Ai D. - Framingham, MA - 4/9/2011 Totally by chance I stumbled upon this place today. It's actually Sri Lankan (FKA Ceylon), the food is somewhat similar to Indian, but with a lot of differences. They have a lunch buffet for $9.50, there was a okra curry, a salad of shredded kale and coconut (much tastier than it sounds), a couple types of rice, a meat and a fish dish that I didn't sample, a very robust raita, and a curry (for lack of a better word) of yucca. All excellent, all mild to appeal more to the local audience, but I asked for and got some chili sauce, which added the appropriate amount of kick.
I came back that evening with three friends, and we had a repeat of the same excellent experience, this time ordering off the menu. I had the lampri (not to be confused with the eel of the same name), which is a compilation of assorted veggies and fish, a cashew curry, an egg, eggplant, plantains, and a few things I didn't recognize, all wrapped up in a banana leaf. I asked for it to be spicy and it was pretty hot, and totally delicious. For thirteen bucks it was the steal of the week! My friends were equally enthralled, with each of the different dishes they ordered.
This place has been open only three days as of this writing, if it gets slammed with customers I suspect that ala carte items might be a little slow coming out of the kitchen, so please allow a little extra time and cut the guys some slack, as the food will be worth the wait. It's tiny, reminding me of little hole-in-the-wall places in Soho, London, that I used to frequent in my student days--but the Banana Leaf is spotlessly clean.
Pri D. - Manhattan, NY Ordered some typical Sri Lankan dishes for takeout and it was very good. They have a lunch buffet on Saturday and Sunday and a la carte for dinner / week days. The food was priced very reasonably as well. The thing I liked the most was that the food was flavorful and wasn't masked by an overpowering layer of spices. The cutlets were yummy.
Colorful, vibrant and eastern charms set a stage for a relaxed but enveloping experience. From the moment a guest enters Banana Leaf, an atmosphere rich in Sri Lankan style and hospitality welcomes. Whether visiting for a casual or a serious dining adventure, Banana Leaf guests feel that they’ve visited the home of a very chic, fashionable and talented chef. Raj Perera, the founder of Banana Leaf is one of the best Sri Lankan chefs in the Big Apple. Supported by his wife Nishani, son Ashan, and the qualified team have created an unique restaurant not comparable with any other restaurant of its kind.
