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Banana Leaf
Link Road-Andheri West
(+4 other places)
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June 15,2015
I had been there on a cold rainy day.
The rasam soup followed by a sumptuous Thali with Neer Dosa and Bisi Bele bath was satisfying.
My kids had spicy Chettinad Masala and Appam Korma. It was enjoyed by them.
A very innovative and extensive menu. Have not tried the take away. I live in Bandra West so will try someday
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April 29,2015
superb south Indian dining experience.
Authentic south indian food. They have very yummy food and very authentic! Cheese palak dosa, rajani dosa,are their speciality. Their paneer gassi with appams is another hot favourite.They dosas are very crisp and the coconut drink is also very good . They all taste different from the normal styles that are usually served in other outlets. Ambience is minimalistic. Free chutney unlimited.All in all, a superb south Indian dining experience.
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April 24,2015
Banana Leaf Versova terrible service
Their take away service is going to the dogs.
Ordered a Thupa Masala Dosa. After the delivery boy had left I opened the parcel to find there is no masala. But I am billed for Thupa Masala dosa. The dosa is cold. I call the security in the building to send the delivery boy back, but he is away already. So I call the restaurant and no one picks up. I call three or four numbers listed online and none of them are answered. Phone keeps ringing. After more than 10 minutes I get a response and I place my complaint. The guy at the other end tells me "dekta hoon". No apology, no information on what he intends to do. Was I to sit at the other end waiting endlessly while he "dekta hoon".
I call after another 10 minutes and raise my complaint again and the guy at the other end has to be told everything from scratch. And, he says I will send the masala. I tell him send me a whole new dosa since this is cold now. He says something in a heavy south Indian accent with all wrong grammar and bangs the phone. I call back and say do you even have my address to send the proper order? And he starts behaving rudely and and saying if we didn't have the order would we have the sent the dosa in the first place.
Just then I find a Banana leaf delivery has come back with just the masala in a container. I tell him to take the whole dosa back, return my money or come back with a fresh hot dosa.
I am still waiting.
Horrible! If you go to the restaurant, you will find the waiters talking to each other rather than attending to guests.
Sad that a decent South Indian food joint has the most arrogant and despicable service.
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Foodie Love
March 18,2015
True South Indian Cusines
A very innovative concept restaurant for south Indian food lovers, varied and long menu to choose from. It has an extensive selection to pick from, the starters to main courses are served in fairly large portions. Sambhar and chutney are refilled every time.
Being a brand, there is always a moderate crowd. Surely a place to go with guests, kids, family, friends alike. They offer valet parking, which is a big relief.
Alabar curry, spinach dosa, neer dosa, dessert gadba are few of my favourite dishes.
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Amanda dsouza
February 28,2015
good food
This restaurant serves a very elaborate South Indian fare. I am not a very big fan of South Indian food but I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here. From dosas to a wholesome meal there is as much as authenticity you will find in a mumbai's South Indian restaurant. The service also is pretty decent. I did not really find much flaw at this place.
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Lillian Mendes
January 31,2015
Vegetarian food!!!
Im a big fan of south indian food especially since i'm a goan and i don't get to eat this type of food that often! I love their thuppa dosa so delicious !! The thali is so filling and with so much of variety .. You really need to have a great appetite to go eat here! I also love their neer dosa and the different types of uttapam that they have!
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January 04,2015
Toothsome South Indian Snacks
This place has got a beautiful ambiance.....we had gone at approx 18:30 for especially snacks......Had 3 different types of dosas which were ultimate n FYI i heard the names for the first time in my life......Best part of this place is they dont cry or charge u extra for sambhar/chutneys...Loved it....n yes quick service.
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Web 18
November 10,2014
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Jay Donda
October 29,2014
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September 25,2014
One of the best places in Mumbai to have authentic South Indian Food. The ambience and service was up to the mark. Did not took too long to get my order served.
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Rinku Mehta
June 27,2014
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Amit Motwani
May 09,2014
Authentic South i say...
Food is authentic. Taste absolutely amazing. Must try thakali Rasam, idlis, coconut payasam and walnut halwa. And much more. Keep visiting is what i recommend. As one or few visits not enough to explore the wide range.
Service delivery can improve.
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April 17,2014
Good Restaurant
Banana leaf offers an array of south Indian specialties put together in a menu that has something from everywhere down south. You dont have to travel too far to indulge in this experience. Indulgence is no sin succumb.
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April 17,2014
Nice South Indian Restaurant
This is a good restaurant and one of the best South Indian restaurants that you can ever find.
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March 31,2014
Excellent Food
The food at Banana Leaf is excellent and worth the value and money , the taste and cuisine is very nice and totally worth,, a nice place to be with family and party also since there is so much of variety on the menu .. the dosas are specially very nice totally worth a visit once a month ..
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February 12,2014
south ka jalwa
This is one of the best south indian restaurant in the city and not the typical udipi restaurant types. the food was awesome, service was very good and its a complete vegaterian outlet. The most important part being that the ambience was cool not too dashy, it was simple and pleasant. Not too crowded even though it was Sunday the waiting time being 10 mins only. The food was really good tasty though it had a dash of coconut in most of the things but it tasted something different which I was having after a very long time. I heard about this place but never visited it before, got a chance this time and will surely visit again now.
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Manoj Pillai
February 09,2014
Authentic south inidan food
If you are south indian food lover then this is the place for you.
Amazing variety of south Indian dishes. From a wide range of Idlis, Dosas and Uttapams to a huge variety of South-Indian daals and vegetable dishes with Rice, Appam, Neer Dosas and so much more.
The food is served on plates with a freshly cut Banana leaf on it!
Mini Thalis and the fancy Uttapams and Dosas, its fairly good value for money considering the quality, service and the ambience of the place.
Thairu Sadam) Yelami Cham Sadam and Lemon Rice are noteworthy too. The tender coconut Elaneer Payasam is a must try.
Food is served within a few minutes of placing the order
Overall it is good and I think you must give it a try
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Rohit Khopkar
February 02,2014
Food is great...service was a disappointment!!!
We went there day before yesterday with some friends. I have visited Banana Leaf several times & have always had a wonderful experience. This time the food quality was consistent; however the service quality has dipped since my last visit.
For starters we ordered the Cheese & Potato stuffed Medhu Vada, Banana Cutlets & Steamed Idli's in a Tomato & Garlic Gravy. The Medhu Vada though deep fried was light & flakey however I could not taste any cheese within it. The Banana Cutlet was extremely flavorful & had some roasted peanuts amalgamated with the raw banana stuffing giving it that textural uplift! The Steamed Idlis were a real treat; the idli itself was soft & airy & the tangy tomato gravy really bought the humble idli to life!
For main course we ordered Appams with Vegetable stew, The classic Masala Dosa & Vegetable Chettinad with Neer Dosas. The Vegetable stew was great! The strong taste of coconut milk did not over power nor did it undermine any of the other ingredients; this was once again a very light easy to digest dish. The Masala Dosa was crispy through out the course & the stuffing was superb; with a gentle hint of coconut & turmeric; encapsulated within the crispy dosa, making it a delight to stomach!!! The vegetable Chettinad was surprisingly flavorsome sans any spices; normally when one hears the word Chettinad one's mind immediately pops up the word "Spicy" this was not the case here, the dish was perfectly balanced & went very well with the neer dosas.
For dessers we had the Akhrot Halwa (Walnut Halwa) & Chilled Paysam, The halwa was awesome!!! It tasted like a beautiful warm nutty chocolate fudge, one can actually enjoy this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; a word of caution though; it is very heavy!!! The chilled Paysam was unfortunately a huge let down; normally a dish which needs to have some sort of thickness; here was very watery.
The food over all was & always has been consistently good; however as mentioned earlier the service was a big let down. Intrusive wait staff trying to nudge you to hurry up by giving you menu's while you are still eating, attempting to clear plates while you are still eating & a delay in drinks orders (our starters came before our soft drinks!!!)., really left a bitter taste to our experience. The service was also very slow, our starters did not come one after the other but rather after long intervals. They really need to work on this; as we felt very uncomfortable.
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Rohit Khopkar
January 12,2014
Great place!!!
My mom introduced me to the place & I have been hooked ever since! What can I say about Banana leaf except for the fact that its amazing!!! I always end up ordering the Thali; which I might add is enough for two people to eat. The food is consistently great & the service too is impeccable!!! The flavors of the food are clean & the portion sizes are very generous. No wonder the place is always packed be it a Sunday or a Tuesday! If you want good South Indian food as authentic as one can find out of the Southern India, then Banana Leaf will not disappoint!!! Apart from the Thali they do have the regular Udupi fare; which too is great; no soggy oily dosa's that need to be gulped down with oily Sambhar but light food which is easy to digest & is supremely palatable!!!
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December 28,2013
great food from south
Forget the dosas etc Like you get in normal udipi restauruants - go for the idli platter , avial with rice , the thali , - if you want to still eat the pizza try the honey pizza - unusual , kids love it
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Nemi Doshi
September 30,2013
Restaurant Cheated Me in The Bill
Before I start, I must let everyone know that I have been the most regular customer of Banana Leaf for its nice food since the past 4 years. However what happened the other day was completely unacceptable.
I ordered a coorg idli and a dakshin masala idli and only the coorg idli came. The rest of our order of dosas and uthhapams followed. I thought they would bring out the other idli order soon enough. However, they never got the dakshin masala idli and yet when the bill came, I was charged for it. I first brought it to the notice of the guy taking our order. He consulted with the waiters and said that we were served and maybe we had forgotten it! Look at the BLASPHEMY!
I told him that I wanted to speak to the manager. When the manager came, I told him the description of the Dakshin Idli and told him, I know what I ordered and it has not come. And there were 7 people on the table. Even the 7 dwarfs have good memory and don't tell lies! He still argued that the waiter had indeed served us and refused to believe the word of 7 people who are ardent customers and always recommend this place to other people.
Also, did I mention that when we ordered coconut water, it was HOT. Now I know coconut water is not cold, but its regular room temperature and not hot. When we asked them if they could chill it for a little while, they refused and made us drink HOT coconut water.
