LakFood

MALDIVES 🇲🇻
SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

Through enough contact with Sri Lankan cuisines, and sometimes those of southern Indian states, a crucial ingredient always seems to be Maldive fish. Without doing the proper preparations, one might wander in and look for this over ice or in the freezer, but recently it was stumbled upon on the shelves of a Sri Lankan grocery store just off of Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens a bit beyond the final stop of the F train.

This is its natural state, for tradition dictates that the flesh of the fish, in this case skipjack tuna, is smoked and dried by the sun before being cut into small pieces. This manner of preparation allows the small pieces to retain a very long shelf life and was used long before there was electricity.

The "chips" actually come out of the jar looking like small wood chips (below), and are certainly not meant for satisfying a late night snack crave. In the cuisines of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the Maldive fish is used similarly to how dried shrimp paste is used from Myanmar to Malaysia, as a concentrated base of taste. A typical purchase (somewhere near the Indian Ocean, but not in Queens) would usually be a large filet that has been smoked and sun dried whole, taken home like a piece of wood, and then broken apart as needed in the kitchen.

In addition to these, LakFood stocks an array of other ingredients necessary for any Sri Lankan kitchen, as well as some homemade foods brought in on weekends. Since this visit took place on a Saturday, a case full fried fish and vegetable cutlets (rolls) were inviting, as well as the onion (seeni sambol) or fish filled triangular buns (below).

Inside the seeni sambol bun.

In front of this case were single portions of lamprais, string hoppers, and chicken curry, all made in the same home and only available on Saturday and Sunday.

A roam through the three aisles here is also fun, many dried goods share the shelves with bottles of liquids and the refrigerators are full of plenty to explore. The spicy cocktail snack below was delicious, full of what you might expect from looking at it, but also with chewy sweet raisins to counteract the good heat it brings.

The only disappointment of the day.

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JAMAICA Queens
88-01 182nd Place

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Randiwa

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

Do you remember the original San Rasa down on Bay Street in Tompkinsville? The spot that is now a Senegalese restaurant? Before it briefly moved up the hill in St. George, it was cooking pretty wonderful foods and even had a lovely beer garden of all things! Close to the ferry, it was like heaven on earth Staten Island. When it moved, it changed hands and the location just was not as nice, closing its doors after a short time.

The chef/owner of that original San Rasa is back here much further west on the island in Bulls Head, conveniently right off a Staten Island Expressway exit. Open since the end of 2016, fortunes finally aligned to have a meal here and it was a true regret to have waited so long. He seems just as talented as ever, although unfortunately there was no replication of the beer garden.

The awning proclaims "Sri Lankan & Indian Cuisine" but I do not remember seeing the latter, this may be a ploy to attract some of the less adventurous islanders. Quite a thorough portion of the Sinhalese side of Sri Lanka is presented on the menu here, many return visits could reward new dishes and flavors.

In the mood for the black lamb curry, an order of hoppers ($15, above) was placed with it. You can also order curries on their own with sides of basmati rice, but hoppers are more representative of how you might eat it in Sri Lanka. An order comes with five, one of which has an egg cooked inside, perfectly runny when punctured. Tear off pieces of the delicate "bowls" and scoop chunks of meat and curry to eat. These are made with fermented rice flour but given a slight sweetness from coconut milk.

It is the curry itself that is "black" and not the lamb, a result of intense roasting of the curry powder and addition of black pepper. The resulting dish may not be completely devoid of color, but it is far from devoid in flavor as well, full of herbs and a nice level of heat if you asked for it that way.

My travels in Sri Lanka were filled with evenings outside eating freshly stir-fried dishes of "devilled" meats, and on this night the memories of those sweat-inducing plates was enough to call for another order. This was one of the easiest ways to find a quick meal, and ubiquitous anywhere south of where the island gets more Tamil.

Most of those plates were delicious, while some were overwhelming with freshly sliced peppers full of seeds. When our server here in Staten Island asked about heat levels, I was sure an order at the top level would not be too bad, not like those back in Sri Lanka that actually felt like they had been possessed by the devil.

While not quite at those levels, the dish was not afraid to bring the heat. As always, this is accompanied by sweetness and a slight tang in all devilled dishes, creating bites that go to all corners of your mouth. It gets served with a nice big side of rice just in case.

Next time here, orders should include biriyani, godamba roti, other curries, kottu roti, and some dishes from the entire of page of "Sri Lankan-Chinese" they offer. Randiwa is offering a comprehensive look at the daily appetites of Sinhalese Sri Lankans.

