Sri Nirvana Maju

Came here by way of a high recommendation from new Malaysian transplant friends. I was told to just order a banana leaf and they would know. I expected everything that normally comes with south Indian cuisine, just on a banana leaf. That’s pretty much what it was and it was splendidly delicious, filling, and definitely did not disappoint. We each had a banana leaf and a mango lassi, because I wasn’t sure what to order for drinks! Safe to say though, I left completely stuffed, banana leaf cleaned, and drink cup empty. I would come back if it weren’t so out if the way! The price was a little more pricy than I expected, but with nothing to compare, it really wasn’t that bad. The veg was around 8.50, the chicken was about 12.50 or 13, and the lassis were 6.00! Total came out about $ 35. It wasn’t terribly expensive, but maybe there are cheaper places?

I love this shop. There is something about banana leaf in the afternoon for me. So satisfying at the end of the day. The number of people coming in and out is just awe inspiring. I do also like the way the restaurant smells. Curries of so many different varieties and types. I wish I could try everything

Not the best but will do in a pinch. Price is quite high but service has gotten much better. The fish curry is just the way I like it, a little on the sour side.

Food is so so, plus it’s crazy overpriced. Devi’s corner has better banana leaf

I love banana leaf rice: I’m the kind of guy who can have it twice a day, every day for a week. But if I was going to do that, I’d want it to be Nirvana’s. Always full with BLR fans, you’ll be surprised by how much rice you can eat there. I’d like to consider myself as having been to enough banana leaf restaurants to know what’s good, and Nirvana is the best.
Shame parking in the Telawi area is such a nightmare!

Hands down this is the best banana leaf place around.
The rice is perfect and the dahl is flavorful and not too watery. The best thing though is the fried bittergourd! So good, I crave it often.
Definitely recommend this place to all looking for a good, low cost meal, its also vegan if you opt out of choosing meat side dishes.

Nirvana is my second favorite place for banana leaf rice. The reason being the queue here is just ridiculous. You could go at 4pm on a weekday and there would still be a queue. Also its not nice how you have to leave immediately after you finish your meal because there are many others waiting to sit down.
also i feel the staff here are very rude and unhelpful. I get they are extremely busy but like they can be a little nicer or more helpful. There are a lot of staff but most of them just stand around staring into blank space.
The food here is good, but I think the variety is too limited also the seating is really cramped so you cannot hold a conversation because all you can hear is everyone else’s conversation.
Maybe one day when the line isn’t too long i might decide to have my banana leaf there.

Poof!!! This place? BEST BANANA LEAF RICE EVERRRR.
No one can resist it, no one on earth will ever resist this. It’s sooooooo gooooddddd I might consider renaming myself after them LOL (sorry Mom and Dad) hahahaha
Well I do know that they are priced slightly higher than usual banana leaf rice but I don’t give a shit. I mean not that I’m exaggerating but I think the price with worth paying for because they are able to cook really good.
getting a seat here is kinda hard when it’s during peak hours but once you got a seat, everything will be super fast afterwards. They even have a queue of numbers to collect at one point when the crowd is starting to form a long line.
Drinks tasted soso. The main point is the food. I have seen picture frames of their certificate being displayed all over the premise. Shows that they have been featured over and over again by TimeOut Malaysia for being the best Malaysian Flavoured restaurant :)
I will definitely come back again for more of this once in a while. :)

This is one of the many Banana leaf rice restaurants in Bangsar. My favourite side dishes in my Banana Leaf rice will and always will be their fried bitter gourd! The fried bitter gourd here is always my favourite side dish and I always request for more because it’s just THAT good. Its chunky and it isn’t very bitter like most fried bitter gourds which is the reason why I love it so much.
Located in Jalan Telawi, Bangsar; it’s very difficult to find parking spaces especially during peak hours so I suggest that you find a parking spot in Bangsar Village 1 & 2. That would save you so much time from going through all the one way streets and being stuck in the traffic. Expect waiting and queuing up for a seat during peak hours because it can get pretty crowded due to their famous reputation but service is really fast in this restaurant as the staff here can manage really well.

