric, fenugreek, and mustard seeds—the very soul of South Indian cuisine.

🌸 Ambiance: A Vibrant Canvas: The restaurant's walls wore hues of saffron and ochre, echoing the warmth of the sun. Conversations flowed like a gentle monsoon, punctuated by laughter and clinking cutlery. The air buzzed with the promise of culinary delights.

🚗 Parking Woes and Culinary Bliss: Yes, parking was a challenge—a minor inconvenience in the grand feast that awaited. Our nephew's resourcefulness led us to a hidden spot at the back, where we traded parking woes for gastronomic bliss.

🌟 Verdict: A Sunday Well Spent: As we savoured the last morsels, we knew this was more than a meal—it was a memory etched in spice and camaraderie. Kanna Curry House had woven its magic, leaving us grateful for Sundays, family, and the joy of...

One of the more popular restaurants serving banana leaf rice, Kanna used to be a favorite haunt of mine till the day they replaced the banana leaves with a piece of paper shaped like a banana leaf and colored green. Luckily after a few years of this, the restaurant has recently switched back to using real banana leaves (the leaves arguably add a lot to the dining experience thanks to the natural fragrance of the leaves and is more eco friendly as well). As can be seen from the update below, they still fall back to the paper whenever there’s a banana leaf shortage. Anyway dishes served here are typical of a Southern Indian banana leaf experience with a selection of mutton and chicken curries as well as loads of vegetables as accompaniments to the rice. Also notable is a range of seafood and chicken which can be served up to you freshly deep fried. Do try the rassam (a sour Indian soup served in a little stainless steel cup) here as it is one of the better rassams you can find. Prices tend to be a little higher than before but this is still in line with many such restaurants around Kuala Lumpur. Service here can be a little up and down — sometimes you get indifferent waiters (who never seem to be looking in your direction when you need them) and sometimes you get one that’s downright rude. Update March 2018: they’re back to using green colored paper again (perhaps they ran out of banana leaves for the day). Nevertheless, rude service recently from a waiter means the rating for me has dropped once again. I can take a lot but the regular abuse I often have to endure at Kanna I cannot take. Will skip this place...

One of the bastions of Indian banana leaf restaurants in the Petaling Jaya area for decades, Kanna has grown in terms of size during the past few years to cater to the ever burgeoning crowds. Parking here is a nightmare so if you're coming with friends it's better to come together in a car rather than separately.

Food wise, Kanna offers South Indian curries with rice on a banana leaf. The basic banana leaf serving includes some of the vegetable dishes that are healed up alongside your rice together with some poppadom. This is the basic banana leaf, and you could have it just like that (great for vegetarians)

It's when you start ordering the other curries, like chicken or lamb marsala, varuval, including fried chicken/fish/squid etc, that's when you take your banana leaf to the next level.

There are three options for seating - in the restaurant under the fans, or in their sure conditioned room or you could also done Al fresco.

If you choose not to have banana leaf rice, the usual mamak options are also available, like roti canai, roti pisang etc.

Service is always very fast and attentive, and somehow through all that chaos, when you go to the cashier to pay your bill, it's always correctly calculated.

If you have never eaten banana leaf rice before, this is a great place to come to. Popular with the locals, finding a seat on weekends can be quite difficult during the...