This place has no sign and, as far as we know, no name but it serves a pretty tasty rice and curry in Slave Island. Their speciality is baabath (cow or goat stomach) which is, well, a bit of a specialized taste.
The Location
We normally start with the food, but you need to be aware of the location. This is an extremely basic, working class buth kade. It’s clean but super utilitarian.
You have probably gone past it a lot without noticing. It’s the yellow building on the corner there, just before Mews Street, on Malay Street itself.
The Food
Now the food. A basic rice and curry is Rs. 130. If you want with chicken/cuttlefish/baabath/prawn/crab it goes up to about Rs. 220. Note that the availability of stuff changes. On the day we went they had only chicken, cuttlefish and baabath. We had both chicken and baabath, plus dried fish and a Pepsi and ended up paying Rs. 340. These prices actually aren’t cheap by buth kade standards, but they’re certainly not expensive.
That’s the baabath on your right. To be honest, I’ve tried this sort of offal multiple times and I just don’t like it. I find it chewy and the texture just puts me off. Some people just like it (like some people just like durian) so chalk that up to personal preference. In terms of preparation, I can say that the curry it came in was savory and nice.
I got the chicken curry to hedge my bets, but that was honestly all bone. Nice gravy, yes, but very little meat. I’ve had a goat curry here which I really liked but that wasn’t available today.
The vegetable curries on the other hand I loved. Nice dhal, wamabatu and a bit of fresh onion. This place has a quite flavorful base and you could be happy with just that.
As for sides you also get papadum and a very salty dried fish if you want.
This is a very authentic if specialized meal and we recommend it if you like this sort of thing. This is a classic rice and curry and one done in a style that’s actually fading out.
The Service
The service and this sort of place is usually great, and it was. Just some dudes in rolled up sarongs giving you whatever you want. I actually went there and forgot that I had no cash. They let me go to the bank and come back to pay them.
Conclusion
If you like tripe or just a nice Jaffna-style rice and curry, this tiny unnamed place on Malay Street is a good bet. It’s really basic and some of their offerings are an acquired taste, but if you know what you’re getting into it can be a rewarding experience.