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BULLS HEAD Staten Island
1405 Richmond Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Sagara Restaurant

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

There is an unfortunately high turnover rate at 98 Victory Boulevard. The short-lived BLVD Café reported about here in late 2015 closed the next year and gave way to Shiranti, which actually may have never opened. Now a bright yellow awning announces the latest restaurant to take on this location, Sagara, which opened four months ago.

A first look at it is optimistic, real care is being taken in the kitchen and the food is going to rival other Staten Island favorites. The $12.99 buffet seemed to be attracting Sinhalese speakers during this weekday afternoon visit. Not much has went into decorating the space other than a coat of pink paint on the walls, but this should come in time if the restaurant is a success.

The Sagara appetizer sampler ($7.50, above) is a good way to get started and was surprising in just how tasty it was. Normally a walk through this area is impossible to do without the purchase of some of these fried bites at New Asha up the hill. This plate was satisfying enough to render that unnecessary, but certainly return visits up to this favorite chef will still be frequent. Especially impressive was the fish cutlet, the long tubular selection. Two chutneys (and an insultingly large portion of ketchup!) are served with the plate, both of which are strong.

The influence of Dutch during their colonial period in Sri Lanka is perhaps most evident in lamprais ($12.99, above and below), adapted from the Dutch word meaning "packet of food." The packet in this case is a carefully constructed spread of banana leaves in which traditionally the whole thing is baked. Nowadays you are more likely to find the leaves added afterwards, but it still provides a fun presentation and reveal when opened.

The dish always consists of rice, at least one meat, and curry. Here at Sagara, the liquid component is light so the rice at the bottom still remains untouched while floating above it are the caramelized onions and meat. Chicken was chosen for this version, a good option and very tender.

Sitting next to the cooler, the brownish-pink tone of a wood apple yogurt drink ($3.99, below) stood out next to the usual mango lassis. When ordered, the cup went to the back and was presumed forgotten, but actually shows up with an added scoop of ice cream, in case the deal was not already sweet enough.

Wood apple is actually a citrus fruit and does have bitterness when found on its own, but this drink is well-sweetened and almost looses that entirely. It is a fun deviation from the mango lassi, but does the same job filling your stomach before the foods come out unfortunately.

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TOMPKINSVILLE Staten Island

98 Victory Blvd

Map of Eat the World NYC:

[CLOSED] Spicy Lanka

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

For the better part of the last decade, a lone outpost for Sri Lankan food in the Jamaica area has lived at this address. Araliya survived a few years before shuttering, at which time new owners took the space over and created Spicy Lanka sometime near the beginning of 2014. It seems to be doing better, even attracting the paper of record back when it opened.

The interior is a bit more cozy than Araliya was, with the walls and ceiling painted light blue to represent the hot airs over the Bay of Bengal. Clouds, banana tree leaves, and birds complete the scene, and had the slim glass door stopped letting in drafts of frigid December air, it may have just worked.

This glass facade creates a nice viewing window of the bustle on Hillside Avenue while dining in the peaceful space. Bollywood videos seem to be the choice for the large flat screen TV, but sports seem to be a theme as well You may catch an important cricket match if the timing is right. A trophy is displayed for a volleyball championship, a sport that is controversially the official national sport of Sri Lanka.

In almost every Sri Lankan review written on these pages, there is reference to the marvelous New Asha in Staten Island, the absolute standard bearer of the cuisine in New York City. Sri Lankan people love their deep fried snacks, sometimes translated as "short eats" in English, and the lovely woman at New Asha makes the best in the city fresh each day.

Not to stir up any controversy, but the fish rolls ($4.95, above) were on par here, expertly fried tubes that were pillowy inside after the thin crisp shell was broken. A chili dipping sauce is unnecessary but comes with the order.

Kothu rotti, the "fast food" of Sri Lanka was on the minds of this table, a stir-fry of roti bread fragments, vegetables, and egg. The chicken kothu ($8.95, below) was ordered "spicy," the top level of three, but surprisingly for a restaurant with the word in its name, was more of a medium. There were some times in Northern Sri Lanka that I remember sweating profusely over a plate of fiery kothu rotti.

Besides that, the dish is excellent and brought back good memories of stopping into the ubiquitous kothu parlors of the island.

The favorite order of the day may have gone to the beef curry ($11.95, below), ordered as a platter and served with basmati rice, dhal, and two delicious vegetable dishes which rotate daily. On this occasion, we had a beet curry and sauteed sweet potatoes. While the dish also was not overly spicy despite being ordered that way, the flavors were complex and the cuts of meat were quite good.

A dish that never is served spicy rounded out the order. While most curries in Sri Lanka are more like their South Asian counterparts, hard boiled egg curry ($5.95, below) comes heavily laden with coconut milk. The overall tastes are subtle, with the curry leaves and turmeric coming through the most.

