What A Catch In Negombo.

Living in a beautiful, tropical island blessed with a wealthy stock of seafood is truly something, isn't it? It's not just the opportunity of savouring the fresh seafood at any time of the year – it's also the fact that fisheries in Sri Lanka is growing into a major contributor to our exports too.

The lively fishing town of Negombo is one of the vital components in this. Streets gushed with restaurants serving up absolutely exquisite seafood dishes, it's a heaven to anyone who wishes to bask in the glory of fishy goodness. And these folks are brilliant at making them even more interesting – by pairing them with a gazillion number of spices we have in this spice-land.

So, here are five of the spiciest, and best seafood dishes we've come across during our numerous visits to Negombo over the years.

Spicy Grilled Crab – Sherry Land Restaurant & Pub

Probably not the hippiest place in Negombo stretch, but Sherry Land Restaurant & Pub is a recommended option for seafood and 'make-your-own-cocktails'. Soaked in white sauce and sprinkled with pepper, you can adjust the spiciness of their Grilled Crab according to your flavour preference.

Pepper Prawns – The Claws

One of the recent additions to the Negombo strip, The Claws is all about seafood. The best thing about this place is that you can ask for the freshest fish they have in stock and get it cooked as you like. Whether it be grilled, deep-fried, devilled, battered, hot buttered or simply curried, they will happily accommodate you.

Get this plate of Pepper Prawns for an example. We wanted prawns and we wanted it peppered, so voila – the Pepper Prawns! Teamed up with chunks of capsicum, and onions as well as French fries and salad on the side, these prawns were packed with a potent spicy punch drawn from the thick pepper sauce.

Devilled Tuna – Sana's Beach Guest House & Restaurant

Ah, the serving grace of our meal at Sana's – the Devilled Tuna. Doused in a sweet, sour and absolutely spicy sauce, it featured around 8 – 10 cubes of well-cooked tuna riding alongside with pieces of onions and capsicum. The sauce did a wonderful job enhancing the rich fishy flavours, instead of holding it back. back. Oh, and a sip from a chilled Coke would be just the perfect addition for this dish!

Grilled Seafood Platter – Papou's Restaurant

Known as a spot to grab a fancy meal without leaving a dent in your wallet, Papou's Restaurant's take on Grilled Seafood Platter puts all the meat platters in Negombo to shame. Okay, okay, we're sort of exaggerating it, but how can you not?

Perfectly grilled and generously rubbed with a spicy-as-heck mixture of green chillies, red chillies, onions and chilli flakes, this one is heavily ladened with tuna, red snapper, lobster, crab, cuttlefish, and prawns. You also get a portion of fried rice, freshly cut veggies, French fries and garlic butter for extra flavour. Going solo won't do any good if you want to conquer this beast of a platter, so take at least one more person with you.

Hot Butter Cuttlefish – You & Me Fresh Seafood Restaurant

One of Sri Lanka's glorious seafood nibbles, it's hard to believe that one would hate a piping hot plate of Hot Butter Cuttlefish. You & Me Fresh Seafood Restaurant whips up a hella spicy version of this classic Lankan-Chinese delicacy and it goes well with just about anything. Perfectly crispy, pleasantly chewy and not oily, the pieces of cuttlefish were beautifully golden-fried and smothered with bell pepper, chilli flakes and paprika. paprika. Wanna enhance the flavour more? Go for an ice-cold Coca-Cola and enjoy the
beautiful flavours just burst in your mouth!