Nawala isn't a bad place for eating out. While you won't get the high end elegance of Colpetty or five star buffet spreads, amidst all the toilet and tile shops exists a pretty decent selection of affordable eateries: Steam Boat, Sovereign German Restaurant, Machan and Crossroads to name, well, most of them – but compare to the grand choice between Pizza Hut, KFC or McDonald's you'd get in Nugegoda.
Crossroads, run by Tasty Caterers, is a good restaurant, albeit highly seasoned (ie, can be very salty). With a funny menu dancing across a variety of cuisines (Thai, Western, Mexican, Italian, Sri Lankan) the food, while not authentic, lives up to the name of its proprietors and actually is quite tasty. As well as affordable. The average dish here costs around Rs. 750 – and the portions are all pretty hefty. We're particularly fond of the chicken fajita (Rs. 750). Unlike the half hearted chicken and veg wraps that are usually passed off for fajitas in this country, the wrap served here is packed to the brim with Mexican flavour. Stuffed full of chicken, kidney beans and cheese, the chicken is prepared chilli con carne style. Very oozy, with lots of chilli powder and tender pieces of meat. Served with a good dollop of sour cream, each bite is messy and delicious.
Veering toward the Italian side of the menu we also tried the spaghetti carbonara (Rs. 700). This is a tricky dish to get right and it's rarely done well in Sri Lanka. Crossroads didn't really come close in terms of authenticity, but still managed to pull off a deliciously cheesy tangle of pasta drowning in cream, parmesan and bacon.
However, as mentioned in the comments, Crossroads food can be a bit salty for some. For the Sri Lankan palate this is sometimes OK, but for some it may be too much.
As with most Tasty outlets, the restaurant includes a section where you can purchase short-eats or lunchtime rice and curry. We've had the Tasty rice before and it's pretty good. The Crossroads restaurant, however, offers more variety than your average Tasty outlet and the venue, while simple, is clean and pleasant enough – dining outside in the evening, however, might offer a more picturesque option. This is good food in Nawala. The chicken fajita, in particular, excellent.
