Joanna James
International favourites with a local twist definitely add to the excitement of Sri Lankan cuisine. Get ready to dive into fusion creations from the island that is as hearty as they are delicious.
Sri Lankan Chinese fusion is highly popular within restaurant culture. There is always traditional Chinese or Chinese-inspired local dishes available on the menu and restaurants dedicated to Chinese cuisine usually deliver well in terms of flavour and authenticity. You can savour sweet and sour prawns made to perfection with a spicy kick of chilli that gives it that local touch. The hot butter cuttlefish is possibly the most-loved Chinese fusion dish around, always a popular pick anytime a hungry group of friends get together.
This celebrated Italian favourite which is a staple of the locals there has become somewhat of a trend here in the island and can be found in various bistros, food courts and restaurants. Whether you're visiting a gastronomical hotspot or enjoying a meal at The Blue Water Wadduwa, the tropical breeze will cool you off as you indulge in the aroma of "hot hot" freshly-made pasta, each mouthful unapologetically packed with succulent flavours from the East and West. Among the array of delicious pasta dishes you can find is the Pasta Koththu which, like most fusion pasta here in Sri Lanka, is infused with just a dash of spice for extra heat.
These baked goodies aren't your usual cream and sugary paradise but rather they open you up to another kind of bliss with bold flavours and spices taken from the fresh sources. Pumpkin is a very useful and important ingredient in Sri Lankan cooking and makes excellent dishes like wattaka kalu pol curry but it can also make a yummy pumpkin "tart" using choice herbs, chopped veggies and guava. When in the season, rambutans are the perfect fruit to cool you down in the sweltering heat and they can also provide the secret ingredient of sweet delightful desserts you wish to try in the kitchen like exotic muffins made with mangosteen, kesari powder and chopped cashew.
When it comes to snacks, there's always a local version of your favourite munchies around somewhere (Lankan options from popular franchise shops not included); just simple good-old-fashioned creativity that comes from a deep love for food and the people it caters to. You'd be surprised at what locals could get up to in their mission to localise standard snack foods and breadfruit fries is just one of them!
There are quite a few Japanese restaurants around Sri Lanka and they have an amazing choice of incredible food options ranging from authentic Japanese to fusion cuisine that screams to our local palate for another bite like tenkasu crab with wasabi mayo and of course the crunchy salmon sushi with chilli mayo. Japanese fusion cuisine is likely to please most local taste buds but it is hard to say that it would turn away travellers looking for a splash of heat themselves.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
