Leboh Ampang is dotted with Indian restaurants with familiar names such as Saravanaa Bhavan and Anjappar. Even with so many restaurants around, almost each of them serve south Indian Chettinad cuisine. If you prefer a non-chain restaurant that’s clean, air conditioned with a slightly upmarket ambience and good food, Betel Leaf fits the bill.
Betel Leaf’s menu is seriously extensive and it’d take you at more than a dozen of visits to try everything. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served here and Tiffin (light meal) is available only after 4pm.
We started off with an amazingly delicious Chicken Tikka Masala (boneless) @ RM15. The creamy and rich tasting masala was expertly spiced and went perfectly with the naan. Although chicken breast was used in the dish, it was tender and juicy.
The Chettinad Mutton Chukka @ RM18 is a dry mutton curry known for its spiciness. I am not exactly sure how different it is compared to the usual mutton varuval I had at other places, but it does appear less oily with a vibrant color. Taste wise it was flavorful and not as spicy as I expected despite having quite a lot dried chillies in it.
The Tandoori Chicken (2pcs) @ RM16 was as good as it could be – nicely marinated, moist with a great smoky tandoor oven flavor.
We didn’t really enjoy the Ajwani Fish Tikka (boness less fish marinated with carom seeds and oven baked, RM18) as the fish felt dry and kind of bland.
You can’t really taste anything other than the carom seeds’ flavor which I think is quite an acquired taste. Well, maybe that’s just us. Nevertheless, we made it work by having it with onions and mint sauce.
Butter Naan @ RM5 – this is one thing that hardly goes wrong.
Though almost double the price of what other restaurants in the vicinity are serving, I really liked the Madras Filter Coffee @ RM4.50. It was quite strong, aromatic and smooth.
As much as I like Indian sweets, the cloying sweetness is just too much for me. I could probably have one piece and that’s all for me. The Kulfi @ RM5 on the other hand, has far more tolerable sweetness.
Even though it looks totally different from the menu (where’s all the nuts?) it was still pretty good with a nutty and delicate spicy flavor. And since it doesn’t melt easily due to its density, it can be enjoyed slowly.
The restaurant is really cozy and we almost felt heavy-hearted to leave because we were just too comfortable. Moreover, the service was wonderful and efficient.
It is also worth mentioning that Betel Leaf has a farm in Mantin where they rear their own goats, rabbits and grow their own vegetables. So most of the produce used here are sourced from the said farm. That’s why the food tastes so fresh!
Betel Leaf – Authentic Chettinad Cuisine77A Leboh Ampang
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 11am-11pm daily
Tel: 03-2032 5932
GPS Coordinates: N 3 09.039 E 101 41.865
