Given the number of budget-priced eateries Consider The Sauce tries, it’s hardly surprising that when it comes to rotis we sometimes get less than we hope for.
Specifically, it’s sometimes plain that the rotis we get are store-bought.
When they’re otherwise – when they’re made fresh and in-house – our delight is all the more.
That’s what we get at Curry Leaves, a newish Sri Lankan restaurant in Sunshine.
The outstanding rotis are just one of several high points of a tremendous meal.
Curry Leaves is a nicely appointed eatery right on Ballarat Road and right next door to a discount grocery outfit.
It’s a pleasant space to be in on a cold night, waiting as the traffic whizzes by.
It’s not often we eat in an establishment that uses real linen serviettes, especially not at the prices we’re about to pay.
We’re told that later in the week and at the weekend, when there’s a buffet available, the place is “packed”.
Early in the week, we’re the only eat-in customers but there’s steady takeaway business coming and going.
There’s much to ponder in the longish menu – what Bennie and I share is just a beginning, we reckon, of our relationship with Curry Leaves.
Our fabulous rotis come as part of the special roti meal ($11.90) that includes two “godamba roti”, one “egg godamba roti”, dal and beef curry.
The rotis really are fabulous – big, not too oily, fluffy and chewy and the perfect foil for the wet dishes.
The dal is simple and delicious – mildly spiced, sweetish.
The curry is quite a bit spicier but the meat itself is very good and tender.
Our other board serving is the string hopper meal deal ($12.90) of string hoppers, beef curry, the same dal and pol (coconut sambol).
The string hoppers are super fresh and dainty and splendid for soaking up the gravy juices.
As instructed, we use our right hands to mix and mop the curry and dal and coconut sambol, doing the best we can based on our greater experience with injera.
We get messy but have an all-round, lip-smacking good time.
As we’d ordered chicken but got beef by mistake, a serve of chicken curry is also brought.
The string hopper meal deal is topped price-wise on the menu only by the banana leaf-wrapped lamprais ($14.90), which we only bypass on account of the listed 30-minute wait.
