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    Banana Leaf

    3.7 (194 reviews)
    ModerateMalaysian
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Banana Leaf Takeout or Delivery

    Banana Leaf Photos

    Business Info

    BANANA LEAF ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Banana Leaf

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    Caramelized ginger wild sablefish
    Satabdi B.

    I had one of my best meals in Vancouver at Banana Leaf on Robson. We went there really tired after a long day of hiking and sightseeing and were just looking forward to quickly finishing dinner so we could go back to our hotel and sleep. But, it turned out to be a really nice and long meal where we savored each bite. We had ordered the caramelized ginger wild sablefish and the steamed cumin coconut mussels, instead of the usual Nasi Lemak and Nasi Goreng I most always end up ordering when I visit a Malaysian restaurant. I was blown away by how good the sablefish or black cod dish was. The fish itself was so fresh and almost buttery in texture and the preparation was top notch with a perfectly caramelized crispy exterior and a subtle ginger based sauce. I am drooling as I write the review, and can't wait to go back to Vancouver and taste this sablefish again - that's how much I loved it. My husband and I shared the sablefish dish and we wished we had just ordered two plates of the same thing. However, the mussels, which took some time to come out, didn't disappoint either. The cumin coconut broth was delightful but not too rich. I wished I had more bread to scoop it up, but it tasted great by itself as well. All throughout the meal, service was extremely warm and polite. I actually overheard guests at the adjacent table thanking their server and mentioning how they were visiting a number of countries and haven't encountered such great service anywhere else.

    Laksa
    Shelley T.

    Solid Malaysian food after riding bikes in Stanley Park, the girl at the bike rental place recommended it. We got the roti appetizer, laksa, nasi goreng. The curry dipping sauce was reddish instead of the yellow curry that I usually see. The roti could've been cooked a little longer but still pretty good. The flavors of the laksa and nasi goreng were on point. The nasi goreng was still hot in the pyramid shape even though I ate it last. They have fancy drinks like homemade ginger beer and mocktails. The ginger beer was refreshing after a summer bike ride.

    Armita P.

    Must try Malaysian restaurant They have something for everyone; vegetarian, seafood, chicken, meat, and gluten-free options. We ordered: Roti Canai $7, kung pao chicken $26, ginger beef and broccoli $26, pineapple seafood chicken fried rice $25, Pandan coconut panna cotta $4, and peach Bellini. My personal favorites: The Roti Canai and the Pineapple Seafood Chicken Fried Rice served in a pineapple! The Kung pao chicken was good but had a spice that made it taste different from the other kung pao chickens I've had. Service was fast and the main course came out 5 minutes after the roti canai. So make sure to specify which dishes you want as appetizers and to not bring your mains at the same time. Food 4.5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 Parking (pay by phone street parking)

    Lamb Skewer sharable lunch special $12....Delicious!
    Mori N.

    Service.....great. Food.....great. Atmosphere....great. Loved their lamb skewer sharable for lunch. It was tender, juicy and tasted deliciously bbq'd. Their Chicken Curry was also amazing.....tender juicy chicken with creamy curry, okra, eggplant, green beans and yellow peppers. The Roti Canai was exciting. I say exciting because I love my bread, and this was light, fluffy, freshly baked and it came with a side curry to dip it in, and the combined tastes blew the roof off. Honestly....my mouth is watering while I'm writing this....and I just ate. Moving on..... The service was great....attentive, friendly and professional. If you're into Malaysian - Thai style food...you wanna check this place out. Loved it. Will definitely be back.

    Bar
    Steve A.

    Banana Leaf offers a nice variety of traditional Malaysian foods, well prepared. The seven course lunch is a great way to experience a broad range of flavors. Our favorites were the very refreshing salad, the curry sauce, and the vegetables. I thought the roti could've had a little bit more sear on it. Try their lemongrass and ginger iced tea.

    Three layer tea
    Greer J.

    Excellent food and service. We were a party of four for lunch. Everyone enjoyed their dish. The soup is the perfect damp weather equivalent to mom's chicken soup, but with just the right amount of warming kick. The eggplant fries were properly crisp. The three layer tea is both sweet and creamy. Might be too sweet for some, but I enjoyed it.

    the outside of a restaurant
    Susan B.

