Restaurants to Get the Best Value for Your Dollar in Philadelphia

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Banana Leaf

Item: Banana Leaf
Author: Sharon Rigney

Cuisine: Asian, Malaysian

Price Range: $

10Best Says

Wood paneling and painted bamboo shoots give this Malaysian restaurant an authentic feel, one that is fully born out in the menu. Guests are faced with a combination of exotic and familiar dishes. The seafood lo mein is a particularly benign dish when compared to the crispy pork intestines. However, never fear! The helpful servers will steer you towards (or away) from certain dishes if you ask, and they are well-versed in what sits well with first-time patrons, so heed their advice. While many dishes are tasty and will leave you already planning your return trip, some may out you off when first tasting them, so ease in gently. Once indoctrinated, you're ready for anything.

Address:

1009 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-592-8288

Hours:

Daily 11am-1am

Website:

phillybananaleaf.com

EXPERT TIPS BY: Sharon Rigney
Philadelphia Local Expert

Best Value: "Make it a point to try the homemade roti canal, as patrons have declared it simply delicious."

Recommended as Best Value Because: This tasty Malasian cuisine eatery is great for groups and offers a plethora of tasty choices to please all palates.

Our Menu
- Appetizers
  Homemade Roti Canai (Indian Pancake)
  
  Malaysian all-time favorite, crispy style pancake with a curry chicken and potato dipping sauce. ($3.95)
  
  Roti Boom (Sweet Bun)
  
  ($5.95)
  
  Roti Telur
  
  A traditional Indian pancake filled with egg, onions, and served with a curry chicken and potato dipping sauce. ($5.95)
  
  Martabak
  
  A traditional Indian pancake filled with diced beef, egg, and onion served with curry chicken and potato dipping sauce. ($8.95)
  
  Pasembur
  
  Shredded Cucumber, jicama, and bean sprouts with shrimp pancake, sliced tofu, and hard-boiled eggs with Chef's special sauce. ($8.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Rojak
  
  Banana Leaf's famous fruit salad served with shrimp paste sauce. ($6.95)
  
  Squid with Chinese Watercress
  
  ($8.50)
  
  Ipoh Bean Sprouts
  
  Scalded bean sprouts with Chef's special sauce. ($5.25)
  
  Crispy Pork Intestines
  
  ($8.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Satay
  A Malaysian specialty, with your choice of protein, and served with a peanut sauce. Chicken, Beef, Mixed and Tofu.
  
  Tofu: $6.75
  
  Chicken, Beef, Or Mixed: $7.95
  Spicy Crispy Squid
  
  Fried squid tentacles in Chef's special sauce. ($9.75)
  
  Banana Leaf Chicken Wing
  
  A fan and house favorite, Marinated chicken wings wrapped in screw-pine leaves that is then lightly fried, served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. ($8.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Young Tofu
  
  Eggplant, green pepper, and tofu stuffed with fish meat, served with your choice of either a clear chicken broth or curry sauce. ($8.50)
  
  Poh Piah
  
  Steamed Malaysian spring roll stuffed with jicama, fried tofu, egg and bean sprouts. ($6.25)
  
  Baby Oyster Omelet
  
  A Malaysian favorite, pan-fried baby oyster with egg. ($8.25)
  
  Achat
  
  Vegetable pickled in turmeric powder and spicy herbs with sesame seeds. ($5.75)
  
  Shrimp Puff
  
  Deep fried minced shrimp wrapped with bacon. ($8.75)
  
  Banana Leaf Lobak
  
  Crispy fried spiced pork roll, fried tofu, and fried shrimp pancake served with two sauces: hoisin plum and chili. ($8.95)
  
  Vegetable Egg Roll
  
  ($4.95)
  
  Mango Salad
  
  Sliced mango, sliced cucumber, and carrot mixed with sweet and spicy Thai sauce. ($7.95)
- Fried Noodles
  
  Mee Siam
  
  Stir-fried vermicelli with tofu, shrimp, and bean sprouts in spicy Thai chili sauce, sprinkled with grounded peanuts, and topped with sliced hard-boiled eggs. ($8.50)
  
  Seafood with Crispy Noodle
  
  ($8.95)
  
  Triple Slice Vegetables with Noodle
  
  ($8.50)
  
  Seafood Lo Mein
  
  Special egg noodles cooked with shrimp, scallop, squid, straw mushrooms, and mixed vegetables. ($8.95)
  
  Captain's Noodles
  
  Flat noodles or rice noodles in Malaysian soy sauce with shrimp, chicken, and pork. ($8.50)
  
  Malaysian Lo Mee
  
  Special egg noodles served in homemade soy sauce with mushroom and shredded chicken. ($8.50)
  
