Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine

Malaysian restaurant · Chinatown

Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine

Malaysian restaurant · Chinatown

4

1009 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

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Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by Kerry McIntyre
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null
Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine by null

Highlights

Malaysian cuisine, BYOB, known for roti, curries, and noodles  

Featured in The Infatuation
Featured in Eater

1009 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Get directions

bananaleafphilly.com
@bananaleafphilly

$10–20 · Menu

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1009 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107 Get directions

+1 215 592 8288
bananaleafphilly.com
@bananaleafphilly

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 15, 2025

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@eater

The Best BYOB Restaurants in Philly

"Although the focus at this Center City BYOB is on Malaysian cuisine, Banana Leaf takes inspiration from Chinese, Indonesian, and Thai cuisines as well. The roti, satay, and clay pot curries are bursting with vibrant spices and aromas. Don’t forget to try the Singapore rice noodles — they’re unmatched. Bring a 6-pack of Thai Singha beer." - Ernest Owens, Eater Staff

https://philly.eater.com/maps/best-philly-byob-restaurants-bring-your-own-bottle
View Postcard for Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine
@eater

The Essential Restaurants of Chinatown

"Since 2006, Banana Leaf has been serving Southeast Asian and Malaysian cuisine with an extensive menu that covers appetizers, fried noodles, and rice dishes. Regulars rave about the green or red curry served in clay pots and pineapple fried rice. Another popular menu item, the captain’s noodles, is prepared with wide, flat noodles in Malaysian soy sauce with shrimp, chicken, and pork." - George Banks-Weston

https://philly.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-chinatown-philadelphia
View Postcard for Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine
@eater

An Illustrated Guide to Philly Restaurant Dishes Featuring Guava, Peanuts, Curry, and Roti - Eater Philly

"Visit Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine in Chinatown for a variety of satay dishes." - Diana Lu

https://philly.eater.com/23638729/philly-restaurants-shared-ingredients-dishes-dominican-vietnamese-caribbean-food
View Postcard for Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine
@infatuation

Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine Review - Chinatown - Philadelphia - The Infatuation

"Chinatown is a gold mine of party BYOBs - they’re everywhere, almost none of them charge a corkage fee, and the food is generally really good and inexpensive. Banana Leaf fits all those categories, making it the perfect place to pregame or even be the main event for the night. This small Malaysian spot has bamboo wallpaper and rows of tables that you can shove together if you have a big group. You have the option to order a la carte, but their pre-set menus are the best bet for groups. They come with around 10 courses of things like pad thai and beef rendang for less than $25 per person." - Sydney McElwee

https://www.theinfatuation.com/philadelphia/reviews/banana-leaf-malaysian-cuisine
View Postcard for Banana Leaf: Malaysian Cuisine

Kimberly Madden

Google
Vegetarian perspective Luckily I was there with someone very familiar with Malaysian food who made the food orders. Everything was so delicious, and they were able to accommodate for vegetarian, including by adding tofu. We got the keuh teow, red curry and fried ice cream. Everything came out quickly and service was great. Love the interior too, looks like a little town!

Vivien Tran

Google
Literally 100/10 service, 100/10 speed of food coming out, 1000/10 food itself. We devoured this in quite literally 18 minutes. Every dish was a hit, so flavorful, yellow rice matched all the chicken and seafood dishes super well.

Chris Sam

Google
I ordered the chicken satay, roti canai which came with the chicken curry, Chow Keow Teow and Singapore rice noodles. The roti canai was tough, the chow Keow Teow had less salt, was dry and was not tasty. Singapore rice noodles and chicken satay tasted ok. I’ve tasted authentic Malaysian food in Malaysia and this is almost close to the taste but could be better.

ZZY

Google
Food was good, but definitely still can’t compare to the malaysian food I’ve had in singapore. Got the roti canai, chow kueh teow, and nasi lemak. Flavor was ok but nothing I would go back for.

