Ashik is a buth kade down Duplication Road in Bambalapitiya that we frequent. The rice & curry is affordable, ample in portion and consistently tasty.
The Food
With all the eating we do at YAMU, one thing we can’t quite get enough of is rice and curry. However, it can be pretty difficult to find a good r & c, so we’re actually quite lucky to have two good choices in Lantheruma and Ashik. Ashik first started off as a small hole in the wall kind of place that offered white rice and a few sides. However, because of its accessible location their popularity grew very fast. Now you can choose white, red or yellow rice, with both chicken and fish available along with a choice of four veg sides and curries which are generally different each day. They also do a pretty decent Sri Lankan style fried rice. The best part is that they’re affordable at just Rs. 150 for a chicken rice and curry.
I usually go for the yellow rice since it’s not available at most roadside kades, but I’ve tried their white and red rice as well and I’ve never come across a time when it’s been over or undercooked. They use a type of keeri samba which works very well with the curries that are made with coconut milk. They don’t hold back when serving you either so you’ll probably end up getting more rice than you need.
One thing that keeps me going back to Ashik is their chicken. Its not always prepared the same way so some days it’ll be cooked kirata (milkier) and other times it’ll be spicy with a thick curry. Either way they manage a good balance of flavours and seasoning. The best part though is the fact that they never overcook the chicken, which is a huge deal for me. Its always moist and tender so the curry itself binds well to it and holds the flavour.
If you’re a bit fed up of chicken curry they also occasionally have some awesome batter-fried drumlets which I would pick over KFC’s stuff any day of the week. Once again the chicken itself is cooked perfectly, augmented by the crispy batter which is actually very flavoursome with a nice peppery kick to it. If it’s available I get both the curry and the drumlet which brings the total to just Rs. 230.
Another staple is the parippu. The preparation here varies a bit as well with it either being cooked thick or very creamy. Besides that they usually have some sort of sambol or mallung to go along with veges like okra, pumpkin and occasionally jack fruit.
Ambience & Service
Ashik underwent some renovations recently so they now have a small dine-in area with cement seats and tables. We don’t really recommend it for dining in since it’s just on the side of Duplication road.
It’s run by a bunch of dudes who are very friendly and fast. Since everything is already cooked, take-out doesn’t take too long at all. If they feel the piece of chicken is too small they’ll either serve you another or charge you less, which is pretty cool for a small spot.
Conclusion
Ashik is one of my favourite joints for rice & curry in Colombo. They offer a good selection of dishes, one of the best chicken curries you can get at a kade and generally great value for money.
