In Tarzana, a glowing red sign reads “Curry Bowl”, as swarms of ignorant cars blissfully pass it by. Another small, unexceptional exterior beaming from the inside edge of a mini mall that echoes countless edges all across the sprawl of our fair city. But this Curry Bowl, I assure you, would be worth stopping the car for. The plain-Jane name masks nothing other than Sri Lankan food. Take a moment to remember the last time you had Sri Lankan food…
…the last time you drank Faluda; a cool, milky drink sweetened with rose water and tasting like a liquid version of a scoop of Mashti Malone’s sorbet…
…the last time you had String Hoppers, Kottu Roti, or a Godamba meal…
Well, if you’re like me, your eyes will light up as a glowing, resounding “never” whispers from your lips. Who on earth knows what Sri Lankan food is? Well, certainly not me, so when my friends Jordan and Vivien introduced me to Curry Bowl with an impulsive dinner invite I dashed home for my camera and awaited the new adventure.
We went upstairs to the odd little dining room equipped with not much more than a wide screen TV and some track lighting and perused the menu with wonder and excitement. A very plain two page menu offering 5-6 main dishes of curries, veggies and breads, stared back at us while downstairs a $9 all you can eat dinner buffet sat illuminated by the heat lamps looking surprisingly tasty - mounds of cooked eggplant so purple they looked black, a hot and creamy mix of something with potatoes and carrots and the odd lamb or chicken curry giving it the appearance of an Ethiopian veggie plate with an Indian twist. As good a deal as it was, curiosity won out and we ordered dishes off the menu with a happy shrug and a whimsical smile not really knowing what to expect.
My foodie friends got the Godamba meals, food envy rising in my veins as cafeteria trays came piled high with pieces of warm, chewy flat bread and two small bowls of deep amber curry and onion sambol. Not sure exactly what makes sambol sambol but it tasted rich, pasty and smooth like caramelized onions simmered with God knows what manner of intricate Indian spice. One of the flat breads revealed itself to be a thicker version of heaven filled with fried egg. The chicken curry I tasted was light, deeply tender and tingled the tongue with complicated, sweet heat.
My Kottu Roti, a hearty blend of egg, vegetables and chopped flat bread looked more like a giant breakfast scramble you’d find at a greasy spoon diner. I eyed Jordan’s pile of bread feeling blue, but after one bite I was well pleased with my order and munched contentedly on the creamy, spiced blend that tasted thick and full of potatoes, even though I’m not sure there were even any in there.
If I knew more about Sri Lanka other then that they have crackin’ good black tea, I’d launch into a full explanation of all the other dishes you could order at Curry Bowl, adding a special note to their authenticity. But the truth is, I enjoyed not having any idea what I was getting into. In between decisions for dinner we bantered over the dessert menu, deciding whether Jaggery Cake or Watalappan seemed a more suitable finish. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday evening, nor a hard choice to make considering the most expensive dessert was a whopping $2.95, with nearly all of them containing some combination of coconut, cashews and palm sugar. Yum.
After ordering dessert, I felt a tad let down as they came out in pre-fridged, Styrofoam dishes. The Jaggery Cake was out of stock so I had a chocolate pudding and biscuit-layered dollop of something. It was ok but not lust inspiring. Plain and not-sweet in that not-sweet way that’s sometimes better then sweet. Jordan’s Watalappan was equally un-photogenic but coated the tongue with a mildly warm and nutty, flan-like coconut custard that kept us slowly carving soft hunks of it away with our cold spoons. On the back of the menu I found something called “Seeni” buns, for less then $1. The waiter seemed to indicate this was a morning item and I left planning my exotic Sri Lankan breakfast for the next time around.
Sri Lanka, who knew!? I can’t wait to continue my education. For a more in depth look at Sri Lankan food and the dishes at Curry Bowl check out this article from Calendar Live.
Happy eating!
Curry Bowl
$
19662 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana
818-609-7683
(average rating: 4 out of 5)
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