Makan Makan name can strike as a lighthearted wordplay when you first hear it. This works out to කෑම කෑම in Sinhala. *chuckle*
Regardless of the roots for the name, they are more or less focused on Sri Lankan rice & curry, buth packet sort of deal, along with breakfast things and dinner stuff like kottu. Any place that serves up rice and curry is a place we Lankans are going to drop by, and so we did – very happily.
Food
They have separate menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The lunch menu comes out around 11.00am, while the dinner menu begins around 5 pm. We tried their lunch items.
We got their Chicken Rice & Curry (Rs. 200). What we noticed immediately was the authentic feeling that the rice and curry give off. Carrying a pleasant aroma, this plateful of rice and curries looked inviting too.
The pol sambol really hit the spot with its savoury notes. There was a hefty chicken piece which would have done better with a bit more seasoning and heat. All the elements in the rice and curry went very well together and very soon, we were looking at an empty plate while feeling quite full.
The Chicken Fried Rice (Rs. 280) was okay at best. It was a tad stickier than we’d have liked and didn’t carry a lot of seasoning. The chop suey felt like a bland mix of potatoes, leeks and bok choi with a bit of gravy.
We got a decent sized chicken piece which seemed to be bathing in a chilli sauce. It wasn't very spicy, but had a tiny tangy kick, which was good. The chilli paste had a dried shrimp flavour mixed with sweetness and plenty of spiciness coming through. It was the flavour star here. But all in all, considering the portion size and the overall flavour, we weren’t impressed at the end.
Serving and Ambience
The lady serving at the counter was quite prompt and welcoming. She was quick to accommodate us when we decided to dine in. It isn't the finest place to have a meal, but it can hold about 8 people at a time.
While you can dine at the place if you have to, as we feel, taking away is the better option. The dining area here isn't the most flattering one, with a couple of tables, chairs and a leaking roof.
Conclusion
Makan Makan does tasty rice & curry with a limited number of curries to choose from. If you are around Nawala looking for a place to grab a decent buth packet, they can serve as a good option.
