Restoran Lakshmi Vilas @ Lebuh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

Lakshmi Vilas is an Indian restaurant in Lebuh Ampang serving only vegetarian food and has been around for more than 40 years now. It has been many years since I last dined here, probably sometime in 1989 when it was still managed by the previous management. Ever since the management changed, I have not visited this restaurant. A friend of mine recommended me to try them out as he finds the food there to be quite good. Taking his recommendation, I visited them this afternoon.

Lakshmi Vilas in Lebuh Ampang

Entrance to the Restaurant

Full House on the Ground Floor

The place has not changed a bit since my last visit. Even though it was not a Friday when most Hindus observe vegetarianism, the place was still crowded at 12.30 noon. Coincidentally when I arrived, Dato Seri Samy Velu too arrived at this restaurant for his lunch. I have heard before that he is a loyal customer at this restaurant. The manager, seeing that there were no more places on the ground floor, suggested me to go upstairs. 

Air Cond Space Upstairs

Upstairs Dining Hall

Upstairs Dining Hall

The upstairs dining hall is only open from 11.30 to 2.30 pm from Mondays to Fridays. This place is air conditioned but don't expect much as it is a typical Indian restaurant, not a fine dining restaurant. Even upstairs was full and I had to wait for my turn to get a seat. Even my table was shared with another three customers. But not to worry as these waiters are very quick and efficient. They had already taken my orders while I was waiting for a table. Honestly there is nothing much of an order here as it is a vegetarian restaurant and at this hour, all you get is Banana Leaf Meal. The only thing that differs is your choice of rice, be it par boil rice or the standard rice.

Basic Banana Leaf Meals @ RM 6.00

At RM 6.00 this comes with four vegetables, one chutney, papadam, pickles and a variety of vegetarian curries. Sorry as I took the photo before the fourth vegetable was served, nevertheless have a photo of it below.

This vegetable was fantastic. I must admit that it was a perfect preparation and I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

The Carrots were once again perfectly cooked in a sweet and spicy broth and it was delicious. I would rate this at 9/10 .

This mashed potato gravy was simply awesome. A perfect preparation that deserves a rating of nothing less than 10/10 .

The grated coconut and ginger chutney was again a wonderful preparation. First time that I am trying this with rice and it was delicious. I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Spicy fried potato's were another wonderful dish. Soft and delicious, it deserves a perfect 10/10 . All the vegetables here are limitless and you can go on requesting for more as you finish them.

Sambar

First, I tried their rice with Sambar. My God, the Sambar was simply superb. I thought of asking them to give me some in a glass for me to drink. It was just that good. Highly recommended. I would rate it at 9.5/10 .

Venthaya Kuzhambu

The Venthaya Kuzhambu was another fantastic gravy here. Perfect preparation without the usual bitterness. I would rate this at 9.5/10 . After this, I also tried their Thayir (Curd) as that is also provided complimentary as part of the set. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of that. Their Curd was thick and pure and deserves a rating of 9.7/10 .

Paruppu Rasam

The above Paruppu Rasam was again part of the set. You could have it with rice or request for it to be served in a tumbler like this. The rasam once again was heavenly. I would rate this at 9.8/10 . 

Madras Coffee @ RM 2.50

After a sumptuous Banana Leaf meal, it is never complete without the Madras Coffee. Their coffee here was priced at RM 2.50 per glass and it was very good. Perfecto! I would rate their coffee at 10/10 .

Their Prices

Indian Sweets

I wonder how I had missed this restaurant in all these years. The food was just RM 6 per set and it was absolutely worth it. The food was extremely good, the service excellent and the prices are very reasonable. Besides their meals, I have also heard that their Indian Sweets are quite good. I am not a fan of this and therefore did not try them. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of these sweets, it may be worth a try. If you happen to be in this area or if you are in the mood for some vegetarian Banana Leaf meals, then I would highly recommend this restaurant. I would not mind travelling the distance to treat myself to such great food. Keep up the fantastic work guys !

Address: No. 57, Lebuh Ampang, 50100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2072 2166

Opening Hours: 0630 - 2200 Daily