Devi's Corner - Banana Leaf Rice

Whenever I'm at Devi's Corner in Bangsar, I'm usually downstairs, where the usual mamak fare is served. I always knew that they serve banana leaf rice (BLR) upstairs, but it never occurred to me to try it out. In my book, banana leaf rice is something you don't eat alone... unless you want to drown your sorrows :P

I tagged along with a friend who also wanted to have a go at it. Seating upstairs is noticeably better than downstairs and it's also air-conditioned, so it's not too bad. By the time we got there it was nearly 2 p.m. and (I guess) the worst of the lunch rush has past and we got a table by the window - the picture came out better because of the extra natural light once the curtain was drawn.

I had heard and read (on the Interwebs, natch) that here you get more than the usual 3 vegetarian sides with the rice, so I tried just about everything. As for the gravy, it was not just your chicken-and-fish-curry or dhal, but there's also mutton and crab curry to choose from. I quickly jumped at the crab curry, but the guy had already poured it all over the rice before I could stop him (I like my curries on the side and I hate soggy rice).

♨ The crab curry (I can't believe I've not had it before) was spicy... at least it's edible.

♨ Papadam was HUGE... bigger than those you'd find elsewhere.

♨ At least they still use actual banana leaves here

♨ Fried bitter gourd was still warm, and you could taste the slight bitterness.

The basic banana leaf rice set is RM7, which is not cheap but worth it when you consider the variety and taste. We also got a plate of fried squid (RM 8) and glad no one ordered more because the basic BLR alone was pretty filling.

Conclusion: Must try. 'Nuff said.