I have seen this place even through its Juhu Store and the management was always friendly and helpful and ready to hear. The management has recently changed and this new way of charging customers WRONGLY for food they did not eat is absolutely unacceptable.
I would warn everyone against this place henceforth.
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nikunj desai
September 26,2013
Awesome Food. Mind It !!
If you looking for some delicious & delectable south indian food, a must go restaurant.
Been here a few times now & the idli platter, onion wada & varieties of Dosa are just very very tasty.
The food is served in plate on banana leaf as the name says, giving you feeling of authentic south india.
Feel price is a little over priced.
Ambiance is just good, can be made better.
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Amit Agarwal
September 16,2013
No reviews required
Just enter the place and you'll come out smiling.
All you need is an appetite for South Indian cuisine and a considerable budget.
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Ketan Mehta
September 10,2013
authentic south indian food
Superb and tasty authentic south indian food .All variety comes with unlimited sambhar and chutny.Superb decor and good decor.Loved the ambiance, I love its idli platter which has variety of idlies in one platter.Idlies are super soft and yummy.
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September 10,2013
South Indian
Knowing your South Indian food is almost as important, and the folks at Banana Leaf are well-versed and enthusiastic enough to guide you through the menu before you pick out what to gorge on.
South Indian food-cravers of Mumbai city, you must give this place a try. Their Idly-Mooru Curry, Uttapams and Chilly-Idly is to die for with over-the-top helpings of coconut & tomato chutneys on the side.
I must warm you that their portions are monstrous - possibly to make up for the price of the dish - there was more rasam and sambar served with my meal than my body could take - but you'll lick the bowls clean I promise you.
I'd give Banana Leaf big points - more for getting the basic dishes spot on before adding on their embellishments to make them even better. Compliments to the Chef!
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September 03,2013
Nice South Indian Food
This is one place which serves South Indian Food with large number of varieties. They have large variety of dosas, idli's, and other South Indian vegetables. Its a pure vegetarian place and ideal place to be visited if you are fond of South Indian Food. The place has lot of seating available and the staff is also extremely courteous. The food is very good and they serve some very unique South Indian Dishes. A very good place to be visited with family and definitely and ideal place. I totally recommend it...
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September 01,2013
Good South Indian food
Banana Leaf located in Versova offers delicious and authentic south Indian fare. It has many options to choose among from and comes with various accompaniments for a wonderful meal. A special mention to the thali that they have on the menu which gives you a taste of various south Indian dishes other than the regular staple of dosa, idli and vada.
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Anaggh Desai
September 01,2013
Pathetic service and attitude
A place that had been a favourite particularly for my Dad. I have had bad experience for delivery, however Today decided to order delivery. Called at 12.20 and spoke to Singh, placed a large order for 7 people. Asked him for delivery time commitment and was told 45 min.
No delivery after 45 min so began calling up, every 5 minutes - some excuses after another. After a bit of shouting was given the nos of the delivery boy Upendra who informed me that he had another delivery and would reach soon. This was after more than an hour.
Called Singh who lied, that the delivery boy was coming directly. Finally at 1.50 the boy lands up with a story about two people on a cycle and the food is still hot etc.
Disgusted, sent the food back, having already ordered from somebody else which was delivered.
The attitude of staff is consistently bad, and will never order again.
Guess they don't give a damn. All the best
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August 19,2013
South indian delight
When i think of south indian i think of banana leaf. Traditional south indian varieties are served here. It has got a lot of variety to offer. We had come here for diwali lunch and we were about 45 ppl. The arrangement was good and we happned to order almost every item on the menu. Dakshinan idli and paneer garlic dosa was the best. Service was good . Idli platter was worth a try various types of idlis. Moderately priced worth every penny. Appam was really good . overall a decent restaurant to dine in !!!!
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Dhwani Chheda
August 06,2013
experience the authentic south Indian food!
People say '' variety is the spice of life'', and this is exactly the place where you need to visit if you want to expirence South Indian delicacy.
It is a very simply well managed restaurant. A typical family like atmosphere.
They have the best sambhar in bombay, you should definitely try out the idli platter also the garlic uttampa.
Banana leaf will never leave you disappointed!
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August 02,2013
Lip smacking South Indian dishes :) Slow Service:(
Hi Burrpers !!!! This is my very 1st review on this great platform.
i had gone to the Versova branch of Banana Leaf few days ago on a weekday, with my family, it was around Nine'ish. Surprisingly the restaurant was packed....good they have seating arrangements ouside also...which is roof covered.
They have like 32 varieties of Dosa, 13 varieties of Wadas, more than 20 types of Uttapams & 22+ types of Idlis....PHEW !!!
Since we are running late, we ordered just 3 items.
Palak Wada, Chettinad iDLI + Vagharela Idli Poryal (half n half) & Masala Dosa
The Palak Wada: had 6 huge pieces, is quite filling & very tasty..we parcelled this & were obliged.
The Idli Combos were the Rockstars, one in Orange Cheese Paste which was vert lipsmacking & other in normal chutney paste, Huge pieces.
THe Masala Dosas was another HIT,
One can take unlimited servings of Sambar & Chutneys.
The only negatives was the Slow Service, but when we tested them by hurrying up (we genuinely had to rush somewhere) we were quickly serviced.
Overall, will definitely recommended this to my colleagues & will come & try their other varieties.
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July 16,2013
this place does offer good food ... however i doubt the quality... i fell sick ....
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priya roy
July 16,2013
too good
Nice place. Gives manglorean feel in mumbai.
Food is awesome, especially the chef special idli.
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July 05,2013
Visited the place with wife on a Saturday afternoon. Noticed the staff was not interested in our order. While eating suddenly we saw a rat running on the adjacent table and jumping down and going between the legs of the person sitting next to us. Pointed out this to the staff and they were totally unapologetic and not interested in hearing our complaint despite one of the staff having seen the rat.
The Restaurant definitely needs to do something about staff attitude and primarily about the hygiene conditions.
Disgusting place.
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Devarshi Mankad
June 01,2013
Very Good!
Banana leaf is well, a good restaurant which is located in a convenient area.
The staff is very good and so is the ambience.
The quality of the food is excellent and the price is also reasonable.
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April 07,2013
how can a restaurant to whom we pay a premium be so cheap enough to serve its customers in "acrylic" that is right acrylic cutlery instead of glass??? also , service charge @ 10% is charged without mentioning it in the menu or anywhere else.
Also, beverages are mediocre with no taste or freshness to it.
there are other better options who actually focus on serving good food and in a decent & hospitable manner !!!
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krishna mehta
April 04,2013
Simply love this
Simply love this . we as a family go there atleast once a month to have a Brunch .The Idlis are out of the world and although little expensive -- you do not mind because taste
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Mohit Bhutani
April 01,2013
Amazing south Indian food
great ambiance... tasty south indian food. perfect place to try something different...
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Aditya Chv
March 31,2013
Good south Indian Thali
Located on the main road and ground floor of a residential complex ires hard to miss.
seating is available outdoors and indoors. The interiors are done up really well with potatoes and status of Gods etc.
The ambience was good and staff were also helpful.
Ordered the Thali and was surprised by the quantity of food which was provided. Given the ambience it was a steal.
All the dishes were tasty and the curries especially have an authentic south Indian feel. Sambhar, rasam, rice were also good. Papad and curd were also provided.
Will surely visit again soon.
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Shikha Chawla
March 24,2013
The best South Indian fare ever!
If you think a dosa or an idli is all that you can have when it comes to South Indian food, you're wrong and this place is here to take you for surprise! I came across some South Indian dishes, the names of which I hadn't even heard of. I tried the Paneer Gassi and Neer Dosa and still distinctly remember how delicious both the dishes tasted. Also, one thing you simply cannot miss is the platter of Idlis. You'll be amazed at the variety! You're missing out on an elaborate and authentic South Indian meal if you don't try this place.
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March 23,2013
Service needs to be improved
Called up to make a booking - was informed they don't take bookings on weekends due to heavy rush. I was told that I have to come there and wait. That is the point of booking in advance. You don't book on weekdays because there isn't a rush.
Weird to see a restaurant of this level to not have advance booking options.
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H. Sanghvi
February 14,2013
Yummy South Indian dishes
Perfectly located on Juhu Versova Link Road! I have always been a great fan of South Indian dishes! Banana Leaf always keeps adding on to my love the cuisine :D
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Prabhjot Singh
February 14,2013
Service is extremely efficient. Two thumbs up. Now as for food, I have tried a multitude of dishes here, but I have my permanent favorites. Steamingly hot Butter Idli and Rava dosa are the best.
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February 13,2013
Excellent attentive balanced
Excellent meal for four, Food was excellent! Curries were balanced, sauces were punchy with flavor, meats were cooked to order. The service was attentive, friendly and swift.
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February 08,2013
good food..... got what i wanted...i went for veg last sunday..... absolutely yummy....let me tell u that i am 100% non veg ...but my daughter said she wanted to eat south indian.. so i went there and loved the whole experience...anilsingh ,juhu...9821122248
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February 07,2013
value money
Awsme South-Indian and quiet ambience...... best about this place is they hav wide range of Idlis, Dosas and Uttapams,Appam, Neer Dosas and much more..
Its a pure veg restaurant, in which food is served on plates with a freshly cut Banana leaf on it! Mini thalis are good too.
Mini Thalis within Rs200 and the fancy Uttapam and Dosas within Rs150, its fairly good value for money considering the quality, service and the ambience of the place.
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January 28,2013
Authentic food with a lovely service!!!
Just had been here yesterday for family lunch.. We did have wonderful time with the lovely spread of dishes available here. Truly authentic south indian food with a wide spread of choices available to choose from...
Special vote of thanks to Mandal Singh who has in depth knowledge of dishes on the Menu( though he is from Orissa).. He truly gave a perfect service and suggested us few lovely dishes!!! Finally Happy Tummy with a Big Smile ..Thanks to the lovely food with excellent service and Ambience.
