A Feast at Kotuwa

S finally got back after traipsing across the two cities on different continents. So we made a date to celebrated his birthday at Kotuwa. It was our first visit to its new location at New Bahru. We were delighted to see a set menu for S$68++ per pax which pretty much covered everything we wanted to eat that night. It doesn't carry the restaurant's signature Sri Lankan mud crab curry, but that's okay. We weren't in the mood for peeling crabs at all. 

This set menu isn't a buffet, but the food portions were sufficient for the four of us. If your metabolic rate is higher and you need more food, then add on some mains and another plate of carbs. We began with easy drinks and two appetizers of rather fun panko-crumbed spiced mutton rolls and crab cutlets. 

There were dallo baduma (crispy calamari tossed with chilli and vegetables), and poricha erachi (beef cheek in tamarind and chilli). The basmati rice arrived just then too. Although this isn't a buffet menu, the kitchen was happy to give us another plate of rice if we needed. Erm... naah, this was enough for us since hoppers were coming along with the curries later.

The sides were delish — pol sambol (fresh shredded coconut with chilli and lime), seeni sambol (spiced caramelized onions with tamarind), and wambatu moju (spiced eggplant pickled in coconut vinegar). The dal that arrived was oddly very little for four persons. It wasn't enough for this table of dal-monsters. The kitchen obliged with a second complimentary bowl.

Then there were the two mains we were looking forward to because of the hoppers. There were Jaffna duck curry and malu baduma of seared jade perch with turmeric leaf curry and pomelo topped with crispy coriander leaves. The plain hoppers were great! Although the second set of two hoppers were a tad burnt. Hurhurhur. It wa a full house for this 6pm seating, and the kitchen was a bit flustered. 

Instead of two cups of coconut sundae for dessert, the kitchen was nice to us and gave us one coconut sundae (salted Kithu caramel, cashew nuts and toasted coconut) and a Wattalappam tart of coconut custard with jaggery, pistachio, candied orange and spices. We rolled out of the restaurant, stuffed, but not to the brim.