This place is always packed to the rafters during lunch hour — and it is no surprise why it is. They serve one of the best banana leaf rice around the area!
However, the place is not the cleanest and also prices are quite expensive for what it is. However, people still flock to this place because the food is delicious and comes out fast. Service is quite bad — staff can be quite rude and inattentive however it is a place not to chill with friends or hang out, but to eat and go.
Space is also cramped, it is very much a mamak store with both infoor and outdoor seating. I will always come back to Nirwana Maju if im craving for some good banana leaf rice meal and know that I will not get disappointed!

One of the best banana leaf rice that I had. The queue is long during weekends and lunch time. Parking is horrible (People tend to double park when they are desperate).
Please park at bangsar village if you want to avoid summons and people honking non stop.
The food is good! Love the deep fried bitter gourd. ;) and also the fried chicken is good. Rasam is good too! Oh, try their lassi. YUMS!

Nirvana, is famous for their Banana Leaf Rice in the town. So far, the best it is I had so far. I used to go for lunch or dinner with my friends during my university, as it is quite near to our college. However, I had reduce my visits to Nirvana recently, as the price has increased a lot and also time to control a bit on my food consumption.
Overall, I really like Nirvana. It is always a long queue in front of the shop, but the waiting time is not long, around 10 – 15 minutes. It is considered okay for me as I always expect some waiting time for a good restaurant especially during the peak hour (lunch and dinner time). I love their Banana Leaf Rice, it serves with rice, fried bitter gourds, cucumber salad and long beans. There are three different curries that you can choose to eat with the rice, such as dahl, chicken curry and fish curry. Usually, I will order some side dishes like fried chicken and fried squids. I love the fried squids very much! *Thumbs up*
Recommended!

This is where I tried for the first time Banana Lief in my life. I went with 2 friends of mine to have dinner, and they decided to take me in a new and different restaurant. Well it was definitely a new experience for me. Why??? Because I didn’t know that they only serve spicy food and you eat with your hands.
The restaurant is very local, and I heard that is always full. But besides of this, the food is served very fast. The downside of the place is the staff who doesn’t speak english, so it’s a little hard to talk with them. But I have to say that they are very competent and fast.
The food was good, and the fact that I had to eat with my hands was a nice experience. I would be great if they would serve also non-​spicy food for the expats like me.
Overall: If you just arrived in KL, you need to try the food from here.

Every time I crave for banana leaf rice, this is where I’ll be! It’s no doubt that this place has one of the best banana leaf rice in KL.
There are two things I always look forward when eating this banana leaf rice– the rasam & the deep fried bitter gourd. Rasam is a traditional Indian soup which has a lovely intense flavor. Personally, I love the taste of rasam but many of my friends can’t seem to get used to the strong flavor. The deep fried butter gourd on the other hand, is an all time favorite amongst many. Their vegetable sides and curries are also delicious. I would usually drench my rice with the dahl and fish curry until it becomes «nasi banjir». Also, the papadum here has the loveliest crunch to it.
The downside of this place would be the crowds as well as the price. I would suggest to never come here during peak hours unless you’re ready to brave the crowds and wait for a table. The pricing is also slightly higher compared to many banana leaf rice restaurants but I can assure you that you’ll be paying for what it’s worth.

Oh yes, my favourite place for banana leaf rice in kl! Been coming here for years, and still coming. been a crowded place for years as well, and still is — you might already figure out that this place is really good then.
Free flow of nasi and side dishes when you order your banana leaf rice, so you literally eat all you want. However, do note that sharing is not allowed here. Anyway, that’s only logical that you’d have free flow food right?
They have a lot of dishes for you to choose from here, and they will usually start taking your order when you’re queuing up. Yes — its only normal that you’d have to queue here, it’s that demanded! Please try their squids and fried chicken! Freshly made and sells fast.
For their drinks, if you like yoghurt please please try their mango lassi. My all time favourite here! Really rich and creamy and not too sweet.
Price wise i think its rather fair, however getting a parking spot here is not easy, so cross your fingers yea!

