3005 West Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-734-3005
Web: www.bananaleaf-vancouver.com
Advice: Bring friends along and share the dishes.
Virgin Mango Paradise
Nonya Fried Spicy Calamari
Nonya's Lettuce Wrap
Love this tropical hideaway that is a little bit of paradise in the city, I dined here not long ago with a group of friends for an amazing meal. Started off with a tropical Virgin Mango Paradise ($5), followed by Nonya Fried Spicy Calamari ($8) crispy fried marinated squid in curry spice. Followed by the Nonya’s Lettuce Wrap ($14) chicken in Nonya spices, jicama, shiitake mushroom, bean sprouts, chives, soy bean sauce, basil and chilli served in a golden shell with fresh lettuce wrap.
Dungeness Crab in Black Peppercorn Garlic Sauce
Rendang Beef
Alaskan Black Cod in Caramelized Ginger Sauce
Abundance of Seafood in Assam Curry Sauce
Sambal Chili Fried Okra, Eggplant & Green Bean
Coconut Rice in Banana Leaf
After the appetizers we went straight into the mains, Dungeness Crab in Black Peppercorn Garlic Sauce ($14/lb) a dish that reflects the diversity of Malaysian cuisine: whole crab, shell-on, with Chinese seasonings & cooked with Indian black peppercorn, enriched with butter. (2½ lbs min) Rendang Beef ($12) boneless lean beef stewed to melting tenderness in coconut gravy and spices. Alaskan Black Cod ($20) in Caramelized Ginger Sauce with “Kicap Manis” Alaskan black cod steak topped with “Malaysian black sweet sauce” with caramelized ginger, garlic & shallot, enriched by Chinese wine. Abundance of Seafood in Assam Curry Sauce ($20) a taste of the ocean: scallop, prawn, fish, mussel, clam, and squid simmered in tamarind juice and curry spice with coconut cream; Sambal Chili Fried Okra, Eggplant & Green Bean ($13) stir-fried vegetable with small shrimps & tomato in dried shrimp paste “Belacan”; Coconut Rice in Banana Leaf ($2) rice wrapped in fresh banana leaf cooked with coconut milk.
Pisang Goreng
To end off this wonderful meal we shared the Pisang Goreng ($6) crispy fried banana with vanilla ice cream topped with crushed peanut & gula melaka. The staff are always colourfully dressed in their tropical uniforms that fits well with the indoor palm trees and great tasting and sometimes spicey cuisine. Jazz up your meal with one of their cocktails, make sure that you save room for some of the fine desserts!
Review by: Richard Wolak
3005 West Broadway, Vancouver