Lankan Tucker

Sri Lankan food is more than just rice and curry. Lankan Tucker founders Nerissa Jayasingha and Hiran Kroon want to prove this with their contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine – from classic string hoppers to less-familiar biryani-stuffed burritos. The business (and life) partners started out slinging Sri Lankan fare at festivals and markets. They later launched a lunch delivery service before opening Lankan Tucker in 2016.

Today, you’ll find the eatery in a cosy spot lined with lush Boston ferns. A burgundy-tiled wall will catch your eye first, followed by a display of Sri Lankan artefacts, including artwork and tourism books passed down from the pair’s families. (Jayasingha’s aunt and uncle used to run now-closed Curry Bowl in the CBD).

Fans come back for its kotthu roti, Sri Lanka’s answer to the late-night kebab, a stir-fried mix of chopped roti with curry, shredded vegetables, egg, onion and chilli. Other fan favourites include the Hip Hopper, a spread with two kinds of hoppers, a trio of house-made sambal and coconut milk gravy – the best of Sri Lankan cuisine. Then there’s the staff-meal-turned-menu-staple burrito (with biryani mix, melted cheese and more), and the classic banana leaf thali.

You’ll also find fridges stocked with staples to take away. Standout take-home meals include chicken curry, coconut veggie curry and butter chicken pies. Or, you can whip up your own Sri Lankan fare at home and zhoosh them up with accoutrements like pickled red cabbage, apricot chutney and eggplant pickle to go.