  Ginger Duck Lo Mee
  
  Special egg noodles served in homemade soy sauce with ginger and duck. ($8.50)
  
  Thai Basil Noodle
  
  Flat noodles with shrimp, chicken, onion, Chinese broccoli, chili, and basil leaves. ($8.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Pad Thai
  
  Our house special version of the Pad Thai, a thin-flat noodle dish from Thailand. Made and cooked with shrimp, tofu, egg, bean sprouts, and then topped with crushed peanuts. ($8.95)
  
  Chow Kueh Teow
  
  Malaysian Famous stir-fried flat rice noodles with fresh shrimp, squid, bean sprouts, eggs, soy sauce, and chili paste. ($8.50)
  
  Hokkien Char Mee
  
  Thick yellow noodles cooked in heavily flavored soy sauce with pork, shrimp, squid, and vegetables. ($8.50)
  
  Indian Mee Goreng
  
  Indian style stir-fried egg noodles in an authentic mild dried squid sauce with tofu, potatoes, shrimp, egg, grounded peanuts, and bean sprouts. ($8.50)
  
  Singapore Rice Noodles
  
  Singapore style stir-fried rice noodles in special mild sauce with shrimp, bean sprouts, egg, and Chinese cabbage. ($8.50)
  
  Beef Chow Fun
  
  Stir-fried flat noodles in special sauce with beef, scallion egg, and bean sprouts. ($8.50)
  
  Cantonese Chow Fun
  
  ($8.50)
  
  Seafood Scramble Egg Chow Fun
  
  Stir-fried flat noodles on light brown egg sauce topped with seafood and vegetable. ($8.95)
  
  Fried Pearl Noodle
  
  Stir-fried noodles in a special sauce with shrimp, pork, egg, scallion, and bean sprouts. ($8.50)
  
  Fried Rice Noodles with Salted Fish
  
  Stir-fried rice noodles with salted fish, chicken, vegetables & beansprouts. ($8.50)
- Noodle in Soup
  
  Prawn Mee
  
  Egg noodles, shredded pork, shrimp, vegetables, and bean sprouts served in a spicy shrimp broth. ($7.95)
  
  Asam Laksa
  
  Spicy and sour rice noodles served in Chef's special lemon grass broth with fish flakes. ($7.95)
  
  Kueh Teow Thong
  
  Flat Noodles with shredded chicken and shrimp in a chicken broth. ($7.95)
  
  Clay Pot Pearl Noodles Soup
  
  Pearl noodles with minced shrimp, pork, and egg in a clay pot. ($7.95)
  
  Chicken Feet with Mushrooms
  
  ($7.95)
  
  Ginger Duck Noodles
  
  Special egg noodles served in a homemade soy sauce with ginger and duck meat. ($7.95)
  
  Java Mee
  
  Egg noodles served in a sweet and spicy dried squid gravy, with shrimp, shrimp pancake, potatoes, and egg. ($7.95)
  
  Wonton Mee
  
  Special egg noodles served with wonton in a homemade sauce and chicken broth. ($7.95)
  
  Beef Tripe Noodle
  
  Stewed beef tripe with thin noodle soup. ($7.95)
  
  Spare Ribs with Noodle
  
  Special egg noodles served with spare ribs in house sauce and chicken broth. ($7.95)
  
  Seafood Lo Mein
  
  Special thick yellow noodles covered in heavily flavored egg sauce with shrimp, scallop, squid, straw mushrooms, and mixed vegetables in soup. ($8.95)
  
  Fish Head Soup w/ Rice Noodles
  
  ($7.95)
  
  Curry Noodle Soup
  
  Noodles in a curry soup with your choice of protein: Chicken, Beef Tripe, Fish Ball. ($7.95)
  
  Seafood Tomyam Rice Noodles
  
  Rice noodles served in a spicy and sour lemon grass broth with seafood and straw mushrooms. ($8.95)
  
  Curry Mee with Young Tau Foo
  
  Noodles served with eggplant, green pepper, and tofu stuffed with fish meat, served in your choice of a clear chicken broth, or curry sauce. ($8.95)
  
  Clay Pot Noodles
  
  Home-style noodles with vegetables, pork, shrimp, and squid served in a clay pot. ($7.95)
- Casseroles
  Chicken Feet w/ Chinese Mushroom
  
  ($9.50)
  
  Curry Mixed Vegetables in Clay Pot
  
  Mixed vegetables served in a clay pot with a spicy curry broth. ($14.95)
  
  Curry Beef Tripe Casserole
  
  ($14.95)
  
  Seafood Combination Casserole
  
  ($14.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Fish Head Casserole
  Our house version of this Malaysian special delicacy, made with your choice of flavoring.
  