    I rarely eat Malaysian food. Since I was visiting Vancouver, decided to check out this restaurant. Came here for lunch with my sisters. Tables were separated with plexiglass. Since it was lunch time, we ordered from their lunch menu. They have pretty good selections. Rice, noodles, salad, soup, etc. we ordered a few dishes to share. Green papaya mango: refreshing, a bit bland for my liking. Mee Goreng: very flavorful noodles. Noodles were a bit too soft. There was a bit of a weird taste that I didn't like. Roti Canai: light, fluffy and crispy. Yum. Hainanese Boneless Chicken: really good dish! Chicken was tender and moist. Rice was perfectly seasoned. Tom Yum Soup: more sour than spicy. Char Kuey Teow: noodles were perfectly cooked. Flavors were on point. Delicious dish. Service was quick and attentive. Food was good. Definitely a good experience.

    Hainan ginger garlic rice
    Renee M.

    Hmm, looks like the chef changed coz the food didn't seem as good as I last tried it. The Hainan rice was... not what is used to be. It has turmeric in it now (why?), no ginger nor any garlic flavour. I remember when I had it before it was oozing with flavour. Now it's just a bowl of mushy rice. Turmeric spinach - it was missing the cumin punch that I remember last. Other than the flavour was good and light. Ayam tofu and vegetables was hearty and the tofu were nice and flavourful. Star dish of the night. Roti canai was average. I wish the roti was lighter and fluffier. Service is always top notch and attentive. It was relatively busy at 7 pm. Having a conversation was a little tricky due to the noise.

    Jean B.

    The food was delicious. Unfortunately, the restaurant was busy and seemingly short staffed. Our food was served on time but the drinks took a while. Our server was very helpful and apologized. I thanked him for his patience. The overall decor of the restaurant was beautiful with all the wood-carvings.

    Appetizers
    Micah R.

    An short Appetizers & Drinks Review: My wife and I dropped in for a drink and a few appetizers to hold off the hunger until dinner on our way back into the downtown area from Stanley Park. I'm not sure which location we are actually visiting. But, the framework of the exterior was painted black. I had a "Malaysian iced milk tea / teh tarik (with condensed milk)" and my wife had a "Blue Hawaiian" (rum, pineapple juice, blue curacao, coconut cream). Both were pretty standard. We moved on and ordered fried calami with sauce and what I think was called "tufu goreng". It was good. The young man was a good waiter. Quick to serve, quicker to smile. The drinks and food came out quickly. We were refreshed with the outdoor, "front porch" table to two seating and the drinks. The appetizers held us until dinner. For what we did. This is recommended.

    Singapore Laksa & Passionfruit, Mango cocktail
    Annie S.

    Singapore Laksa , lobster curry dish, fried rice with chicken, mango Passionfruit cocktail & everything was spectacular! Staff is very accommodating and the place is quaint with a Singapore touch and a bar area at entrance .

    Peach Bellini
    Audrey T.

    Had a pretty good meal at banana leaf tonight! I got the Sunday special - the sablefish with rice and the peach Bellini. The fish was cooked well and came with a delicious garlic sauce. My friends got the beef curry, seafood pineapple rice and the roti canai.

    Yellow Curry Chicken. Excellent flavor!
    Greg C.

    In Vancouver BC for the day on a cruise. We came here after reading the Yelp reviews and we were not disappointed at all. My Yellow Curry Chicken was very tasty and satisfying. The service was great and the restaurant was nice and clean. Definitely worth a visit again.

    Sambal jumbo prawns with okra, green bean, eggplant, tomatoes in foreground; Singapore laksa in background.

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    10 months ago

    Excellent food and service. Lovely atmosphere. Mocktales were so tasty. Everything we ordered was first rate

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Found this little mom-pop family run gem about a year ago. It's not a big restaurant, seats maybe…read more24. Generally, only 2 people working: mom out front and pops doing the cooking. Initially it was good, but has gotten great in the last couple months. For starters, we usually order one of either the Shrimp roll, Tofu Goreng, Salad Roll, or Roti Canal. Of those choices, I'd say the Roti is probably the weakest but still tasty. Just prefer the Shrimp roll or Tofu Goreng. For mains, usually order the seafood laksa which has a really good helping of shrimp & squid along with standard egg, fish cakes, etc. My wife usually orders the Hainanese chicken rice and has never been disappointed. Free street parking available if you're willing to walk a block or two. We now end up going at least once a week!