K

Google
The food was well-made and tasted good. We ordered the kangkung, roti canai, nasi lemak, chai, and fried bananas (w/o the ice cream). Definitely recommended

Erica Ross

Google
The food here was amazing 100/100 I loved every single dish I tried from the started to the dessert. The fried ice cream is a must try, the batter is scrumptious and every single one. The only thing is it was extremely loud so loud because there was a birthday happening.

Julia Chatterjee

Google
First time at Banana Leaf and it was very chill for noon on a Saturday. I had the lychee drink (very sweet but refreshing for a hot day) and the roti kanai with chicken and potato which came out within 5 minutes and was delicious! Will definitely come again

M Labadi

Google
Excellent for all 5 dishes. Great service
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Catherine M.

Yelp
Located in Chinatown Philly, this tucked away spot was very busy on a Friday night! They brought out my order almost immediately but after waiting 10 mins, we still did not have my husband's entree. Not sure if the order was misplaced but after asking our server they were finally able to bring it out a few minutes later. I ordered the Nasi Lamek with rendang chicken. It was delicious home cooking. The bone in chicken thighs were moist and the sauce was deliciously seasoned. Rendang is considered a dry curry so less liquid than your typical curry. Paired with the cucumber and boiled egg, it kind of reminded me of a Vietnamese dish, thit kho but with chicken instead of pork. My husband ordered the calamari. Unfortunately it was overcooked and dry. The slices were thin so that all you could taste was the flour breading that it was fried in. After the long wait, it just added insult to injury.
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Vy T.

Yelp
The roti was really good! I was surprised at how much they gave me. For once I thought the roti was better than the curry that it came with. It had a nice fragrant of rice, water, salt, and sweetness to it that I've never experienced before for roti, even in Malaysia! It was crispy and thin. Very very good! The curry that paired with it is standard and tasty, but I didn't find myself finishing it since I ate the roti on its own all the way through. The beef rendang was a bit disappointing. It was kind of bland and didn't come with enough curry sauce. Service was quick and friendly though!
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Sharika M.

Yelp
Came here 7 years later with a larger group and was weary. Thankfully, nothing changed and everyone loved the food! Roti canai - some parts of the roti felt cold but the chicken curry that comes with it was absolutely divine. It reminded my mother in law of her own mother's cooking. I would equate it to standard Bengali chicken with johl. Steamed Chicken Dumplings - would not order these again, if you have a craving for dumplings, maybe the fried ones are better. They were super congealed and lacked flavor and structure. Banana Leaf Chicken Wings - excellent flavor on these wings! Banana Leaf Satay (mixed) - beef was excellent, like a teriyaki jerky taste, the chicken was not as flavorful. Indian Me Goreng - these noodles were packed with flavor and veggies and meat! If you like dan dan noodles, lo mein or a packet of Maggi noodles, these will not disappoint. Sizzling with Black Pepper Sauce - we got this in beef, it was a bit salty but so good! The beef pieces were cut and cooked to perfection. Mama chicken - kind of like orange chicken with kung pao sauce, carb heavy with all the breading Nasi Lamek- if you're looking for traditional Malaysian food, this is where you should start! The rice was cooked to perfection. The boiled egg felt like home. The chicken curry and cooked veggies is authentic to the cuisine. Food came out fast, plenty of seating and does not smell odd inside.
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Kimberly H.

Yelp
Cute Malaysian restaurant located on Arch Street. The servers are very nice. I love their roti and chicken curry for appetizers. Very small but filling to my belly. Pineapple fried rice is always my daughter's go-to. Chicken wings were nice and crispy but not worth the price since you're only getting 3 whole wings cut up to make 6 pieces. The pork intestines are usually pretty good here, except for when I ordered it this time. Didn't seem like they clean it out thoroughly nor added enough spices to cut the odor. The stir fried morning glory had a little too much shrimp paste. Overall, I still enjoyed the food.
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Laura P.