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Riddhi Sen
January 27,2013
Vegetarian South Indian food
Craving for some really nice South-Indian food in a nice and quiet ambience?.. then Banana Leaf is the place for you, esp if you are in the western suburbs. What I like best about this place is their amazing variety of south Indian dishes. From a wide range of Idlis, Dosas and Uttapams to a huge variety of South-Indian daals and vegetable dishes with Rice, Appam, Neer Dosas and so much more..
Food: Its a pure veg restaurant, with great variety and the food is really nice. The food is served on plates with a freshly cut Banana leaf on it! And although, I have liked most things here but I particularly loved the Rassam here and the Yelneer Payasam in dessert(with tender coconut and dry fruits) . The mini thalis are good too.
Service: Very well co-ordinated and extremely fast service. Food is served on the table within a few minutes of placing the order. There are sufficient number of staff and they are very helpful.
Ambience: The Interiors are done up well with a south Indian touch. Overall, its somewhere in between an Udupi restaurant and a fine-dine one and is cleaner, quieter and more spacious than the Udupi ones with nice spread out comfortable seating.
Value for Money: With Mini Thalis within Rs200 and the fancy Uttapams and Dosas within Rs150, I think its fairly good value for money considering the quality, service and the ambience of the place.
Overall it is good and I think you must give it a try. I would definitely go back to this place again when I am in the mood for some good veg food. :)
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January 22,2013
Great food
Really good ambiance! The best thing about Banana Leaf is the Tricolor chutneys! It adds to the delicious food they serve...
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January 21,2013
Great place
Its a lovely restaurant, great food,great ambience and best place to visit with the family. If you are south indian food lover,this is one place you must visit.
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January 14,2013
am not really a big fan of south indian food and neither do i have the craving for it...but after eating the Mushroom Sukhha here and also the mushroom sukhha special dosa i have become a fan of this place...awesome ambiance...good and speedy service...another must try is the apam and stew...very authentic and very good south indian food that makes someone like me crave for it...CHEERS
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Karan Bhosale
January 11,2013
Good food
The place is good and packed most nights.the reason i gave 4 stars and not 5 stars is that they didnt gave us fresh appams and were all soft and sticky.Always ask for fresh appams!!!! but some how i felt that the masala is almost common in most of their dishes .
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Vinay V
November 18,2012
South Indian on the platter
Rasam Vada..avial...Paper dosa..Mysore masala or the south indian whole some thali.. the food is amazing..followed by the ambiance and the staff... a pre veg joint is always crowded and has a wait of 15 mins to 1 hour on almost all days.. a highly recommended food joint for a foodie who loves vegetarian south indian cuisine..
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Saloni Shah
October 22,2012
Yummy food
Banana leaf had undoubtedly very delicious south indian food, great service. The way the serve you is surely to be loved.
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October 22,2012
Nice Dosa's
NIce taste of dosas... the neer dosa was amazing... excellent southindian cuisine..
loved the fact that there were tablet for feedback and not old fashioned feedback forms.. :D
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October 08,2012
Best south indian food
great food and greater quantity! and not expensive..one must try this place for south indian food.
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October 08,2012
Clearly one of the best authentic south-indian restaraunts in the city, banana leaf promises Great food and a happy, peaceful environment where one can dine with family and friends, and have a great time!
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September 20,2012
One word - Yumm!
I've been to this place twice back to back and all i can say is its very hatke.. You would not want to go to a south indian restaurant considering you get idlis and dosas as frequently as vada pav in mumbai.. But trust me, this place is over idlis and dosas..
The menu is as a little unfamiliar as it has authentic south indian cuisine and dishes which sometimes you may need to ask them for how it would be..
My favourite dish here is 'Appam with Chttinadu'.. Suggested by a friend, its become my all time favourite.. Appam (softer & tastier version of uttapam) served hot and steamy with Chettinadu (a mix vegetable preparation)..
Another tasty dish was cucmber dosa.. The name is self-suggestive..!!
Im yet to explore other dishes.. but the above are certainly making me wanna go back again..
Service is also excellent, good ambience.. all in all a good family place!
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September 10,2012
Great Food!
Banana leaf has the MOST authentic mughlai and south indian food in the suburbs. The dosa, idli and uttapams are good no doubt, but the thali just takes it to another level. Its filling, delicious, and makes me feel like im eating at a restaurant not in bbay, but somewhere down-south.
Way to banana leaf! Keep it up.
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September 02,2012
Worst south indian
Nothing is authentic. Ever seen pulisadham (tamarind rice) with onion, coconut, corriander etc -fusion at its worst. Sambar is far from south inian. Road shops serve better sambhar. Also, apparently since footfall is high on sunday, there is no filtercoffee
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Sam Verghese
August 31,2012
my conclusions
Aw Shucks ! not used to dishing out vitriolic reviews... anyway, with reference to my earlier observation... did a bit of research and have come to the conclusion that the first batch of clients were served the asli stuff and... then they ran out of food and the next wave of clients were subjected to the some cretin's imagination that rediculed kerala cusine. This dishonesty towards their client and blatant disregard for ethics will surely reflect on their authenticity and makes a total mockery of their own brand image. It would have been very mature and sincere to inform the clients the actual situation and suggest good options from the menu... No Burrp !
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Sam Verghese
August 29,2012
Onam lunch at Banana Leaf - A farce !
With great expectations for a good authentic mallu sadhyya me and me dear wife set foot into the haloed Banana Leaf. we take a card and wait our turn that eventually arrives after a wait of 45 minutes. No big deal ! As the food will be worth it... aha! Not so lucky... The spread was anything but authentic. Can you imagine a sadhyya without sambar, avvyal, erisheri, thoran and the other mouthwatering fare ? We are served a lot of strange dishes with a appams and ne'er doses ?? Payasam .. Yes there was something yellow that was quite sweet.. Where did these come from .. A vivid imagination, no less ! Anyway to cut a long story short... Disappointed... Very disappointed b'coz their normal menu is pretty good. I wonder what happened here.. Too many cooks.....? Sam Verghese
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August 17,2012
love it
yummiest south indian food in the whole of Mumbai i jusss love the place n kerala style idli chilli is out of the worls......
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Naman Shah
July 26,2012
the food the place is totally Amazing i loved the wada variety n the chass is also tooooo good yummmmmp the place is the best south indian food restro in mumbai....
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July 23,2012
As good as it gets
If you like authentic south indian this is place is the best! Listen to the suggestions of the waiters, they will get you the best food. The thali is amazing and make sure you have payassum after your meal!
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July 20,2012
Great food!
Banana leaf surely lives up to your expectations! The ambiance is very good, it gives you the typical south indian feel. The food is awesome, my personal favorite is idiyappam with korma! The desserts are available in a good variety. The payasam tasted delicious!
Must visit!
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Naman Shah
July 20,2012
The malavani curry and upum is amazing n the masala chass was a complete way to end ma dinner i loved the place n their service and also the price is quite afordable..........
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Hensila Kava
July 17,2012
Excellent South Indian Food
If you are craving for some authentic south indian food, Banana Leaf is the place to go. The tricolor chutneys add taste to every dish served there. The minute you have a look at the menu, you stand confused of what to order. The variety of Idlis, Wadais, Uttappams, Dosa and other south indian dishes is very huge and tempting. My personal favorite is Banana Leaf Special Kanchipuram Idli and Paneer Burji Dosa. The food is exellent and the service even better.
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Ashish Kochar
July 16,2012
I loved the food the place their service n quality is simply amazing yummy
Best place for south Indian food lovers :)
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Nandini Pai
July 14,2012
South Indian Foodies Paradise!
Delightfully authentic menu, quick service and peaceful ambience. The filter coffee was really amazing. Try the classic malt and chettinad uttapams, they were yummy! Loved the neer dosa too. Overall, a must visit!
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July 13,2012
South Indian Heaven
Authentic, amazing, sinful yet light. The Thali is must try and be sure to indulge in the desserts they are simply out of this world.
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July 09,2012
Couldn't ask for more!!
My weekend just got better after i visited banana leaf and relished my taste buds with authentic south indian food.
The ambience and the atmosphere was amazingly great. The food had everything balanced.
Dakshin masala idli and rasam wada... YUM!!!
Wouldn't mind going everyday over there and treating myself!! Throughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.
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Vrinda Dhanuka
July 09,2012
Banana Leaf was recommended to me by a friend. I love south Indian food and thus a good critic for this cuisine.
When i visited the place with my friends, it had a nice ambiance. Within few minutes I was attended, and the food arrived soon too. The food was served well, ordered few of my favorite dishes,and some that they recommended. I'd pick garlic rawa dosa, idli gassi, payasam as the best ones.
Must visit for south indian food lovers.
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Janki Vora
May 04,2012
Think Twice
I was recommended the Banana Leaf by a close friend. The first time we visited the restaurant was about 3 months back - when we saw a few discrepancies in the service but the food and experience was good overall.
However, when I walked in with my family on Tuesday - the person at the counter said the waiting time was 25mins - when a table was lying empty and he didn't know of it. Later the service at every stage - from taking order, suggesting dishes, time in bringing the food, serving and finally finger bowls was extremely bad. The food quality too, was quite bad. A couple of other guests around us too, were complaining about the same.
I recommend one must weigh possibilities before visiting Banana Leaf. Ram Aashray / Aryabhavan are way better for South Indian food - if you're not to hung-up on the interiors of the restaurant!
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Bhavna Bhatia
April 28,2012
Not Worth...
My first visit to Banana Leaf was soo nice that i wanted to visit this place gain..the food was earlier..Recently i thought of bringing in my birthday here....i was HIghly DISAPPOINTED with the quality of Food served here..The restaurant was empty and still the waiters took lots of time in bringing the food (which was very COLD)..they were least interested..The Quality was not good....it was a terrible experience......
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March 13,2012
Priced too high, not worth it
The place ambiance was good, and the food was decent enough to expect in such a place. But the taste was definitely not worth the money u pay. They charge you 250rs for a thali, and they are reluctant to provide me extra rice or sabji of my choice. Appalling ! Service is bad too.
