If you’re like me and like taking long naps at work, nothing helps you on your way better than a banana leaf meal on a hot afternoon.

Fidel Gastro and I had been planning to review something other than Chinese food all the time, so Sri Nirwana Maju were the lucky recipients of our patronage. Although I hate driving to Bangsar during lunch hour, there have been many good things said about the food at this place so we had to try it for ourselves.

I’d been salivating all day at the prospect of a banana leaf meal, and it didn’t take long for me to decide on fried squid and Mutton Masala. Fidel ordered a simple chicken curry, and proceeded to start a topic on the high cholesterol content in squid and mutton. I may soon have to find a replacement lunch partner who isn’t a spoilsport, so let me know if any of you out there are interested.

A curious thing to note about this place is the number of waiters they hire to stand around. There are certainly a lot of them, and apparently they’ve got a little hierarchy thing when it comes to their work. Fidel motioned to a large, chattering group of waiters for someone to wipe our table, and none of them wanted to do it. Instead, they decided it would be easier to go look for a waiter with a ‘trainee’ badge so they could make him clean our table. Super cool dudes, these senior waiters. No wonder the trainees look up to them so much.

Time to get down to business. The fried squid was divine, absolutely divine. Deep fried to golden, heart-stopping perfection, yet still managing to retain its tenderness and flavour. The portion was big though, even though i clearly specified that I wanted a single serve. Worrying thoughts about how much they were going to charge me for it crept into my head, but they disappeared when i had a taste of the mutton masala, which is cooked dry style. The mutton was very flavourful, and just spicy enough to suit my palate. Even the cucumber and long beans were nice, very fresh. I skipped the bittergourd and preserved dried chilli as extreme bitterness and saltiness aren’t to my taste. Finally washed it all down with sips of Rasam, a gulp of milo ais and a lung-soothing cigarette. Ahhhhhhh….

In conclusion - that was an extremely good lunch. And a great nap at my desk after. Til next time.

Food - 9/10
Service - 6/10
Prices - Above average. Rice: RM5, Mutton: RM5, Squid: RM5