Yelp
The Pad Thai was delicious as well as the stir fried morning glory(A type of spinach that's popular in SE Asia), however when I ordered the Prawn Mee Soup the wait was long and the soup itself was not that impressive. I would probably avoid the soup there if I were you even though it looks nice on paper.
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Keerthana R.

Yelp
The food was pretty good for the price. Our favorite was the Thai basil noodles it was very flavorful and tasty! The roti canai was also good just wish the food was warmer. The chicken satay and the other chicken dish were okay. We also got the earl grey lavender tea which was aromatic and a great way to complete the meal. The ambiance and service were good. Nothing extraordinary but a nice lunch/dinner spot with a couple friends.
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Alise R.

Yelp
I had jury duty this week - and we were assigned a short lunch so I had to quickly eat and return. I remembered how much I like Banana Leaf - so I ran over here and let the lady know I was on a time crunch. She sat me immediately and told me they could serve me fast. I ordered a Malaysian ice tea and an Indian Mee Gorang. I can not believe how fast it came out - seriously - they made my food as soon as I put the order in. And it was delish!!! I am dreaming of going back for another Indian Mee Gorang soon. And I have to come at lunch for more of that tea!!! (Also I made it back to jury duty on time too!)
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Neferteri G.

Yelp
I was expecting more from this place. The food was just okay. I would say 6/10. We ordered the spare ribs as an appetizer. I have to say those were delicious, I've never had "fried" ribs before. I ordered the captains noodles. I thought it was good but the flavor was just NOT there. My boyfriend ordered the pineapple fried rice. The rice was good but the shrimp... EEWW. They did not clean it properly!!!! Disgusting. The service was mediocre. There were only two servers, so getting our order in took a little longer than I expected. I guess if you can get past the unclean shrimp the establishment is not that bad, but no thanks for me.
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Lisa S.

Yelp
Banana Leaf offers quick and affordable Malaysian food. I was craving a hearty meal and had never tried Malaysian cuisine before so I gave it a go. A table for me and my two colleagues was available immediately during the lunch rush. This place is huge! The waiters and waitresses walk around with pitchers of water to give refills anytime they're needed. The staff working behind the counter were nice; welcoming us on the way in and greeting us on our way out. I ordered the Banana Leaf Mango Sauce with tofu. There is also an option of chicken, shrimp, or beef. The sauce was smooth and not spicy (I didn't want to burn my face off). The mango was cut into medium slivers and the tofu was crispy. The only thing I wish it had come with was rice, however, the rice was an extra $1.50 so I opted to have it sans rice. I boxed the leftovers and will probably add rice at home. Overall, I had a good experience here! They have several vegetarian options and can even customize existing dishes to include vegetables and substitute meat for tofu.
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Kimi S.

Yelp
Found this buzzy little Malaysian restaurant thanks to Yelp! The inside is deceivingly large, we walked in and almost walked out because it seemed like there was no one in the restaurant. Our server led us all the way back down the hallway and we were suddenly greeted by lots of large parties happily chowing down on noodles and rice and having great conversation. Once we sat down we immediately knew we were in the right place. Our Indonesian coffee, roti canai, beef chow fun, and beef rendang were all immensely enjoyed by the family. Everything came out piping hot, tender when needed, and just authentic and delicious. Even though we were the only people in the restaurant with kids, our servers were so accommodating. They made a makeshift booster seat for my two year old, brought out appropriately sized utensils, and checked in on them often like they were their own. When they found out about my youngest peanut allergy, they made careful note to run through to the menu and make sure all of the dishes we ordered were nut free. This place isn't super aesthetic or fancy -- but it's good food served by good people and honestly made this whole meal a five star experience.
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Richard R.

Yelp
It took me a while to get to Banana Leaf even though I am in Chinatown quite a bit. I have been there three times now in the last three or four months and I must say I should've tried Banana Leaf earlier. The restaurant is large and spacious and has that Malaysian colonial vibe. The weight staff has always been friendly and efficient. We usually order our Malaysian staples, Roti Canai, Beef Rendang and Singapore noodles. Recently, we had their version of Pad Thai, and it was very good also. Prices are reasonable and the portions are large. Banana Leaf has become one of our go to restaurants one in Chinatown.
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Michelle T.

