2016 Aug 6
INDO Lankan goes to the heart of what subcontinent cuisine is all about. Fresh, vibrant and tasty food that is meant to be shared with family and friends.
It’s little wonder that it has become something of an institution in Seven Hills, having just celebrated its 20th year.
Owner Srikantharaja Ratnam, whose family has owned and run Indo Lankan since 1996, says people come from far and wide to indulge in the “quality and quantity” of the food.
“I have customers coming from areas like Mascot and North Sydney for our dosas,” Mr Ratnam says.
Manager Niroshan Niranjan makes us feel at home. We are served a variety of dishes and condiments, starting with chicken tikka that is fragrant and tender after being cooked in the tandoor oven. The pakoras are small fried snacks made from onion, besan flour, aromatic spices and curry leaf.
The star of the show is the string hopper kothu — meaning “mixed” or “chopped” — a Sri Lankan street food specialty made from fine rice noodles stir fried with vegetables, spices, onions and egg.
Curry lovers can indulge in the full-flavoured butter chicken that works perfectly with either garlic naan or gothamba roti, a traditional flatbread with cascade-like flaky folds. Simply delicious.
The food is neither heavy nor greasy. Healthy options include the dosa and the Indian crepe made without ghee and served with a vegetable sambal.
Wash the food down with a mango lassi, a cooling and simple combination of yoghurt and mango pulp.
Clockwise from main: Chicken tikka and mango lassi, Mamta Batth serves dishes, the string hopper kothu and prawn, pakora.
Pictures: Azal Khan
INDO LANKAN FOOD BAR
● Where: 59-61 Boomerang Place, Seven Hills
● Prices: Takeaway; $1-$20, Dine in; $4.90-$15.90
● Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-9.30am
● Details: 96767602, indolankanfoodbar.com
This article was first published on News Local
