Rice & Curry: the one dish we Sri Lankans can't go without. Just the prospect of having a mound of perfectly fluffy, steaming white rice with the red polos gravy creeping its way through the grains of rice, mixing with the dhal and meat, ahh, heavenly.
What could make it even better, you ask? Being served on a Nelum Kole!
Here is a list of places from us at YAMU where you can have some quality rice & curry accompanied by the Lotus Leaf.
Nelum Kole
The food is served on a lotus leaf (hence the name) and offered to you in a woven basket. Ideal for takeaway, Nelum Kole serves up pork, chicken and fish options, along with an array of greens and vegetables. For a little over Rs. 200, you can grab a full or half plate of red or white rice, with a meat of your choice, and choose what else goes on your plate as the server runs through the options with you.
Lunu Mirisa
A massive portion of rice for just above Rs. 200, the Lunu Mirisa possesses that edge that will want to make you come here for food again. A vast range of delicious curries to choose from, they stay true to their name, and make certain we feel that extra spice, perfect for the Sri Lankan palate.
Kaala Balan – Maha Gedara
Nicely presented in clay pots, Kaala Balan – Maha Gedara offers a wide range of freshly cooked, good rice and curry with a super Sri Lankan touch. You can pick five curries to go with your plateful of rice (white/red), and that includes a protein of your preference as well. They serve them on nelum kola placed on a pun watti.
Jaadi Samaga Game Kaema
The rice and curry spread here, along with an arsenal of enticing curries, is offered in buffet-style. You get to pick the type of rice, protein and four other curries of your choice, along with an unlimited supply of papadams and dry chillies, two of our most loved bites to go with rice. As the name implies, they also serve up jaadi (salted fish curry)!
Ranbath
One of the most organized and tidiest places we've been to, Ranbath certainly makes certain their customers get nothing but the best. They present their spread in massive clay pots and serve them on nelum kola (lotus leaves), placed on a clay plate, and each curry has been perfected to optimum deliciousness!
Herali Restaurant
A neat little spot tucked away at Perehara Mawatha, Herali Restaurant specialises at their nelum kole buth. They have quite a spread – all of them are neatly displayed in huge clay pots. As for rice, you can get either white, red, and ghee rice with your choice of protein from pork, chicken, fish, prawns and eggs, and you get to pick four veg-curries to pair with your choices.
1979 Coco Hut
1979 Coco Hut is the rice & curry counterpart of 1979 Restaurant. They've got a nice space right next to 1979 premises, with a superb gami vibe to it, and the stuff they've got are value for money too. Specialising in rice and curry, you can certainly expect the food to be absolutely enthralling!
Thawalama
Mud-baked walls, a thatched roof; the Thawalama is intent on providing their customers with an all Sri Lankan experience, and the food is as delicioud as it can get! A plethora of varieties to choose from, the fact that they serve it in a Nelum Kole only makes it more enticing!
What are your picks? Let us know in the comments below!