    This type of cuisine is quite different that most restaurants in the area. We were at the…read moreSteveston wharf at 11:30 am on this BC holiday. The sign on the door read opening hour is 11:30 am but the entire place was dark and no activity. We then walked on to have lunch at another eatery and returned in the late afternoon for drink and some snacks. When we entered, the woman whom I am guessing was the owner sat us at the window table. She was not the most friendly and welcoming. We ordered two iced lemon teas and the kuih lapis type desserts which was good but little different than the ones we had in Malaysia this year. Since already had lunch earlier, we didn't get to sample any of the main dishes.

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    John 3:16 Malaysian Delights

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    Came here last year, and we enjoyed it. We tried a little bit of everything. We got Char Koay…read moreTeow, Mamak Mee Goreng, Ayam Goreng, Green Beans with Garlic Sauce, Special Curry Rice, Nasi Goreng, and Chicken Satay. We made some spicy that weren't for the kids, and we could actually taste some spice. I really liked the noodles and green beans. Service was great. Staff was friendly. As one Yelper mentioned, the parking situation is not the greatest.

    After an evening of holiday shopping, my friend and I stopped by John 3:16 for dinner as it's been…read moreawhile. We were able to grab a table for 2 around 8pm, which is great given how busy this place usually is. We ordered the following: Chicken Skewers: Decently grilled with a the meat juicy and tender meat. The nice peanut sauce hit the spot! Seafood laksa: Full of deep rich flavours, this also really hit the spot especially on a cold and rainy night. The mix noodles had a nice chew and there were lots of tofu, seafood, and a full boiled egg (cut in half). Definitely a solid bowl of laksa! Fried Noodles: A great comfort dish. The noodles were springy and well-seasoned, with plenty of toppings mixed in. Not greasy, which I really appreciated, and the portion was generous. Roti: Comes with a thin curry sauce and served with sugar on the side. The roti is super buttery, soft, and flakey. One of the best roti's in the city! The curry sauce is too thin for my liking but decent flavours. Overall, the service is prompt but no frills. The food speaks for itself and is tasty at good portions at decent prices.

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    Ipoh Malay Cuisine

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    Tried this place for dinner. Cozy small restaurant, comfortable and clean enough. Its a casual…read moreplace and service was as you'd expect. Friendly and quick. We tried: Nasi Lemak rendang lamb - one of my fav dishes at malaysian places. The coconut rice was excellent. Came with the usual fried sardines and peanuts - no surprises here. The sambal was not spicy at all which was disappointing. The rendang lamb was sadly dry. The sauce was not bad but not spiced enough. The meat was just too dry. 3/5. Assam Laksa - pretty rare to find this dish at Malaysian places in town. Sadly this one is disappointing. I suspect they dont sell much of this. They use canned sardines and canned pineapple. The broth didnt have any depth of flavour and lacked the deep umami and funk I expected from a good bowl of this. This is at best, a rough approximation of this dish. There are better versions in town, but truthfully I have yet to find one anywhere near the quality I had in Malaysia. 2/5. Char Kway Teow - excellent. Beautiful char and "wok hei" and noodles maintained a great texture. They do use regular chinese ho-fun that is abundant around here rather than the wider versions, for those who care. I wish they gave more fish cake slices though. Only 2-3 in the entire dish but lots of lap cheong and shrimp. One of the better versions of this dish Ive had in town. 4.5/5. Sambal Kang Kong - also excellent. Nice cook on the veg and char flavour. Also comes out in a sizzling iron pot which im sure helps. I just wish they added more fermented shrimp paste and more chilis. 4.5/5. Satay - beef and chicken. Not bad. Had a bit of char from the grill and meat was cooked nicely. I wish they were smokier. peanut sauce was good. 4/5. Dessert - taro pandan layer cake - pretty good. nice texture, strong on the pandan and coconut but could not taste the taro. 3.5/5. Its in a little strip mall with only a few parking spots but there is free street parking around. Overall, they seem to excel at dishes using a wok. I would come back, and would like to try some other classics. Their menu is huge; not sure if that's a good thing or not yet.

