Irrepressibly iridescent, you could say that Kotuwa's clashing colours and lively, casual vibe epitomise new wave subcontinent brasserie thinking, but Kotuwa has its very own story to tell. Focusing on traditional Sri Lankan cuisine and named after Colombo's central business district, Kotuwa points customers in the direction of ancient landmarks built by Sinhalese kings and the Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers that have influenced the country’s history, culture and cuisine.
The food is rich in colour and flavour, too. Take chicken curry, lamb curry or crispy pork belly with black pepper kithul or make a spash with seabass yellow curry, crispy fired calamari or stir-fried prawns with ginger, green chilli and tomatoes. Nicely done vegetables might include stir-fried beetroot in cumin, green chilli and mustard, butternut squash or mustard-flavoured dahl. Desserts might be watalappam tart with jaggery, pistachio, candied orange and spices or a rich chocolate biscuit pudding made with Valrhona chocolate. Close your eyes, and let the Indian subcontinent wash over you.