Yelp
Came here on a Sunday around 8 pm and it was not too crowded. I ordered the crispy noodles and my date ordered the tofu dish, along with a Roti Canai. I thought the crispy noodle was okay but the tofu dish and roti canai were good. Prices has gone up and I believe they charge a fee for credit card. The tofu dish didn't even come with rice and at other resturants it usually comes with rice. Food came out fast!
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Jonathan H.

Yelp
Perfect restaurant for a celebration with large groups of people. You can make last minute reservations and never have any concerns of getting a table. I've come with huge groups (15+) and they were efficient with service and the food was great! One thing to note - at a certain point you have to get a set menu for the table with a minimum spend, but it still didn't end up being too much money per person. We also come here during the week - it's pretty quiet and reliably delicious.

bisco d.

Yelp
I've been on a quest for the best seafood pan fried noodles in Philly and unfortunately these are not them. An abundance of same old same old fried crispy noodles as any other Chinatown spot accompanied a quart of corn starch soup, with literally two shrimps and a small handful of chopped squid for $16. Taste is fine, fresh and salty enough to stand up to the noodles. I'd go back but definitely wouldn't get anything with seafood, if skimping is the norm here. Good thing I had some shrimp in my freezer to add to it.
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Hayley P.

Yelp
Seem to have an odd scam going where you won't get green nasi lemak if that's what you order - you'll get nasi goreng instead. What comes out looks nothing like the picture on the menu.

Anu P.

Yelp
Went there for lunch Saturday 8/24. Here's why I wouldn't recommend this place. Food: Very average and very pricey for the small portions. The rice was tasteless and cheap, Chicken too chewy Service: Very hostile and indifferent Ambience : Very average and very loud I am not going there again
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Lydia P.

Yelp
Great restaurant with ample seating and good food. My favorite dishes that were ordered were the chicken wings, pineapple fried rice, and green curry. The mango salad was good but I would've liked more carrots or other veggies to give the dish more crunch/texture. Overall great place to check out if you're in Chinatown area!

Chris V.

Yelp
Randomly search for Malaysian food while I was in Philly. It was the best decision. The food was excellent, affordable and authentic. The service was outstanding. I can't wait to return again very soon!
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Harshath G.

Yelp
I went here with 2 friends on a cold winter night looking with a goal of having some nice and hot savory dinner. We were not disappointed! Ambiance: Cozy place, wooden themed with more muted colors, and not too loud. Overall, a great time! Service: Honestly no complaints. We went on a less busy night, and I contemplated how they might have handled a fuller house. Food: As a vegetarian, I only had the curry rice with tofu, but my friends really enjoyed the red curry in clay pot as well as one of their noodle dishes. - Curry rice with tofu: Very flavorful coconut milk-based Malaysian curry with a good assortment of tofu and vegetables. It was a delicious combination of thick, salty, sweet, and not too spicy, and it reminded me a little bit of a penang curry. (I'm getting hungry again while writing this review.) It was also very reasonably priced at $10.50. The portion was a tad bit smaller than ideal, but also I might have just been particularly hungry that day. - A pot of Jasmine or black tea was available for $1 with a free refill, which was very welcoming on that cold evening. They had some additional tea options for a slightly higher price. A note for vegetarians here: None of the dishes under "Vegetables" appear to be vegetarian as they have some form of fish or fish sauce/paste. I also felt a bit wary about various of the noodle dishes that technically could be made vegetarian, but have some sort of seafood component as part of the dish. I hope to return soon!
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Andrew K.

Yelp
Overall was a fine takeout experience. The beef randang was very average and not a great amount of beef compared to the rice portion. The roti canai was worth trying, always love a good roti and the soup was flavorful. The captain's noodle was the best dish we got but could use a bit more flavor.
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Rafiat K.