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March 11,2012
went for dinner came back with an experience.... had heard a lot about it and the expectation was fullfilled with aroma and taste of the food..the idlis, appam with malabar curry veg paneer masala and of course the dessert i think it was a tender cocunut kheer everything was spectacular even the staff was very effcient... the only bad part is the waitin but its worth the wait.. i work in worli and i hope they start in town asap...
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February 21,2012
we used to go to this place quite often when it had initially started and had loved the food then ....but past few experiences have been really bad....the standard and quality of food and service has really dropped.... very disappointing :-(
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February 15,2012
Excellent Food
Go here for the best South Indian food in Mumbai. Try the ghee idli, rava masala dosa and several other unique Banana Leaf dishes.
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February 15,2012
Excellent Food
Go here for the best South Indian food in Mumbai. Try the ghee idli, rava masala dosa and several other unique Banana Leaf dishes.
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February 09,2012
Not worth it
Its ok to charge high, but is it worth it? I dont think so. The taste was good though. But the variety could have been more, and absolutely service is not upto the mark.
More on http://mumbaiwalaa.blogspot.in/
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January 25,2012
Terrible hygiene conditions for home delivery
Banana Leaf had always been one of my favourite restaurants to eat delicious vegetarian south Indian cuisine and I had been a regular there. However when I decided to relish my favourite chettinadu and appam at work and called for a home delivery of the same I was shocked and disgusted to say the least. As I opened the paper box in which the appam was kept a strong stench came from it, the smell was a horrible chemical like smell which had transferred to the appam as well. I called them up immediately and complained about the same to which they promised to send me a quick replacement. 20 minutes later when the replacement appam arrived I decided to open the box and smell it first before sending the delivery boy back. Once again the same problem, the vile smell of the box had transferred into the food as well. This time when I called them they had become offensive about it by denying that any smell was coming from the box that was in front of me as they had ensured everything prior to sending it to me. I told the guy on the phone that I had no reason to lie about the smell but he became even more aggressive by saying that they weren't going to keep sending replacements and that the smell from the box was normal according to them. I was flabbergasted, I mean how could anyone in the food industry be okay with sending food to a customer which was laced in a foul smelling box. I mean what happened to the hygiene standards of restaurant nowadays. Disgusted with their behaviour I sent the delivery boy back with the two boxes of appam. However I couldn't digest the fact that they seemed to be so okay with the entire issue. For all those wondering whether I am exaggerating about the smell please note that everybody at my work who smelled it agreed that the smell was forget being normal was in fact puke worthy. Half hour later I called them again to confirm whether they received the boxes and whether even then they felt that the smell was normal. The guy on the phone continued to be rude and said that until today they had never received any complaints about any smell from anyone else before and they send everyone the same food in the same boxes. I got very angry by now and told him that just because no one else had a problem with it didn't mean that my problem was trivial or wrong. What has pissed me off the most it the attitude of these people. I mean how can they be alright with serving food in a stinky box? How can they be rude with a customer when the mistake is theirs? Instead of apologising to the customer for their mistake how can they blame the customer for not wanting a stinky box? I am extremely bothered by their behaviour and pray for their sake that they get not only their hygiene levels sorted but also get their attitude checked. My advice to everyone please NEVER EVER call any food from there unless you are alright with your food smelling of the awful paperbox.
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December 28,2011
Pathetic service
went on a sunday with family. the service was pathetic. the appam was burnt and the steward told us that this is the way it is made. not worth going on a weekend
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December 01,2011
Lip Smacking experience
What else can one ask for in life? Starting the new year with family and the best south Indian food. yesterday being a new year, we all decided to go out for family lunch to banana leaf. It was as usual very crowded. we got our table after 25 min, but it was worth the wait.The dosas were crispy, especially the thuppa dosa and the paneer palak dosa. For main course, we had the thaali , avaial , Malabar curry with appams & neer dosas. i would rate it as one of the best lunches I've had, since a long time. the staff is very cordial and very well acquainted with what they are serving. cant wait to visit again!
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September 24,2011
Overhyped & Overpriced
For the worst South Indian food in mumbai, you can go to this place. The only South Indian joint where they serve you cold/stale sambhar. Avoid their thali as most of the items are prepared in bulk and served through the day after just being heated. Waiters will bother to serve you properly only if they see the possibility of a good tip. Over all , BEST TO AVOID..........Dont go by the Menu prices given on Burrp as the prices are much higher
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September 08,2011
guy at home delivery counter is worst in business
call them for home delivery on 26289999 which is not working .. and still been showing on the website .. when asked about it . .the guy at the other end was even worst .. it isnt our number and we havent given any number to website .. he was ignorant enough and was taking order our as if doin me a us a favor .. would like to suggest .. with good food u need good staff for customer satisfaction ..
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September 02,2011
enjoyed the food
i ordered the iyer masala dosa and it was amazing , different , and malabar curry was yummy just a reminder ask them to make the malabar curry less spicy , the rasam is a blend of the north and south effect loved it .
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August 22,2011
Nice Place
Nice Place to have south Indian food, must try bisi bela bhath
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August 20,2011
Great place
The variety of idlis were impressive. The food was tasty and the staff helpful.
Had an enjoyable time.
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May 24,2011
Ambience as good as taste
A bright green banana leaf and a Kathakali mask on at the signboard, reminiscent of the bright, solid colours of homes and restaurants in Kerala, an arch of banana plantains at the entrance, liveried waiters, Cafe Mondegar-like black and white murals depicting scenes from R.K Narayan's Malgudi, liveried waiters, the smell of pot pourri hanging in the air, a big idol of Tirupati Balaji at the door, pleasant and soothing music, bronze lamps and woodwork decor - the moment I stepped in here I knew I had going to like this place.
An assorted idli platter is available with about 6-7 types of idlis. Rasam is served in double walled bowls. The Jeera Millagu rasam is spicy while the tomato rasam has toned down flavours. There is good old South Indian coffee to wash it all down with. I was a little put off to see some bastardised dishes on the menu (Pav Bhaji Dosa?).
The downside: The service is slow and boorish. I went at opening time once and wasn't served for about an hour. It is expensive, perhaps because of its 'authentic' tag.
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May 14,2011
Nothing spectacular...needs improvement in getting the authenticity of the south indian fare right!!! And considering this... i find it hyped and overpriced
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Dev Desai
April 03,2011
authentic food
gr8 food and the experience is always enjoyable. we go there almost every week and we are always well served at and i also love the fact that they make you feel warm and comfortable. it is not like the other REASONABLY priced restaurants... i truly recommend it !!!!!!!
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March 13,2011
Need to concentrate on their food's taste
How i miss the taste of this place. This was one place i just needed an excuse to go to.But The last time i have been here has disappointed me.The service and ambience are still considerably alright but their yummy food, seems a little bit change in the taste.
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January 02,2011
Perfect place for healthy and tasty food for all
My experience at Banana Leaf was awesome and unforgettable. I am a person who is always on a diet and my family is exactly the opposite. The menu had a lot of optios for all of us. There was enough vareity with combinations of ragi and soya for a health freak like me and at the same time awesome rice and dosa combinations like bisi beli bhath and chetinadu spicy masala dosa for the rest of the family. All of us also loved the Dakshin masala Idli and the Banana Leaf special Fresh Lime Water. LAST but not the least the Walnut Sheera was like cherry on the cake.The staff was extermely polite and not only helped us out to pick the right options from the menu but also customized a few dishes as per our requirements. The food was of very superior quality hence the bill was justified. My family is a non-vegatarian food freak but the food at Banana Leaf did not allow them to miss thier non-veg. I highly recommend this restuarnt to both vegetarians, non vegetarians and everybody who wants to try something different from the usual punjabi, chinese and other continental food.
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January 01,2011
this is the place, if you want to try authentic south-indian food.
ambience is superb & staff is well-mannered.
dakshin idli-murcurry isli-malbar curry with appam is must have.
strongly recommended.
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January 01,2011
my review
awesome food an service at a very reasonable price..
i suggest them is to start breakfast service ..it will be awesome too for sure..
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December 14,2010
Taste Personified
When my cousins came from London I was pleasantly surprised when they said they wanted to go to Banana leaf for south Indian food.. So we went there and it was an fantastic experience.. We tried the thali with neer dosa it has great variety but strictly for two ppl.. Malabar Curry with appams is the dish to order and would def recommend for every 1... And for dessert GadBad is something to relish it's an mix n match of ice cream fresh fruits & dry fruits it's really lip smacking even though priced little high but it's wallah.. Over all Banana Leaf without a doubt is da best choice for all the south Indian food lovers..
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December 13,2010
Awesome Place ,Food & Service
Me and my wife eat at this joint regularly.All the dishes we have had till date have been really amazing.
The service is very prompt and the waiters are well knowledged about the menu.
The interiors are very well done as well.
Would recommend strongly to all food lovers!!
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November 13,2010
Arrogant Staff
I had booked the party hall at Banana Leaf for my daughters first birthday party. The booking was done and advance was paid almost a month in advance. However, one week before the final date I was suddenly informed by the management that the prices have changed and I would have to shell out extra money.I had no choice since we had already invited the people. Then I was informed that the menu has changed since the cost of food items had gone up.Finally, the management tells me that I would have to confirm additional number of people since they would not be able to break even in the current number of people.I had no choice but to eventually cancel the party
The arrogance of the manager and the staff really put me off and I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone,especially if you are planning a party.
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November 13,2010
Arrogant Staff
I had booked the party hall at Banana Leaf for my daughters first birthday party. The booking was done and advance was paid almost a month in advance. However, one week before the final date I was suddenly informed by the management that the prices have changed and I would have to shell out extra money.I had no choice since we had already invited the people. Then I was informed that the menu has changed since the cost of food items had gone up.Finally, the management tells me that I would have to confirm additional number of people since they would not be able to break even in the current number of people.I had no choice but to eventually cancel the party
The arrogance of the manager and the staff really put me off and I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone,especially if you are planning a party.
