Apsara chefs Janaka and Dhanushka have trained at some of Sri Lanka’s top hotels, and they are serving Tokyo an authentic version of the island nation's beloved traditional cuisine.
The signature dish here is lamprais (¥1,760), a quintessential Sri Lankan soul food. It’s essentially curry and rice wrapped in a banana leaf parcel. In it are ten kinds of curry and a variety of toppings including egg and mackarel croquette, plus a side of basmati rice and crispy papadam (thin deep-fried dough).
The type of curry you’ll get varies depending on the day. The extensive menu offers a hint of what you could get and the curry selection looks very promising, from pork and prawn to cashew nuts and scallops and more. To enjoy lamprais, simply mix everything together just as the locals do. And you'd want to complement your meal with a kiri pani (a yoghurt with kithul treacle palm syrup) to soothe your taste buds.
Apsara is worth a repeat visit, as there's a variety of classic Sri Lankan dishes to try, including rice and curry, hoppers (bowl-like pancakes made from rice flour mixed with coconut milk), and watalappan (a custard pudding made from coconut milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs and a host of spices).