#restauant

A lot of their branches have already opened including those in SM Aura, Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 3, Rockwell, and more. These are also now open for dine-in guests but with the usual physical distancing rules. I was still hesitant to go for my first dine-in experience during the lockdown so I just had my orders for takeout.

They have a limited Delivery and Takeout Menu during this quarantine period so not all items previously offered are available as of the moment. You can also order from them using food delivery apps like Foodpanda and Grabfood. 

Thankfully, most of my top picks are still on the menu, like the Penang Char Kway Teow (P238) which is one of my favorite dishes to eat in Singapore and Malaysia. It’s very hard to find authentic Char Kway Teow here in Manila but Banana Leaf is always dependable when it comes to these Southeast Asian dishes.

The Nasi Goreng (P238) is a great rice dish that can be a complete meal by itself. This smoky Indonesian fried rice comes filled with meat and vegetables.

But I also suggest to have some plain rice available for their curries. The Malayan Beef Curry with Potatoes (P368) is a deeply aromatic yellow curry with rich and thick savory sauce. The beef is so tender with just a little bit of heat. You will really want to douse some more curry sauce on your rice.

Another rich saucy dish is the Malayan Chicken Curry with Potatoes (P328) which has a lighter but just as flavorful sauce. This is another classic Southeast Asian recipe that will make you go for another round of rice.

My favorite dish at Banana Leaf Philippines is their Stir Fried Oat Prawns in Singaporean Style (P588). These cereal prawns come with a very crunchy coating over the delectable deep-fried prawns. This is a popular dish from Singapore which is so good you can eat the entire prawns from head to tail, skin and all.

The Tilapia Fillet with Assam Sambal Sauce (P388) is another seafood specialty at Banana Leaf Philippines. The crispy fried tilapia is cooked in Malaysian sambal sauce which gives it a sweet and savoury taste.

You can’t go wrong with ordering the Beef Rendang (P328). This spicy, rich, and creamy dish originated from Indonesia but has since been adopted all across Southeast Asia. The tender cuts of beef are so flavorful and the thick sauce really goes well with rice.

With more and more restaurants beginning to open around the Metro, we are beginning to see how the new normal environment will look like in the coming year or so. It’s comforting to know that most of my favorite restaurants are still operating despite the tough setting, so I’m happy to be able to support these brands and establishments as much as I can. Happy lockdown eating everyone and stay safe!

Banana Leaf Philippines

G/F SM City North EDSA, Quezon City

8288-8333

www.bananaleaf.com.ph

www.facebook.com/BananaLeafPH