Banana Leaf Rice @ Sri Nirwana Maju, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

From one Indian eatery to another, come join me for another tasty adventure to a destination that has reached legendary status.

A peek into the interior of the place

Most KL-lites are familiar of  Sri Nirwana Maju. A social institution within the bustling roads of Bangsar, this place is famous for its banana leaf rice. Although many argue (me included) that it may not be the best banana leaf rice place ever, it is impossible to take it away from such a conversation topic. And it is easy to see why.

The holy trinity. The deep fried gourd is on the very left, and the raita is on the very right.
The spinach sits quite comfortably in the middle

When it comes to the banana leaf rice set, it is relatively simple but executed well. For the uninitiated, the banana leaf set is a rice set meal which usually consists of white rice (there are different variants from different shops, but white rice seems to be the default in most cases), some vegetable dishes to go with the rice and poppadoms. Some places like Nirwana, provide patrons with some pickles, dried chillies and rassam. 

Its crunch time

Already a substantial meal on its own, the "base set" is well executed. And is friendly to vegetarians. I was served with generous servings of  cucumber raita, stir fried spinach and deep fried sweet gourd. The sweet gourd is a tasty morsel, which was crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside. And the batter is not just some combination of flour, egg and water. It is seasoned with chilli powder, giving it a smokiness that is subtle. However, it was not spicy. This fried delight is a popular dish for many. Nirwana does change it from time to time with bitter gourd, but I was told that it is just as delicious. 

The spinach was deep and very saucy. The leaves were diced down and seems to be cooked with a stock similar to dhall, or lentil sauce to those who are unfamiliar. At the other side of the spectrum, the raita is fresh and vibrant. Being a salad, it cuts through the other two dishes and provides some balance to the overall scheme of things.

Look how it glistens. 

But there is also a reason why this is called a base set, as the banana leaf experience can be altered to your liking. If you are into something a bit more sinful or there are no vegetarians on the table, you can choose a various assortment of meat and seafood dishes to add to your meal. Continuing the trend of deep fried goodies, I ordered the Chicken 65.  Yep, 65 is the name. I am not too sure what is the significance of the number, but these fried pieces of fowl reminds me alot of karaage chicken, Very crunchy and succulent, the chicken pieces were well season with various earthy spices and chilli powder. 

Simple, but well executed. 

At the opposite side of the table, my friend ordered a piece of fried chicken. Even though he chose the breast, the meat was juicy and tender, unlike the strains and dry chunks you might experience elsewhere. 

The whole sh'bang. 

Do note that this is a very famous establishment and many from other parts of town do come by here to eat, especially lunch. The lines for lunch starts to build very early, as in 11 am early. We were fortunate that we only waited for 12 minutes for our table at about 11.30 am. However, if you would like a more comfortable place to sit, do factor in the time unless you do not mind sitting at a folding table by the footpath of the shop next door. 

The famous sign at the front of the house, and the notorious line that is building up. 

The overall experience is a bit pricey for some veggies and rice, but the overall quality makes it worth it. The vegetarian base set is RM 9 per banana leaf set and meat dishes can range from cheap to affordable to atrociously expensive. My lunch for that day was RM 18.70, which includes the Chicken 65 and iced lime tea.

Great from start to finish, and if you do not mind waiting for a good meal, the address is as follows:

43, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.