The author of Jayaflava shares her fave spots
I’ve always considered myself part Londoner and part islander. I moved to this city 20 years ago (gah I’m old) and back then you were very limited in what you could get in terms of authentic Sri Lankan food in the city. If you travelled to Wembley and to Tooting, you were able to get Sri Lankan and South Indian combo restaurants but in the last nine years, this concept has been flipped on its head. I myself have authored a Sri Lankan cookbook called Jayaflava and it’s based on the island’s multicultural and traditional Lankan dishes and so I was tasked with talking about my favourite places to eat Sri Lankan food in the city!
My judgement of what makes a dish authentic is based on a few criteria: how close is this to the food I eat at home, are these dishes available in street cafes across different regions of the country, and how healthy does this feel? Our food is based on Ayurvedic practice, so it should always be gut and body healthy if eaten on a daily basis. Although heavily spiced, I’ve always found Sri Lankan food fresh, vibrant and fairly light because of the excessive use of coconut in everything. It’s also important to note that our meals tend to be naturally vegan and gluten-free in most cases!
Jaffna House
This place is on most people’s list but after the pandemic it’s had a completely new look and I’m here for it. I love the kitsch interiors, especially the hand painted wall murals, which are extremely reminiscent of Sri Lankan culture. They no longer have two sections, it’s all one well lit space. The staff are great, as they always are, very knowledgeable about their menus! In terms of the food, there is a lot to talk about. What topped my list was the rasam (but drinking cumin and pepper water may not be everyone’s cup of tea!) They also do a superb mutton curry. But I would travel here for their red rice string hoppers and brilliant pol sambol (which on their menu is the red sambol). It’s fantastic, I would go as far as saying the best pol sambol in the city. The turmeric gravy (kiri hodi) needs a bit of work but comes as a part of the string hopper portion. For London, it’s cheap as chips considering the quality!
90 Tooting High St, London, SW17 0RN
jaffna-house.co.uk
Gana
An oldie but a goodie. Cold Lion beer, solid red rice hoppers and delish kottu. Walk in, it’s a pretty basic interior but they always have a TV blasting out some South Indian television channel and this just adds to the atmosphere. I love this place because I do think this is a pretty great Sri Lankan meal for a very decent price. They have great shorteats like mutton rolls and cutlets. Try the fried seafood pittu if you want something truly north Sri Lankan! I can’t stress enough, a very authentic Tamil hopper usually is made from fermented red rice and this hopper is really good. I love a milk hopper, so that paired with a spicy chicken or meat curry is definitely worth a journey to Wembley.
24 Ealing Rd, Wembley HA0 4TL
ganacafe.com
Hoppers
What a classic. I love Hoppers. I always go there on my own and of the three my favourite is King’s Cross. You cannot beat the fantastic atmosphere and beautiful interiors. The team there have really immersed themselves in our architecture because the King’s Cross location is based on a famous hotel called Jetwing Lighthouse designed by Geoffrey Bawa (Lanka’s OG architect). My favourite dish here is the lamb shank biriyani. What a dish – simply incomparable to any other restaurant in the city. The sea bream is also a knockout! But the best dish by far for me is the bone marrow varuval – exquisitely cooked fatty, spicy bone marrow dripping in an amazing broth. I always ask for mine with a hopper. Class.
Unit 3, 4 Pancras Sq, London N1C 4AG
hopperslondon.com
Paradise
I have yet to sample their new tasting menu but so many of my friends are talking about it. What Paradise does very well is use Sri Lankan spices and flavours in an extremely inventive way. So if you are looking for traditional Sri Lankan fare, maybe head elsewhere but if you want to try inventive, spice forward dishes this is your dining experience. In the past I absolutely adored their hopper but now it’s been replaced by a mini quail hopper that looks super interesting.
61 Rupert Street, London W1D 7PW
paradisesoho.com
Rambutan
A fantastic location at Borough Market, I love what the team have done here. They have a great take on Sri Lankan food, embracing all the flavours but giving it their unique twist. I really enjoyed their chicken pongal rice and their crab kotthu is raved about by all my Lankan friends. It’s one of the only places in the city where you can get gundu dosa and samba rice. I love their twist on dishes like the hot butter squid bun and the muscat grape pachadi. Additionally they have a great selection of drinks. A must visit on any Sri Lankan food adventure!
10 Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AD
@rambutan_ldn
For more Lankan tips, follow Tasha on on Instagram
Stay in the loop…
Sign up to our drops & get us in your inbox.
We’ll be in your inbox every Wednesday at 11:30am.
Put the kettle on!
