Banana Leaf
East Brisbane
Banana Leaf dishes up top-notch Thai fare including classic Thai cuisine plus unique fusion dishes.
Located on the corner of Wellington and Mowbray, the casual decor - retro Thai movie posters, wicker lamp shades and timber bar - belies the quality of the food at this family run restaurant, owned by Thien (former chef at My Thai) and his wife Bibi.
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Offering traditional and modern Thai dishes, entrees include char grilled satay chicken, fish cakes, tom yum prawn soup and fresh salmon served with a salad of seeded chilli, mint, coriander, Thai basil, red onion and sweet and sour dressing.
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Mains range from pad Thai and traditional jasmine fried rice to stir fries and curries; while chef's signature dishes include slow cooked pork belly with dry shitake mushrooms and potatoes and king prawn hot and sour creamy soup served with rice.
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Open for lunch Monday through Friday, most midday meals come in under $10 including a free soft drink. Try the authentic massaman beef curry or char grilled pork Turkish sandwich with Thai salad and tamarind sauce. But make sure to save some room for dessert: black sticky rice with coconut milk, purple tapioca in sweet and salty coconut milk or warm taro custard cake with sticky coconut rice and salty butterscotch sauce.
by Deb Lidster