the other day i was taken to eat sri lankan food at sekara: a small restaurant near vicoria that smelt heavily of sambol and spice. we had rather substantial starters – a egg hopper each. essentially a batter of rice flour, coconut milk and palm toddy that is cooked in a shape of a shallow bowl with crisped edges. the centre of the hopper is a poached egg and on the side is sambol. the texture of a hopper is a kin to that of a buttermilk pancake but with a slightly sour, yeasty edge. i tore the edges of the hopper to soak up warm liquid yolk and ate it with some sambol.
my entree was a tradition sri lankan dish called kuthu roti (literally chopped flat bread). strips of chopped flat bread are stir-fried with meat, eggs and vegetables. it’s textures are similar to chow-mein, a very substantial version that is. and instead of the salty soy there is just the comfort food edge of bread, vegetables and meats. you could it you wanted to jazz it up with a sambol but there is something quite satisfying about eating it just the way it is. the round the meal of was a strong cup of tea, sweetened with a bit of sugar and mellowed with a little milk.
an imperative for those who have to head back to work...
the only downside of the whole experience: the exceedingly lax service courtesy of a terribly understaffed restaurant.
