Banana leaf & tiffin · serving Penang since 1991

The banana-leaf table George Town keeps coming back to.

An open-air, fan-cooled hall on Jalan Macalister where a row of stalls cook to one menu — South Indian breakfast from 7am, banana leaf by midday, tiffin and teh tarik until 11 at night.

Call +60 4-210 0840 Get directions

Cuisine: South Indian
Google rating: 3.8★
Reviews: 3,964
Open daily: 7am–11pm

A steel thali of charred tandoori chicken and warm naan beside a glass of teh tarik, with a banana-leaf spread on the communal table behind

3.8 · 3,964 reviews

On Google

The place

Not a villa. It just opens like one.

The entrance off Jalan Macalister “looked like any other villa opening,” wrote reviewer Somsubhra De — then it opens into a bustling hall “in the midst of nature,” fans turning overhead, a row of stalls each cooking a different part of the one menu.

This Macalister hall is the George Town flagship of Sri Ananda Bahwan — the family-run name that grew from a single 1991 Butterworth shop into Malaysia’s largest banana-leaf chain.

Breakfast starts at 7am with idly and thosai. By midday it is banana leaf rice — papadum, three vegetables, curry and rasam laid straight onto a fresh green leaf. The tiffin menu comes back at 4pm and the kitchen does not stop until 11.

3,964 people have reviewed it on Google. None of that lives anywhere the restaurant controls — until this page. See what they order →

What lands on the leaf

Signatures, and the tiffin that fills the morning.

Prices below are from the in-store tiffin menu. Banana leaf and à-la-carte curries are served by the portion.

Two banana-leaf settings with rice, papadum, tandoori chicken, dhal and assorted vegetable curries

Banana Leaf Rice

Signature

Rice, papadum, three vegetables, curry and rasam on a fresh leaf — the dish reviewers come back to try.

Basmati Briyani

“Premium basmati rice — each grain light, fragrant, and well-cooked,” per reviewer alex cheong. Served with raita and egg.

Charred tandoori chicken with warm naan and teh tarik on a steel thali

Tandoori & Naan

Naan “served warm, light and tasty” (EL Khoo); “soft and warm,” adds eric yeow. Paired with grilled tandoori.

From the tiffin menu

7–11am · 4–11pm

Masala Thosai: RM 4.80
Chole Batura: RM 6.50
Mutton Masala Thosai: RM 9.80
Onion Uttapam: RM 4.30
Idly Set: RM 3.10

A steel kadai of prawn and seafood curry in a deep orange-brown gravy scattered with curry leaves

Curries by the Kadai

Prawn, mutton and fish-head curries — “tender meat in a rich, creamy gravy that wasn’t overpowering,” per alex cheong.

Folded griddled roti with a side of dhal in a steel tray

Breads & Tiffin

Poori sets, chapathi, ghee and paper thosai — the morning staples, RM 2.50–5.50, finished with a glass of teh tarik or sweet lassi.

From open to last orders

One sixteen-hour day, four ways to eat.

7am

Breakfast tiffin

Idly, thosai and poori as the shutters go up. The South Indian breakfast menu runs 7–11am.
Noon

Banana leaf

The lunch rush — rice, curries and rasam on the leaf, with “a reasonable crowd” even off-peak.
4pm

Evening tiffin

Tiffin comes back on. Chole batura, uttapam and teh tarik to break the afternoon.
11pm

Last orders

Open seven days. The kitchen runs late, every single night of the week.

The open-air dining hall under a steel-truss roof with hanging lamps, ceiling fans and a busy lunchtime crowd

The hall

Open-sided, fan-cooled, and never quiet.

Open-air & fans: “Warm as it is open area with fans” — EL Khoo. Comfortable seating, breeze through the hall.
Stalls, one menu: A hawker-style row of stalls “making various types of food but linked to the restaurant menu.”
Fast service: “Service was impressively fast, food arrived without much waiting” even when busy — alex cheong.
QR, cash & parking: Pay by QR or cash; “parking places were adequate” — Somsubhra De.

The reputation they already earned

3,964

Google reviews · 3.8★ average · none of it on a page they own

“The fried rice stood out — premium basmati, each grain light and fragrant. The naan was warm, light and tasty; the roti telur a nice balance of crisp and soft.”

alex cheong · 5★ Google review

“Food was delicious — naan, banana leaf rice and some dishes. Atmosphere was warm as it is open area with fans. Waiters were friendly & food was fast.”

EL Khoo · 5★ Google review

“A bustling restaurant that gives the vibe of being in the midst of nature. The variety was majestic — tried the chola batura, probably the largest I had.”

Somsubhra De · 4★ Google review

Find the leaf

Visit on Macalister

Address: 225, Jln Macalister, 10450 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Hours: Every day · 7:00am – 11:00pm
Phone: +60 4-210 0840

Open in Google Maps

Before you go

Good to know

How much is a meal?: Tiffin items run roughly RM 2.50–9.80 — idly RM 3.10, masala thosai RM 4.80, chole batura RM 6.50, mutton masala thosai RM 9.80. Banana leaf rice and à-la-carte curries are charged by the portion.
When is it busiest?: Breakfast 7–11am and dinner after 7pm draw the biggest crowds; even mid-morning there’s “a reasonable crowd.” Service stays fast throughout.
Vegetarian or non-veg?: Both. An extensive South Indian vegetarian spread alongside mutton, chicken, prawn and fish-head curries.
What languages do staff speak?: English, Bahasa Malaysia and Tamil — waiters “take the time to explain the menu” and help with orders patiently.
Payment and parking?: Pay by QR or cash. On-site parking is “adequate,” per reviewers.

A table is always open

Come for the leaf. Stay for the teh tarik.