I liked this place so much, I came back with a friend to try more things! Hainanese chicken (5/5): The soy based sauce it comes with is yummy and plenty for the chicken. It annoys me when there's not enough sauce for dipping but that is not the case here. Also comes with a special rice that I am guessing is cooked in the chicken essence because it's so fragrant. Pearl noodles clay pot (4/5): Great dish but it's definitely big and meant for sharing. Mostly noodles, which is fine. This is more of a side dish to me, like a soup for the table. The portions are big so I like to order a few things and take home the rest as leftovers for a few meals! read more

See all

A great spot on Bellaire for Malaysian food. We came here on a weekend night, and it wasn't too crowded. Plenty of parking spaces in this renovated plaza. Their menu serves a variety of popular Malaysian dishes.   We ordered a few items to share, and it was plenty of food: - roti canai: always a good appetizer to start with. Warm with a light crisp to it, paired well with the sauce that came with it. - beef rendang: also came with a side of white rice. The beef was tender and not chewy. - golden chicken wings with salted egg yolk: this was my favorite out of everything we tried. It was hot and crispy, fried to a perfect golden color. - hainanese chicken with rice: a must-try on their menu. Good balance on the sauce and the hainanese chicken was cooked perfectly, not dry. Also enjoyed the rice that came with it. - snow pea leaves with salted egg yolk and thousand year egg: this was a unique choice that caught our attention, can never go wrong with anything salted egg yolk.   Overall, we enjoyed everything we tried. Service was quick and friendly. This is a great place for a family-style lunch or dinner. read more

See all

Malaysian food remains one of my favorite cuisines, but it still seems to fly under the radar compared to its other Southeast Asian cousins. Pandan Leaf's menu had all the classics, and then some unique dishes I hadn't ever seen, so I was happy to be dining with a group so we could order a bit of everything. Our order included roti canai, char kway teow, sizzling bean curd, beef curry, nasi lemak, and salted egg and century egg watercress. If I see either salted egg or century egg on a menu, I'm going to order it, and to have them both combined in a veggie dish to me meant a guaranteed flavor bomb. Instead, this dish was a lot more muted than I expected, and you could hardly taste the salted egg in it. I'm not sure it worked that well. All other dishes were pretty standard, and tasted pretty traditional. Portions were served family style and we had plenty of food leftover to take home. I asked for coconut rice and instead they brought out a young coconut drink, and I felt bad letting that go to waste so I said it was ultimately okay, but felt like it was their mistake that I had to pay for. I see folks comparing this place to Banana Leaf, the other popular Malaysian restaurant in Houston, and the kitchen was solid, as was the service so I'm happy with my choice of dining here. read more

See all

Truthfully, I'd give this a 3.5. Service is good and friendly. Main dishes were also great! I had the bean curd, the laksa noodle soup, and the pineapple fried rice. Although I do think the fried rice could be cooked with a bit more pineapple juice. Interior is plenty clean I docked a star because I wasn't a fan of the appetizers. The meat skewer sauce was good but the meat was very tough. The Indian pancakes were fine, but the curry sauce was very salty. Malaysian curry/coconut sauce is usually a bit on the sweet side and less watery. Service also did take a while. read more

See all

Came here for a Saturday lunch with family and it was great! Huge variety of Malaysian and Chinese dishes all done very well. We ordered: - A7 Golden Pumpkin - A11 Baby Oyster Omelette - F1 Chow Kueh Teow - P1 Flaming Spare Ribs - Z1 Sizzling Style Bean Curd - (Not pictured) C1 Hainanese Chicken - (Not pictured) V1 Water Spinach - (Not picture) B1 Chinese Herb Soup All the dishes were delicious. It was hard to pick a favorite, but I'd definitely recommend the golden pumpkin, baby oyster omelette, chow kueh teow, and sizzling style bean curd. Service was friendly and quick. Plenty of seating when we went, too. So a perfect spot for a bigger group. I'd definitely recommend if you're in this part of Chinatown. I'd definitely come back again! read more

