Banana Leaf Asian Cafe'

It was my sister's birthday yesterday and after watching a ballet show at CCP, we decided to go to SM North The Block to meet her boyfriend and have dinner at the same time. Banana Leaf Asian Cafe' caught my eyes while we were going up by the escalators. I suggested to my sis that maybe we can have dinner at the Banana Leaf which is my birthday treat for her. It was around 530pm and there were no customers yet though eventually customers came around after a few more minutes. We were seated at the right corner of the restaurant where we can see passersby and other shoppers at the mall.

I have tried Banana Leaf in Greenbelt 3 last year together with a friend but I wasn't active on blogging yet. Banana Leaf is an Asian Fusion restaurant offers different Asian cuisines like Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean. My sis and her bf were amazed when the waiter arranged and put banana leaves our table. I explained to them that we will use banana leaves instead of using plates that's why that is the name of their restaurant. Being green and eco-friendly :)

We tried to order our drinks first to perk us up after a long way coming from CCP to SM North EDSA. I asked the restaurant manager on how they made the Iced Tea Tarik (known as Teh Tarik) because I was in Marriott Hotel a few days ago and their Teh Tarik was made by using a blender which is a no-no and doesn't taste good at all. Teh Tarik is a Malaysian Hand-pulled Tea made by using two pitchers which is quite popular in Malaysia and Singapore. I have travelled several times and I have seen how it was being made just like in the photo below. The tea pulling makes the tea foamy and gives it a sensational taste which isn't like your ordinary milk tea. 

I got my Iced Tea Tarik (P68) after a few minutes. I knew at first sight that it was made the right way as I have expected. I love the great authentic taste!

 

My sister ordered the Fresh Buco (Coconut) Juice (P60). Going natural! :)

Coconut juice is not just a refreshing drink, its also good for the body.

My sister isn't familiar with Asian fusion dishes since she hasn't travel yet so I took the responsibility on choosing and ordering our food though we have different food preferences. I like mildly spicy but my sister can't eat spicy food. For appetizer, I ordered the Prawn Toast Singaporean Style (P128) served with sweet-chili sauce on the side. I love it, even my sister and her bf love it too!

We love vegetables so a veggie salad isn't going to be missing in our table for sure. We had Roast Chicken and Mango Salad (P138). Aside from the roasted chicken and mango, it has cucumber bits, corn and croutons top with Asian salad dressing. 

We had ordered three main dishes for dinner. We like the service of the cook and the staffs because they had served everything at all once before we have fully consumed the appetizer, serving time is around 20 minutes only.

My sister Cathy and her boyfriend

 
Main dish #1: Thai Green Curry Chicken with Eggplant and Sweet Basil 
Sorry I forgot the price for this dish. We all like this dish :)

Main Dish #2: Stir Fried Chinese Kangkong with Sambal Sauce (P150)

This dish is meant to be spicy but we suggested not to make it spicy for my sister but it turns out not that really good but its okay.

Main Dish #3: Bah Kut Teh (P250)
This is one of my favorite dish in Singapore. Bah Kut Teh or Pork Bone Tea is a Chinese soup dish. Infused with herbs such as Dong Quai, Cinnamon, Star Anise, and loaded with pork ribs, dried Shitake mushrooms, tofu puffs, and heaps of garlic, this soup fills the kitchen with evocative scents. Bah Kut Teh needs a couple hours of slow boiling and the end result is concoction perfumed with a sweet herbal and earthy flavor. It’s best cooked and served in a clay pot and eaten with plain white rice.

We were very disappointed with the Bah Kut Teh. It doesn't look appetizing at all. 
The soup was very plain with no herbs and spices. It tastes very bland. 

Our 3 servings of Plain White Rice were served in a cute Indian food dish with cover.  
Plain White Rice is P30 per serving/cup.

The total bill was P1, 270.oo including 10% service charge.
Our dining experience wasn't bad at all. We all like the food except for the Bah Kut Teh. 
The service was good and fast. The staffs were friendly and polite :)

Banana Leaf Asian Cafe'
3/L SM North EDSA The Block
www.bananaleaf.com.ph