Sri Lankan

Mount Lavinia is a city outside Colombo famed for its Golden Mile of beaches. There are a lot of beachfront restaurants over there – the sun, the surf, the sand all around you while you dig in to some fresh fish caught straight from the ocean.

I’m telling you, the waves in Sri Lanka are awesome! It’s an island surrounded by the ocean so the impressive surf is like nothing else. The sea spray alone is enough to whet the appetite.

I went to this place called Boat Hous Café. It was decimated by the tsunami several years ago and rebuilt from scratch.

I ordered Hadella which is sprats…

…and some kind of butterfish that the proprietor recommended. It’s served with a side of salad and plenty of spices on the fish.

The meal was topped off with some Sri Lankan fried rice. The food here is cheap, inclusive of beers (5 x large local lagers) it came up to LKR 2,700 (about USD 27 or RM 90).

I was amazed by the freshness of the fish. The sprats were deep fried and served with some kick ass chillies and the butterfish is tender and succulent. I noticed that the people over here love their red onions – it comes as a side dish, spiced with pepper and makes an awesome condiment for the fried rice.

Dig in!

(and ignore the Naval base with armed military by the beach – it’s a common sight in Sri Lanka)

Hotels are not actually places of accommodation in Sri Lanka. The word “hotel” means curry house, much like a mamak in Malaysia.

I’m not sure why it’s called a hotel either but it’s a good place for cheap eats and decent food.

Hotels are scattered throughout much of Colombo and I’ve eaten at several during my short time here. I prefer the small establishments where the locals go.

Most of the locals here order “short eats” – samosas and other deep fried savory rolls during odd hours of the day but the staple food for lunch is:

Rice! It comes in a mound with several sides of curry, pickles and dhall. You are charged by how much you eat and the rice is infinitely refillable (as is the condiments).

To truly appreciate the Sri Lankan culture, it is essential that you eat with your hands. It doesn’t take long to master – just use the tips of your fingers to get to the rice.

However, I must warn you that hotels in Sri Lanka do not believe in serviettes, probably due to the cost. Instead, you have a piece of old newspaper to wipe your hands with.

It’s surprisingly effective – newspaper dries your hand and rubs off most of the olfactory offence you have rendered upon it.

You know the best thing about hotels in Sri Lanka? The rice dish cost me LKR 50 which is about USD 0.50 or RM 1.70. It’s very easy on the wallet! 🙂

I must warn people without a cast iron stomach not to drink the water though. It’s not boiled. I saw them filling it at the tap. >.<

Posted: 8:34 PM Sri Lankan time