  Tomyam: $17.95
  
  Curry, Assam: $17.95
  Green Curry in Clay Pot
  House special green curry cooked with lemon grass, spiced chili, and your choice of protein, served in a clay pot.
  
  Mixed Vegetables: $14.95
  
  Chicken: $15.95
  
  Beef: $16.95
  
  Seafood: $16.95
- Soup
  Salted Cabbage w/ Bean Curd Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
  Seaweed w/ Seafood Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
  Seafood w/ Bean curd Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
  Salted Cabbage Fish Head Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
  Seafood Tomyam Soup
  Small: $6.95
  
  Large: $13.95
  Bah Kut Teh (Chinese Herbs)
  Small: $9.50
  
  Large: $16.95
  Wonton Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
  Spicy Prawn Soup
  Small: $5.25
  
  Large: $8.50
- Rice Dishes
  Hainanese Chicken w/ Rice
  
  Subtly flavored chicken rice served with Hainanese steamed chicken served with Chef's special soy sauce. ($6.75)
  
  Spicy Thai Chicken Rice
  
  Rice with steamed chicken topped with Chef's special spicy Thai sauce. ($6.75)
  
  Nasilemak
  
  Coconut rice flavored with cloves and screw-pine leaves. Served with a chili anchovy curry chicken and topped with hard boiled eggs. ($6.75)
  
  Green Nasi Lemak
  
  Special coconut rice fried with mixed vegetables, eggs, and shrimp in a ginger sauce. ($7.95)
  
  Young Chow Fried Rice
  
  ($8.50)
  
  Pork w/ Dried Vegetable & Rice
  
  ($6.75)
  
  Pork w/ Taro & Rice
  
  ($6.75)
  
  Fried Rice
  
  Traditional fried rice with your choice of protein: Chicken, Beef, Vegetable, Shrimp, Salted Fish, Mixed Seafood. ($8.50)
  
  Thai Pineapple Fried Rice
  
  Fried rice with shrimp, cashew nuts, fresh pepper, egg, and shrimp pasted served in a pineapple. ($8.50)
  
  Curry Rice
  Our house curry sauce served on rice with your choice of:
  
  Chicken, Chicken Potatoes: $7.95
  
  Mixed Vegetables, Tofu: $7.50
  Rendang Rice
  Our special Dried Curry (Rendang) sauce served over rice with your choice of protein:
  
  Chicken: $6.75
  
  Beef, Spare Ribs: $7.95
  Ginger & Scallion Rice
  
  Rice cooked with ginger & scallions with your choice of protein: Duck (Bone-in), Chicken (boneless). ($7.95)
- Sizzling Platers
  
  Sizzling Japanese Bean Curd
  
  ($12.95)
  
  Sizzling Seafood Combination Delight
  
  A combination of scallops, shrimp, and squid. ($16.95)
  
  Sizzling Beef
  
  ($16.95)
  
  Sizzling Beef w/ Black Pepper
  
  ($16.95)
  
  Sizzling Chicken w/ Black Pepper
  
  ($14.95)
  
  Sizzling Triple Delight w/ Black Pepper
  
  ($16.95)
- Pork
  
  Malaysian Style Spareribs
  
  Marinated spareribs lightly fried with a special sauce. ($12.95)
  
  King Pork Buff
  
  Deep fried pork chop served in an authentic B.B.Q. sauce. ($12.95)
  
  Volcano Pork Chop
  
  A lightly battered Pork chop served with the Chef's special sauce. ($12.95)
  
  Spare Ribs Rendang
  
  Spare ribs simmered with exotic spices along with lemon grass in coconut milk. ($12.95)
- Poultry & Beef
  Crispy Golden Fried
  Both a customer favorite and house special! We take your choice of protein, cover it with a special chili flavor, and fry it until it is perfectly golden.
  
  Eggplant: $11.95
  
  Pork Chop: $12.95
  
  Squid: $12.95
  
  Chicken: $15.95
  
  Shrimp: $16.95
  Hainanese Chicken
  Steamed chicken served room temperature along with Chef's soy sauce.
  
  $10.25
  
  $20.50
  Spicy Thai Chicken
  Steamed chicken served at room temperature topped with Chef's special onion based thai sauce.
  
  $10.25
  
  $20.50
  Banana Leaf Kari Ayam (Boneless)
  
  Chicken cooked with exotic spices along with lemon grass on coconut curry. ($13.95)
  
  Mama Chicken (Boneless)
  
  ($15.95)
  
  Sarang Burong
  Shaped fried taro with boneless chicken, corn, snow peas, and black mushrooms topped with cashew nut.
  