This curry is known as kiri hodi, and can be eaten in a variety of ways. It is popular as a breakfast dish served with string hoppers. If we lived a little closer, we might be coming back here for all three meals each day.

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JAMAICA Queens

159-23 Hillside Avenue

[CLOSED] Sigiri Staten Island

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

Years ago, a small oddity of a shop appeared in Manhattan's East Village, close to the famous pair of red pepper lit Indian restaurants. Sigiri was non-flashy and gave the promise of Sri Lankan tastes, what usually required a trip out to Staten Island or New Jersey to procure. Now the two friends who created this shop have expanded to those places as well, into the hearts of the Sri Lankan communities of Tompkinsville, Staten Island and Edison, New Jersey. Their foods and attention to detail are recognized by expats and those new to the cuisine. While not new to the country or cuisine, we recently made it out to try the Staten Island branch, which is in the previous home of another Sri Lankan restaurant (which also had a wonderful beer garden).

Like most places touching the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has a history of influences from traders, travelers, and conquerors. Indian, Portuguese, Dutch, and Malay ships headed around these busy waters and left impressions on culture and cuisine. In different parts of the island, one can see different levels of influence even though most menus in New York City offer more of a baseline introduction to the food.

I traveled mostly in the north of the country, where the dishes look and act a bit more like those of Tamil peoples in India. Buddhist Sinhalese populate parts of the north too, and many pan-Sri Lankan favorites make their way onto menus even up in Jaffna.

While there is some coffee production in the highlands of Sri Lanka's interior, I remember only being served poor cups during my stay in the country. For that reason, I was somewhat apprehensive about the Sri Lankan iced coffee ($3.50, below). It was rather iceless, but enjoyable nonetheless, full of earthiness (and condensed milk).

Like other Sri Lankan restaurants in Staten Island, Sigiri also offers a Sunday buffet, full of options for less than $15 per person. We ate on a weekday for lunch and made selections from their quite lengthy menu. While waiting for our meals to come out, I picked up a pamphlet for the Staten Island Youth Cricket Program, which must be popular. In Sri Lanka, there was cricket on television everyday and "pick up" games in every park like we see basketball and football here.

The "devilled specialties" are those dishes prepared in a manner ubiquitous in Sri Lanka that you might expect to be incredibly spicy by the name. In reality there is some spice, but the tastes are also sweet and sometimes sour. We ordered the sizzling mixed seafood special ($20, below) platter, which comes with shrimp, squid, crab, fried fish, bell peppers and onions. With the shell still on, it is also served with crab cracker.

Chicken lamprais ($14, below) is a Dutch Burgher-influenced dish that is always served in the banana leaf that it cooks in. Mixed with meat stocks, curry, and sambal, the rice takes on the flavors of these and other spices.

Since it takes time to prepare, you will usually find this dish at special occasions and family gatherings. Opening the leaf reveals all the contents, which are then mixed and eaten as desired.

There is a lot to explore on the menu here, so taking a group would be beneficial. Trying the buffet also gives the option to sample different curries and plates in small sizes. Either way, this South Asian island's cuisine continues to be well-represented on New York City's south island.

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TOMPKINSVILLE Staten Island

226 Bay Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

[CLOSED] BLVD Café & Juice Bar

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

At the beginning of October, a new Sri Lankan restaurant opened on Victory Blvd, a bit closer to the ferry and down the hill from most other restaurants of the country. From the outside, it would be hard to know anything of its vast Sri Lankan menu, as the awning simply states "Asian & American Restaurant." We did in fact see a man sit down here for a burger and fries, and the "Western" menu has quite a lot to offer, as well as the juice bar in the front.

But the main reason to come here for most will probably be South Asian fare from the small island nation off the coast of India's southern tip. We were full from another incredible meal at favorite New Asha, so on first visit could only sample the desserts. Like a couple other popular Staten Island spots, BLVD Café is offering a Sunday buffet with all you can eat meals and desserts for $12 per person. I will update this post after trying it.

Reason enough to visit here is for a bowl of kiri pani ($4, above), a yogurt dish served with treacle, a boiled down jaggery. There is just enough of this sweet syrupy sauce as to not be too sweet, because the delight is the delicious creamy yogurt.

The most significant of many spices in the watalappam ($6, below), is cardamom. It pervades the coconut custard pudding, a dense cool block with a burnt top skin. The tastes here are not all that sweet, more nutty and milky.

