Banana Leaf Restaurant

Doesn't Recommend

CSMobileUser2

Joined 5 years ago

U-Turn. If you are planning to eat here,I strongly recommend a U-Turn in the opposite direction. The appetizers were repugnant and piping cold. My dining companion's horror was apparent throughout the meal. A big disappointment.we had to leave hungry and have a second lunch to erase the experience.

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janikatta

Joined 3 years ago

Good vegetarian Indian restuarant. I have been to quite a few Indian restuarants. Little different from other veg restuarants, as they have 5 varieties of chat as part of buffet. Chat lacks salt & spice, which makes it more tasteful. Lassi is Ok. Coming to buffet, idli/dosa were good, Puri was good too but tasted different from any other restuarant, did not know why? Coconut chutney was made from dry coconut powder as other Udipi style, is not to my taste. Sambar, avial, gobi curry had good taste, little same as Udipi. Overall I will rate the restuarant as 6.5 out 10. it is above average.

Doesn't Recommend

drukki

Joined 3 years ago

Almost died there. It was great. It was small and had bright color walls and everything. It looked clean even. It's a small family owned business so that's probably why it can't be totally trusted. I was especially happy because the menu had ingredients of dishes on it and I'm deathly allergic to peanuts. I got something that said there were no peanuts and when I got it I chewed into some whole ones. So my bf go a waiter and asked if it was peanuts to be sure and she just said "you don't like peanuts?" not understanding us...then I spent some hours in the hospital.

Doesn't Recommend

corgle

Joined 4 years ago

disappointed. Service was good; our waiter was attentive but the food was disappointing. Buffet didn't have much dishes to choose from and nothing really stood out. It was a waste of money, unfortunately.

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Breanna

Joined 4 years ago

New Favorite Restaurant. I had the dinner buffet and it consisted of endless lassi (I tried the mango and rose ones; both were excellent), seven appetizers, open buffet, dessert and chai tea. Everything tasted great, good variety and the service was phenomenal.

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VegFoodNut

Joined 4 years ago

Fresh and Amazing. I was first introduced to Indian cuisine by this restaurant under a different name: Annapurna. Carryovers include: the Chowpatty chaat stall, wide range of unique dishes, and the lassis.

What to expect:

The buffet is filled with a wide variety of food. Lunch and dinner contain different menu items and it greatly varies. Some features include the BEST Malai Kofta, a curried pasta stew and many new "unseen" veggie dishes.

While many restaurants focus on a number of mainstream dishes, Banana Leaf pulls our an unconventional recipe book and delivers an amazing experience. The keynote feature--albeit high in fat--is the Chowpatty Chaat stall. Rice Krispies, yogurt and spice? You got it! Somosa? This is far from the standard as it comes smothered in Chana Masala. My personal favorite is the ragda pattis--complete with yellow peas, sev noodles (yum) and a mildly spicy patty. Dosas, vadas, and idli offer a fresh approach to bread. No worries--parata is still available and served on the table!

Vegetarians will find the meals balanced with a number of ways to get ample protein. Idli, one of the breads typically consumed with sambhar (a lentil tomato spice soup), is actually fermented beans. Yogurt and rice offers a light treat. Meat eaters can easily get stuffed and not fear hunger later.

Dessert varies with the most common being Payasam--a sweet milk dish with vermicilli, saffron and "chai" spice. Other features, the halwa, rasmalai, and galub jamon are phenomenal treats.

Lastly, beverages include mango, rose and khus (citrus) lassi. More adventurous types should look into the thandai (not included in the buffet) which has fresh spices, nuts and saffron tossed in--you can drink and eat this delicacy.

Staff is rapidly growly and all are eager to introduce you to the vast array of food you will see.

Cost for the buffet is extremely low compared to the sheer amount of food you get. Be sure to save room all day before going.

For folks who are sensitive to spice ordering from the menu may be recommended as most buffet items are at least a 2/10 for spicy with some close to a 5 range. Some dressing items easily push this to a 7+.

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OSUdsmith

Joined 4 years ago

alot of variations but fell short of expectations. Very nice owners who will accommodate you. Wide selection that was creative. If you like fried foods with sauces this the the place to go.

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Europeans

Joined 4 years ago

Extraordinary Service, Outstanding Food.. We have tried the lunch and dinner buffet, the latter together with friends. They feature a large variety of traditional Indian food, all vegetarian. They do have vegan options.

The dining room is clean, the service staff is friendly and courteous.

The food is fresh and the cook knows how to play the octaves of spices in the Indian cuisine up and down. This place can easily keep up with fancy up-scale Indian restaurants (at Polaris e.g.) when it comes to taste and service.

The buffet includes lassi and appetizers, both served at your table, and unlimited takes from around 15-20 different dishes.

The best thing is: they do not have the American mentality of 'eat it and beat it', they let you have a relaxed after-dinner and will generously supply you with coffee and tea.

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lovefood2009

Joined 4 years ago

Chowpatty is worth the trip.. I am not a big fan of vegetarian dishes, so I was rather reluctant to try this place. Had it not been for a coupon, I wouldn't have gone in. We decided to go with the buffet, which includes all the lassi (Indian yogurt drinks), the food, dessert and something called the chowpatty bar/cart (?). I love indian food, but I have never experienced the chowpatty bar/cart before. It's essentially various types and combination of mixture of bunch of crunch stuff with some soft textured food items. They come in small snack size with various type of sauce. The owner and chef made about four different types of chowpatties for us to each try. Each was very different in taste, texture, flavor, temperature and spiciness. You will find that you like one type better than the others, but they all have common, the complexity of layered flavor, texture and harmony of flavor. Chowpatty bar/cart is definitely worth the experience. There is a poster of various types of chowpatties they can make at the bar/cart. Try as many as you want until you find your favorite.

The buffet food was so so as all buffet food can be expected. Some were decent, some were not so decent. There was only one type of dessert at the buffet, it looked like a dense pancake wedge and while it was sweet, it had some indian spice that I did not care too much for.

The service was great and the owner was very helpful and eager to please. I would recommend this place for their chowpatty bar. Their lassies were pretty decent too. I didn't care for their buffet food, but you may have better luck if you order individual dishes... who knows?

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mattinoh63

Joined 4 years ago

Outstanding Taste.....Nice Owner Service. Went for a different lunch/dinner experience. The owner greeted us at the door, seated us and explained the menu. We actually allowed the owner to pick our menu items for us based on our inexperience with this type of food. All I can say is....each of us found something that we enjoyed. Don't hestitate to ask questions as the owner is more than pleased to explain anything. Highly recommended by my family!