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Kapish Goyal
October 09,2010
AmazinGG fOOd..FULTOO VASOOL
Was worried after reading the comments for bad service given by the staff but took a risk...Reached at 9 was on waiting list but got through soon....Ordered muglai idli and pav bhaji utapam..was simple the best really spicy...All spicy food lovers should try it...Had aam panna which was thick n too sweet but its ok...Had akrot ka halwa in the end which the best...The menu is bit overpriced but if you get such a good service from the staff and a good food it doesnt matter..The service has really improved prompt service u must say...Liked the food and the service but the only thing worries is the price but its FULTOO VASOOL
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Tanvi S
September 10,2010
South India on a leaf!!!
Just as the name suggests, banana leaf offers its visitors amazing south indian food.. and that doesnt just include the usual dosas and idlis.. but the rassam, neer dosa et all...
Must try the banana leaf special thali which has all the delicacies on one platter.. and ya make sure really HUNGRY to finish that one...
The paan at the end of the meal was an icing...:)
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August 30,2010
Do not keep in mind people's sentiments.
We had been to the juhu branch and we requested them to serve a few dishes without onion and garlic. We repeatedly cautioned them that these dishes should not contain them. We also told them about the review of a few people who were dissatisfied when they were served food containing onion and garlic even when they had requested not to be.However no use we too were served food with onion and garlic. When we told them about this they coolly said HAPPENS ON WEEKENDS....
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Nisha Samson
August 24,2010
Banana Leaf Ahoy!
Eating-out is an experience and when I think of South-Indian food, crowded udipi's and the 'quick service-quick eat' rule at the South-Indian joints in Matunga are quite a dampener. (I absolutely LOVE the food at Cafe Madras and Rama Nayak's, but I have to be in the mood for the zip-zap-zoom experience). Today, I wanted a South Indian fare sans the rush and idlis at The Shamiana (Bless you Taj, always loved you, always will) were not what I had in mind. On a friends recommendation, mum and me made our way to Banana Leaf and boy am I glad we did. I liked the vibe, the restaurant is spacey and we weren't rushed through our meal inspite of the ever-growing crowd waiting for a table.
We ordered the 'Ragi Masala Dosa', Puliserry, Bissi Bele Bhath and the Akhrot Halwa (Walnut Halwa) and Yelneer Payasam (Tender Coconut Payasam) for dessert. To say that we everything was divine is an understatement.
The coconut chutney, tomato chutney and green chutney are placed about 10 minutes before your food arrives. The sambhar comes in with the order. All these little accompaniments are FABULOUS - brilliant taste and genteel on the palate. By the way, all the above are unlimited.
The Ragi Masala Dosa was crisp and absolutely gorgeous on the taste-buds. The dosa was perfectly done in its taste and texture. The masala filling was simple, yet tasty.
The Bissi Bele Bhath was DIVINE. This dish is a complete meal in itself with the rice and mixed vegetables. The flavouring was perfect and hit just the right note.
The Puliserry was a winner with a perfect blend of tamarind and jaggery. The red pumpkin, drumsticks and raw mango were like bits of heaven in the divine curry whose sweet and tangy tastes played Beethoven's symphony on our tongues. BLISS
The Akhrot Halwa was sinfully DELICIOUS. Rich and fabulously tasty - this dessert is full of walnuts. This lil' gem is a MUST-HAVE.
The Yelneer Payasam is another delicious gem on the dessert menu. This dish is served with lovely shavings of tender coconut in milk that seems to have come straight from heaven. Finely chopped almonds and a lovely flavour of rose and kesar, make this one a MUST-HAVE too. All the ingredients mix beautifully and come together to give your tasting senses a heightened feel of aphrodisia.
The service is impeccable with attentive serving staff and a super-courteous manager. All in all, this is South-Indian food with a difference and it's exactly this SUPERB difference that makes Banana Leaf a MUST-GO-TO restaurant.
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July 30,2010
I went there with family, good idlis, nice varierty of dosas, and the good part was that the sambhar was not sweet like all other south indian places in the city. Cant say that the food was very authentic but well modified to suit the mumbai taste.
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July 03,2010
Jains, dont even look this way
10 of us dined there and had pre-confirmed if they had Jain food. However we were served chutney with garlic and the guys insisted that it was jain. Although a large variety, the items were not at par with authentic south indian restaurants in matunga.
Moreover one of our items had onions and the staff told us that the plate may have not been clean. They are actually admitting that they may overlook such basic hygiene.
Bottomline, jain or not, unless you really dont have an option - head to matunga, be spoilt for choice and enjoy the fantastic south indian food.
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May 21,2010
amazing south indian food.
I had been here for lunch with my fly...d ambience is good...dis place is very good wen u talk abt south indian food...u get punjabi cuisine here as well(which is pathetic)...little bit pricey but worth it...dnt even try anythin other den south indian here...its pathetic...
but d variety in south indian food is superb...all different dishes and typical south india food....
must go once atleast for their south indian variety...
thumbs up 4 its south indian food.
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April 03,2010
Decent Place
Went to Banana Leaf for lunch on a Sunday a couple of weeks back. The place was really crowed and seemed popular. We were given a table in about 7-8 minutes which was good for the rush that was there. The food was nice and the service was prompt. The Thali was good and the quantity was also huge. The Dosa could have been better but the Sambar was lovely. Overall a good experience and we enjoyed. Will surely go back there.
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January 02,2010
It is slipping
I sincerely loved this joint and have been regular over here.
But now the success seems to have gone to the owners head.
must improve items are bise belle bhath, roasted uttapams, thali is pathetic. my humble advise to these guys would be VISIT BANGALORE (adigas/ ctr/brahmins coffee bar). you guys need to collect your act together.
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Nishit Maliya
December 30,2009
Good food but overly priced
I went with my wife and masi (mother's sister) for dinner to this lace since my masi likes South Indian food. We ordered for 3 dishes between the three of us:
1. Vagharela Idli Poriyal - we wanted to order some Masala Mini Idli, but the waiter suggested we go for the Idli Poriyal. It was nice, but the quantity was a little too less for the price they charged for it. There were only 6 pieces (medium sized) for Rs. 110.
2. Pav Bhaj Dosa - was good, but I'd really prefer South Indian cooks sticking to their specialities and not experimenting with North Indian food. Otherwise the dosa was nice. Quantity was not an issue, but the price still pinched.
3. Spicy Chilly Garlic Dosa - Man, the size was huge and we had to struggle to finish it.
Overall a very South Indian experience with some S.I. music playin in the background. I guess they tried to justify the price by serving free chutney and sambhar how many ever times u want and some sidey paan with the bill.
Not recommended for romantic outings, unless you are a S.I., but a good place to take yur family.
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December 23,2009
Worst Service
Banana Leaf doesn't care about its customers. Last night, when I went out with my friend and had a thali and a pulichhe sadam (tamarind rice), we had our worst ever dining experience. The rasam was awful, no self respecting South Indian would like it. Ditto with the Avial. The pulichesadam was way too spicy and when we told the head waiter so, he just shrugged and told us that we should have told him so after we had the first spoon. He wasn't even interested in the feedback and continued his rude tirade as if it were the customer's fault, "It is not our fault. If you had told us earlier I could have fired the chef." The prices were reasonable but nothing will take me back to this restaurant ever. Rice Boat's service even in isolatio without comparing it to Banana Leaf is simply super.
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Fakhru hd
October 04,2009
Good south indian feel
The ambiance in the restaurant gives a very good first impression. The food turned out to be all the more better. I luckily got a waiter who was over excited about the dishes being offered and he was so enthusiastic that he went to the extreme details of every dish i asked about. The dosas are all top rated. We even tried out every mocktail they offered. Most of them turned out to be funny combination of juices but I would highly recommend the food here!
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September 26,2009
An OK sort of place
Hey! if you are a total foodie and wanna try out something new in varieties of South Indian Cuisine, Banana Leaf is a OK place if you are nearby to Andheri better try it out once, I being a quite good Dosa lover happen to be, I ordered Mushroom Sukka which happens to come with 4 Neer Dosas, the service was quite prompt but it wasnt as good as I expected, though served in time the combination of a plain neer dosa and mushroom sukkha didnt get along that good, Next I ordered Coconut Honey Dosa, which still carried ahead my disappointment it was just as coconut was crushed and put on and inside the dosa with honey drops on dosa for kinda of taste, the only good thing which I liked was the ambience and the kinda of peace one gets there, given a chance I would not be so inquisitive to visit the place, maybe if they happen to put more effort in cooking rather than in advertisement :)
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Salonee Gadgil
September 25,2009
south indian.... boing! wrong answer
First of all why have a thali if it s so huge that two peoplw ith huge apetites can eat comfortably from it. I dont like people picking in the same plate as me , so i want my thali to myself .... the waiter actually advised me and a friend to share a thali as we would not be able to finish it by ourselves .....
secondly ( and south indians back me up on this one ) , no south indian food will ever ever ever have PANEER......first i got aweful paneer pakodas , with psychadellic yellow batter ...... then my Stew had paneer........( i mean i dont have anything against this beautiful fluffy white indian cheese , but for god's sake not in south indian food ... just doesn't go !! )...
the only one good thing about the meal was the rassam....... really nice.... but why spend so much money for a rassam!!! OVERPRICED ........
for those who crave south indain food , here's my advice.... go to Matunga market... and eat at Rama Nayak's .... thali on a banana leaf , all u can eat for 85 rs.. and goooooooooooooood !!!!
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September 23,2009
Fabulous Southie Food
We should really forget the food passed off as south indian food in the million Udipi joints all over the city. Banana Leaf is what Southie Khana is all about. Hats Off Guys!!!! I am not Southie but went there with a Madrasi ( sorry Tamilian). Even she agreed that this is as authentic as u can get.
Service though is inversely proportional to the food. Think the waiters should wear Lungis...Ha Ha.
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Pratish Sanghvi
September 21,2009
Finally...a Top S.I. Restaurant
Moveover Woodlands - Banana Leaf is here. I am actually suprised on what took so long for a authentic (imo) South Indian restaurant to come up after the once upon a time favorite - Woodlands lost its stature to horrid food, pathetic ambiance & clumsy service. And thanks for having a S.I. restaurant around since we have had enough of dhabas and N.I. food around here.
