My Ultimate Food Discovery In Penang, My Favorite!: Famous Banana Leaf Rice @ Lumut Lane, Georgetown Penang

UPDATE (1/8/2011): Re-opened recently nearby only, cleaner and having an actual operating license, haha!!! Hooray!!!

UPDATE: 

This stall had been closed down 'temporarily' by the town council due to hygiene issues. IMHO, I think it's sabotage by business rivals because the foods were so terrific-ly delicious! Anyway, I never had diarrhea also after eating there so many, many times:)

If there's one food that I'll miss MOST when I leave Penang, it'll be the banana leaf rice @ Lumut Lane, Georgetown, Penang. Somehow, after I was introduced to this stall by N (a Penangites with vast knowledge Penang great foods), I'm not so 'adventurous' to look for other great foods (for my food blog postings) anymore during lunch time because I would always patronize this shop during lunch time. The most times I'd eaten at this stall was 4 times during one of the weeks. Almost like an addiction!:)

My favorite banana leaf rice shop @ Lumut Lane. No signboard, located at an old building in a secluded lane... but well known by word of mouths.

Banana leaf rice is a typical South Indian cuisine in which white rice is served on a banana leaf together with assortment of vegetables, meat or fish and papadum. The banana leaf is used as it is believed that the hot rice will release the coating on the banana leaf, which aids digestion. It's eaten by hand is our Malaysian setting but I personally don't think it'll enhance any taste besides the taste from the food itself. After finish eating your banana leaf, to show your appreciation after a satisfying meal, fold the banana leaf towards you (i.e. inwards) to signify that the meal was good. Folding the opposite direction (i.e. upwards/away from you) signifies that the meal was not satisfying.

The interior @ living room: 3 square table in the middle and one long table on the right side. I came extra early about 11.30am to take this photo. Normally, all the seats will be occupied and I have to wait for my turn to eat. Hot and stuffy, but nobody seemed to care. It's the food that counts!

Another view of this simple banana leaf stall

To reach this stall, I'd suggest you to use your GPS or Google Maps to find Lumut Lane/ Lorong Lumut. This is because the shop is located at a small and rarely used lane. To narrow down the area in which this stall is located, look for Khoo Kongsi (18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang, Malaysia) and this stall is just located nearby. When you see Khoo Kongsi at your left, go straight until you see a mosque (one of the oldest in Penang), turn right and go straight and then turn left at your first junction or when you see the signboard written 'Lorong Lumut'. The stall is located on your left at the end of this lane.

My typical banana leaf rice. Three big scoops of rice (plus more after finishing 1st round), main dishes (chicken '65' at your left and spiced chicken on your right), 3 different types of vegetables, curries (chicken/ crab/ mutton curries mixed sequentially, NOT concurrently) and chicken soup (in the plastic cup, only on Thursday)

This stall is open from 11am until about 2-3pm and opens everyday (may close on Sunday). Everyday, there will be curry chicken or spiced chicken, RM6, both equally great! On certain days of the week, this stall will cook their special dishes. There's mutton curry (RM7) on Wednesday, chicken '65' (my all-time favorite spicy, spiced, fried chicken!!! RM7) on Thursday, salted fish curry, sotong/ cuttlefish curry and prawn curry on other days. Also, there are specific days of the week (must ask the boss/ his workers in advance) when they serve delicacies such as goat head (yes, I typed correctly), goat legs (see below photo) .

Another day eating banana leaf rice, spiced chicken with sotong, generous amount of rice and curries!

The delicacies, goat's leg with its own distinct curry.

Another interesting fact (or fiction) according to N (disclaimer: N is just like me, banana leaf rice lover at this stall who chronically patronize this stall too):
All the foods here is cooked using original spices only without any forms of artificial flavoring. I find it hard to believe because the taste is so delicious but after munching (accidentally) a lot of spices (aiks!), I think it's true after all. Try it out!

Close up photo of the spiced chicken. Seen here, not very generous in amount but the chicken had been marinated with generous amount of spices, which are fully absorbed by each pieces of chicken (you won't need any sauce). How's the taste? Very new to me as I'd never eaten chicken with so much taste that I can't identify (from all the spices!). Eat slowly and try not to bite on any spices or you'll be overwhelmed by the strong taste.

One more thing. I found the workers there are very friendly too. Even though I was adding rice, vegetables, papadum and curries again and again. They just entertain every requests, going in and out of the kitchen. Sometimes, they gave me 'a little bit' more meat, especially when they found out that I love chicken '65'

Chicken '65' (spiced, spicy, fried chicken), cut into small pieces and fried. Crispy on the outside and inside because I'd sometimes chewed the small, crunchy bones too, hehe. Not too spicy and very, very flavorful. A lot of meat too even though it's small. I love to eat this chicken together with the white rice that had been doused by curries because then I'll get to taste the spicy and crunchy and including the curry taste.

The unsung hero: my favorite vegetable when eating banana leaf; bean sprouts/ taugeh. Juicy and refreshing. Nice complement but unfortunately not available everyday. There are many other vegetables such as cucumber, pumpkin, etc

Eureka! I finally found the best way to eat my banana leaf! In the beginning, I'll make a cavity in the middle of my rice. Why? Read on...

Next, I'll fill up the cavity in the middle with curry (chicken OR mutton OR crab OR etc, but not all mixed together). The reason I'm doing this is because I'll then be able to filter all the unwanted spices in the middle cavity as opposed to finding all the spices littered all over my rice. Once all the 'unwanted' spices had been removed, I'll start eating the rice that are located just at the periphery/ adjacent to the cavity, which are nicely soaked with the curry, making it extra, super delicious. Once the curry finished, I'll shift all the rice back to the center, make another cavity and add on with ANOTHER type of curry! Try out my way! Must eat papadam early while it's still crunchy.

Banana Leaf Rice,

Lorong Lumut,

10300, Georgetown, Penang

Tips:
Try the way I eat my banana leaf rice (by making a cavity, filling up curry, remove the spices, eat from the periphery/ adjacent to the center, formed back the cavity when the curry finished and add again with another curry) 
I will usually change into my spare T-shirt before eating here because this place is rather hot. After finished eating and cooled down, I'll change back to my working attire.
Come on Thursday for chicken '65'


Tasty Or Not?
Rating: 9/10. Excellent taste, affordable price, not to be missed!