excelente comida y el servicio es muy amable y los precios muy acordes a cualquier bolsillo, ambiente agradable

Is it me? Or did I pick the wrong menu items? Because I'm confused! The food was TASTELESS!!! My husband had the curry chicken, I had the Malaysian style pork short ribs and giiiiiirrl! My heart sank when I tasted the food!!! I don't like drama so I just finished my food. It's weird because the place was packed and the wait time was significant. Plus They had posted Zagat stickers and reviews everywhere on their storefront. Anyhow, never going back. Only reason they got 2 stars is cause they brought our food out pretty fast. read more

Been to Malaysia several times and while on vacation in SE Asia earlier this year, we spent a week in Malaysia eating our way around. Banana Leaf is the closest you'll get to local food in Malaysia. Roti Canai is a must, it's great, the soft tasty Roti dipped in the beautiful curry dipping sauce is worth the trip to Banana Leaf in itself. The Wonton Soup is the best I've ever had in any type of Asian restaurant, flavors like no other Wonton Soup you'll find. Get a bowl along with your entrée, it's so large there's plenty to eat and lot's let to take home! Chow Kueh Teow is my favorite noodle dish, full of seafood and excellent spices, but needs to be kicked up a notch. Wasn't impressed with the sambal, not even close to the heat in Malaysia; best option is the Siracha to spice it up. Malaysian Style Spareribs make a great appetizer for the table. BYOB is a great plus, bring you own wine or beer, just have to be happy drinking it from a plastic glass. read more

There's a reason for a waiting list / line outside of this restaurant, but it's mainly because the restaurant is just too small for the demand at this time. Banana Leaf, by far, is one of the best Malaysian food restaurant in Houston, and also at a convenient location. You could never go wrong ordering Roti Canai as a starter. Most of the time I always get the Hainanese Chicken with Rice, but it's because the rice this come with is the special Hainanese Chicken rice that has so much more flavor than plain white rice. Almost every and any dishes on the menu is great. With many choices, sometimes it could be hard to decide and also it's a bit intimidating for new comers to this restaurant. One of the good thing is that instead of waiting in line for a table, you can now order their food online on their website for take-out. I haven't try it myself yet because I would rather get the full experience of eating at a small, cramp restaurant with full of people on the inside. Now that's what I call true Asian dining experience. read more

Service was alright although I ordered 2 dishes and never got them -___- at first I just thought that it was my dish but honestly it was the entire restaurant. Everything was super bland. E v e r y t h i n g. Would help if there was salt and pepper on the table but there wasn't. Boooo Indian Roti with beef- Pancake itself and filling was bland. The "chicken curry sauce" was super bland, no spices what so ever and dead ass tasted like water, the consistency was like it as well! Not sure why my chicken curry had more flavor although it was labeled as the same sauce used Banana Leaf chicken curry- The only thing I liked. The meat was soft and tender and the sauce, although bland, was the most flavorful dish out of everything I ordered. The curry was light in flavor and was on the runnier side as well Banana Leaf pineapple jumbo shrimp- Nice jumbo shrimp but the sauce was just dreadful. It was like a sweet, sour, spicy? Just all over the place. I mean I like sweet and sour chicken but this sauce was nothing like it Bean curd in brown sauce- The second okayest dish. I mean it's just tofu, how can you mess it up? Lol Crispy fried egg noodle- Drenched it bland white seafood sauce that had no flavor what so ever. It was like water, honestly don't know why there was so much sauce because it's suppose to be "crispy" and it just made the dish soggy Fried rice- Bland and no flavor read more

The staff accommodated my family of 8 on short notice this New Year's Eve which was much appreciated! The service was fast and the waiter correctly memorized all our orders. They were able to make a vegan noddle dish for me which was yummy. Thanks banana leaf! read more

I use to frequent the 'new, bigger' Banana Leaf across the street, but it closed down. So of course I decided to check out the original Banana Leaf and it did not disappoint! Parking was free, plentiful, and convenient at 3:30-45 PM during the work week. The ambiance of the restaurant was intimate and warm. The service was excellent! My waitress was very patient as I asked a lot of questions. The food was delicious!! I ordered Pad Thai - added beef and requested no peanuts. It didn't come with flat, wide rice noodles so I ordered the A7(?) to go. It had the rice noodles with beef and bean sprouts. That dish was delicious too (unfortunately, I devoured it before I had a chance to take a picture). I'd definitely eat here again! *See picture read more

Banana Leaf - Pad Thai added beef and declined the peanuts - very very good! - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

