Bala’s Banana Leaf Bangsar Beetroot Thosai

Post by Chiefeater VK

I was having breakfast with my Chiefeater Gin Lai at Bala’s Banana Leaf Bangsar and he suggested we just order their beetroot thosai.

The first thing that caught my attention was its brilliant red colour. It was also unusually long, rolled into a cylinder that stretched across much of the serving plate.

More importantly, the thosai was crispy, and the accompanying curries complemented it well. It was a lovely combination and certainly made for a more interesting breakfast than the usual thosai.

The beetroot thosai was available on the Saturday (I think it’s available on weekends only) we visited. It is one of the restaurant’s rotating specialities.

We also had fried chicken and roti canai. Both were good, making this a thoroughly enjoyable Malaysian breakfast.

Bala’s is not the cheapest Indian restaurant around. Its prices are somewhat premium compared with similar establishments, but the food we had was certainly good.

My friend treated me to breakfast, so I did not get to see the final bill.

The restaurant itself was clean, with well-spaced seating. We were seated upstairs, where the dining area was air-conditioned and comfortable.

Parking around this part of Bangsar can be difficult on weekends, although that did not detract from my assessment of the restaurant.

What I enjoyed most was the combination of familiar Malaysian breakfast favourites and the rather striking beetroot thosai. Its colour may be the first thing that gets your attention, but the crispy texture and accompanying curries made it worth ordering.

And, of course, good company always makes breakfast more enjoyable.

MVX Summary

MVX Score: 7.5/10 (provisional)

M – Meal Value
Bala’s is priced somewhat above comparable Indian restaurants, but the crispy beetroot thosai, good curries, fried chicken and roti canai made for a satisfying breakfast. As this was a treat, and current prices for the complete meal could not be verified, this is a provisional assessment.
Score: 7.5/10 (provisional)

V – Vibe & Venue
The restaurant was clean, with comfortably spaced seating and an air-conditioned upstairs dining area. I did not inspect the toilets so I can’t comment about it. Parking can be difficult in Bangsar on weekends, but no deduction was applied.
Score: 7.0/10

X – X-Factor
The beetroot thosai was the highlight. Its striking red colour, unusually long presentation and crispy texture made it a memorable variation of a familiar Malaysian breakfast favourite.
Score: 8.0/10

Business Hours

Open Daily
06:30 am to 10:00 pm