There’s a new stunner on the Triangle Asian dining scene: Cary’s Banana Leaf. So modest it didn’t even have a sign until a few weeks ago, this restaurant may soon become the next big thing. Most of the folks eating there are Asian, and you can walk right in and get a table, but that may not be the case for long.
Located in a strip mall not far from the Grand Asia Market, Banana Leaf is owned by John Lai, a chef from Hong Kong who does a little of everything: cooking, hosting, waiting tables, and entertaining patrons’ babies. (The staff loves kids, so feel free to bring your little ones.) Its menu boasts Malaysian, Thai, and Cantonese dishes, along with some Chinese-American standards.
Banana Leaf excels in seafood, especially lobster. Its Malaysian-style fried lobster with raisins and chili peppers is a standout, reminiscent of the famous salt-and-pepper crab at San Francisco’s R&G Lounge. The sweet meat of the lobster contrasts beautifully with the salty coating it’s fried in, complimented by a pleasant burn from the peppers. Lobster in garlic-and-ginger sauce is aromatic and delectable, the meat appropriately plump.
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Malaysian-style fried lobster.
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Lobster in garlic-and-ginger sauce.
Malaysian seafood triple delight has a spicy kick. The scallops, shrimp, and squid in this dish are very fresh and perfectly cooked.
The Sichuan-style spicy fish soup is beautifully balanced: hot but not overpowering, with a savory, assertive base. It’s more complex, if not as incendiary, as Happy China’s take on the same dish.
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Sichuan-style fish soup.
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Malaysian triple delight seafood.
Banana Leaf also does an excellent Peking duck, with skin so crispy it shatters between your teeth, and tender meat. Its hoisin sauce and buns were a bit too sweet, though, and sometimes overpowered the duck’s flavor.
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Peking duck.
For a fun starter, try the coconut soup, served in a hollowed-out coconut. The broth is the star here,with its strong but oddly soothing coconut flavor. The shrimp and pork in the broth feel more like accents.
Image may be NSFW.
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This humble restaurant doesn’t even have a website yet. But its friendly service and atmosphere, combined with its excellent food, make it well worth seeking out.
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