By Aiman Azri
Bananabro takes a mother’s advice to heart, promising banana leaf rice that abides by the words of its head chef’s mom: “If it isn’t good enough to serve to your family, it isn’t good enough to serve to your customers.”
That passion for food has been part of Bananabro’s DNA since the beginning – the brand is spearheaded by three Malaysian bros who travelled the country on bicycle, always savouring authentically local dishes throughout their routes. Fate intervened when they reached mainland Penang and fell in love with banana leaf rice that they tried there. Within months, they had coaxed David, the man who ran that BLR outpost, to move to KL and become the head chef of their new enterprise.
Bananabro, which began in Berjaya Times Square exactly a year ago and has since spun off a second branch in Sri Petaling, offers soul-warming fare that generations of patrons can relish together – as a mural on its wall in Sri Petaling illustrates, the food here is meant to bring people together, regardless of their backgrounds, in a clean, comfortable and vibrantly colourful space that marks the modern Malaysian banana leaf rice experience.
Plenty of behind-the-scenes effort is poured into creating this. The ghee-rich curries rely on genuine chicken meat and bones for the stock, while the fish heads help to thicken the fish curry. The cooks also use their own spice mixes, free of santan – the combination of these factors results in nuanced flavours that feel nourishingly home-cooked, with a lovely intensity that’s enlivening instead of leaving you sleepy or bloated. Even the house-made yogurt is a valuable boon for the cucumber salad, furnishing a creamy-zesty tang that’s naturally more satisfying than vinegar, beautifully balancing the heat of the curries.
Bananabro’s repertoire extends to crowd-rousing recipes that might not necessarily be found in some BLR restaurants but complement the meal in an engaging fashion nevertheless, spanning a rich Sambal Petai that’s thick with potent stinkbeans and anchovies (RM6.90) to Northern Indian Butter Chicken that’s suitable for folks who prefer less spicy fare (RM7.50) to Claypot Tenggiri that showcases mackerel steeped in the savouriness of its preparation (RM9.90).
Fans of fried fare can indulge in a concise range of protein and fibre, from seafood and poultry to vegetables. Squid rings offer a crisp, well-seasoned bounce (RM9.90), while the Chicken 65 (RM7.50) and cauliflower-based Gobi 65 (RM4.50) bring Chennai’s unmistakable ginger-garlic dynamics to Sri Petaling.
With banana leaf rice like this (available from 11am onwards), hitting the fundamental marks, it’s clear why the restaurant was packed when we visited for lunch, and why Bananabro is proud enough of its work to have its name stamped on each banana leaf that accompanies your meal (plus, it doesn’t hurt that Bananabro fills a gap in Sri Petaling and its surroundings for BLR - three more branches are planned for later this year).
Beverages are reliably reviving – we enjoyed the piquancy of the Soursop Lassi (RM6.90) and Tamarind Juice (RM3.90), while the strikingly extra-foamy Teh Tarik Lawa (RM3.90) might be a match made in culinary heaven for BLR.
Many thanks to Bananabro for having us here.
51, Jalan Radin Tengah, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 830am-10pm.
Check out the new Eat Drink KL official Facebook & Instagram pages. Follow us for the freshest updates, fun contests & more, at:
Facebook: facebook.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/
Stay up to date: The Eat Drink KL newsletter is sent by email to subscribers every Monday; it's the Klang Valley's foremost weekly round-up of new restaurant openings, F&B promotions & other tasty tidbits. Subscribe to Eat Drink KL Weekly for free via this following link: https://confirmsubscription.
