Once considered budget meals for blue collar workers, fare has risen in terms of appeal, reach and pricing
GEORGE TOWN: A banana-leaf meal once cost as little as RM1.20 – with free refills of rice, vegetables and rasam. Today, the same humble tradition can come with air-conditioned dining rooms, elaborate thali spreads and a bill approaching RM100.
Yet, through decades of changing tastes, rising costs and evolving dining habits, one thing has remained remarkably constant – the banana leaf.
For Penang Hindu Association chairman Datuk P. Murugiah, the meal brings back memories of the early 1970s, when his monthly salary was RM75 and a piece of roti canai cost just 10 sen.
A vegetarian banana-leaf meal then cost about RM1.20, while non-vegetarian sets ranged from RM1.80 to RM2.50, he told theSun.
What made it especially appealing was the free-flow fare. Diners could ask for more rice, side dishes and rasam – a thin, peppery tamarind soup traditionally served towards the end of the meal.
Murugiah recounted having three or four helpings, often skipping breakfast because lunch was substantial enough to carry him through the day.
He traces the tradition in Penang to Indian labourers, particularly port, construction and general workers whose shifts could stretch from night to the following day. By about 11.30am or noon, many would make their way to Indian eateries for an affordable, filling meal that suited their wages and working hours.
The tradition was closely tied to the history of George Town. The city had a sizeable Indian population, with streets around Chulia Street and Leith Street developing into what is now known as Little India. Leith Street became an extension of the enclave centred around Chulia Street.
“At one time, banana leaf fare was a poor man’s meal. Today, the pricing at some places is close to that of fine dining,“ Murugiah said.
He added that some eateries still offer free-flow refills of rice, vegetables and rasam for RM12 to RM15 a set. At hotel restaurants, such meal sets with unlimited refills can cost about RM100.
The banana leaf used is not merely an alternative for a plate. It is part of the dining experience, shaping how the food is served and enjoyed.
Rice is placed directly on the leaf, allowing diners to mix it with dhal, vegetables and gravies according to their preference. A traditional meal follows a familiar progression, beginning with rice and dhal, moving on to curry, followed by curd and ending with rasam.
The rice is usually white or parboiled, Murugiah said, while the more expensive biryani rice is not normally served in the traditional banana-leaf setting.
A traditional South Indian thali revolves around six tastes – sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent – brought together through rice, dhal, vegetables, curries, pickles, chutneys, papadum, rasam, yoghurt or curd.
Diners can add fish, mutton and other dishes, whether they begin with a vegetarian or non-vegetarian set. Papadum remains a particular favourite, including among non-Indian diners, Murugiah said.
Rasam also occupies a special place in the meal. Its spices have long been associated with digestive benefits, and Murugiah said many Indians consumed it during the Covid-19 pandemic in the hope of warding off infection. This reflects a traditional belief within the community, although there is no scientific evidence that rasam protects against the virus.
The significance of the banana leaf meal stretches far beyond lunch. Thosai and idli are also served at breakfast and dinner, and remains part of weddings, festivals and religious occasions.
The experience extends beyond the food itself. Traditionally, diners eat with their right hand, mixing the ingredients to achieve their preferred combination of flavours and textures. Even the way the meal ends carries meaning.
Folding the banana leaf towards oneself traditionally signals satisfaction, while folding it away from oneself is associated with mourning or a funeral.
Murugiah said it accompanies the community through different stages of life, with food also placed on banana leaves as an offering during funeral rites, including the 30th-day prayers.
He recounted that banana leaves were used during his own wedding meal, a practice he said would be much harder to replicate today.
A leaf that once cost 10 sen now costs 50 sen or 60 sen, more than the price of a plate. Rising costs have also affected traditional food service during Thaipusam, when banana leaves were once the norm at most stalls. Not every stall uses them today, but the custom has not disappeared.
One name woven into the banana-leaf dining history of Penang is Veloo Villas, established in 1959 at Penang Street, according to a directory of traditional trades and occupations in the George Town World Heritage Site.
Penang Street is among the city’s oldest streets, within the core zone of the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site and the original grid laid out by British pioneer Francis Light.
Murugiah remembers Veloo Villas and Krishna Villas by a more unusual nickname – “topless restaurants”.
The cooks, who came from India, worked in dhotis without shirts, singlets or slippers. They served diners only after finishing their cooking, he recounted.
The nickname was familiar to customers from all walks of life, from lawyers to doctors. In those days, he said, nobody seemed concerned about the “topless cooks”.
Today, the two shoplots at Penang Street house Rempah Ratus Banana Leaf Cafe, a restaurant that carries the tradition into a different era.
It first opened in mid-2023 at Nagore Road before moving to Penang Street in January under a new management. Its manager Francis Anthony said the new owners are locals and the restaurant is halal-certified.
Inside, the long dining room combines wooden tables and chairs, pendant lights, exposed timber ceiling beams and a bold black-and-white geometric floor. Banana-leaf motifs feature in its branding and presentation, while the exterior sign promises “Authentic South Indian Cuisine”.
The name “Rempah Ratus” means “hundreds of spices” in Malay.
Across its two shoplots, the restaurant serves banana-leaf meals in a thali format, with rice, vegetables, curries, dhal and condiments arranged directly on the leaf.
“We used to serve the banana leaf on top of the stainless steel plate. But now, we have changed to just the banana leaf,“ Anthony said.
The vegetarian thali costs RM14.90 and comes with three types of vegetables, three curries, papadum, raita and basmati rice. It does not serve parboiled rice.
For larger gatherings, its Thiruvizha Sappadu feasts are served on a single leaf, at RM45.90 for two people sharing a chicken version and RM59.90 for two sharing a mutton version. Portions for four cost RM85.90 with chicken and RM97.90 with mutton.
Additional rice costs RM4.50, while a serving of rasam is RM1.
Other offerings include Chicken 65, Malabar fried fish, fried tenggiri, fish head curry, spicy fish Vindaloo and claypot Satti Sorru (rice) alongside other South Indian dishes.
But one defining feature of the old banana-leaf meal is missing – unlimited refills of rice, vegetables and rasam.
Anthony said the restaurant could no longer sustain the practice amid rising costs, adding that it was “no longer feasible in this current market of inflation”.