With a good selection of Indian traditional attires, accessories and so on, here are 5 things you can do when you visit Little India.

1. Serangoon Road

This is the place to go to if you are interested in the Indian culture. There are plenty of places to hunt for food here as well as the shopping. If you are a good bargainer, then get ready to buy plenty of things. From printed cotton fabrics, silk cloths, accessories and many more, this is the road you would want to be on.

2. Little India Arcade

Image Credit: onceinalifetimejourney.com

You can find plenty of restored stores that are extremely colourful. This is the closest you can get to an Indian market. Bunch of flowers and food stall offering sweets is some of the things you can get from here.

3. Temple Of Thousand Lights

The temple has gotten its name from the centre of the room that has thousand of lanterns lit, bringing you peace of the sacred place. You would even come across a Buddha statue that is seemingly majestic and beautiful.

4. Mustafa Centre

If you didn’t get what you were looking for at #1 then this is where you should head to. This is the place where you can get everything, from gold jewelries, leather handbags, readymade clothings and many more. It doesn’t only operates as a shopping centre however it also has a post office, currency exchange centre and the list goes on.

5. Get Your Banana Leaf Fix At Banana Leaf Apolo

Serving you an array of authentic Indian dishes, this is one of the restaurants you shouldn’t definitely visit. Its’ consistent of flavours that is full of spices will certainly make you want more. You can order their house specialties such as their Masala Chicken or Fish Head Curry which is both known to be quite deliciously impressive.

Feature Image Credit: 123rf.com

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Gajaa at 8 is the latest addition to the long list Indian restaurants in Bangsar. Positioning themselves as a “Royal Indian Cuisine”, the menu in Gajaa at 8 is made up of a wide array of extravagant South Indian dishes, such as Alleppey Fish Curry, Prawn Moilee, Claypot Biryani and more.

Founded by a local Indian family of Kerala ancestry, the team behind Gajaa at 8 has appointed Indian cooks who hail all the way from Kerala, thus there’s assurance in authenticity in every dishes.

Aside from food, Gajaa at 8 also serves drinks, a range of Indian-inspired cocktails and whiskies.

For those who are new to Kerala cuisine, we highly suggest to try out their Prawn Moilee. Mild from the natural sweetness of the coconut milk and aromatic from the whole spices used, the Prawn Moilee was a delicious dish.

Amma’s Mutton Curry was incredibly thick and flavorsome. While serving on a coconut may come off as a little gimmicky, the taste certainly impressed us. We liked how the marination of the tender mutton chunks was on point.

When dining in a Indian restaurant like this, Briyani is always a MUST TRY. The Chicken Briyani was beautifully presented and is part of what made this dish so special. The chutney and yogurt on the side was certainly a good touch and adds so much depth.

While the prices of the dishes above are certainly on the higher side, Gajaa at 8’s Chicken Thali set priced at RM12.90. The dish comes with white rice and 6 sides including a decent sized crispy fried chicken, so it’s a pretty good deal, alright?

Wash it all down with a well-balanced Banana Lassi and Masala Tea. Both served in a cute Indian Vase. While the Masala Tea as good, we certainly liked the Banana Lassi better as it reminds us of a sweet Banana pudding, but in a liquid form.

This article is written in collaboration with Gajaa at 8. 

More Info

Gajaa At 8, Royal Indian Cuisine

8, Lorong Maarof, Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur

Operating Hours: 11:30AM – 12:00AM, Closed on Monday

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As a popular tourist spot, Brickfields is known for its roadside stalls, hawker food and commercial restaurants catering to those who work around KL Sentral, neighbouring communities and traveller. If you’re looking for a good Banana Leaf Rice eatery around this area, Vishal Food & Catering Restaurant would be worth checking out even if you’re not working around Brickfields.

Aside from Sri Nirwana Maju and Devi’s Corner, Vishal is quite possibly the most recognized Banana Leaf Rice establishments in Kuala Lumpur. The place gets extremely crowded beyond lunch hours as hundreds of people come to get fed. Another reason Vishal can get too crowded is because the restaurant is quite small compared to other popular Banana Leaf Rice places.

A typical Banana Leaf Rice here served with 3 vegetable cost RM6. Price isn’t expensive but not considered cheap either – especially for the vegetable spread we received. While the restaurant rotates its vegetable spread daily, on this particular day the spread was uninspiring and disappointing.

Three types of curries are given for you to drench as much as you like. Fish curry is highly recommended here as it’s spicy and flavoursome. If you have low heat tolerant do opt for the chicken or dhal albeit not as delicious but still pretty good.

The Chicken Varuval (RM6.50) was no doubt delicious. The meat was fork-tender and succulent and had rich flavours from the marinated spices. Much like any Banana Leaf Rice joint, portion was at the smaller size. Nonetheless, this Chicken Varuval is a MUST TRY for first timers.

Sadly we were deprive of the mandatory Rasam and Papadum as the waiters were too busy and couldn’t pay much attention to us.