There is so few good Malaysian options in the states - I know cause I've been looking for the best Laksa since I've gotten back from Australia and this would be the 3rd place I've looked. I am so happy to announce that I have finally found a laksa that is on par with the amazing ones I've had in Australia (cause they are so so close to Singapore and Malaysia). We did an UberEats on a random weeknight cause we were too lazy to go out and face the crowds. There used to be 2 Banana Leaf restaurants right across the street from each other cause the original location use to be so busy all the time. Not sure why the 2nd location closed (within the last 6-8 months or so). We were really sad and haven't attempted to come here since then. I have to say, the Char Kway Teow here is the best Char Kway Teow I've ever had in the states! The noodles are cooked well and flavorful, especially mixed in with that sauce they give you on the side. The char kway teow doesn't lack in bean sprouts, shrimp, or squid. I enjoyed everything about this dish and even the picky bf said it was good. I ordered the beef skewers for him, with the peanut sauce, and he raved about it being delicious! It was gone before I even got a chance to try it. And last but not least, the Singapore Laksa... this made me so happy! Yes, this only comes with the wide noodles (which doesn't soak up the broth as nicely as the mix of egg and thin rice noodles) but the broth was so thick and flavorful, it made up for it! This one comes with shrimp, bbq pork and chicken and was fantastic in every bite! Lots of bean sprouts on the bottom as well. I was only disappointed that I didn't get any fried tofu in my broth to soak up the soup! The bowl is fairly large - and I woke up thinking about my leftovers cause of how good it was! I can't wait to go back and get all the dishes all over again! I'll be back real soon! read more

Banana Leaf - Char Kway Teow - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Loved the okra with shrimp! It was flavorful, a bit on the salty side, but I ate it with the flat noodles as a base. The Malaysian style stir-fried flat noodles (F19 on the menu) didn't have much taste. The Hainanese chicken rice was average, but I wish the rice was more fragrant with garlic/ginger. read more

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The food was okay. We've had better Malaysian food. We ordered roti canai, roti mutabbaq , beef rendang, and BBQ fish in banana leaf. Beef rendang tasted decent but not very tender. The mutabbaq was not traditional. The fish had a little too much tamarind and was fried not BBQ'd . Not authentic Malaysian. read more

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Great sized portions and amazing flavor for the fried rice and roti cannai we ordered! Seated quickly and got food rapidly too. Great variety of items on the dish and a handful items that could be made vegetarian as well. read more

Banana Leaf - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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BELACAN FRIED RICE!! Banana Leaf is our go-to Malaysian place. It's a great option for both dine-in and take-out (we do about 50/50 each). Our favorite dish, as you can tell, is their Belacan Fried Rice, which is a spicy fried rice topped with a fried egg. One order will feed two people or serve as 2+ meals. Would also recommend the sizzling bean curd (tofu), it's very reminiscent of stinky tofu but without the smell (I personally love the smell, but can understanding how others may find it off-putting). For dine-in, there's only about a dozen and a half tables, so if it gets busy you may have to wait a while. The shop area isn't super huge. They are super quick about getting your food out, though. And whenever I order take-out, it's always been ready within 10 minutes (they usually quote about 15-20 minutes, but even when I arrive a bit early it's already done). read more

The food was great and service was very decent my order was to go but the server that help me make sure everything was in the bag and was kind to ask if I needed anything else before leaving. read more

My friends and I arrived to Banana Leaf for lunch after hearing about this place. We ordered immediately while the acids in our stomachs churned. We got the Beef Rendang (L14), Sweet & Sour Chicken (L3), Sizzling Malaysian Style Bean Curd (D1), and Roti Canai (A1). Roti Canai (4/5): All time favorite, crispy style pancakes served with curry dipping sauce. I recommend this if you haven't tried this place. Indian pancakes were fluffy and shareable between 2-3 people. The curry dipping sauce isn't thick but oily!! This was gone within minutes though. Sweet & Sour Chicken (3/5): It is better than my local Chinese restaurant. I didn't try the chicken because I kept eating the vegetables in this plate. Sauce was great and mixed in! This is the real sweet & sour sauce.. Not those red colored sauces at some Chinese places. Beef Rending (3/5): My friends didn't like this dish, but I personally thought it was decent. This dish is curry-based with a hint of Indian spice. The beef wasn't tender as I hoped it would be though. Sizzling Malaysian Style Bean Curd (4/5): Chef made bean curd egg with minced pork, shrimp, mushrooms served in special sauce. Tofu is crispy on the outside yet soft within. There are probably 7 tofus in a thick, brown sauce served on top of an egg. I would mix the sauce onto the rice and dig in. This dish was my favorite. I noticed the prices from the online menu and restaurant menu differ. Prices rose about $1-$1.50 than what's stated online. I would come here again if it wasn't for the drive. I like how it's Malaysian with some Indian and Thai items. Although, I'm sure the food is oriented towards the Chinese palate due to the fact the restaurant resides in China town. Service was average, and there were two waiters coming around to check on us. $10 minimum for credit cards. I believe you get 5% off if you use cash. Be sure to check out their deals on Groupon or Living Social! You spend $15 for $22 or $30 worth of food, respectively. read more