Yelp
Food: We ordered 10 courses that were served family-style for our big party. I particularly liked three dishes. First, the Kangkung Belacan which is a sautéed water spinach with Malaysian shrimp paste sauce was delicious. This was my favorite dish. Second, the Singapore Rice Noodles which came with a mild sauce with shrimp, bean sprouts, egg & Chinese cabbage was good. Lastly, we got a Tofu dish as well that I enjoyed! Service: Sadly, customer service is not a priority for this restaurant. They simply bring out your food all at once and leave. The servers rarely told you the name of the dish or what was in it to accommodate people who may have dietary restrictions. It was hard to get a hold of the servers to even ask for simple things like more napkins, or knives. I think if this restaurant invested more in improving its customer service, it would be more of a popular destination.
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Alexia I.

Yelp
Left to right: Singapore Rice Noodles, Malaysian Ice Tea, Banana Leaf Pad Thai To start off, this was a first time I've been here. With the Singapore Rice Noodles (lettuce on top), it was delicious! You can request this dish gluten free, and the flavor was PACKING!! 9/10, only because I added chicken but wasn't added in there - my fault because I didn't speak up on it. Onto the iced tea, it was delicious in its own way, had some condensed milk and that was new to me. Overall, 7.5/10. The Banana Leaf Pad Thai was also packed with flavor and you could also request this gluten free. 8/10!! Both my boyfriend and I enjoyed this restaurant, so I'd definitely recommend, but if you're GF, they have a pretty limited selection, but count on these two dishes for sure!!
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Khanh H.

Yelp
Banana Leaf in Philly provided an exceptional Malaysian culinary journey. The Roti Canai delighted with its creamy texture, and the Pan-Fried Noodles impressed with its crispy perfection and complementary sauce. The Tofu Sizzling Plate was another highlight, though rice had to be ordered separately. Despite this minor inconvenience, the overall experience was fantastic. Overall, all 3 dishes tasted great and we left thoroughly satisfied
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Jeffrey L.

Yelp
Gone downhill. Over the past decade or so, I would come here to get some food and it was usually great. I recall they used to do some authentic dishes in the past such as Laksa that were good enough for Chinatown in Philadelphia. I popped in one night since i was starving and wanted to see how it was. i didn't see many of the dishes that i used to love and the menu had drastically been redone to remove most of the Malaysian influences that i loved. I ordered a Nasi Lamek since that's usually the standard bearer of Malaysian food. It lacked flavor, the chicken was not cooked well, the coconut rice tasted like normal rice. I asked for hot sauce expecting some sambal and instead got some Sricha bottle. Unfortunately it was not edible and ate half and paid and left. Won't be going back.
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Sharadha K.

Yelp
I had an outstanding dining experience at this restaurant! The pineapple fried rice was a delightful surprise--perfectly balanced flavors with a hint of sweetness. The dessert Fried Icecream was a heavenly treat that satisfied my sweet tooth, and the drink Lychee selection complemented the meal beautifully. The combination of delicious food, impeccable service, and a cozy ambiance makes this place a must-visit. I'm looking forward to returning for more culinary delights!
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Ju L.

Yelp
After Penang's price hike, I was searching for an alternative place for us to get Malaysian food. Friends and family eat at Banana Leaf all the time, so I thought it's time to check it out. For the most part, both places make the same dishes; however, Banana Leaf does have some items on their menu that Penang does not, such as the Prawn Mee, Bah Kut Teh, Captain Noodles, Hokkein Char Mee, etc. My husband and I ended up ordering our go to dishes - the Roti Canai, the Hainanese Chicken, the Chow Kueh Teow, and my current favorite the Malaysian Style Shrimp with long beans. The Chow Kueh Teow and the long beans were good. The Roti Canai was okay, definitely not as good as Penang's. The Hainanese Chicken was fine. No one makes it as good as the motherland anyway. Overall, I thought Banana Leaf was an okay alternative to Penang. It is definitely the cheaper option. I would still consider coming back the next time I crave Malaysian food.
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Ramesh D.