See all

Very solid Malaysian restaurant. Lots of dishes to choose from, very similar to Banana Leaf, which makes sense since apparently the chef previously worked there... That said, their Sizzling Malaysian Style Bean Curd is much better than Banana Leaf's. The portion size is better. Their Singapore Laksa Noodle Soup is good as well, also pretty large bowl, full of shrimp and other protein. Roti Canai is solid. Staff is friendly. Decent parking, though it's a big further from the other Chinese restaurants, and all the popular boba shops. read more

See all

Finally found out what happened to the folks at Banana Leaf. They moved to Pandan Leaf including the chef. Restaurant is well lit. It does require walking up the steps to go to the restaurant. There is a ramp on the side if needed. It was not busy and was quickly seated. Ordered the Sizzling Malaysian bean curd and Flaming Spare ribs. Both popular dishes. Sizzling bean curd was as good as I remembered. Tasty with ground meat, corn and mushrooms. The gravy was delicious. As for the Flaming Spare ribs, when it came out, they lighted up the sizzling plate so it was literally on fire. Nice presentation! Too bad I forgot to take a video. You'll need to order to see it. Spare ribs were tender and sauce is on the sweeter side. Staff was friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back to try out the other dishes. Happy to find our favorite Malaysian restaurant... just under another name. Highly recommended! read more

See all

Not to be confused with a Vietnamese cafe, Pandan Leaf, in Houston, this Pandan Leaf restaurant is a Malaysian restaurant located in Houston Chinatown, right off of Bellaire Blvd. Roti Canai (A1) - comes with 2 pieces so great to share with another person or 2. It's usually a must for me whenever I go to any Malaysian restaurant. It wasn't hot but that's due to me ordering to go. Even when I warmed it up again, I thought it was overall okay. There was no kick to the roti and I felt that I have had better. Next time, I will probably dine-in and order it again. Pandan chicken satay (A4) - Tasteful and cooked perfectly! I didn't even dipped it in the sauce. I do wish they packed it better for to-go orders. As soon as I opened the bag, liquids went everywhere from the heat with the fresh chopped cucumbers that were packed together in an aluminum foil. Comes with 5 sticks. Stir-fried flat noodle (chow kueh teow) (F1) - tasteful! This is what reminds me of Cantonese style chow-fun, except with seafood. The side sauce makes it even more seafood taste, pretty sure it's XO sauces. It's still really tasteful with plenty of seafoods in it. They give you a good amount as well. Overall, it is one of the nicer Malaysian restaurants in Houston with reasonable pricing, clean restaurant with good ambiance, nice staffs, and plenty of parking. Just be cautious where you park cause some cars can easily hit your car by the entrance/exiting of the plaza. read more

See all

Sedap! Met with the bestie for girl's night dinner. Got there around 6:15 pm so it wasn't super busy. Restaurant was very clean and organized. Huge TV if you like sports. Our order: roti with curry dipping sauce, golden chicken wing with salted egg, stir fried flat noodle (chow keuh teow), salt & pepper spare ribs and the water spinach (kang kung) belacon. Roti w/curry dipping sauce (3/5) - nice curry flavor, roti was hot and freshly made Golden chicken wing w/salted egg (5/5) - this was delicious, perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside; savory but not overdone Stir fried flat noodle (3.5/5) noodles cooked nicely and felt like home Salt and pepper spare ribs. (4/5) - ribs were perfectly cooked - crisp and tender on the inside. Very flavorful Water spinach (5/5) - this might be biased bc I love water spinach, but they did a great job in cooking and seasoning, there was both a crunchy and soft texture to them Some of the dishes seem similar to your standard Chinese dishes but the flavor is different so keep that in mind when judging. The portions were great and we thoroughly enjoyed everything. The staff was super friendly and that made the experience even better. Keep supporting local. read more

See all

Came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved their food! The fried pumpkin with salted egg was so unique and good! I also loved their tofu and chicken dishes. This is a great place to do family style and try new dishes. Overall vibe was casual but still nice. The service was so friendly as well! Will definitely be returning here. read more

