Five years after opening in Soho, modern Sri Lankan restaurant Kolamba now has a second London venue. Unlike the first, which is next door to Dishoom on the perpetually thronging-with-crowds Kingly Street, Kolamba East sits on a quiet Shoreditch backstreet. Inside it’s equally calm: a large, warmly-lit warehouse space with sand-coloured furnishings, jazz playing through the speakers, and that pleasing low chatter that invites you to settle down and enjoy the vibe.
Even though mango achchuri makes my eyes water, I can’t stop going back for more
Where the decor has understated nods to Sri Lanka, like palm tree print wallpaper in the loo, the menu is a dizzying showcase of the island nation’s brightest, boldest flavours. I love spice, but if you don’t, I wouldn’t bother booking: most dishes we try are seriously punchy. Take the mango achchuri, an option from the ‘snacks’ portion of the menu: cold slithers of mango soaked in a fiery chilli dressing. Even though it makes my eyes water – maybe because it makes my eyes water – I can’t stop going back for more.
We move onto starters: hot butter soft shell crab (lovely and sweet, but more drowning than swimming in butter) and jackfruit roti (surprisingly plump, served with an energising little cucumber and coriander salad). Sri Lankan cooking uses a lot of dry spice, so you can expect a level of heat that chars the back of your throat – kind of like an illicit cigarette. Lamb shank is a buttery-tender hunk of meat, slow-cooked over 48 hours and soaking up a sauce that manages to be spicy, nutty and slightly minty at the same time.
Between two, we’re told to order around five or six dishes from the menu, which is somewhat confusingly divided into six different sections. Our two dishes from the ‘for the table’ bit – tamarind chicken and sea bream in coconut – lead to a slight overdose of sauce. That’s another thing about Sri Lankan cooking: there’s a lot of rich, heavy sauces, which can sometimes overpower the meat or fish. Thankfully, that’s not the case for the sea bream, which is served in a light, tangy dressing and peels apart in perfect flakes.
Staff are incredibly friendly and attentive, and full of great recommendations – their choice cocktail, the Pol Mezcalita, is a smokey, salty, tangy gift to the tastebuds. To finish, the coconut sorbet is soothingly creamy – not only delicious, but necessary after all that spice.
The vibe A refined, relaxed spot for dinner and drinks in a dimly-lit Shoreditch warehouse space.
The food Vibrant Sri Lankan dishes packing plenty of heat.
The drink Cocktails stacked with south Asian flavours and an extensive wine list.
Time Out tip For a balanced dinner, don’t skimp on sides – the fluffy yellow rice and menu of sambols offer a nice counterbalance to the sauciness of the mains.