Yelp
The Banana Leaf is one of my favorite restaurants. I've been eating here for the last 10 years or more. This is located in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia. It's tough to find street parking if you find one opposite to restaurant its your lucky day. If you go around circles on the parallel streets, you might find spots to park and walk to this place, probably a couple of minutes to a 5-minute walk. There are paid parking options available next to the restaurant and somewhere charge between $5.15 based on the time of visit. About the restaurant as you enter will be greeted and seated and get a chance to look at the menu. My favorite items in this restaurant are roti kanai, Roti telur, pineapple fried rice, Singapore Street noodles, and Nasi Lemak. The Roti canaI is the best of everything, and it comes with a vegetarian sauce or a chicken sauce. Both of them taste wonderful I normally are the vegetarian sauce and the entire family loved it sometimes I just ordered roti canai and go for three or four of them and still came very satisfied out of the restaurant, point is that that's a must try dish. The next one I like here is the pineapple fried rice, except this time they sell it cold otherwise normally they serve it in a pineapple, which looks appetizing as well as test wonderful. The restaurant is well maintained, and the ambiance is good. The restroom is maintained well as well . Coming to the deserts, we always order fried ice cream, which is a wonderful dish to try. There are several other dishes that are fantastic in this place, but try Roti canai, and you will love it. The food is cooked and brought to you very fast not much waiting time and some days it could be it could be crowded but the food still turns out faster than what you would expect in a normal restaurant if that is an option to give me more than five stars this restaurant deserves that try this place you will love it
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Vivian E.

Yelp
Food is very tasty and authentic! Comes in fairly large portions . The workers are nice and the ambiance is pretty dark but chill .
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Pamela S.

Yelp
A solid Malay restaurant to order take out or delivery from. Food always arrives fresh and hot. The portions are good for the price as well. Dishes that we order on repeat are the Roti Canai, Hokkien Char Mee, and the Haianese Chicken Rice. I do wish some of the dishes were a bit spicier, like the dipping sauce for the Roti Canai. We also recently tried the the satay tofu, and the sauce was lacking flavor.
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Soprina G.

Yelp
Banana Leaf is going to be my new go-to spot! Malaysian cuisine is basically Indian and Chinese fusion foods and Banana Leaf does a great job at displaying that. The price of each dish is cheaper than almost restaurants in Philly. The quantity is the right amount of food that makes you feel stuffed. The quality is better than expectations. Appetizer: Homemade Roti Canai This is an Indian styled pancake dipped in a creamy spicy sauce (like a curry). The roti is on the sweeter side and it gets dipped into the sauce. The sauce contains bits of chicken and potato too. This is a must appetizer and only $5 Entrees: Captain's Noodle It's a thick flat rice noodle stir fried in soy sauce (without being too salty) mixed with chicken, shrimp, and pork. The texture of the sauce goes very well with the rice noodles. They just soak up the sauce. The prices of shrimp are also larger and they'll give you a good amount as well. This dish was my favorite! Banana Leaf Kari Ayam is lemon grass flavored coconut curry with red onions and chicken. The chicken was high quality, cooked to perfection. Not only was cooked very well but it retained all the moisture of the curry sauce. The flavor of the curry was light and creamy. The lemon grass and red onion gave the curry a taste of freshness. It's different than any other curries I've had. Malaysian food may be a novelty experience, but banana leaf goes above and beyond expectorations. I hope this business does well because more people need to know about Banana Leaf!
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Nhien D.

Yelp
10/10 recommended!!! * Nice service/ welcoming people. * Food was delicious! * The restaurant was decorated with cool details.
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Cathy W.