See all

Came back with my aunt and uncle and we kept the meal simple this time. We got the oyster omelet, salty egg yolk fried calamari, and the sizzling Malaysian style bean curd. The oyster omelet wasn't bad but I don't think it's something for me personally. I really liked the eggs themselves though. The salty egg yolk fried calamari came with the same spicy chili sauce as the oyster omelet. I dont like this kind of fried calamari compared to crispy squid from Chinese restaurants. The batter is not as crispy and the squid itself is more chewy. The salty egg yolk sauce is also very light unless you are the pieces at the bottom where the sauce has pooled up. The sizzling tofu has always been pretty good though read more

See all

Came on a Sunday and I was eager to see how this compared to other malaysian spots in Chinatown. My table got the roti canai, the golden chicken wings with salted egg yolk, the Singapore stir-fried rice noodle, the salted egg yolk crispy golden fried calamari, and the water spinach to share. The roti canai was delicious. Always a stable when I get Malaysian food and was just as good as other restaurants I've had. (7.5/10) The golden chicken wings came out piping hot and were perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The salted egg flavor was pretty mild on these. Not a bad starter, but not a standout wing overall. (6.5/10) The Singapore stir-fried rice noodles were flavorful and I really liked the combination of shrimp, chicken, and Chinese sausage. (7/10) The salted egg calamari has a stronger salted egg flavor compared to the wings, but the fry on these was not as crispy as I like my calamari. (6.5/10) The water spinach was cooked well. They also season it with what tastes like a shrimp powder or seasoning so there is a slight fishy/ seafood after taste which was interesting. Not bad, just different than how I'm used to having water spinach. (7/10) Overall, the food was good and they have a really nice ambiance. The decor is modern and the seating at the booths was really comfortable. The service was also really fast and friendly. Definitely worth a try if you are craving some traditional Malaysian dishes! read more

See all

This is my new FAVORITE malaysian restaurant in Houston. It is newly opened and actually the old staff at Banana Leaf moved to Pandan leaf, so I find that the menu is very similar. However the flavor and taste is much better than the current Banana Leaf. Service is very fast. I got my order in and food not too long after. 1) Roti Canai - a staple Malaysian appetizer. It's a flaky flatbread with a crispy exterior and a soft and chewy inside served with a savory, fragrant dipping curry. 2) Hainanese Chicken Rice - very comforting. It is a simple poached chicken that is tender and moist with a bouncy skin. Very clean and savory with a light splash of a sweet soy sauce. The standout is the hainanese rice that is enhanced with flavors of chicken, ginger, and garlic. Very rich and aromatic. Also served with a side of a bright, spicy, tangy chili sauce. 3) Salted Egg Yolk Calamari - a fun side dish with slight flavors of the salted egg yolk adding a rich umami flavor. Although the salted egg yolk flavor is not too strong, it still provides that slightly sweet and salty granular gritty texture. The calamari is not too crispy but it is tender and snappy and springy. 4) Sizzling bean curd plate - This was actually my FAVORITE dish of the night. Savory, warming, comforting. The egg tofu was silky, soft, and melt in your mouth deep fried enough to be slightly crisp. It soaks up the sauce perfectly. I could drink the sauce. It is a thicker, dark glossy gravy like sauce that is deeply savory. You get hints of oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ..sesame oil? A bit of sweetness and a lovely umami note. Also enhanced with slight aromatics of ginger and garlic. A MUST GET DISH! 5) Kangkun Belacan - this was...not the best in my opinion. Not flavorful enough. Needs more belacan. I'd skip this Overall, I will be back! read more

See all

My friend wanted to try this new restaurant, and here we are. We were greeted warmly by the owner, and we appreciated their hospitality. The restaurant interior was simple. There are standard dishes that I would order when I am in a zi char kind of place. We got the chicken satay, beef fried rice, sizzling bean curd, Kang Kong, mee goreng, and the clay pot stir fried pearl noodle. All the food was delicious. I was utterly surprised that they have lao shu fen (aka pearl noodle)! I grew up eating that Cantonese style. The stir fried pearl noodle was really good. It wasn't dry like I thought it would be. Rather it was in a pot of soup-gravy. I loved the sauce for the satay. It wasn't really the peanut sauce I ate growing up, but it was still good and it had a little kick to it. The Kang Kong was just how I liked it - just a little spiciness. I believe they would be able to increase the spice level if you want. The mee goreng had authentic flavor, and was a little spicy. The sizzling tofu was cooked well. I would be back again to try other dishes for sure. Parking was easy-breezy in a big lot. read more

