If you are a foodie looking for a new culinary adventure, then Sri Lanka’s commercial capital, Colombo is definitely worth visiting! Here are some quintessential dishes you need to try when here.

Kothu Roti| Img by: Thamizhpparithi Maari via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

 

Rice and curry

A staple dish not only in Colombo but the whole of Sri Lanka, rice and curry is a ‘must try’ and is readily available at street side eateries, hotel dining venues and restaurants in Wattala. Spicy curries which one can enjoy feature meats like chicken, fish or beef and a range of veggies.

Seafood (all kinds!)

All manner of seafood dishes can be enjoyed in Colombo. When it comes to street food, “isso vade” a deep fried snack topped with prawns is worth trying. Curried or barbequed seafood is also popular while other variations can be found at various restaurants including those at hotels like Pegasus Reef Hotel which offer shrimp, crab and lobster dishes as well.

Kothu Roti

A dish made from chopped up flatbread and mixed with vegetables, spices and a choice of meats (vegetarian options are available too), kothu roti is a famed street food in Colombo. Watching it being made as two rhythmic blades are used for chopping is part of the fun for first timers!

Hoppers

Think thin pancake, almost shaped like a bowl and with crispy edges; that’s what a hopper looks like! This rice flour based creation is a delight to eat with curry and coconut sambol or chilli paste, while the egg version of it has a fried egg in the middle as well.

 

 

Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+