Lexington, KY - Specializing in southern Indian, as well as Malaysian, dishes, Banana Leaf is one of many excellent Lexington eateries offering their take on the countless layers of cuisine from the world's second-most populous country. Tucked into an unassuming storefront along South Limestone between Avenue of Champions and Maxwell Street, Banana Leaf has a large menu and comfortable dining area.
On first look at the menu, if you're not familiar with Indian culture, you might wonder, 'Where's the beef?' Cows are considered sacred in the Hindi religion, India's most predominant faith, and nearly every Indian restaurant I've ever been to adheres to this tenet. That being said, Banana Leaf has many chicken, fish and seafood, and goat dishes, along with many vegetarian plates.
Vegetarian appetizer options range from fried idly (rice cakes) and lentils to Gobi Manjuria (spicy, fried cauliflower), and a small list of clay oven baked chicken and shrimp plates round out the non-vegetarian plates. The non-veggie options cost between $8.99 and $10.99, while the veggie selections are priced from $1.99 to $7.99.
One of Banana Leaf's most popular dishes is their crisp, gargantuan dosa, a crepe made from rice and lentils, swollen with a wide assortment of stuffings, such as goat, potato, egg plant and okra. While my guest and I were eating, we saw many of these plates emerge from the kitchen - one eventually landed at our table. They're priced between $6.99 and $9.50 (for a half and half dosa).
Non-vegetarian dishes include a selection of chicken, mutton and seafood meals. Chicken plates include chicken madras (a spicy curry sauce), chicken chettinad and chicken masala; mutton plates include mutton varuval, chettinad and vindallo; and seafood plates (mostly arranged around tilapia and shrimp) have a mixture of the already mentioned dishes. These plates range in price from $10.99 to $16.99.
Veggie dinners include dishes such as chili paneer (made from Indian cheese), channa masala (chick peas) and bindi masala (okra). They're priced between $9.99 and $12.99.
For an appetizer, we ordered the appetizer sampler, which included a variety of fried niblets, such as lentils, onions and potatoes, and two dipping sauces. It was very good, but filling for two eaters.
For dinner, I ordered the mutton varuval. I usually always have my meals prepared spicy, but when I'm not very familiar with the cuisine (as was the case), I'll back down for medium. Good choice, it was still a spicy meal. The mutton balls were chewy and the mixture of spices was not over powering. My guest ordered a half and half dosa (fish and goat) - it was intimidating in size but gratifying in taste.
Our bill, which included an appetizer, one Som's Black Fort beer, a soft drink, two entrees and an order of garlic naan, cost $43.15, prior to tip - a respectable price to pay for the full belly and brief, but beneficial, lesson in Indian cuisine. I would recommend Banana Leaf to anybody with an open mind and curious taste buds. Banana Leaf has an impressive lunch buffet on Weds. - Sun. The restaurant is closed on Tuesday.