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Banana Leaf is a Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown which serves a fusion of Chinese, Thai, and other Asian dishes. It's in a busy shopping center and while I've read other yelpers complain about the service, I haven't faced any issues on my visits. Making a trip just to have the roti canai (Indian pancake) is worth your visit. It's basically a fluffy fried bread which is served with a dipping sauce. We also had the chicken satay which is some good stuff. I went with the sizzling beef which comes served sizzling (who would of ever thought?) with veggies on a platter accompanied by white rice. It was good and everything but at $16 I didn't feel like it was worth the price. The presentation is fantastic but you don't get a lot of meat. Meanwhile, my guest went with the flat noodles with beef for $9 which was more food for almost half the price. Definitely more bang for your buck there. read more

It has been more than four or five years since we visited Houston's Chinatown. We're from Big D, and Houston is much bigger. We know the Chinatown here is more developed than the one(s) in Dallas. Among other things, this place is packed with restaurants of different Asian cuisines, such as Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnam, Thai, etc. Banana Leaf is kind of a family style Malaysian restaurant. It's not huge. In fact, it looks quite crowded when you walk in. We got here early in the evening, so the wait was brief (about 10 minutes). We ordered some typical Malaysian food items. To start with, we asked for some roti with curry sauce. The roti was fresh off the pan. The curry sauce was very authentic. Malaysian curry carries a coconutty aroma. It didn't take us long to empty the plate. For entrees, we ordered a few: the sizzling tofu, Hainan chicken, fried okra, and fried noodles. Among them, the fried tofu was awesome. It came elegantly on a hot metal tray over a flat wooden stand. The tofu itself was nicely seasoned, unlike other tufo I had before, which was rather plain. The tofu was dressed with a very delicious dark sauce. What was interesting is that the bottom of the iron tray has a thin layer of egg, which we didn't know until we used a spoon to scoop up some tufo. It was like they poured a thin layer of beaten egg over the hot plate before placing the tofu on it. The okra was nicely fried with their "secret" sauce. It was very tasty indeed. The other two dishes (Hainan chicken and fried noodles) were good, but not as good as the tofu and okra. The service was good. The server who took our order did show his patience and knowledge of the dishes. I have to say he has a good memory. He didn't write down anything on what we ordered. All the items we asked for came out correctly. He didn't miss anything! All waiters/waitresses from other restaurants should get training from him so as to save paper and chemical ink. read more

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Amazing food ordered the pad thai and mango shrimp. The mango shrimp was super good and would definitely recommend. Fast and friends service as well and fair prices. read more

Banana Leaf - Mango Jumbo Shrimp - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Highly recommend! Must order beef rendang! Hainanese chicken, satay chicken! I would drive all the way from Katy for their food!

This is our go-to place in Houston. We love the roti canai! We could order 10 of them and never get tired of it. The food is absolutely delicious! And they have the crispy pork intestines that I've been searching for for 10 years after only being able to find it with my Chinese friends who never needed a menu to order them from Chinese restaurants. The service here isn't the best but it's also not terrible. It's just middle of the line. All in all, it's great food! Definitely try this place out! read more

LOVE! The past few times I've been here, I've just stuck with their noodles and it's always been on point. Service has been quick, and friendly. I ordered the Singaporean noodles yesterday and they were SO GOOD. Possibly my go to favorite for Banana Leaf. The spices from it was so vibrant and flavorful. When they first sat it on our table, it literally looked like a mountain of noodles. You definitely get your money's worth here. read more

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The food here was really authentic. We've never had Malaysian food before. The waiter was also really great helping us order the best items and making suggestions on what to get. The food came out fast and was really flavorful. read more

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This place is definitely small and there is always a wait but the food is definitely fresh and tasty. They have fresh coconut on their menu. We tried sizzlers,street style noodles and most of all their fried rice options are so yum. read more