    Love this place! Wondering where have I been the last dozens of visits to Vancouver? The owners…read morewere busy but took time to chat with us. Super nice family owned business originally from Ipoh, Malaysia known for good food. Ambiance is quaint with lots of pictures and references to Malaysia. We had amazing food and below are a few highlights. We look forward to be back for sure! Kam heong clams- so delicious and a must-order!Reminds me of the real taste of Malaysian food. The heat from the spice, curry leaves and work hey was the best I've had in Washington and BC. Taro ring- so crispy and satiating. The taro is very flavorful and a great combination with the squid, shrimp and other savory goodies in the middle of the taro ring. Asam laksa- Penang style chewy noodle soup in super savory and umami fish broth with tamarind, pineapple and shrimp paste. Such a beautiful balance of slightly spicy, sour, and sweet broth. Yum!

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    Ipoh Malay Cuisine
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    Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine

    Tamarind Hill Malaysian Cuisine

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    Food was incredible. We had the Roti Canai (texture was on point), Chicken Satay (great savory…read morepeanut sauce that was not too sweet like other sauces), Sambal Green beans with shrimp (some of the best flavors that included use of dried shrimp and one of the true gems of the meal), the Beef Rendang (which is one of the finest renditions of a beef curry stew I have tried in my life - beef texture was perfect and the flavors would make my Thai grandmother smile though she may have wanted it to be a little bit spicier - but this was perfect for our family) - for me, this was the superstar entree of the evening and I will remember this for a long time, and the Nasi Goreng fried rice (again, perfect texture and meld of flavors) - everyone loved this as well. Portions were nice, especially on the beef curry. Owner was very warm, personal, and friendly. Highly recommended!

    I came here for a weeknight dinner. Been by this place many times, finally decided to try…read more Guy running the front was nice, good service. He might be the owner. Place was really not busy. One table eating already at around 730pm, and us. Otherwise there were a few takeout orders. My main problem with this place is the lack of authenticity. They clearly geared the food for the local tastes, which is a far, far cry from what I would expect in an authentic Malaysian restaurant. And even further away from the real food you get in Malaysia. I can see how if you're a local in North Vancouver and Malaysian food is exotic to you, then sure, this place is very approachable. Because it is better described as "Malaysian-inspired." We tried several items: Satay chicken - tasted pan fried and otherwise tasteless. Usually these are char-grilled. Chicken was juicy though. Peanut sauce was just ok. Sauce was kind of watered down. 3/5 is generous. If youve had authentic satay, you'll know what I mean. Char Kway Teow - not bad. Seasoning was too sweet, and needed more "wok-hei." Noodle texture was good. 3.5/5. Sambal eggplant/green beans/okra - the sambal was really, really lacking the funkiness of the fermented shrimp paste I expected. Needs WAY more. Also needed way more heat. This just tastes like a bit of sweet stir fried veg. 2/5. Assam Laksa - this was the biggest disappointment. There should not be coconut milk in this dish, but they put some in. This completely overpowers the Tamarind and all you taste is coconut milk. A bigger sin is the lack of any fish. Traditionally this is made with Mackerel, and sardines are often substituted. But there was no fish in it. This should be a sour, tart, funky fishy broth. It was none of the above. The noodles had a horrible texture too. Sorry, this dish is a 1/5. And this is not Assam Laksa. The shrimp they used in all the dishes is the cheap frozen stuff, probably frozen white shrimp. Pretty tasteless. We asked for everything (except the satay) to be extra spicy. Nothing was really spicy. There was a mild kick in maybe the assam laksa (except totally muted by the coconut milk) but the rest was not spicy. at all. And this goes back to my comment about catering to the local tastes. People around here I guess cannot eat even remotely spicy food. If you want authentic Malaysian food, steer clear of this place. You will be very, very disappointed. There are many better places in the lower mainland. If you want some tasty food that is somewhat reminiscent of Malaysian food, this is not bad, and on the North Shore, this is one of very few options available to you. Guy running the place is super nice though, and I get it, he's just trying to cater to the local palate to keep the business afloat. The restaurant itself is really dimly lit but clean and comfortable enough. I'll give this place a 4/5 for service, but 2/5 for food. Overall 3/5. Location is right on Lonsdale near 14th, and you can find street parking or park in one of the nearby lots. Sorry, I wont be back, and I cannot recommend this.

    Photos
    Sign
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    Nasi goreng ($16.75)
    Nasi goreng ($16.75)
    Menu

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    Menu

    Banana Leaf - malaysian - Updated August 2026

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