Sri Vihar has been around for many years now, serving South Indian fare. Recently they opened up a branch in Nugegoda, which is quite close to YAMU HQ as well, and we happily trotted over to grab dinner.
Food & Drinks
They have plenty of options for you to choose from, and all of them are vegetarian. You can find an impressive list of rotis, different rice options as well as dessert items and beverages. On the display, we spotted the usual snacks – vadai, samosa and sweets like halwa, and laddu etc.
We paired Paneer Butter Masala (Rs. 440) with Tandoori Paratha (Rs. 130 each) and Garlic Naan (Rs. 150 each).
The Paneer Butter Masala had just enough cubes of paneer which were not too soft or hard, creamy and cooked well, hiding underneath the gravy. The gravy itself was adequately thick and we’d liked it to be a bit spicier. Still, it carried a flavourful blend of seasoning with a bit of sweetness coming through and the whole thing was sharable between two.
The Garlic Naan packed a decent garlicky note coming from the bits of tiny garlic embedded in the naan. Soft, and buttery in texture, we enjoyed mixing them with the masala. We’d have preferred the roti to have a bit of crunch though.
We weren’t the biggest fan of Tandoori Paratha as it lacked the tandoori flavour. Still, it was decently crispy, thick, not too oily and paired well with the butter masala curry.
Sri Vihar Special Mix Rice (Rs. 425) is easily enough for two, not oily and came across as well seasoned. There were cubes of paneer, raisins, carrot and leeks in the mix all adding to a creamy, sweet blend of flavours. You can eat this rice by itself but pairing it with a side dish would make it even better.
On the sweet side of things, we ordered a Gulab Jamun (Rs. 60) and a Mothi Laddu (Rs. 60). We expected the bit more with the Gulab Jamun and it was just small and had a mushier texture than we’d have liked. It coming in a yoghurt cup didn’t impress us either. The laddu was quite alright being sweet, creamy, crumbly and not so moist.
For our drinks, we got an Orange Drink (Rs. 180) and a Strawberry Milkshake (Rs. 180).
Orange Juice on left, Strawberry Milkshake on right
The orange drink seemed like it came from sweet orange than your typical tarty oranges. It was a bit watered down, and aside from that, we had no complaints.
The strawberry milkshake was quite delicious and tasted more like a mix of milk and yoghurt for some reason. It packed good amount of typical strawberry syrup flavour and was decently thick while being sweet enough with a hint of sourness. Albeit weird, it was one of the better strawberry milkshakes we’ve tried.
Ambience and Service
The place has comfortable seating to hold a crowd, we think easily upwards of 40 people. As we gathered they have seating upstairs as well. The place is well lit, clean and you can enjoy your food in peace.
We got our menus right away, and our food came to us without a delay. They were polite, and checked back with us a couple of times to see whether we needed anything more.
Conclusion
If you are in the area, Sri Vihar is a decent option to grab good South Indian fare. They can polish up a bit here and there when it comes to flavours but considering the prices, we can recommend them, especially if you are a hungry crowd.