If you're in the market for flavorful Malaysian food, Banana Leaf offers a wide variety of authentically seasoned and executed food. Service was excellent, though it may be hard to find a table. The place is small and cozy-perfect for a shared lunch with family and friends. We ordered the Roti Canai (named pancakes on the menu), which came with a light, but spicy dipping sauce; make sure to reserve it for the rice and rest of the meal. The fried tofu is incredible, with a savory sauce that complements the saltiness of the light fry. The Sichuan noodles were also tasty, as the vermicelli noodles helped showcase the lighter vegetables in the dish, leaving us satisfied but not bloated. The only thing we ordered that missed the mark was the pineapple rice. We didn't taste the zing from the fruit, and found the dish altogether a bit bland and inmemorable. However, we mixed in the sauce from the Roti, which gave it nice flavor. All in all, I really enjoyed Banana Leaf and would absolutely go again. read more

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I love this place! Service is usually consistent and attentive. INDIAN PANCAKE (ROTI CANAI) I love the pancake here. It's thin and it soaks up the curry side soup. The soup is flavorful and has a curry spice flavor. SHRIMP WITH STRING BEANS MALAYSIAN STYLE- stir-fried sautéed string beans in spicy malaysian shrimp paste sauce I really like this dish because the string beans have a nice crunch to them and they're flavorful because of the pungent shrimp paste sauce, which adds a seafood saltiness. SALTED FISH, CHICKEN, AND TOFU CASSEROLE- homemade bean curd, diced chicken, and salted fish topped on brown sauce My favorite part of this dish is the tofu. It has such a nice smooth texture, but a sturdy skin. The flavor is very strong and I love the pungent salty fish. This dish is perfect with rice because you can drizzle the brown sauce on the rice and eat it by itself. STIR-FRIED FLAT NOODLE (CHOW KUEH TEOW)- malaysian ferment stir fried flat rice noodle on shrimp, calamari, bean sprouts, egg, soy sauce, and chili paste I always order this dish when I'm here. It's my favorite noodle dish. The noodles are always soft and retains some good sweet flavor. I love the seafood because it also retains that savory sweet flavor as well. The best part is the shrimp chili paste. It's strong and pungent, which adds a deeper layer of saltiness and spice. I'm always eating here and it's my go to spot when I'm indecisive in bellaire. Food can be inconsistent at times, but for the most part it's pretty good. Service is always friendly when I'm here. I'm sure I'll be back again. read more

Banana Leaf - shrimp with string beans malaysian style and indian pancake (roti canai) - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My absolute favorite dish was definitely the tofu dish! Crispy and flavorful!! 5/5 Soft shell crab was ok... I won't be ordering again it was 3/5 Flaming Short ribs, flat noodle with beef, and Singapore fried rice was good also. There was a 20 min wait for us and it was so hot! Not sure if I would wait again in the heat especially not with two kids! read more

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I went here I tonight. I must say, it's a very good place to eat but get there before 6:30 pm. We arrived at 6 pm and there was nobody there and by 7 there wasn't a seat left open. They have pretty good food, but I do wish there were more pictures of some of the dishes so I didn't feel like I was taking a shot in the dark. Thank god that Yelp users upload photos. The sizzling beef with black pepper sauce is very very good. The roti is also awesome. I tried the pearl noodle soup, but it wasn't what I expected so I didn't think it was my favorite dish, but my lack of knowledge of Malaysian food may be to blame for that. I would recommend everyone to stop by and try the food. The area is a gold mine for Asian cuisine and supermarkets. read more

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Worst servers of the years go to this place. The food are not even good and wait time is to long. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone because of how rude the servers are. read more

This was the first time I ate at a Malaysian restaurant. I have no idea why but I decided to get fried rice instead, which was probably not very Malaysian at all. Food quality itself, it was definitely worth at least 4 stars since I thoroughly enjoyed my food, and my brother who ordered one of the beef options wolfed it down in less than 5 minutes (but then again, he didn't ate lunch that day). However, the reason why i'm giving a 3 stars was because my friend who came with us that day repeatedly asked for this sauce yet the waiter said he would be back yet never showed up and was just talking to his co-workers. I thought that was kind of rude on their part but food wise banana leaf definitely did not disappoint. read more

Banana Leaf - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is casual but clean and efficient in all ways,we ordered shrimp tom yum soup, shrimp Pad Thai,shrimp chowmein and spicy calamari with basil,everything was great,portions are good and can be easily shared by 2 ppl, Malaysian tea with tapioca was refreshing,we loved everything we had and will be back soon. read more