Banana Leaf succedds in all aspects. Located on the Versova Road (close to Kareems & Urban Tadka), this Udipi joint has an indoor as well as an outdoor seating plan. On a real busy sunday night, we waited for about half an hour to be seated indoors. The setup inside is pretty decent and not to cramped up.
The menu is great. Very well explained and simple enough and you can just glance through thier varities of dosas, idlis, rice preps, etc. We were three of us and wanted to begin with the onion vada and chef special dakshin idli. These two orders came in no time coupled with sambhar and two types of chatnis. Firstly, we were taken back with the quantity. The mendu vada dish came with 5 pieces of the vada as against two that you see in all other restaurants. The chef special idli wasnt just two pieces but a whole big plate of pieces terrificly flavoured. The vada was awesome too. The unlimited sambhar was very tasty and both the chatnis (esp the red one) was the best i have had. We were quite full with these two dishes which is actually equivalent to 4 portions elsewhere. So assuming the dosas would quite as large, we just orderd for one amongst 3 of us. We ordered a cheese mysore msl dosa & it was done quite well. As we assumed correctly, the quantity was humungous and we didnt quite finish the dosa. We had also called for a couple of mocktails which were just ok.
The service did get a little tardy but that was totally acceptable considering it was a sunday night. Even though the menu prices seem relatively steep, i consider this place a huge VFM due to its portions. Our Damage for 3 with mocktails came to 440! Half of it was due to the drinks. I cant recall the last time i had such delicious food being so light on the wallet.
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Aayush Chokhani
August 18,2009
Variety of Idlis!
The Banana Leaf serves south indian food but its not the regular one... its really different.
The ambience is good. Everything from the tables, chairs, walls, lights and music - has a feeling of south India. There is an AC as well as a non-AC area. Weekdays is lesser crowded as usual and space is generally not a problem here - specially if you are flexible with the ac/non-ac options.
The food is great with a good varieties of dosas and (hold on) IDLIs!. I have never seen so many varieties of Idlis in mumbai. Their onion medu vada tastes good too. The dosas are heavy and are served cut into pieces. So ensure you dont order too much here. The service is also good- though could be better.
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August 05,2009
South Indians Avoid!
Since it was Vishu, we were craving for a South Indian meal and decided to try out Banana Leaf for lunch.
Any South Indian would find the menu very interesting as he would never have come across this many varieties of dosas and idlis. I am one of those who somehow cannot accept cheese and dosas in one dish, so just reading through that list itself was an experience!!
We finally opted for a vegetarian meal. You get a choice of appams, Kerala parotas and chapathis, which were not bad. Finally realised that the owners were not even trying to be authentic when we got pieces of paneer in the stew!! That was the final straw, paneer and South Indian cuisine?!!
The ambience: The interiors have been done well, however the place is very noisy and you cannot hear the music that is played in the background.
Would think twice before visiting once again!
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August 03,2009
Awesome Food
Great Food, Great taste. Super Service....The Feel of the place is really great....South Indian food lovers shd go here.....
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July 09,2009
Good food...slow service
Excellent food....on a weekend the waiter would take 20mins min to get to your table...they serve any kind of beverage in a Plastic Cup...a lil low on the Ommph Factor...
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June 29,2009
If you are a foodie like myself but donot mind curt language & attitude then this is the place to be.
You must have read enough food reviews about this joint to know the food is really good but let me elaborate on the rudeness of the staff.
Inspite fo having a booking for 20people at 7.45 pm & 12 of the 20 reaching the restaurant at 7.15 pm we were not given a table; that all 20 have to present or no table.
Inspite of making several requests when Mr. Rao (Assistant Manager) did not yield, we were forced to call upon the restaurant manager Mr. Nayak who personified Rudeness to the hilt.
He asked us to wait for another 30 minutes so that he could find out if any tables were left & on the otherside he was coolily alloting tables for 15 & 20 to other guests around us. (Maybe he thought we were there to eat for free!)
I was forced to take their owners number Mr. Karkera who said he has never had any complaints before so why am I making an unncessary issue. Later he apologised on the phone
But our party was ruined as guests who were waiting since 7.15 pm did not wish to wait until 8.45 to get a seat at this restaurant.
If you have patience & can deal with curtness & rudeness (alongwith loud protests from managers/assitant managers) then this is the place for you.
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Nimesh Mistry
June 29,2009
Good South Indian Food
Good variety of idlis. The waiters are very helpful. Lot of rush during weekends.... Can make you wait upto an hour. 4/5 for this one.
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Kedar Nimkar
May 22,2009
Variety for a Pakka Mumbai wala.
Its quiet obvious for a pakka Mumbai wala to have tasted all kinds of food.
This place serves like a 100 varieties of Dosa, Idli and what not...so if u are not a south Indian and love this kind of food, its a must go. The ambiance is full with south Indian vibes, from the chairs to design on the wall to music it plays. everything.....
An important notice. Its a different scenario when you are with a south Indian person and visiting a south India restaurant. Make sure you do if u r not aware of those items. Just leave it to the south Indian person who is accompanying you and be rest assured of the food you eat. every item on the menu is good.
A bit expensive for the whole deal, but its ok if you wanna have some authentic food like Kerala Paratha and Uppams.
Parking is also not a big trouble as there are lots of lane in which u can park. Overall a great place to visit once or may be twice a month if u r close to Andheri.
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April 13,2009
Different but not great :(
The menu here was different for a typical South Indian restaurant..Not authentic but different.
The Place
Ambience was not that great.. far better than an udipi restaurant, but then, this is not a udipi restaurant. Waiters were not quick on the ball with the only descriptions that were forthcoming were whether the dishes were spicy were not. Nothing on the flavour or the ingredients. Service was also tardy with having to repeatedly request for sambhar / chutney.
The Food
I like to experiment with my food and generally end up ordering things that "different". I was in for a major disappointment with the achari kanjipuram masala dosa, plain rava masala dosa and cheese pav bhaaji uttapam. Sambhar was good but the extra garlic-tomato chutney was not.
Rasam Vada was a delight tho.. really spicy and the way it is supposed to be. Malabari curry with appams was so-so.
The Bill
Ususal dishes cost 70-80 bucks apeice when the not so common things cost 90-120 bucks.
Overall, the place failed to live up to the high expectations I got after seeing the menu card.
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Sanjay Kashyap
April 06,2009
The first visit there was a little sour, as it was like a virtual fish market crowd waiting to get in. Got in to an argument with the manager as to where to sit and wait, as the outside also doubles as a restaurant area. That having being solved - it was sheer bliss inside. The food - all on the recommendations of the staff there - was excellent to say the least! The idlis were broken into bite size pieces to be served as starters to all - innovative! The chettinad dosa followed - again cut into sharing pieces - just superb with the right balance of sour and spicy - the spicy not being over-bearing! Had ordered for another dosa - but thankfully got it cancelled on their recommendation as the above was sufficient for the two of us. My better half loved the chass and I had the wonderful Madras filter coffee that followed. Aaah - truly an authentic meal from south india. Visited a couple of times more and ordered their appams and vegetable stew while remaining with the other food already tasted and as usual they were good. Saw large thalis being served to other guests and it was served with huge quantities and variety of foods with the famous "malabari parotas". Well for sure gotta try that one the next time! By now the manager recognizes me and ensure faster seating. Caution - go early. It fills up fast!!
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April 05,2009
it was my first visit to banana leaf this evening, n i had one of my best foods ever. The cocnut chutney was absolutely outstanding i can just rate it above everything, next comes the chettinadu spicy masala dosa followed by some mouthwatering rassam n last but not the least wadai....... hmmmmmmmm too good.... am gonna visit this place once again very soon.
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March 25,2009
good south indian food
have been to this place a couple of times now.
Its one of the best south indian restaurants in the area.
the menu is very expansive and has the standard idli/dosa/uthappam dishes as well as rice dishes. there are also other more intetresting options such as appam, idiappam , kerela parathas , gassi, malabar curry, and stew. the ginger-lemon drink was also very nice
it can take time to go through the menu and pick out the novel dishes .
some good dishes are the srilankan idli-potato stew, rava kanchipuram dosa, chettinadu masala dosa, malabar curry.
because the menu is extensive , ask the steward for help. portions are big and it is best to order a variety of dishes to share. they cut the dosas in pieces to make sharing easy.
pricing is reasonable - most things cost Rs80-150. if you go in a larger group the cost per person goes down as you can share more dishes. A recent meal for 5 was Rs1000.
The only negative is that it is very crowded and noisy .If you come at a busy time there can be a lot of waiting.
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Deap Ubhi
December 18,2008
Good Food, Pushy Waiters
More like a 3.5/5, I'd say. Now I am no expert in the nuances of authentic South Indian vegetarian food. What I know is that I like dosas and utthapams, so if they taste good to me, the place is going to score high on taste. Banana Leaf may be such place, where a pucca South Indian foodie might chide them for their commercialization of the forgotten recipes, but your general eating-out families continue to flock to this place in throngs on any day of the week. Be prepared to wait at least one hour for a table of 4 or more if you are eating during peak dinner hours.
Went in a large group and the waiter immediately started getting pushy about doing 2 idli dishes, 2 utthapam dishes, 2 dosas, etc. so we get a representative spread of their menu. While I appreciated the suggestion, he kept insisting even after I told him no many times. Ironically, he kept telling us that ordering one item per person would be too much food for the table, so when we cut some things out of our original order, he went back to suggesting other items we could tack on. WTF!? I didn't know if this guy was a used car salesman in his daytime job, or what, but he got progressively annoying until he finally left the table.
The food was enjoyable. We pretty much finished everything, ordering mostly safe bets. The stars were a Chettinadu Spicy Masala Dosa and the Pudina Paneer Dosa. All in all, would come back here for my South Indian vegetarian fixes, even if it meant swallowing large doses of salesmanship.
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November 28,2008
Nothing but an upmarket udipi!
Going by the food and service, Banana Leaf seems to be nothing but an upmarket udipi.
