Banana leaf rice can be traced back to how rice dishes are traditionally served in South Indian cuisine. Instead of a plate, white rice or biryani is spooned on a banana leaf together with sides like vegetables, pappadam, pickles, curries, and stews called sambar. While most Indian restaurants have since switched to dinnerware, there are still holdouts serving the best banana leaf rice in Singapore. The hearty dish was sustainable before it was even a buzzword, and it helps that it is delightful too!
After the meal, diners are generally supposed to fold the leaf towards themselves to show they are full and demonstrate respect for the host’s hospitality. At funerals, they are meant to fold the leaf away from themselves. The practice, however, varies in different parts of India.
Among the most popular destinations for banana leaf rice in Singapore is Banana Leaf Apolo. Opened in 1974 and named after the US moon landing mission, the restaurant continues to draw crowds for sticking to tradition. Another is Samy’s Curry, an institution on Dempsey Hill since the 70s.
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In the west, Karu’s offers unlimited refills of its rice and sides. Shami Banana Leaf Delights in Sembawang focuses on variations of biryani, while Madras New Woodlands offers thali sets ringed by the banana leaf. On Friday, head to Santhi Vilas Restaurant, which adds banana leaf rice to its repertoire of thosai.
Where to eat the best South Indian-style banana leaf rice in Singapore
Fuel your appetite for authentic south Indian flavours with our guide to the best banana leaf rice destinations in Singapore.
Order any rice set at Karu’s, and someone comes around to lay down a rectangular sheet of banana leaf. A procession of other servers follows, each one slapping down different components of the meal: rice. Two kinds of vegetables. Curry. Pappadam. Sambar. If the unlimited servings are not filling enough, Karu’s fish head curry is a crowd favourite too. The restaurant has another branch at Bukit Batok. This vegetarian restaurant serves Madras- and Punjabi-style thali sets on a banana leaf, each brimming with three different vegetables, chutneys, stews, pickles, sambar, and plenty of rice. The rava masala dosa, appam, and vadai are crowd favourites too. From SGD 11.20 (THB 280) for the rice Samy’s Curry is named after its founder M. Veerasamy, who started the restaurant in the 1960s after working as a cook in various Indian restaurants and experimenting with recipes during his free time. From his first stall on Tank Road, the business moved to Pearl’s Hill then Dempsey Road in the 1970s, where it has remained until today. Still family-owned, all the rice dishes are served on the venerable banana leaf, which you should eat with the masala chicken, fish head curry, and Mysore mutton. From SGD 4.50 (THB 112) for the rice Santhi Vilas is a vegetarian south Indian restaurant popular for its many varieties of thosai. On Fridays, they also offer biryani served on a banana leaf, which comes with three types of vegetables, pappadam, cucumber raita, sambar, curries, chutneys, and a mountain of rice. Go early as they sell out fast. Founder M. Mangudi opened Shami in 1993 with the intention of the best mutton and chicken biryani, as well as curry fish head. These three dishes continue to be the most popular items today, presented through different variations like boneless mutton biryani and chicken dum biryani. Besides Sembawang, Shami has locations at Northpoint City and Causeway Point. Inspired by the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, S.Chellappan named his restaurant after the lunar expedition with hopes that his business would take off like a rocket. After more than 50 years – it opened in 1974 – Banana Leaf Apolo is still thriving thanks to its signature banana leaf rice. The white rice and biryani sets come with two vegetables and unlimited portions of rice, which is there to soak up the fish head curry, lamb shank, and prawn masala. The brand also has outlets in Little India Arcade and Sixth Avenue. From SGD 5.40 (THB 135) for the rice…Read more by Jethro Kang