  $15.95
  
  With Seafood Substitute: $16.95
- Seafood
  
  Banana Leaf House Special Squid
  
  Squids cooked with spicy grounded dried shrimp in an authentic sauce. ($12.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Dried Curry Squids
  
  Squids cooked with spicy grounded curry sauce. ($12.95)
  
  Assam Ikan Bilis
  
  Anchovies with shrimp paste, sliced onion, chili, and tamarind sauce. ($12.95)
  
  Mango Fish
  
  Fillet of fish with shredded mango, red pepper, onion in a sweet and sour sauce Choice of Striped Bass, Catfish, or Red Snapper. ($27.95)
  
  Sambal Petai
  
  Malaysian green peas & shrimp sautéed and then served in a spicy Malaysian shrimp paste. ($16.95)
  
  Sautéed Frog w/ Kung Pao Sauce
  
  Frogs sauteed in your choice of sauce: Kung Pao, Ginger & Scallion. ($19.95)
  
  Clams
  
  Clams cooked in your choice of sauce: Black Bean, Thai Basil. ($13.95)
  
  Curry Red Snapper w/ Okra
  
  Banana Leaf House Special Crabs
  
  Crabs in Special Aromatic Flavor
  
  A Malaysian specialty. Hard shell crabs marinated with exotic spices, cooked with shredded lemon grass.
  
  Hot and Spicy Crab
  
  Hot and Spicy Lobster
  
  Banana Leaf House Special Lobster
  
  Lobster cooked with spicy grounded dried shrimp in authentic sauce.
  
  Seasonal/Fresh Fish
  
  The following selections are priced based on the current market price. The Deep Fried Fish is your choice of Red Snapper, Pampano, Tilapia, or Striped Bass.
- Vegetables
  
  Salted Fish w/ Bean Sprouts
  
  ($9.95)
  
  Salted Fish w/ Chinese Broccoli
  
  ($10.95)
  
  Spinach w/ Bean Curd Sauce
  
  ($9.95)
  
  Chinese Watercress w/ Bean Curd Sauce
  
  ($9.95)
  
  Kang Kung Belacan
  
  A Banana Leaf favorite, sautéed Kang Kung (water spinach) with spicy Malaysian shrimp paste sauce. ($11.95)
  
  Shrimp w/ Lady Fingers (Malaysian Style)
  
  Sautéed shrimp and okra with spicy Malaysian shrimp paste sauce. ($11.95)
  
  Shrimp w/ String Beans (Malaysian Style)
  
  Sautéed shrimp & string bean with spicy Malaysian shrimp paste sauce. ($11.95)
  
  Malaysian Buddhist
  
  Mixed vegetable with bean curd skin and Chinese mushrooms served in Chef's special sauce. ($11.95)
  
  Basil Tofu
  
  ($11.95)
  
  Mango Tofu
  
  Sautéed tofu with shredded mango served in a sweet and spicy mango sauce. ($14.95)
  
  Banana Leaf Tofu
  
  Homemade tofu served with Chinese mushrooms, snow peas in a shrimp and lobster sauce. ($14.95)
  
  Eggplant w/ Belacan Sauce
  
  ($11.95)
  
  Malaysian King
  
  Lady fingers, snow peas, and string bean served with Belacan sauce. ($14.95)
- Side Orders
  
  White Rice
  
  ($1.00)
  
  Hainanese Chicken Rice
  
  ($1.25)
  
  Coconut Rice
  
  ($1.25)
  
  Brown Rice
  
  ($1.50)
- Beverages & Desserts
  
  Watermelon Drink
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Orange Juice
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Carrot Juice
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Pineapple Juice
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Lychee Drink
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Rambutan Drink
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Longan Ice Drink
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Soya Bean w/ Grass Jelly
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Coconut Drink
  
  ($3.95)
  
  Malaysian Ice Coffee
  
  ($3.75)
  
  Malaysian Ice Tea
  
  ($3.75)
  
  Soya Bean Milk
  
  ($2.75)
  
  Soda
  
  ($1.95)
  
  "ABC"
  
  Shaved ice with red bean, corn, plum seeds, jelly, red rose syrup, and milk. ($4.50)
  
  Peanut Pancake
  
  Our signature sweet and fried pancake filled with a peanut spread, sautéed peanuts and corn. ($6.75)
  
  Ice Cream
  
  ($4.50)
  
  Fried Ice Cream
  
  ($6.75)
  
  Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana)
  
  Crispy fried banana served with ice cream. ($6.75)
  
  Coconut Pudding
  
  Summer Only. ($9.95)
  
  Banana Pancake
  
  ($6.75)

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