On our brief visit, the place is obviously finding its legs. A flustered male chef comes out of the kitchen and goes to buy things every now and again, while two younger girls that I take to be his daughters run the front with their New York accents. I am not sure if the place will lose one or more of its current ambitions and settle on a distinct theme once they find their niche, but if they do I will hope for their Sri Lankan menu to win out on the rest.

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TOMPKINSVILLE Staten Island

98 Victory Boulevard

[CLOSED] Kottu House

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

[UPDATE: CLOSED]

It is quite a bold, and admirable, move to think you can bring workaday street food from Sri Lanka to an expensive street of the Lower East Side. So far though from the look of things, it might just catch on here, as the place had a pretty steady stream of well-dressed mid-afternoon artsy types. A couple beers are on draft, a couple more bottled and canned, and the place has some stick around appeal.

Kottu is widely available on the south Asian island nation, I often sat down for a quick plate when I did not feel my most adventurous or when I was exceptionally hungry, always satisfied by the hot greasy mound presented. The dish is made up primarily of Sri Lankan roti called gothamba, chopped up (the literal meaning of kottu) and mixed with ingredients. On a Sri Lankan corner, you will be able to pick and choose exactly how much of each ingredient you want, a little more egg, a lot more chili, etc. At a restaurant, like here in the Lower East Side, you get a few options and the house decides the mixture besides giving you the option of mild, medium or spicy.

At those street merchants, the proprietor will fold together a few sheets of the day's paper and plop your feast inside. Here they make a fun reference to this with their wax paper prints of retro shipping/sailing ads. Besides a selection of seven styles of kottu, they also have a brief list of sides including the fish cutlets below. These two balls of salmon, vegetable and spice are deep fried and make up a half-size order given with the lunch special.

It is fun (and essential) to purchase the three sambols they have available here. Generally you would just have these on the cart to add, but at $1 each, it is not such a racket. In the photo below starting from the left, you see minchi (green chili, mint, and coconut),  pol (chili powder, lime, black pepper, and coconut), and lunu (red onion, lime, tomato, chili). The spiciness is easily decoded by the colors.

The small order is not quite as large and filling as at midnight in Colombo, but trying to transplant my mind is almost successful. I do enjoy this little place and want to give it credit. Crispy prawn kottu ($9, below) comes with two whole pieces, and some smaller chopped up meat within a curry mix. For the beginner, the most traditional is probably the classic chicken ($7, above right), which is also the easiest to manipulate with the sambols.

If you have ever been to Sri Lanka, you have enjoyed kottu. Bringing back good memories is now available in the Lower East Side, and even if you have never had the good fortune, now the dish is easily accessible.

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LOWER EAST SIDE Manhattan

250 Broome Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Lakruwana

SRI LANKA 🇱🇰

Formerly in the space that went on to house San Rasa, another Sri Lankan restaurant that has since also moved out, Lakruwana has shifted quite a ways down Bay Street to the Stapleton section of Staten Island. This neighborhood has seen decades of neglect after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was completed in 1964 and shifted business elsewhere. The differences between outside and inside are quite significant when you pass through the doors, as calm and serenity take hold.

On weekends, and now including Friday, most people come here for the all you can eat buffet (shown above) that costs a very economical $12.95 and includes a dessert bar. I overheard vegetarian customers as we ate here who all seemed satisfied, but the buffet also includes many meat dishes, multiple curries, two types of rice, and plenty of crispy papadum.

My plate below shows two curries (pork and pineapple), deviled chicken, and an eggplant dish all morphing into one dark object. Lentils, potatoes, and greens add color, texture, and different tastes to each bite. A normal Sri Lankan plate would have much more rice to accompany the dishes, but I tried not to fill up on it and used my utensils shamefully.

Not pictured is a fantastic thin egg curry that is minty green in color and best suited for laying over a mound of their fine basmathi rice. Other menu items are available, and I was a bit jealous of the big group that ordered a plate of hoppers for their meal.

The mango lassi ($4.95, left) and passion (fruit) juice ($3.95, right) are both a good way to cleanse the palate between bites. The four item dessert bar seemed like one item and three distractions, as the mango mousse here is absolutely fantastic.

I have spent some time in Sri Lanka, and overall the atmosphere and food reminded me of the few times I stayed in a somewhat nice hotel and had access to a buffet meal there. The restaurant is choked full of "traditional" Sri Lankan items you might find in gift shops. While this might sound like a negative, I did not really see it that way, as the hospitality and freshness of everything was quite good, even if each individual dish was not blowing any minds. It will be nice to return on a weekday and try some of their cooked to order Sri Lankan specialties.

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STAPLETON Staten Island

668 Bay Street

Map of Eat the World NYC: