South Indian - Sri Lankan Cusine

[Ducky]

I asked this question previously on another thread - but we are looking for a good South Indian or Sri Lankan restaurant in the lower mainland.

Something seriously spicy.

Any leads would be much appreciated.

[Sam Salmon]

I wonder if the place on the corner of Kingsway & Clark is still in operation?

Haven't driven by in a while and there was a bad fire in that 'hood last week.

[kontemporary]

There's House of Dosas on Kingsway and.. Knight (?) I believe. The fire was on the other side of the street, so they should still be in business. The food I had there wasn't too bad, and they ask for how spicy you would like your meal. The décor was very minimal and I didn't like the table setup. I'm not familiar with Sri Lankan cuisine, but you can try out this hole-in-the-wall if you wish.

[nwyles]

It is still there. I live a few blocks away. Drive by it all the time but have never been in. Let me know how it is.

Neil

[makanmakan]

there's also chutney villa on broadway between main and quebec....next to congee noodle house. i quite like the food and the homemade chutneys that they offer.

doesn't delhi darbar also offer south indian food? i could be wrong about this...

[Keith Talent]

The Akbar and Jeff-esque named "Dosa Hut" is on Hastings, right across the street from the new Gourmet Warehouse location, which is very similar to the old location, but with less hookers and more crap giftware. Never eaten there, but it may fit the bill, plus I like the name so much that I'd be willing to forgive sins of cuisine.

And House of Dosa's is very good, can't vouch for authenticity as I have no idea what constitues authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Quillon in Richmond is also very good. A Potato Masala dosa could be one of this cities great undiscovered treats.

[Mooshmouse]

We were privileged enough to enjoy outstanding Sri Lankan cuisine almost every weekend, courtesy of our good friends' kitchen. Nothing beats home cooking.

Barring that, you can try Noor Mahal which is located at 4354 Fraser Street; their menu features both South Indian and Sri Lankan fare. Though I've never dined there myself, it does come recommended by our Sinhalese friends.

Here's a link to Cyril's review of Noor Mahal on evevancouver.ca.

[jackandjill]

Let me recommend House of Dosa's. We did take-out, so I can't recommend based on service, but the owner is friendly and seems to care about your experience and there was a steady stream of Sri Lankans and Caucasians enterting (and more importantly, the Sri Lankans leaving while I was paying were saying how excellent their meals were and the owner - staright out of a perfect food scene - would bow and say "by the grace of god we are so busy".

The eggplant curry was like nothing I've ever had. We had takeout, and the owner told us that Dosas don't hold up well to taekout, becoming a mushy mess soon after leaving. I would heartily recommend trying some non-Dosa items, as they were delicious and quite refined for what you might consider a neighborhood joint. The coconut chutney was something else.

[Ducky]

Many thanks for the tips to the Noor Mahal and House of Dosas.

These will be plundered asap.

[SushiCat]

Delhi Darbar and Noor Mahal were highly recommended to me by a vegetarian who had spent a lot of time in Southern India ... if this helps. I did eat at Delhi Darbar once, but ordered the wrong things (e.g. not Southern).

Tell us what you find!

[SBonner]

Sapphire South Asian Fusion restaurant at 216 Abbot Street is run by Sri Lankan chefs. Website www.sapphirecanada.com

Cheers,

Stephen

[Paul B]

Let me recommend House of Dosa's.  We did take-out, so I can't recommend based on service, but the owner is friendly and seems to care about your experience and there was a steady stream of Sri Lankans and Caucasians enterting (and more importantly, the Sri Lankans leaving while I was paying were saying how excellent their meals were and the owner - staright out of a perfect food scene - would bow and say "by the grace of god we are so busy".

The eggplant curry was like nothing I've ever had.  We had takeout, and the owner told us that Dosas don't hold up well to taekout, becoming a mushy mess soon after leaving.  I would heartily recommend trying some non-Dosa items, as they were delicious and quite refined for what you might consider a neighborhood joint.  The coconut chutney was something else.

←

The Dosa Hut on Hastings -- if it's the one across from the Brave House of Bulls -- is not Sri Lanken but south Indian. It's actually not bad, but I think it's shut down.

[Ducky]

For us the high water mark for this kind of food is the "Banana Leaf Apollo" on Race Course Road in Singapore. Does anyone know it? Big bowls of fishhead curries and vindaloos of every description.

We have been hoping to find something similar somewhere in Lotus Land - but have had no success to date

Will let you know how these recommendations compare.