Banana Leaf - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Yum! Met my BFF here for dinner and everything was so delicious. It was really crowded and busy but our waiter was awesome! He gave us some suggestions. We ordered some veggies, chicken and noodles. I was in heaven. Had heard that it was really pricey but not true at all. It was delish and i will def be back! read more

The restaurant is right in the busiest part of Belaire, as they should be! Their food was amazing! The food was filling and the portions were not f good size. I am very satisfied with the hospitality and I will definitely come here again! read more

Banana Leaf - House Special Noodle Cantonese Flat Noodle with Rice Noodle - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I tried 2 things here's my review on that. Appetizer: Canai roti w/curry sauce. It tastes like something between a naan and rice cake. Curry sauce is smash. Entree: Char kway teow. Fried flat rice noodles, dark & light soy sauce, chili oil, bean sprouts, green onion, fried garlic, egg, calamari, and shrimp. Shit so good I fell in a coma. Overall 5/5. Come here if you like Thai food, or you're adventurous and want to try something new, or you love listening to Yuna. read more

Banana Leaf - App: Canai Roti Entree/noodle: Char kway teow. - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food tasted great! The portions were a lot bigger than expected so it's a lot of food for a pretty decent price. Great food selection on the menu as well. Definitely wouldn't mind going back again! read more

Banana Leaf - Laksa - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

We had stopped going to Banana Leaf for few years (pre-pandemic) due to their inconsistency in food i.e Sometimes the food were decent but sometimes was very bad. We tried it again this weekend. Sighs. I'm speechless, foods are still not good. Mamak in Sugar Land is at least consistently decent. read more

I'm from Malaysia so Malaysian restaurants will get a tough review. Food was good and authentic. I was disappointed they didn't have Char Kuay Teow, one of the most popular dishes from Malaysia, when I went in. Mee Goreng was good. read more

I love the Indian pancakes and trying new items off the menu each time I visit. Don't forget the bakery across the way for dessert..

The restaurant is very small but is busy. The service is okay but the food is good. They kinda rush you to order because there are usually several people waiting so be ready to look at the menu and order quickly. read more

I've been going to Banana Leaf since before I moved to Houston. I only order TWO things when I come here. It's crazy how many times I've been here and I never order anything more than their Roti Canai and their Sizzling Tofu. Roti only tastes good with their sauce! I love it for their curry dipping sauce. Also, I don't know the specific name for their tofu dish, but they bring it out in this awesome sizzling plate. It's a generous portion, so unless you have at least 4 people, you'll probably bring some home. Beware: Their restrooms are disgusting. It looks like they haven't cleaned it in years. Do yourself a favor and don't use the restroom here. read more

Banana Leaf - Sizzling tofu - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

I normally read all reviews before I eat. But not this time. I can only catch a drift from my Yelper friends, 5% of 500 reviews to the most. If it was not for the airline rewards, I wouldn't even set foot here. Speaking of feet, there wasn't any space to stand to wait for a takeout order. I noticed it's a common design at restaurants built in 90's at Dun Huang Plaza, like FuFu and R House. I came to Banana Leaf 蕉葉 during Friday dinner time. The wait staff was busy as you know what. The waiter moved like a ballet dancer. Or, his movement in Chinese called it 手忙脚乱. Then, a tiny busboy zooming in and out of crowded aisle and tables. He was very skilled with collected dishes. One waitress wanted to take my check after I already paid. It's like being in an action movie set. I really just want an appetizer. But they didn't have Seafood Rolls. When I ordered Chicken Satay 蕉葉沙爹鸡, I handed my credit card. He say, "给我现金 (give me cash)!" Not knowing the $12 minimum on credit card charges up front, until I read the Yelp Tips. Really, why everyone thinks I know how they operate. I added an interesting item, Crispy Fried Intestine 脆炸大肠. But not ideal for takeout order in a box. By the time I was ready to eat, I felt like chewing on erasers with choking spicy sauce. I'm clueless with Malaysian food. Next time, I will order what Jeremy had, after reading his review. However, I won't order Roti Canai because I don't want the sauce to dictate the taste. read more

Been here several times with my family and a couple of times with friends. Love their roti canai, which is a fluffy bread that is made fresh there and comes with chicken curry (plain curry, no chicken). This is a typical Malaysian dish that is enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, appetizer. I love their Indian street noodles too. Rest of the stuff is not very consistent in taste. read more