Feed me more banana leaf rice!
I was introduced to Sri Nirvana Maju by my fiancée before we were even dating and now I have frequent this place more than her (pss don’t tell her that).
I would say this is one of the more pricey Banana leaf rice but there is quality in their food. One of the attraction is their deep fried bittergourd that they serve as one of your vegetable side dish. They are pretty standard serving the same vegetables as their meat and seafood dishes are quite costly.
What I do not like of this place is there are limited space and if you are seated inside when it is crowded, it gets really stuffy and be packed tight.
There is usually a queue, so I suggest to come here during the non-​peak meal period to avoid the queue or just be prepared to wait for 5 – 15 mins to be seated.

When it comes to banana leaf rice, almost everyone had tried Nirvana Banana Leaf House at Bangsar. Nirvana is one of the alternatives if I’m nearby the area and would like to grab some banana leaf rice. The restaurant is located opposite Bangsar Village, along the row was Tous Le Jours. I’ve been there during lunch and dinner, and the place seems to be always packed with customers. It’s not rare to see people queueing up outside of the shop, even under the hot sun.
One of the things that I’ve always liked about Nirvana is that they have a list of what’s included in their set met. Despite the crowd, the service was really fast. We were served almost immediately when we sat down, and were given the banana leaf and rice and condiments together. The condiments were really good, and our favourite would be the fried bitter gourd. As usual, we would have a fried squid as our side order. Though not the best, but it was acceptable still.

Am I the only one that thinks Nirvana is aptly named? The only thing you need to know is that the banana leaf are divine. In my humble opinion, they have one of the best combination of condiments which I can find. Purely because of the deep fried crunchy bittergourd. Other than that, the meal also comes with acar-​raw marinated cucumber, papadam-​crispy cracker, rasam & fried chilli. If none of these are to you liking, it is alright to refuse it. Afterall, personal preferences comes to play here, where you can order freshly fried chicken, fish and many more. Do not be afraid to ask!
The thing that rankles me though is the enormous lunch crowd. But I guess that is to be expected with a place as popular as Nirvana. As such parking may be virtually impossible outside or even inside Bangsar Village. Just a tip, try carpooling as you wont have the hassle of waiting for everyone to get a carpark. Saves so much time.

I understand the hype. Yes it is good, yes there is the queue. Is it mind-​blowing? Well, not really.
I’ve been eating banana leaf rice since I was a little kid, every once in a while I feel the nostalgic need to get my fix. And yes, I always eat with my hands regardless if it’s going to discolor my manicure. Perhaps my expectations were very high for this place that is known as «The best banana leaf in Klang Valley» but I allowed room for disappointment because I too have heard contrary experiences from friends. Walking in, I was surprised with how tiny the restaurant is, which explained why the sitting is tightly arranged and the environment stuffy.
First of all, I always at least expect three types of good indian vegetables. We were served with half my handful (I have tiny hands) of each long beans and cucumber, a bigger amount of the mixture of fried-​curry-​powder-​battered vegetables (cauliflower/​bittergourd/​ladies fingers), a small serving of chutney, and some papadam. Personally, I thought that the fried stuff is a side dish and not my main expected share of vegetables. The portion was very little for my liking, and I clearly did not bother asking for refill when I found out that they charge RM1 per refill. But. isn’t that one of the main concepts of banana leaf rice? Free refills of vegetables? Anyway, for one «set» of banana leaf rice consisting of the things I mentioned, costs RM9. Expensive? Yes.
The fish curry was not spicy, fishy, sour and thick the way I normally like it, it was watery and. meh. Dahl was okay. The Chicken Varuval was pretty good, a little spicy and plenty of rempah.
Service is quick and attentive. However, we did not linger around to enjoy our hot drinks or lassi (they have good and thick mango lassi) because there was a queue outside.
Perhaps I am being biased here because banana leaf is sentimental to me but instead I felt like a tourist that was slightly ripped off.

Nirvana Maju is no doubt one of the most famous Banana Leaf in town. It is flocked with locals and foreigners all the time. Now, I tend to be picky about Banana Leaf, how’s the curry? Are the servings fresh?
Although I think I had better ones than this place, people still crowd it as usual. I mean, the quality isn’t all that great and the biggest turn-​off was the price they charge here. The idea of having Banana Leaf is to pay one price and have as many rice and sides as you want. Nirvana got the whole idea right untill recently when they decided to charge for extra sides, what?!?
Not just that, even the initial price is already too expensive.