It has been a while since The Iskandarian exclusively reviewed an Indian restaurant, so when we were invited by our long-time friend, Peggy Loh, known for her My Johor Stories trilogy, we had to check out The Banana Leaf Kitchen at Eco Botani, Iskandar Puteri, located just at the corner right before you reach Eco Galleria. Very easy to spot!
It was quite cold on the day of the review, and Rinki, the restaurant manager, offered us the perfect, full of spice Masala Chai (tea) to warm us up which was comforting post-rain.
Spacious, minimalist yet cosy, the South Indian restaurant gave off a modern and sleek vibe with a hint of whimsy with the decorations on the wall and a single, permanently planted tree, adorned with holiday ornaments for the season.
Seated together with Peggy’s friends, Florence and Gwen who are also culinary enthusiasts, our table of four ladies were served several appetisers right off the bat, including its popular Papdi Chaat, a street favourite made of crisps, potatoes, shallots, and helpings of pomegranate, and topped with yoghurt. Our table’s favourite was easily the cottage cheese, or best known as the Paneer Tikka, which was grilled nicely to form a crispy skin on the back and front of each piece.
Since it is a banana leaf restaurant, our plates were lined with banana leaves cut perfectly according to its shape. I marvelled at the thought and how clean they managed to cut the edges of the leaves to make them fit each different plate.
Another must-try appetiser was the creamy, soft and chewy Mushroom Malai Tikka. It definitely tantalised our taste buds, and we were ready for the biryanis plus the mains served with rotis.
As we waited for the dishes, we finished off the crunchy Fried Okras like they were peanuts! It’s so easy to pop it in your mouth, and you can’t stop picking it up once you start!
For the mains, I was pleased to try the Indian-style Mango Fish Curry because this is how my family has been cooking our curry. The tanginess of the slightly spicy, creamy coconut gravy mixed with the vibrantly yellow, aromatic Pulao (rice), with a hint of rose water, sent me to the clouds at every spoonful!
Mutton fans would love the Mysore Mutton and Kottai Mutton Chukka and the delectable Keema Kulcha, a bread with minced mutton stuffing. I would recommend it for light-eating and yet craving for mutton.
Speaking of bread, we had Puris with Chana and enjoyed the mutton dishes with piping hot Cheese Naans and Garlic naans.
With our meals, we had the refreshing mango lassi, and for desserts, we were served
Orange Kesari with almond cuts topping, a delightful end to our food adventure, and the Gulab Jamun with vanilla ice cream, which, while a bit too sweet for us, is paradise served in a cup for the sweet tooths!
The Banana Leaf Kitchen operates daily from 11am to 11pm, with the last order taken by 10.30pm. You can choose to dine a la carte or with their buffet menu, available for lunch and dinner.
The buffet lunch starts serving from 11am to 4pm, priced at RM24++ per pax, and RM35++ per pax for the dinner buffet from 4pm to 10.30pm.
You can walk in or make your reservations via phone at 012-788 4037. The Banana Leaf Kitchen is located at Jalan Eco Botani 3/2, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