See all

I've been wanting to try the Hainanese chicken here and glad I finally made it. The decor is simple but cute. I like that it's smaller but still spaced out with many 4 top tables to accommodate. Service was prompt, no complaints. We ordered: * Salt Pepper Fried Chicken Wings - this dish leans on the saltier side but still flavorful and good. It was served after the main courses so I was able to eat it with rice, perfect salt level after pairing. * Famous Shredded Chicken Flat Noodle Soup - I thought this was on the blander side, something you would eat to cure a hangover or if you're not feeling well. I added the ginger fish sauce from the Hainanese chicken and it was much more flavor afterwards. The chicken was tender and the shrimp was nice addition to this soup. * Hainanese Chicken with Rice - this dish was a little on the smaller side for a personal order. Next time I would opt to order the full chicken rather than the one with rice. I enjoyed the sauces, the soy one that the chicken was marinating in, was flavorful. The rice went really well with the ginger fish sauce. I almost ordered a second order of this dish but decided to wait for my next visit. I had no complaints while dining here tonight. The restaurant is nice, so were the bathrooms. I wonder why hardly anyone was dining here, perhaps the shopping center doesn't attract the late night crowd as some of the dining places close at 8 PM here. I will be back to try many of their other dishes such as the baby oyster omelette and soft shell crab. read more

Pandan Leaf - Dining area - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

A pretty underrated spot! I came here for lunch after hearing great things from another restaurant owner in the complex, so we decided to give it a try. The service was excellent--attentive without being overbearing. Our server even helped recommend a few dishes when I couldn't decide, and none of them disappointed. --Roti Canai (4/5) - A must-order when eating Malaysian food. The roti was hot, crispy, and layered just right. The curry dipping sauce had a little kick, which I enjoyed. Still, my personal favorite roti canai is at Banana Leaf, but this one comes close. --Golden Chicken Wing with Salted Egg Yolk (3/5) - I couldn't quite pinpoint why I didn't love this. I think it was just the chicken and salted egg yolk combo that didn't hit for me. My husband enjoyed it, but it was a bit too rich for my taste. Next time, I'll try the calamari version, which is usually my go-to. --Malaysian Style Spare Ribs (5/5) - Loved these! Crispy, flavorful, and not overly tough like I've had at other places. They paired perfectly with rice and the sweet-and-sour dipping sauce, which helped balance the flavors. --Sizzling Malaysian Style Bean Curd (5/5) - Another classic Malaysian dish. They serve it on a hot sizzling platter with fried tofu blocks on a bed of egg, topped with minced pork and savory sauce. So good over rice. Definitely need to come back and try more dishes! read more

See all

Easy to find, plenty of parking on non-busy hours because this plaza is popping now. The staffs are nice and informative. Their high chair is high quality and clean! They even have kids plates! This place is super kids friendly. Salty egg calamari (3/5) Complementary rice (5/5) I believed they used chicken broth to cook their rice Sizzling tofu (5/5) Flaming ribs (4/5) Flat noodles (5/5) Pork taro (4/5) I think the older people would appreciate this since it's real pieces of taro. Definitely an acquired Steam chicken (5/5) Overall, good food and a big menu that will make everyone happy. I would definitely come back. read more

curry laksa noodle ... Amazing delicious There is no need to say too much, you got to come in to order it and give a try read more

Pandan Leaf - Appetizers and soup menu - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Food was not good. Hainan chicken is one of my favorite dishes but this dish fell short here at pandan leaf. Also had the salted egg yolk calamari but it had no salted egg taste. The snow pea leaves was really hard. Our stomach started to hurt shortly after eating here. Would not recommend. read more

This is a great casual restaurant to dine in at for groups. I came here with a group of friends and they were able to accommodate for all 8 of us at a long table. They have a lot of seating, and I saw other families here as well. I highly recommend sharing or doing family style because the portions here are huge. You definitely will get your money's worth from the dishes here. The quality of the food is so delicious and incredible. The service was fantastic too. The staff were very friendly and on top of refilling our waters. These are the dishes that we ordered that were really good: -Tom Yum soup -Hainanese chicken -Malaysian style spare ribs -Thai style pineapple fried rice -Stir-fried seafood flat noodle with scrambled egg -Stir-fried flat noodle (chow kueh teow) Everything was so flavorful, and I would definitely come here with a group again! I think the prices were very fair for the portion of food that you get. read more

