5 Great Street Food You Need to Try in Colombo – The Flavours of Sri Lanka

If you're staying at a luxury hotel Colombo has to offer such as the Cinnamon Grand Colombo, you're only a few minutes away from the busy Galle Road. All along here you'll find multiple restaurants that'll serve up hot string hoppers! Seen as a popular breakfast item, string hoppers are steamed rice noodles that are moulded into flat spirals. Traditionally, these are served up with dhal or coconut sambal, but you can mix it up and enjoy the dish with a variety of curries and sauces.

If you're waiting to catch a train or hanging around a bus station, chances are you'll find a samosa vendor hanging around – so be sure to score yourself a few of these fried treats. Samosas are a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine and favourite street food for people from all walks of life. Samosas are made by frying up flatbread that's been stuffed with a variety of vegetables and spices and are often served alongside a curry or sambal. These tasty bites are available all-around Sri Lanka and are quite cheap too – be warned, however, a proper samosa can be quite spicy and your taste buds could be in for a fiery spell.

Kottu roti is undoubtedly Sri Lanka's most popular street food. The dish is made up of chopped godhamba roti that gets mixed in with a combination of eggs, meats and spices. There's quite the selection of flavours to choose from when selecting a kottu for yourself and they are often blessed with a soft and creamy texture. Most street restaurants in Colombo serve up this scrumptious dish, so be sure to try it out.

If you want to start your day out right here in Sri Lanka, be sure to try out some egg hoppers. Now, regular hoppers are quite a treat by themselves – they are made with pancake batter and coconut milk. However, once you toss a fried egg into the mix as well, you got yourself a mighty fine dish. Hoppers can be found all over the country, however, Colombo offers some of the best restaurants in which to try them out.

If you're planning to relax by the beach – perhaps at a location like Mount Lavinia – you'll surely want some delicious Sri Lankan seafood to accompany you. Indeed, few things can beat biting into a succulent lobster as you're caressed by the warm sea breeze and are treated to the picturesque sight of the Indian Ocean in the distance. Sri Lanka's coastal water harbour quite the bounty, and in restaurants around the coast you'll find an array of options to choose from. These range from juicy king prawns and delectable crabs to tantalizing fish dishes starring butterfish and snapper. All of these come drenched in signature Sri Lankan sauces and spices for that inimitable island touch.