Yelp
This place has downgraded themselves for years! It used to be a good restaurant, now...not so much. No air conditioning in the summer time but a fan. What?! My kids were sweating with me while we eating our lunch. My 4.7yo girl had to go stand in front of the fan to cool herself down. My 8mos old baby end up with wet tops cuz her back was all wet. Like they really cheap with running the cool air on. Price up but their dish portion and ingredients are cut down. This curry soup I used to love had onions, tofu, carrots, bean sprouts, etc. Now...just 3-5 sliced up fish balls and noodle for $12! At least the taste of the curry didn't get downgrade too much. Very disappointed! Now comes to their credit card fee charged on customers. If a restaurant don't want to pay that fee then don't accept credit card, period. Your place accepts credit card but not willing to fork out the transaction fee and instead put that charge on the customers. This is just a way to get less credit card payment and more cash payment so they can file less income and pay less tax on their business. Honestly, customers just going to tip less. So basically the restaurant is using the tip for the waiter to pay for that fee that they don't want to pay. Sad.
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Anisha D.

Yelp
One of my fav spots in Chinatown! The food were all very delicious. My favorite was the curry. Served in the clay poor, it stayed warm till the very end. The chicken satay with the peanut sauce was good and only complaint is the oil was very heavy which was unnecessary imo. The noodles were very tasty and unique combo of proteins but again a tad bit oily. I was in between giving them 4 or 5 stars but what changed my mind was the lychee drink. For something that is not in season rn, it was absolute perfection with a strong lychee flavor and even 4 lychees in the drink itself! The service was great as well. The ambiance was very fitting for the restaurant. I would definitely recommend the place if you're ever in Chinatown in Philly!
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Des R.

Yelp
I usually order delivery/pick-up, but a friend decided that we should sit in. It wasn't the most crowded, it was a Monday and hell cold out, but nonetheless the experience was pretty good. The Roti Canai has been a favorite ever since i first tried it years ago. The dipping sauce is amazingly delicious! I could eat their roti all dat every day. We had the pad thai, veggie soup, satay & fried ice cream. I was already planning my return before I left.
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Ray L.

Yelp
As many people have pointed out this place has gone downhill since I first came here. It serves many authentic Malaysian and south East Asian dishes that are hard to find in other restaurants in the states. However the quality and the taste of the food are just ok. I order takeout from them and the roti is cold. The Lasi Lemak is lacking flavors, where the coconut rice tastes plain and portion is small too. Overall I didn't have a satisfying experience from their food
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Alison D.

Yelp
Great food and service. Plus the price is reasonable and it's a BYO. Pad Thai, roti cinai and ice coffee are some of our favorites

Elspeth K.

Yelp
We ordered takeout for my husband's birthday. The cook should be ashamed for the poor quality of food sent out. It was virtually unidentifiable when it arrived, over cooked and greasy. Nasty.
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Phylicia H.

Yelp
Came back to banana leaf and had my bf try it out. He has the same opinion as me that the food wasn't bad, but our usual place is better. We ordered the roti telur, chicken satay, mee siam and beef rendang. After tip, everything was $50 which is a pretty incredible deal with the amount of food they give. They charge a little over 3% if you use a credit card. Our hill would've been slightly cheaper than $50 if we used cash. We wished the roti telur was crispier since it was a bit soft and mushy. Chicken satay was delicious, but this time it needed to be grilled a bit longer. Best thing we had was the mee Siam. 6.5/10

Sam O.

Yelp
Went in on a Thursday evening for dinner, pretty empty. Decent service. - noodles lacked salt but were very flavorful. -chicken tasted like sesame chicken with a hint of chilli oil. NOTE: They charge you like 3% extra if you pay by credit card vs cash. Overall 3.6/5.
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Caroline G.

Yelp
All of the food here was absolutely delicious! We picked items off the favorites menu. And it's also BYOB. 11/10 recommend!
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Yang C.