Our first visit few weeks back was on a saturday lunch time and we ordered appams to go with veg malabar curry, paneer gassi and buttermilk. While we enjoyed the veg malabar curry and appams the paneer gassi was like a forced north indian entry on a south indian banana leaf.
The buttermilk was spiced with ginger and green chillies masala which was not mentioned in the desciption of the menu so one expected plain buttermilk as the one which is spiced should be known as masala buttermilk.
The next visit happened last week when we were again passing by and just wanted to grab a bite. As my partner was fasting it was just me left to order and i decided to have just tomato rice and buttermilk. This time i asked for the buttermilk to be kept plain and not to be spiced which is how it came. I had also ordered for the tomato rice to be not spicy and was assured that it would be minimum spices that would be used but when i took the first bite it was hot and spicy! The tomato rice was full of small pieces of green chillies alongwith whole red chillies too despite the request and the assurance that it would come non-spicy.
We asked for the captain who had taken our order all the time sniffing and asking for tissues to wipe down the spicy flow of tears! After asking 4-5 people there was no sign of the captain and after 10 minutes or so we ultimately asked for the bill and that is when he appeared.
We left the place without eating and the only solace was that the captain agreed to waive off the bill when we told him the problem and showed him all the chillies in the tomato rice!
Never going there again...
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Vinita Bhatia
November 07,2008
For a carnivore to a core, who was to a South Indian family born, I had mixed reactions to this place.
For one, I was told it was child friendly. But I did not find anything so dramatic when it came to child friendly utilities.
But that apart, I was boggled by the variety they offered. We were a party of 15 and decided to sample as many of their offerings as is possible. So we ordered for a kanchipuram idli, which was nice. I loved the rasam which was a tad spicy but had the right tanginess to it.
The neer dosa was good and so was the semiya, something that is cooked at most Mangalorean houses. So no novelty there for me.
The paneer gassi was a creation in confusion though. I wish they had offered something more authentically close to gassi.
Besides this, we also ordered bondas, the South Indian equivalent of a vada, but it was tasteless.
The medu vada though is highly recommended. Do try this for sure. Ditto for the paneer spinach dosa.
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October 19,2008
South Indian food in good ambience"
Good ambience, well located, valet service, above average food taste, great variety, reasonable prices.
Poor service, Slow and unattentive, unreasonable waiting time,
food-unlike south indian food the dal is sweetened, youghurt rice is sweetened, the promise of a chettinaad meal on banana leaf remains unfulfilled.
worth a try
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October 12,2008
rasam ........yummm
chic south indian place..... sounds weird na.... well ..... we were pleasantly surprised ...... the rasam was mouth watering..... a perfect blend of spices and tomatoes....
idli came next.... BIG ones though..... try and share the items so that u can taste more of it:)
tad overpriced..... but wont mind..... a must try for all sout indian foodies,,,,,,,,,,,,
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September 24,2008
Nice family joint!
We visited Banana leaf on a Sunday for my MIL's bday...Must say the restaurant is very well made...But one must insist on a table inside , unless its pleasant waether, coz it was quiet stuffy outside.
The food was Zimply Zuperb...It would pay to order what is suggested by the waiters ...
We had the Special Kanchipuram idlis , Dakshin masala idlis , Soft butter Appams (Yummy i mustttt add) and a paneer pudina dosa....which was huge ...maybe twice the size we eat at our regular thelas....Since each one of us wanted to try everything we ordered, they served us each sambhar , & chutneys ...Very unlike kanjoos udipis where we pay 5/- for "extra" sambhar and chutney :-)
We also had special Banana leaf coconut water , was somethinggg different , couldnt make out what...bt worth a try...
Damage for all this was close to Rs.700/- , which we thought was well worth the experience...
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Ajay Awtaney
September 14,2008
Pretentious but good
I had a strong urge to have a south Indian thaali one Sunday afternoon and I straight landed up at Banana Leaf which was on the list for a long time. The place has a huge imposing entrance, with a huge courtyard, inviting you to come in...
Inside, the place was full and you had all kind of people having their meals - South Indians, Mumbaikars, foreigners and all kinds.... The waiter was courteous and he offered us advise on the food. For a change, these guys allow you to share a "thali" meal which turned out to be anyways good enough for 2.
The food here, is the very regular South Indian fare, largely Rice dishes, but the preparations are above average. while 2 of us split a thali, the third one had a Bisebelibath (rice cooked in sambar and tamarind) and we loved the food. Slightly on the higher side in terms of price, but then, this is not your normal Udipi joint either :)
However, the portion sizes, I guess are small for the money charged.
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September 10,2008
Authentically Unauthentical
There have been too many hoo haa in Versove saying Bannana Leaf serves good authentic South Indian food. I've lived in Chennai for 5 years and this is in no way authentic food.
The Masala Dosa was dripping of oil...the chutney was yesterdays and the sambhar was not authentic.
The service was very slow...they don't understand english or hindi. We decided to only speak to the captain henecforth and had to wait for 10 mins till he came to us!
Too noisy and over-crowded. Guess there r people out there who still wanna taste the so called authentic food :)
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Mayuri Sharrma
June 27,2008
A Big Na Na
Banana Leaf
1 to 8, Shubham Co op housing Society, Next to United Bank of India, Juhu Versova Link Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai - 53. Tel: 26239999/26709999/26289090
Cuisine: In their own words Fine Veg Dining & Coffee House
Valet Parking: Yes
The ambience;
The restaurant is spread over a spacious area and done up to resemble a stately home of South India with wooden rafters on the ceiling and gleaming pillars, giving it a very old world charm. Really well-done R K Laxman sketches adorn the length of the walls. There is a gorgeous mural of the Madurai temple on one wall with banana leaves and brass oil lamps flanking either side of it. I specially loved the fresh and vibrant green wall (exactly the color of a banana leaf). The tables are placed too close to each other with only a wire mesh separating some. Also, the restaurant was way too noisy! And adding to the cacophony of sound was the classical music blaring in the background.
The waiters were a confused lot; the ones serving our table did not understand Hindi nor English nor gestures. And we had to wait awhile till we could get attention. The maitre de was helpful though. He suggested that we were ordering way too much for 3 people and helped us with the order. (Thats a different topic altogether that the dishes suggested by him were awful)
What we ate and drank;
Sweet Lassi (Rs 60) too thick.
Aam Panna( Rs 75) the overwhelming taste of jaljira masala hit us first (even after it was stirred well) it was way too thick for an Aam Panna I suspected ample green food color being used.
Paneer Gassi with Appams (Rs 175) didnt taste remotely like gassi. I could only taste coarsely ground khus khus, which I am sure is NOT an ingredient used in a gassi. It almost tasted like paneer makhani.
Malabari Curry with Appams (Rs 175) thankfully the curry was delicious. But way too vibrantly red. Artificial food color used once again, I thought.
Appams (Rs 50) were leathery. Not fluffy and light, like appams should ideally be.
Hyderabadi Biryani (Rs 150 ) it was green! Probably didnt want the color left over from the Aam Panna to go waste! And tasted anything BUT like a biryani, Hyderabadi or otherwise! Just green rice and vegetables tossed together.
The meal rounded off with a South India paan which was delicious.
The reason I mention the use of food color repeatedly is that I am allergic to it, red food color in particular, and I had a flaming allergic attack right after this meal, confirming my suspicions of food color being used liberally.
The meal, the ambience, and the service nothing worked for us. Reservation is a must. And even after youve reserved, expect to wait a while for your table. Without a reservation, expect to wait for an hour. And the options, for while you wait, are either standing on the footpath outside the restaurant or under the makeshift canopy in the verandah of the restaurant.
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May 23,2008
Finally... Sophisticated South Indian Food
This is a good take on South Indian food.
The ambiance and design for this place is spectacular, they have really incorporated the feeling of a banana tree in every aspect of the restaurant. It feels upscale and the prices are very moderate.
The only problem with this restaurant is the menu. It is too unfocused as it has very random selections in the menu which makes it extremely difficult to choose from. It took my cousin and me about a half hour to decide what we would like to try, but the end result was good. I would suggest going in a group and ordering different things to share... thats the only was you can decide.
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Anaggh Desai
April 26,2008
Keep the bananas
Tried it out within a couple of days of opening, found the sambhar, chutney, service, cowfee....excellent.
Took my dad for his birthday last month & the Banana had started dropping, the rasam was ok; uttapam, bonda could have been better, Sambhar for apna gujarati log.....chatni watery & finally Cowfee was WHITE!!!
Ok replacement was given on the house, but think Suraj (mahesh lunch home) could do much better
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Sahil Bhagat
April 16,2008
Sophisticated South Indian Fare
well the review title shouldnt make you scratch your head....what i mean is this place is awesome for its south indian fare but is a way too costly combined with some unusual dish names !
we had kanchipuram achari rava masala dosa,butter garlic idli and some type of uttapam.....pretty unusal dishes indeed ! and werent they smackilicious or what ?
in a matter of minutes 5 of us finished all 3 dishes and were hungry for more....
plus the ambience is mind-boggling !!!! spiritual to the core with spiritual instrumental played in the background,essence in the air and a replica of a famous south indian temple carved on the wall.....
now combine that with that type of food is heavenly....the only negative point being the tad higher rates.
highly recommended.
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Ruby M
April 16,2008
Commercialised South Indian Fare"
It was the perfect ocassion to visit a South Indian joint..on the Kerala new year festival of Vishu..checked out the place with family..Banana Leaf had a lot of hype attached to it..there is a good amount of word of mouth for the place..
The entrance facade was quite impressive..with more than adequate waiting space..(which is needed on weekends).. the captain was polite and ensured that we got a sofa seat as we were with an infant..
The menu was quite elaborate with an entire page worth of dishes devoted to dosas, uttapas (the tomato sev uttapa is worth a try), idlis each.
We tried the bisse bela bhaat, a south indian speciality, which turned out to be nothing but sticky pulao replete with north indian masalas..being a south indian myself, I dint think the rice dishes did justice to the true south indian palette.
In the drinks department, the aam paana was extremely thick in consistency, the juices were passable.