The food at Vishal is certainly good and would consider it as an affordable Banana Leaf Rice spot in Kuala Lumpur. One thing Vishal could improve on was the service as they seemed understaff and things seemed chaotic. It took the waiters more than 10 minutes to serve us Banana Leaf Rice and another 10 minutes to serve us gravies for our white rice.

More Info

Vishal Food & Catering
No. 22, Jalan Scott,
Off Jalan Tun Sambanthan,
Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur

Operating Hours: 7.00AM – 11.00PM

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Petaling Jaya is a food heaven filled with various delicious banana leaf rice restaurants such as Acha Curry House, Krishna Curry House, Restaurant Kavitha. But our most favourite Banana Leaf Rice restaurant is Sri Ganapathi Mess which located at PJ Old Town.

The restaurant doesn’t have a signage and can be easily mistaken for a private residence. But occasionally, you will see their catering van park outside of the house, doubled up as their signage.

Here in Sri Ganapathi Mess a traditional banana leaf rice set with plain water cost RM6.00. Unlike some commercialised restaurants *cough* Sri Nirwana Maju *cough*, they don’t charge extra for refills of  white rice/par boiled rice, vegetables and papadum.

There are 4 types of gravies for you to top up as much as you love. We felt the chicken curry was delicious and robust in flavour. Fish curry was a little spicy but in a good way, and had that satisfying aroma blend spiciness and tanginess.

The vegetables we reckon they rotate once in while. Among the 4 vegetables we were served, we enjoyed their signature red onions pickle the most. It was sour and appetizing, we couldn’t help ourselves but to top up for more.

For the meat dishes, we opt for a plate of Chicken Varuval (RM8). Chicken was well-marinated, despite chicken breast was used in the dish, it was tender and soft. However for RM8 the chicken was freaking small.

Seafood such as fish and squid are also available and it is freshly cooked upon order. The sotong goreng/calamari (RM15) is one of the most popular things to order at Sri Ganapathi Mess. It was crispy and springy,  and blended perfectly well with the fluffy rice.

Crab Rasam (RM1.50) which was served piping hot was one of the highlights dining here. It was cooked to perfection as the crab flavours were incredibly strong and the soup was fiery and zesty, very addictive. We would have ask for more if we weren’t so stuffed.

Verdict

All in all, Sri Ganapathi Mess’s was a super satisfying lunch and we trust you will most likely leave with a stuffed and happy tummy. At least our friends over Chasing A Plate felt that way. Prices here are slightly above the average banana leaf eatery but the taste of their food totally made up for it.

In short, if you dropped by PJ Old Town and you would like to have banana leaf rice, do try out Sri Ganapathi Mess.

More Info

Sri Ganapathi Mess
47, Jalan 1/10, Seksyen 1,
46000 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor

Cuisine: Indian
Operating Hours: 11.00AM – 4.00PM, Daily

Read also: Acha Curry House @ Bukit Gasing, Petaling Jaya

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While there are more Banana Leaf Rice eateries now than ever before, there are only a hand full of notable ones that are worth your time and taste buds.

With that being said, here are 10 Best Banana Leaf Rice Restaurantss In KL & PJ That Is Not Sri Nirwana Maju or Devi’s Corner.

P/S: NO! Sri Nirwana Maju and Devi’s Corner will not be on this list as they are overexposed and overrated (in our opinion).

1. Sri Ganapathi Mess @ Seksyen 1, PJ

Sri Ganapathi Mess is in-arguably the best Banana Leaf Rice restaurant in the Klang Valley. What makes them stand out from the rest is their incredibly robust curries and the authentic ingredients used. Their crab rassam and fried squid/calamari is a must-try. Staying true to its authenticity, Sri Ganapathi Mess is operated in an actual single-storey corner lot home in PJ Old Town.

Address: 47, Jalan 1/10, Seksyen 1, 46000 Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: 11AM – 4PM, Daily

2. Masala Wheels @ Seksyen 1, PJ

Masala Wheels started as a food truck that offered South Indian and Sri Lankan specialties. They branched out to a Banana Leaf Rice restaurant two years ago. The Sri Lankan influence in their dishes certainly makes this a must-try restaurant. While you’re here, make sure you try their potted biryani (which available on Sundays) and masala prawn.

Address: 2, Jalan 1/3A, Seksyen 1, 46000 Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: 11.30AM – 3PM

3. Puchong Chettinad Mess @ Puchong

Located 20-minutes away from Petaling Jaya, Puchong Chettinad Mess is the best Banana Leaf Rice eatery in Puchong. They use fresh ingredients straight from South India which results in a delicious spread of authentic home cooked meal. While it is not located in PJ or KL, Puchong Chettinad Mess certainly deserves to be in this list for its taste alone.

Address: 11-1, Jalan Puteri 7/9, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Puchong
Operating Hours:  11.30AM – 2.30PM, Weekdays

4. Acha Curry House @ Bukit Gasing, PJ

Acha Curry House is Petaling Jaya’s worst kept secret as the restaurant has no apparent signage but always crowded during lunch hours. It is famous among folks from Petaling Jaya as the ultimate place to get their Banana Leaf Rice cravings fixed. Their wide array of curries certainly stood them out from the rest. Two of the unique curries are onion curry and salted fish curry. Don’t leave without trying their special ikan bilis sambal.