Yelp
Just a regular lunch here. We came here since we've heard about other friends talking about this place. And also since we've been to Penang so many times, we wanna try a new place. The owner welcomed us and introduced the menu to us very friendly. She also checked on us several times to make sure our food was okay. Very nice lady! We ordered two fried noodle. I'm a big fan of Pad Thai, so I ordered that. It was just okay... we didn't even taste the flavor of the pad Thai sauce... just tasted like a regular noodle... didn't like it at all... My husband ordered the Chow Kueh Teow Noodle. It was the first time that he ordered it, and it turned out to be amazing! The noon for was so well cooked and it's very flavorful. The lunch portion was a bit small. For two people, I would recommend adding an appetizer or soup. There was not a lot of people and they closed every other table due to COVID.
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Heather L.

Yelp
Been here enough times that I can't believe I haven't written a review yet. We ordered malaysian buddhist mixed vegetables, malaysian lo mee noodles: egg noodles served in homemade soy sauce, with mushrooms and shredded chicken, roti canai: crispy style pancake with curry chicken and potatoes, banana leaf chicken satay and bah kut teh: Chinese herbs soup. Perfect amount of food for three people. Love the variety in the mixed vegetables, can never go wrong with any kind of noodles and I loved the addition of the mushrooms, I will order roti whenever I see it, the curry could I been a little hotter (temperature wise) but not like it was cold or anything, satay is always a crowd pleaser (dipping sauce was tasty) and I have never had bah kut teh - broth has its own unique flavor and after taste but it's good, would definitely order again. Staff is friendly (was a bit of a wait for them to come by and take the order) and they were excited we were ordering bah kut teh. Will be back!
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Alexis H.

Yelp
The first time I came here was over 10 years ago when I was in college. I've been dreaming about this place ever since, and I'm glad I finally found my way back. I will say it's not as hustling and bustling as I remember it, but the food never lost its quality. And the Malayasian iced coffee was to die for!

Rock G.

Yelp
Food was good, service was friendly, and I would really have liked to have given it a higher rating, but the place was just significantly depressing (at least in daytime). Dim lights, sad ambiance. Thankfully it was not a date; good place for a breakup. Bit of you can put up with the ambiance (or doing takeout), then would rate it 4 stars for the food and service.
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Montsy F.

Yelp
Great find in the Chinatown area of Philadelphia. My friend and I enjoyed a late afternoon meal and shared three appetizers: homemade Roti Canai, Banana Leaf Satay, Satay Tofu and a noodle dish. I am a big fan of peanut sauce. We enjoyed a lychee drink and pineapple juice. The highlight of the meal was the Banana Leaf Satay Mixed (Chicken and Beef). It was crispy and the combination with the sweet peanut sauce was delicious. The portion sizes were enough for us to share and walk away full and happy. The place was quiet because of the time of day, the service was quick and friendly.
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Danan R.

Yelp
This is my SE Asian/Malaysian go-to and it is still as good as it was over a decade ago! It's still managed by the same owners and the food is still the best in the city. We came on Christmas Day for lunch and got an amazing roti teleur with that iconic curry dip, beef rendang, oktra with Malaysian shrimp paste, and chicken curry. 1. The oktra was fantastic - perfectly cooked and the seasoing was bursting with flavor. 2. The chicken curry was so good (creamy, spicy, and savory) that I ate every grain of rice just so I would not waste a single drop. 3. The roti telur was the perfect crispiness and fluffliness (it has egg and onion). Try it crepe style by stuffing it was a spoonful of rice and beef rendang! We saw them making it in the front and it's definitely amazing to watch. 4. Beef rendang: Bursting with flavor and made with juicy, tender beef (not dry like most places). It's not a light dish but it's so good that you cannot put it down! Will be back to get more of the roti and curries!
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Lauren M.

Yelp
Very quick service. Solid food. The menu is more limited in person than online. Not fancy, but always satisfying. Don't forget your own booze! It's a byob
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Sunny C.

Yelp
I ordered fried calamari, and this is what I received. This tasted like cardboard crackers with sugar syrup drizzled on top. Nothing like the picture they advertised at the door or even on their menu. I'm never going back to this place again. If I can give negative stars, I would.
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Elizabeth E.

Yelp
The waitress was very welcoming and friendly! The food was really good, my favorites were the fried squid and the mee siam!