Lankan Cafe @ Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Lankan Cafe is a Sri Lankan Restaurant that has recently opened up in Petaling Garden, Petaling Jaya. If I am not mistaken, they had started some time in December 2016 and business seems to have picked up over the months. Well, there are not many Sri Lankan restaurants around and for Ceylon Tamil's like me, this definitely would seem like a boon. I had not heard about this restaurant until last month and having heard of such a place, I was very eager to visit them. Well, for someone who dines out most of the time, this sort of place is like home cooked food and having not had such kind of food for some time now, that itself contributed to my eagerness to visit. 

The Cafe Located On The First Floow

Entrance To The Cafe

Opening Hours

Trendy Design

Lovely Ambience

Fantastic Service

This cafe is located on the first floor, not too far away from the 7 Eleven that's located along Jalan 5/59. During weekdays, parking can be an issue but if you're okay to park near the houses, then it should not be a problem. We were here at around 5 pm and the place was packed with customers. Apparently, there was also a section that was closed off for a private function. I also heard from a friend that this was also the case the week before. Even today, many customers had to return solely because the place was running full house. So, if you're planning to come over, best to make prior reservations. The cafe was chic and trendy, the ambience was lovely and the service was amazing. Staffs were literally running around attending to customers. The owners were also very friendly and were seen striking conversations with customers. From what I had witnessed this evening, it is evident that there are many Sri Lankan Tamils like me who miss these food and hence, not surprised to see the reception that the restaurant had been getting from the public. 

I would say that their menu is quite comprehensive. Not too many items but sufficient and they were very reasonably priced. Comparing these with Aliya's, I would say that these guy's nailed it price wise. No wonder they have been getting such overwhelming response from the public. This is definitely a restaurant that one could patronise on a day to day basis, that's how reasonable the prices were. 

Mango Juice @ RM 6.90

Sukku Malli Coffee @ RM 6.90

My brother had the Mango Juice which was priced at RM 6.90 . For such a tall glass, I would say that it was very worth it. Taste wise, it was decent and I'd give it a 8/10 . Their Sukku Malli Coffee was above average only. I still vividly remember the Sukku Malli Coffee that I had at a road side stall in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu and this was nowhere close to that. They could have added more spices and that would have made it better. As for their Sukku Malli Cofffee, I would rate it at 7/10. 

Mutton Rolls @ RM 10.90

The Fillings

One of the starters that we tried was their Mutton Rolls and this was priced at RM 10.90 for three pieces. The outer layer was amazingly soft and tasty but when it came to the filling, I felt that it could have been better. In fact, ground mutton was quite scarce and I could hardly get that taste. Based on my taste buds, I'd give this 7/10. 

Egg Appam @ RM 8.00 Per Set Of 2

Paal Appam @ RM 8.00 Per Set of 2

They had two varieties of Appam, Pal Appam and Egg Appam. A set of mixed Appam which was what we had (one of each) was priced at RM 8.00 . I wouldn't complain price wise as the Appam's were really huge. For a small eater, one Appam is good enough to fill the tummy. Their Pal Appam was excellent, in fact it's one of the best Sri Lankan Pal Appams that I have tasted in Malaysia and yes, it's way better than the one that we get in Bangsar. Similarly, their Egg Appam was excellent as well. Both had unique tastes and were so authentic in taste. These definitely deserve nothing less than a perfect 10/10. A must try at this cafe!

Kothu Puttu with Mutton @ RM 11.90

As far as their Kothu Puttu is concerned, they have this dish prepared with various meat varieties and the prices vary accordingly.We tried two versions actually. One is the above one with Mutton and another one with Fish which we did take away. Both were decent and could have been better. The Puttu was a tad too dry and slightly lacked spices. The mutton chunks had some very tiny bones as well and that wasn't a very pleasant experience. Overall, I'd give this a 6/10. 

Kothu Idiyappam with Egg @ RM 7.90

This Kothu Idiyappam was a let down. There were a number of things with it that I was not happy. Firstly, it lacked salt. Secondly, it had a pungent oil smell and taste to it. And finally, I doubt that the spring hoppers were very fresh. Combine all these factors together, it was a below average dish. That was sad because this is one of my favourite dishes and that left me very disappointed. As for this dish, I'd give it 4/10 only. 

Our Bill For The Day

If I am to summarise my dining experience, the Sri Lankan Style Appam's were the best! They were extremely good and hand crafted to perfection. Definitely the best in the Klang Valley. Mutton Rolls were decent, Kothu Puttu was nice, Sukku Malli Coffee was okay but their Kothu Idiyappam was below average. I would definitely come back for their Appams and maybe Kothu Puttu but not the rest. Perhaps, I should come another Sunday and try their Sri Lankan curry varieties instead. Sunday's specifically as they have Sri Lankan Crab Curry available every Sunday. Prices versus portions, I would definitely say that they are cheap. But taste wise, lot's to improve.

Address: No. 388, First Floor, Jalan 5/59, Petaling Garden, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Tuesday to Sunday