Address: 271, Jalan 5/51, Bukit Gasing, 46000 Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: 7.30AM – 4.30AM, Daily

5. Aunty Manju’s @ TTDI, KL

When you talk about Banana Leaf Rice in TTDI, people often think about Aunty Manju’s. The best part about this restaurant is they serve 5 vegetarian side dishes instead of the usual 3. Sometimes you can find unique vegetables like fried beetroot! On top of that, their Mutton Bone Marrow Curry is among the best you can find in town.

Address: 18, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 KL
Operating Hours: 7AM – 12AM, Daily

6. Mollagaa Restaurant

If you’re looking for a good Banana Leaf Rice eatery around Lebuh Ampang, Mollagaa Restaurant would be worth checking out. While they are known for their authentic South Indian cuisine, their Banana Leaf Rice is quite underrated. A typical Banana Leaf Rice here is served with 6 (sometimes 7 or 8) awesome curries and each side vegetables are burst with flavours.

Address: 50A, Lebuh Ampang, 50100, Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 11AM – 10AM, Daily

7. Nagasari Curry House

This restaurant is located in Bukit Bintang (behind Hotel Istana) and it’s always buzzing with locals and tourists. Banana leaf rice is served all day long but it’s highly recommended to comes during lunch for optimum freshness Apart from that, you can find other customers enjoying roti canai, thosai and apam for breakfast.

Address: Jalan Nagasari, 50200 Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 24 Hours

8. Appu Uncle Curry House

Appu Curry House is famed for their ‘Fierce-Like-Wife Fish Head Curry’, but over the years they have made a name for themselves as a go-to banana leaf rice spot in Damansara Jaya. While getting your banana leaf rice fix, do try out their unique dishes such as Crab Mango Curry and Mutton Dalca.

Address: 3, Ground Floor, Jalan SS22/19, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Operating Hours: 7AM – 4PM, 6PM – 9PM

9. Yap Kee Banana Leaf Klang

Yap Kee is perhaps the oldest banana leaf rice in the entire Klang Valley. According to the owner Mr Yap, the coffeeshop has been operating since 1923, that is almost 100 years! If you’re looking for wide spread of dishes in Yap Kee, this might not be your kind of banana leaf rice as in Yap Kee as they only serve one and the same vegetable everyday. Their must try side dish is the fried fish.

Address: 26, Jalan Besar, Klang
Operating Hours: 10.00AM – 4.00PM

10. Bala’s Banana Leaf Rice

From its humble beginning as a tosai stall at Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Bala’s Banana Leaf Rice is currently located at a corner lot shop at Taman Lucky Bangsar. The restaurant is spacious and well-ventilated which always make it a treat to dine in. If you have some rooms to spare in your stomach, do try their pink colour Beetroot Tosai!

Address: 21, Lorong Ara Kiri 1, Lucky Garden, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Operating Hours: 7.00AM – 12.00AM

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There is no shortage of Banana Leaf Rice eateries in the Klang Valley. We’ve pretty much tried every restaurant in town such as Sri Ganapathy Mess, Nirwana Maju, Kanna Curry House, Devi’s Corner, Sri Paandi, Raju’s and more.

We recently came across Acha Curry House and realized despite hearing about it so often we’ve never had the chance to dine there. Acha Curry House is apparently one of the better Banana Leaf restaurants in Petaling Jaya.

It gets crowded during the peak hours so you might need to wait for a seat or share table with other patrons.

We had the standard Banana Leaf Rice (RM6.50).

While Acha Curry House also offers the typical chicken curry, fish curry and dhal, we opted for the unique crab curry, salted fish curry and onion curry. We felt that the crab curry lacks in the “oomph” factor as it was not bursting with flavours. Salted fish curry and onion curry was alright but nothing much to shout about.

To our knowledge, Acha Curry House is the only banana leaf rice eatery that offers Ikan Bilis Sambal (RM1) as a topping among the assorted vegetables. It gave an extra spicy punch to the dish and despite the sambal gravy the anchovies were still crispy to our likings. Do note that for every top-up for the Ikan Bilis Sambal the Acha Curry House charges RM1.

We were expecting something similar to Sri Nirwana Maju but still, the Fried Bitter Gourd (RM2) didn’t disappoint. The flavours and textures were there making this a very addictive side dish to much on.

Verdict

In conclusion, Acha Curry House is a decent place to get your banana leaf rice fix. Prices are reasonable and the staffs were friendly and sincere. Although the curries was a disappointment, It left us feeling clean instead of bloated and yet we still felt satisfied with our meal.

More Info

Acha Curry House
271, Jalan 5/51, Bukit Gasing,
46000 Petaling Jaya

Cuisine: Indian
Operating Hours: 7.30AM – 4.30PM

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