Our goto at Malaysian restaurants is usually the sizzling tofu and Pandan Leaf does not disappoint. It was sizzling and the tofu was piping hot, which was exactly how we want it. There were bits of shrimp, mushrooms, and ground meat as toppings which were delicious. Water spinach portion size was generous. The spinach was fresh and crunchy. Could've used more sauce. Sambal jumbo shrimp were deveined but was not to our expectations. It was the priciest dish we ordered and the least favorite of the three. The shrimp tasted a bit fishy. Not sure if it was the sauce base they used or the shrimp itself. Overall, would recommend this place for anyone wanting to try Malaysian food. Sizzling Malaysian Style Bean Curd 5/5 Water Spinach (Kang Kung) Belacan 4/5 Sambal Jumbo Shrimp 2/5 read more

See all

I was genuinely impressed with this restaurant from start to finish. The menu offers great value, with very reasonable prices for the quality you receive. Every dish I tried was packed with flavor -- rich, well-balanced, and truly delicious. You can tell the kitchen puts care into every plate. What makes the experience even better is the outstanding customer service. The staff is incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive without being overbearing. They make you feel appreciated and taken care of, which is something you don't find everywhere. If you're looking for flavorful food, fair prices, and the best service around, this place absolutely deserves a visit. Highly recommended! read more

See all

Overall, mediocre experience. Food was as expected, good but not great. Service was expected for being in Chinatown. Wanted to order beef rendang but was told they were out of beef.... So couldn't try it. The rest of the food was ok, some better than others but none impressive. read more

Food was amazing and went above my expectation, my server was super friendly and helpful. read more

See all

I absolutely adore the Hainanese chicken. It was soooo good! It was soft and flavorful. The rice that accompanied it was so flagrant -- truly amazing. The service was great, and the environment was very clean and nice. read more

Pandan Leaf - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

We didn't know about this place until pulling up in the plaza and just saw it. We decided to try it and we recognized some friendly faces from Banana leaf working there. The place is clean , and the food was yummy. It's been awhile since I had tender beef and it didn't disappoint. read more

Pandan Leaf is a new restaurant that is serving up some delicious Malaysian flavors. We got the roti telur (Indian pancake with egg) and golden tofu with salted egg yolk to start off with. The roti came with a tasty curry dip that paired really well with the flaky roti. The salted egg yolk flavors really showed up in the tofu. Check out the bubbling texture in the picture. It came out fresh and hot, was one of the unexpected highlights of the dinner. Golden chicken wings were really big for what I expected to get out of chicken wings! They were tasty and that bubbly yolk texture, again, was spot on. Char Kway Teow was good, and it hit all the smoky savory notes that I expect of the stir fried noodle dish. Also paired with a chili oil that gave a delicious kick! The kang kung belacan was tasty and the leaves underneath really soaked up a lot of the deep shrimp flavors in the sauce. Definitely recommend giving Pandan Leaf a try! Mei is super nice, attentive in service and details, and knows how to run a restaurant in a way that makes you feel like you're being taken care of by family. The decor is also super cute, but it took a bit for us to notice. See if you can spot the little rabbit sculptures when you come and visit this spot! read more

See all

This was our 3rd time and the owner/waiter remembered our order. The food and service was spot on!

