The folks who work in Silicon Valley’s Golden Triangle know Banana Leaf. After opening its doors in 1999 in a development that looked more parking lot than food park, Banana Leaf quickly became a hot spot for Southeast Asian fare. Banana Leaf distinguished itself by letting Malaysian dishes take center stage. More familiar Chinese, Thai, and Indian dishes are also on the menu; indeed, these cultures form an important part of Malaysia’s culinary heritage. Even after doubling its real estate in 2004, Banana Leaf still boasts one of the longest lunch lines on the block. People found that lunching for under ten bucks on white tablecloths was habit-forming. Throw in unusually flavorful cuisine, and you have a habit that’s hard to break.
Soup starts every meal, often a clear broth sharply soured by lemongrass to cleanse the palate. Lunch specials are almost twenty plates of specialties like Utama Basil Chicken and Red Curry Vegetable ($7.95, $6.95). Siam Salmon is topped with Chef’s special ginger flower sauce and fresh mango and is served on a banana leaf ($8.95). Southeast Asian cooking prefers less ripe mango for its tang and firmer texture. Here, mango slivers help cut the strong flavor of the salmon. Salmon comes as two small steaks; ours were slightly overdone, and copious bones made conversation difficult.
If you have a bone to pick with bones, Hainan Chicken may be ordered with bones or without ($6.95). Similar to my last trip to the spa, the meat is steamed, then chilled (analogy ends here) and served with soy sauce and a mound of Hainan seasoned rice. The steaming process makes the chicken extremely tender and juicy.
Indian Mee Goreng are pan-fried yellow noodles with prawns, squid, chicken, tofu, eggs, and ground peanuts ($6.95). Noodles are perfectly al dente and swathed in a tomato- and soy-based sauce. Red chiles give pleasant warmth to this dish without causing you to lose your sweater. Other noodle specials are Chow Kueh Teow (stir-fried rice noodles) or the crowd-pleasing Pad Thai (pan-fried rice noodles), both $6.95.
It’s easy to get lost ordering off the regular menu, where dishes may not always be translated. But don’t let that stop you from wrestling explanations from waiters, who are busy but helpful. Gado Gado is a motley crew of fried prawn cake bits, lettuce, and tofu covered with a sweet peanut sauce ($6.95). Roti Prata is a multi-layered homemade Indian bread that looks like a deflated balloon, but pulls apart easily ($2.95). It is served with a creamy curry dipping sauce that is so tasty, refills are available for $2.
Service is quick here -- so quick that one sneeze into your napkin may inadvertently signal someone to clear your dishes before you can check what your sneeze netted. But look at it this way -- anything that shortens that long lunch line is a good thing.