This was an accidental discovery. I made a short trip to Nu Sentral recently to do some shopping and eventually ended up hungry. So, off I headed to Level 4, which houses many restaurants and a foodcourt too. As I was walking about, surveying my options, I came across an Indian restaurant, Banana Bistro. This eatery is new, officially opened last month. While I was totally in the mood for some banana leaf rice, I was a tad apprehensive about how good it would be. Let’s just say that I havent had the best food experience at malls of late and so, I went in with my expectations lowered.
I dropped by during lunch hour and it was crowded, mostly by the office crowd. It was a loud and boisterous environment with plenty of conversations overlapping one another. As table ordering system was implemented here, I did not have to worry about trying in vain to get their attention to get my order taken. Food was served within reasonable time.
When I enquired about the restaurant, on wether the restaurant is part of a chain as well as the number of outlets, I was told that this was their first outlet. Prior to this, they were and still are in the catering business. Yup, they are food caterers and by usual standards, food by caterers are usually good. Safe to say that my expectations has increased.
In regards to their Halal status, I saw this on display near their counter.
…. and also that their central kitchen is ‘dijamin halal’. I suppose with them being food caterers, most of the food served at the restaurant would also come from the same Halal certified central kitchen they use to prepare for their catering business. If more information is needed regarding their Halal status, best directly contact them to enquire.
Menu
BB Chicken Biryani, RM 24.90
Food at Banana Bistro was surprisingly good. Both the Chicken Biryani and Banana Leaf Rice was tasty and flavorful. I entered the restaurant assuming I’d be served mediocre food but to my surprise, food was good.
This dish was delicious. The Chicken Biryani included a serving of fragrant rice with one boiled egg, Chicken Masala + gravy, papadam and raita. Keep in mind that the serving size for this dish is large – lots of rice with a good portion of Chicken Masala. The biryani is served in a metal container, on a banana leaf. To eat, one has to remove the rice from the container to the leaf and at first, all one will see is the rice but as you keep digging deeper and deeper, you’d find the Chicken Masala, hidden at the bottom. With a proper serving of 5,6 pieces of chicken + its gravy, it was more than enough to cover the rice. Overall, this was a tasty, flavorful dish. I loved it.
Dhal-licious Banana Leaf Rice Set , RM 13.90 + Chicken Masala, RM 8.90
This too was delicious. The Banana Leaf Rice set included white rice (they do not have Indian rice/brown rice), 3 types of vegetables, curries, fried chili and acar. The vegetables for the day consist of stir fry cabbage, potato pumpkin masala and crispy fried bittergourd. Ooooooo delicious. My favorite was the fried bittergourd because while it was crispy, it was also coated with a layer of spices. It made a perfect addition to the banana leaf rice. Having it with the rice and curry was simply awesome. The pumpkin was soft and mushy, a tad sweet too with hints of masala. I liked it sooo much that I got myself another serving of it. As for the gravies, we went for chicken and kurma curry. Both were tasty, plenty flavorful. The only downside to the banana leaf set is the fact that you’d have to pay for the papadam and rasam. 3 papadams for RM 2 and a serving of Rasam for RM 1.
As the banana leaf rice came with no meat, I decided to add on a serving of Chicken Masala, not knowing that it was the same dish also included in the biryani. As both dishes arrived at the same time, I also discovered the similarities while we ate. No regrets though as it was delicious. This dish included 6 pieces of chicken with plenty of gravy.
Overall, I had an awesome experience at Banana Bistro. The Indian food here was delicious. I look forward to another visit sometime soon.
Address: Lot 4.12, Level 4, Nu Sentral, Brickfields, KL.
Opening hours: Everyday. 10 am – 10 pm.
Contact Num.: 012 – 2227796
Website: BB Website (bananabistro.com.my)
FB page: Banana Bistro Restaurant | Kuala Lumpur | Facebook
Signing out now, Ciao.