I went there on Sunday and had a really good version of their Seafood Chow Fun. However, the server, or he looked like the owner/manager, was very unprofessional. Along with the other server. The first server just always had his back to you, not acknowledging you. None of the servers showed friendliness. They pretty much "ignored you" all the way throughout my time, never asking if you needed anything else. I tipped them their minimum option which was 18% versus others at 15%. "Really, why should I tip for bad service?" They didn't treat me as a valued customer, which they should because on a Sunday afternoon, they had "no customers" except for me and a couple in their restaurant after me. You all just my business due to your poor, unfriendly service, and I will never come back. read more

Pandan Leaf is our favorite Malaysian restaurant in Houston. The owner of Banana Leaf has relocated to this location as Pandan Leaf! We like it as much or more than the former Banana Leaf. This new location is bright, more relaxed vibe, more spaces between the tables, with a few more new dishes. We have been here several times and always had efficient friendly service and consistently excellent food. Appetizers: -golden pumpkin salted egg yolk appetizer was delicious buttery pumpkin enhanced by the salted yolk. Must try if you like pumpkin, a unique appetizer with a nice flavor. -satay chicken was moist and flavorful. - Indian pancake roti bread was flaky and with a rich curry sauce dip Entrees: -Flat rice noodle was saucy homestyle like we like. This is a staple we always order -Sizzling Malaysian style tofu is another of my favorite dish here -Hainanese steamed chicken was expertly chopped, served on a bed of soy sauce, with a side of a fragrant rice. Note it's a half chopped chicken with white, dark meat and bones. -Beef curry/beef rendang is also a solid dish here, with a deep flavor Well we liked everything we ordered! Portions are decent size here and quite reasonable prices too. read more

Ehhhh not good at all, lacks flavor from the Malaysian food that I'm use too. I had the beef satay, hainanese chicken, and roti and curry. All of it was mid. The Thai tea was even a miss...yikes. I don't think I'll be coming back here. If you're willing to take a trip to Katy, kindly go to Uncle Chins Kitchen. That spot...omg they know what they are doing, it's on the pricy side, but soooooo very worth it. This place, sadly a thumbs down for me read more

So so so good. 100% authentic Malaysian food. We had the roti canai, Hainese chicken, and laksa all were so delicious. The decor and interior is beautiful. Service attentive and great. Will be back to try more dishes. read more

Stopped by Pandan Leaf for lunch today and absolutely loved our experience! We were greeted immediately at the entrance and picked where we wanted to sit. They had an extensive menu to look through and food came out quick! My husband and I both got the Roti Canai, he got the pineapple fried rice and I got the flat rice noodles. Everything was delicious and portion sizes were perfect! The restaurant was clean and staff were very hospitable and kind. Definitely our favorite go to Malaysian spot, 10/10!!! read more

Pandan Leaf - A1. / Indian Pancake (Roti Canai 2 Pieces) - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

I had an amazing dining experience at Pandan Leaf! From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel incredibly welcome. The service was attentive, friendly, and efficient without ever feeling rushed. The food was just as impressive. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. Whether you're into traditional favorites or modern twists, there's something for every palate on the menu. Pandan Leaf has definitely earned a spot on my list of favorite restaurants. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for exceptional food and five-star service. Will definitely return! read more

My friends recommended this place and we went together. We ordered the fried keow teow, nasi lemak, and chicken rice! I am glad we came. DELICIOUS and I am just glad there is authentic Malaysian food in Houston. I am posting a youtube video on Meals with Su, check this video out soon. read more

Apparently the same folks from banana leaf, but can they duplicate the original magic? on this day the answer was no. Starting with the good, the char kway teow was similar to before, so was pretty good, the hinan chicken was ok, the roti was also ok, but dipping curry tasted bland. Really disliked the beef randang and especially disliked the chicken satay and accompanying peanut sauce. Definitely not as good as the old banana leaf, not as good as sambal chef imo. read more

Favorite malaysian restaurant to date! Our faves are their roti canai, salted egg yolk chicken, and stir-fried flat noodles. You can also ask them to adjust the spice levels if you cant handle spicy food. Service is amazing as well! read more

Best Malaysian restaurant I've ever tried in Houston!!! I've been to others but it doesn't compared to this place. The salted egg wings, sizzling tofu, and pancake with curry is my go-to and is very tasty. The server was nice and the restaurant has a very nice atmosphere. Go check it out, I recommend!!! read more

Good service, friendly people, I love the room temperature Hainan free run young chicken. (it has lots of bones, but I'm used to it). The restaurant was super clean, including the restroom. It's immaculate!!! Definitely highly recommended! read more

excellent customer service. dishes had plenty of flavors. interior is nice and modern.