The thaali (Rs. 200) is the most ordered item here..now I was really confused with the restaurants' positioning when I saw the thaali.. barring the appam and the daal vadaa, all the other items were not quintessentially south indian.. (I think including parathas in the options really does not bode well here.. you want parathas, then go to Urban Tadka!!). There was a korma, a mixed veg..the bowl of rice was good in quantity, (but by that time, one is left with no vegetable / sambhar).
As regards the service, it was prompt and pleasant.The waiters knew their dishes well and were polite.
As for the value for money aspect, i think the place is a tad overpriced. (At the prevailing rates, they should look to increase the quantities of the accompaniments like sambhar and chutney) A meal for two would cost between Rs. 400-600.
Overall, I think the place will get a lot of first timers, however the discerning eater who can distinguish his "paratha from his appam" will definitely not try the place again!
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Lalit Vashishta
March 26,2008
Ba Na Na leaf
It was one of the worst experiences.
Nothing to write here, except say that this place is not for people who are seeking autthentic south Indian food.
Most of the Food joints cater to the Gujarati palate - this is another one of them.
The name itself warns you enough - Ba NA NA Leaf - Na meaning NO comes twice in the name, still we end up in such restaurants - I read the earlier review and fully second it, because my experience was similar
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Sumanth Cidambi
March 09,2008
A Weak Apology for South Indian Tiffin
As a child, I rememebr being instructed by my parents to eat what is served without complaining about the flavour, seasoning, etc - given the several under privileged who go without even one square meal a day - a habit that is ingrained in me for the most part. Tonight, I will gladly make the first exception.
Having read the reviews of The Banana Leaf, my wife and I and a friend decided to go there for dinner tonight. The place itself looks like any other midscale restaurant although I felt that a better job could have been done by the maitre'd taking our place orders, although he did inform us that it would be 40-odd minutes before we would get a table. I also thought a better job could have been done managing the several people who were there waiting for tables.
Once inside, we ordered two chettinad spicy masala dosai, an iyer dosai and I also asked for a milagu (pepper) rasam.
Lest I forget, they botched the order at the start and got us a plain masala dosai instead of the spicy chettinad dosai we had ordered and were a bit reluctant to take it back.
Firstly, I thought the milagu rasam would be something exotic for the Rs. 110 being charged - big mistake, this was basically a triple/quadruple dose of tamarind in boiling water, with a few tomato slices and some peppercorns for garnish. Absolutely overdone and you could almost dissect the separate taste of the elements - pepper, salt, tomato and water - awful tripe served as rasam.
Secondly, the chettinad masala dosai - I actually pity Valli Aachi (that's what you'd call an elderly Chettinad lady), she would have turned in her grave had she tasted the monstrosity that was served to us - no taste of any of the famous Chettinad seasoning that I have eaten in several hotels all across Tamizl Nadu, especially in Chettinad.
Thirdly, a dosai is meant to be served whole, not chopped into bits like one of those by-the-Vile Parle station road sandwiches, cut into halves and quarters!!! We specifically asked for whole dosais and to compound their error on serving us a "cutted" dosai, they told us that this was to accomodate "Gujarati customers who wished to share the food" (his words, not mine). I repeat, we asked for whole dosais.
Also, please do not clear the sambhar and chutney cups when one is eating - I absolutely detest a waiter hovering around my table, waiting to throw me out before I have eaten my fill - it pisses me off and makes me feel unwelcome.
A glance at the menu also told me that while the dosai/idli and their various permutations/combinations go for standard prices, the other items like appam/stew, chettinad biryani, etc were about 20-25% costlier than what I would expect of similar fare in other south indian style restaurants.
Lastly, my wife and friend also spotted a rat meandering between some chairs and tables. When we brought this to the notice of the waiter, I think he treated it as if we just told him we sighted a UFO - jocularly and staring at us as if we were mad.
Summarily, nothing positive to say at all and if you count the noisy crowd who were talking at the top of their voices, a totally unpleasant dining experience - after all dinner is something to be had in peace.
I would not recommend this restaurant for dinner or for that matter ever.
PS: First review on burrp, let's hope I find some place better to write about next time.
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March 09,2008
Not just an Udipi
According to Ayurveda, banana has medicinal value which is why most South Indians serve meals on banana leaves is what is inscribed on one of the walls of this up-scale suburban restaurant. May be true, but its not what will make me go back to Banana Leaf. I intend to frequent it to enjoy its authentic yet reasonable South Indian fare.
Unlike Shiv Sagar, Banana Leaf does not offer Southie fast-food. Nor does it branch into other cuisines such as Mexican and Italian. It does have a large variety of idlis, dosas and uttapams though. Mini meals such as paneer gassi with appams are also included. The menu tries its best to stick to the authentic (Iyer dosa, Chettinad Spicy dosa) but experiments with cosmopolitan palates too. Try the Chilly Potato dosa to know what I mean. Cheese Mysore Masala dosa is recommended on days when one is famished and doesnt mind a few extra calories. Though we didnt try the idlis some seemed quite interesting Khatta meetha tomato idli and the Sri Lankan style idli with potato stew, in particular. For those who would rather stick to basics, Udipi style masala dosa and plain rice idli are worth a try.
What makes the experience complete is its true to the theme ambience. Mogra flowers on every table, caricatures (like the RK Narayan / Malgudi Days book-covers) on the walls, mural of the Madurai temple at a one end and plantain leaves all over, transports you down South. If it doesnt, then the South Indian classical on the ears surely will.
Few more brownie points go to its service. A waiter actually told the six of us to not order six dosas as it would be too much for us! And he was right. Each dosa comprises of about eight stuffed pieces almost like having a 12-inch pizza by oneself. As mentioned earlier, the food is reasonably priced. Throw in a dessert with a big dosa and it would be about Rs. 80-100 per head.
And now for some downsides. The place is quite noisy, especially on a weekend. Almost thirty minutes wait to get a table on a Saturday afternoon inspite of calling before hand and trying to reserve a table. Apparently they dont reserve tables on the phone but when we reached the restaurant we found that some tables were pre-booked. The restaurant is pure vegetarian, which could be a boon for some and bane for others.
All in all, it is worth stepping into this not-very-Udipi.
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Deap Ubhi
January 30,2008
Rocking new dosa joint
Run by the same gang as Mahesh Lunch Home and Salt N' Pepper, this new South Indian place does not disappoint. It's located directly accross the street from the famous Raju Kabab in Versova, near 4 Bungalows market.
The place is definitely an upper-end concept restaurant, and you can envision they will be repeating this format in other locations.
The menu is quite simple - all South Indian! Ranging from specialty items such as Kanchipuram Idlis to Chettinadu Spicy Masala Dosas, to Coconut and Honey Utthapams, there is something on the menu for everyone. If you prefer the more traditional, dependable stuff, you'll find that on the menu as well.
The food comes out quick and fresh. The service is extremely pleasant. We especially like one mustached waiter, who patiently guides us through the nooks and crannies of the subtleties of the menu.
For spicy food lovers, try the Chettinadu Spicy Masala Dosa. Another flavourful favourite of ours is the Paneer Bhurji Dosa and the Rava Masala Dosa, the latter of which should be reserved for extra-crispy dosa lovers. Wash it all down with a few glasses of cold masala chaas, and you'll be good to go. The fresh juices are delicious as well. There are a range of desserts here as well, such as Dudhi ka Halwa, Gajar ka Halwa, Ice Cream Sundaes, etc, but have never given them a shot. All in all, if you're a South Indian/dosa/idli/utthapam fan, you'll love this joint.
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October 22,2012
must try
Great variety of dosa and amazing thali..must try place
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YasHesh Morkhia
September 14,2012
Authentic mouth watering Cheese tomato panner uthappam :)
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November 30,2011
Not great
Food not worth the high price. Idlis and vadas were good.
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The Lost Temple (edition 2009)
by Tom Harper
Work details
The Lost Temple by Tom Harper
No current Talk conversations about this book.
Uneven pacing and an ending that seemed rushed detract a bit from what is otherwise a solid thriller with an interesting historical perspective. In this one, which is mostly set in 1947, the good guys are on the hunt for the shield of Achilles. Yes, that Achilles. Seems there was more truth to the Iliad than many would have believed. In any case, it seems that one of the shield's components has some less savory uses in 1947, and both the Soviets and Americans are after it. All in all, a fun outing with plenty of historical asides that (for those so inclined) can lead to plenty of enjoyable side trips to reference materials of choice.
blijedi pokusaj da se kopira den braun, ni izbliza dramticno,dosadno,jedino je kraj donekle ok...
A pretty fast-moving story of language, treasure and international conspiracy.
Sam grant was a special-forces soldier during World War II, while on Crete he was entrusted with a dying archaeologists last papers, his life's work. Now they want him to find hidden treasure that would appear to be a source of power. It leads him into hidden treasure, lost languages and a lot of speculation.
It was quite a quick read but there were parts that didn't join up too well, they travelled a lot, sometimes back to the same place, or near it quite quickly, and distances seemed a bit telescoped for the period. Still I found it pretty entertaining. Then again I have a weakness for post-war fiction.
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0312943571, Mass Market Paperback)
Sam Grant, a disgraced ex–Special Operations Executive soldier and an adventurer by trade, is lured back to the Mediterranean by a secret from his past: six years ago, a dying archaeologist entrusted him with his life's work—a leather notebook filled with mysterious notes written in Ancient Greek. Deciphered, it could lead to one of the greatest prizes in history. Which is why both the CIA and the British Secret Intelligence Service are looking for it as well…
Grant sets out to discover the truth about what the archaeologist lost his life for—and to protect his own. Aided by a brilliant Greek archaeologist with her own secrets to hide, Grant is plunged into a labyrinth of ancient cults, forgotten mysteries, and lost civilizations. But time is running out…while a dangerous prophecy is drawing near.
(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:02:18 -0400)
'The Lost Temple' promises an adventure across the ruins of the post-war Mediterranean, through the myths and literature of lost civilisations, and into the heart of an ancient mystery.
(summary from another edition)
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