Indian & Curry Food Near KSL, JB: Banana Leaf & Fish Head

The best curry meals near KSL run from a heritage banana leaf lunch to JB’s legendary curry fish head — all a short walk or Grab ride from KSL D’Esplanade.

Johor Bahru does Indian and curry food exceptionally well, and staying above KSL City Mall puts you within a 5–20 minute Grab ride of most of the classics. None of the places below are run by Southern Homestay — they’re simply the well-reviewed spots our guests keep coming back for. Here’s where locals and Singaporean day-trippers actually eat.

Where do you get proper banana leaf rice near KSL?

Kerala Restaurant 📍 Map in the old downtown (Jalan Storey, Kim Teng Park) is one of JB’s oldest Indian kitchens — food writers date it back to 1949 — and it still serves a traditional South Indian rice meal on banana leaf. Johor Kaki, Peggy Loh’s My Johor Stories and Tripadvisor reviewers all praise its home-cooked, gently spiced curries. For a slicker, modern take, The Banana Leaf Kitchen 📍 Map in Taman Eko Botani is a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner ranked among the very top restaurants in JB — expect crisp dosa, ghee rice and generous curries, though it’s a longer 15–20 minute drive out west. Both are worth the trip if a proper thali-style spread is what you’re after.

• Kerala Restaurant – heritage banana leaf, old downtown; typically a daytime kitchen, so go for lunch — check current hours.
• The Banana Leaf Kitchen – modern South Indian, Eco Botani; consistently one of JB’s highest-rated & usually open till around 10pm.

Which curry fish head is worth the queue?

JB’s signature curry dish is fish head curry, and two names come up again and again. Kam Long Ah Zai 📍 Map on Jalan Wong Ah Fook — roughly a five-minute walk from JB City Square and a short ride from KSL — has served one dish since the 1980s: a claypot of red snapper in a sweet-spicy-savoury broth that Eatbook, Miss Tam Chiak and Johor Kaki all rate highly. It draws long queues, so go early. Prefer to skip the wait? Century Curry Fish Head 📍 Map (stall #54 at Cedar Point Food Centre in Taman Century, walkable from KSL) is the reviewers’ pick for a well-balanced, less oily gravy without the crush — a claypot best shared over white rice. Both are Chinese-style curry fish head rather than Indian, but they’re the dish JB is famous for.

What about roti canai and late-night mamak?

For flaky roti canai with runny curry, JB’s mamak and Indian-Muslim shops deliver. SETHLUI’s JB roti canai guide singles out longtime favourites like Onn Kitchen 📍 Map in Kampung Bahru (a decades-old breakfast institution that sells out early) and Restoran Ameer 📍 Map, often dubbed one of JB’s legendary roti canai spots. Closer to the city centre, the mamak stalls around Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Taman Sentosa keep frying roti and pulling teh tarik late into the night — handy after a Causeway crossing. Hours vary and the best ones sell out, so treat roti canai as a morning or supper mission rather than a fixed plan.

How do you get to these from KSL D’Esplanade?

Grab is the easy answer: pickup is simplest at the hotel lobby entrance, and rides within the city are typically short and cheap. Kam Long and the downtown mamak strip are about 10 minutes away; Cedar Point in Taman Century is even closer; the Eco Botani and heritage spots are 15–20 minutes west. If you’d rather walk to dinner, the food courts and restaurants inside KSL City Mall itself cover the basics — see our guide to what’s downstairs at KSL City Mall, and our wider JB food guide for more local eats.

How do I eat banana leaf rice properly?

Your meal arrives on a leaf with rice, vegetables and papadum, and staff will keep topping up curry and sides. Mix rice with a curry, eat with your right hand if you're comfortable, or ask for a spoon. When you finish, folding the leaf toward you is traditionally a sign that the meal was good; folding it away is used for other occasions, so many diners simply follow local cues.

What if I can't handle spicy food?

Ask for a milder curry or less chilli, and order plain rice, dhal or yoghurt to cool things down. Teh tarik or a cold drink also helps. Fish head curry is savoury and rich rather than only hot, so it's a friendly start for many spice-sensitive visitors.

When should I go?

Aim for an early lunch or early dinner to skip the queue, and treat roti canai as a breakfast or supper plan. If you'd like a full breakfast run with local coffee, our kopitiam breakfast guide pairs well with this one.

What are the pros and cons of these spots?

The pros are bold flavour, generous portions and prices that are typically friendly to travellers. The cons are queues at the famous fish head places, and some heritage kitchens keep limited hours. A quick look at current hours on Google Maps, plus an early arrival, solves most of it.

Staying at KSL D’Esplanade puts all of this within reach — drop your bags after a hot shower and you’re at a banana leaf lunch minutes later. See our Studio and 2-bedroom units, then message us on WhatsApp for availability and directions.