Food
The menu here includes the Sri Lankan street food staples like fried rice and kottu, but also other different rice-centred specialities like Nasi goreng, Mongolian rice and the usual Rice & Curry. From the limited number of items they had on the menu, we opted for a Chicken Kottu (Rs. 350) and a Melani Special Fried Rice (Rs. 800).
A pile of finely chopped roti tossed in with bits of leeks, spring onions and carrots, the Chicken Kottu was served with a deep-fried full chicken leg and a small helping of store-bought chilli paste.
With a sprinkle of chilli flakes at play, it had a wave of spiciness kicking through, but we found the whole thing a bit dry for our liking. Nonetheless, the chicken hodi (gravy) they serve on the side helped to ease it up. Plus, two can easily fill up on this single-serve portion.
This is only a half of the Melani Special Fried Rice, and even that is sharable between two. We spotted quite a bit of prawns, cuttlefish and chicken in the fray alongside thinly sliced carrots and spring onions. Both prawns and cuttlefish had a light batter around them, while the pieces of chicken were fried. We cannot promise that each bite of this would be packed with seafood/meat, but the giant omelette makes up for it.
Fluffy and not oily, the rice didn't have a lot of seasoning to it, but the chilli paste, chop suey and the gravy they serve alongside this can be added for the extra flavour. All in all, it's your generic Pilawoos-style fried rice, but without flavour enhancers.
Ambience & Service
The busy Galle Road runs right next to Melani Fine Food, so you might have to experience a bit of noise here, as the seating space is located outdoors. It's quite clean, from both inside and outside, has a glass showcase featuring all the rice and curries of the day, and they seem to get a lot of takeaway orders.
Pleasant and quick, the lady behind the counter was quite helpful with our order.
Conclusion
If you're passing by and in need of a meal that can fill you up to the brim without having to spend too much, Melani Fine Food is a good option. Their portions are made for sharing, so make sure to take someone with you.
