I have to put my hands up and say I’m not overly familiar with the Sri Lankan kitchen, writes Nick Mosley.
To be honest, I’m somewhat embarrassed to say I’d put it in the same box as Indian food, however having just returned from a month travelling around the sub-continent I’ve become increasingly aware of how very different the regional cuisines are.
Naturally with Sri Lanka sitting to the south of India, dishes are similar to the food of Tamil Nadu and Kerala however there are clear differences with Sri Lankan food that I’d summarise as being bolder and spicier in flavour, whilst also featuring unique dishes such as hoppers.
Hoppers are somewhat of a revelation and that’s where my Argus colleague Steve and I started our Sri Lankan dining journey at The Coconut Island, a new restaurant on Western Road, Brighton that opened in December.
It’s an attractive bowl shaped pancake made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, crispy at the edge but soft and spongy at the centre. Served with sambol – freshly grated coconut, red chillies, lime juice, onions, and salt – it was a perfect way to kick off our meal.
Of course we dived into the cocktail menu which I think its fair to say is led by tiki-style drinks. Steve went for the punchy Arrack Attack featuring arrack spirit – a traditional Asian spirit of fermented sugar cane and coconut flower sap that has a similar profile to rum – and lifted with citrusy triple sec, lime and ginger. Served in a metal tankard this a man’s man kinda drink.
I’m a huge fan of mezcal – the smoky brother of tequila – although I tend to avoid it as when I drink it I have no ‘off switch’ which tends to end in unplanned mayhem. However – in the interests of professional research – I gave myself a free pass. The Coconut Island’s ‘Rise Up or Spice Up’ is a pokey short drink also featuring triple sec, herbs and chilli. It’s definitely a winner, and one glass rapidly led to another…
The menu is incredibly well designed; easy to read with well-considered explanations of dishes and just quite fun to look at. Dishes range from £7.50 to £15; I’d say you’d want to order around 2-3 dishes per person. Pleasingly there are lots of vegetarian and vegan options alongside seafood, pork, goat and chicken plus pretty much everything on the menu is gluten free as wheat and similar grains aren’t traditionally used in Sri Lankan food.
The Black Pork was my dining partner’s favourite; a very generous portion of spiced melt-in-the-mouth pork with just enough crispiness provided by the fat. If you were popping by for a snack then this dish would be a great accompaniment to a beer or two.
Personally I was torn as to whether the ‘Say Cheese’ or ‘Squids Game’ was my favourite dish as they were both excellent in their own ways. Starting with the former, the paneer maintained structure with that special edge of squeakiness. Coated in a dry-ish spicy tomato sauce it was sweet, sticky and spicy in equal measure.
I absolutely adore squid, although I’ve had more than my fair share of badly cooked rubbery rings. There was none of that here with hearty chunks wrapped in a light polenta batter and caramelised onion dressed with spring onion and sliced red chilli. Utterly delicious and something I’ll be popping back for again very soon. Steve had a similar dish of polenta coated shrimp with garlic, ginger and chilli, with no complaints from that side of the table.
What I discovered I particularly like about Sri Lankan food is that the curries are quite dry. There is more than enough moisture but nothing is swimming in gravy. It makes the cuisine feel more substantial and allows the ingredients to sing their own tune rather than being swamped with generic flavoured sauces.
I can’t fail to mention the dessert: arrack spirit battered plantain with treacle that was set alight before our very eyes. Although sweet, it wasn’t cloying, making a perfect sign off to an impressive meal.
A sure sign of the deliciousness – and generousness – of The Coconut Island’s food, was Steve shovelling the leftovers into takeaway boxes although I’m yet to hear if they were later consumed on the sofa or made it to lunch the next day.
It’s clear from the number of diners on a wet January midweek evening, that despite being less than two months old The Coconut Island has already gained a following. So whilst the tropical sun, sea and sand of Sri Lanka may seem a long way away, you can still enjoy the taste and vibes of the island right here in Brighton.
Nick Mosley
The Coconut Island, 103 Western Road, Brighton BN1 2AA
01273 009 488 • www.thecoconutisland.com
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