So, if you’re in the mood for something spicy yet different, head to the neighbourhood of Bukit Gasing in Petaling Jaya where Lankan Café has been dishing out authentic, lip-smacking Sri Lankan food to its happy diners for years.
For starters, the appam is out of this world. There are three variants, namely appam with egg; appam with brown sugar and coconut milk or appam with plain coconut milk.
Of the three, the brown sugar paal appam is definitely the one that appeals to a wider group, with its fluffy coconut milk centre sweetened with a sprinkling of jaggery.
If you’re planning to go all in with the sugar, order the falooda, which some describe as Sri Lankan ais kacang.
One can see why, given that it largely consists of a sweet syrup topped with vanilla ice-cream, and bits of jelly at the base. It’s definitely a refreshing dessert for a hot Malaysian afternoon, and it complements the spicy, savoury fare here too.
Speaking of spicy, ever tasted spiced coffee? The version here is brewed with ginger, coriander and cardamom which give depth of flavour and a spicy boost to your caffeine fix.
There’s more than coffee and desserts here though, and the strong smell of curry is definitely evidence of that. And out of the kitchen comes a big steaming pot of Sri Lankan Crab Curry, the pride and joy of the establishment as well as a bestseller.
Rich with flavour is one way to describe this seafood curry, and as you break open the crab shells, take your time to breathe in the delightful aroma released. It may be hard work getting all that juicy meat out, but the taste makes the effort worth it.
The name “lamprais” hardly sounds Sri Lankan, and indeed, it’s a Dutch word that literally means ‘a lump of rice’. Shocker.
In any case, Lamprais is essentially the Sri Lankan version of nasi kandar, with saffron rice wrapped in banana leaves, then cooked together with side dishes.
Here at Lankan Café, the Lamprais is cooked to perfection, with a mix of meat curries, a fish cutlet and brinjal mojo. Quite the filling meal altogether.
Another rice dish worth trying out is the Negambo Mix Meat, which sees different types of curries mixed and served together with banana leaf rice. Apparently, this was one way for Sri Lankan households to use leftover curries, by mixing them together before serving with rice.
If that is indeed the case, this is an extraordinarily tasty way of eating leftovers, with the curry-infused rice being a savoury treat in itself.
For something a little lighter but similarly filling, perhaps place an order for some pol roti, or coconut roti. It’s a popular flatbread in Sri Lanka that is enjoyed any time of the day, and here, it’s served with spicy seeni sambol and katta sambol.
Last but certainly not least is the Kiritbath, a traditional Sri Lankan rice dish similar to nasi lemak. And, like with nasi lemak, you simply eat it with lots of sambol.
Speaking to FMT, Lankan Café founder, Teebah Sherweena said that she opened the restaurant partly to help keep her elderly mother occupied in her old age.
“People come here for comfort food,” she said. “It’s just like home. I grew up surrounded by my mum and my aunts, all home cooks, so I grew up eating the comfort food you can find and enjoy here.”
So, if you’re on the hunt for something to remind you of home and hearth, Lankan Café is the place to be!
Lankan Café
388, 1st floor
Jalan 5/59, Bukit Gasing
46000 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Business hours:
8.00am-3.00pm; 5.00pm-10.00pm (weekdays)
8.00am-10.00pm (weekends)
Closed on Mondays
Contact: 03-77722575 / 019-6001474