Sometimes when we are really hungry, there’s nothing more satisfying than a large serving of banana leaf rice. A long-time favourite of ours is Nirwana in Bangsar.
It will usually be crowded no matter what time it is, so waiting for a table is likely. There’s a reason why it’s crowded more often than not and that’s because the food is good! However, the trade-off is that service might not be the best around.
The main appeal of Nirwana is the Banana Leaf rice. This vegetarian set came with rice, 3 types of vegetables and papadums. The Rasum (a South Indian soup) is an option which we quite fancy as well. There is a choice of drenching the rice with chicken curry, fish curry or dhal. Or a combination of those curries as well! We tend to stick with the chicken curry and the dhal, which we found to be excellent. The curry in Nirwana was flavourful and one of the best around. The 3 vegetables are random depending on the day, but the deep-fried bitter gourd (if they have it) is hands down our favourite!
Another firm favourite of ours is the Sotong Goreng / Fried Squid. Priced at RM10, each squid ring was coated in a mouth-watering marinade and batter and deep-fried to perfection. Its taste was top-notch from the medley of spices.
A regular order for us would also be the Mutton Curry. We could tell the curry was fragrant with many Indian spices and the mutton pieces were always tender and a joy to bite into. This was a good accompaniment to the otherwise vegetarian meal!
Sri Nirwana Maju is a hugely popular establishment in Bangsar and it is another place that we frequent. While the service can be a bit hit and miss at times, the good food makes up for this fact. Do check it out for some good mamak food and banana leaf rice!
Restaurant Information
43 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 2287 8445
