Scarborough quietly has one of the best Sri Lankan food scenes in North America, and most of it happens through takeout windows and tiny kitchens rather than sit-down restaurants. Here is a practical guide to what to order and where the real stuff is.
Start with kottu roti
If you order one thing, make it kottu roti, chopped godamba roti stir-fried on a griddle with egg, vegetables, spice and your choice of meat. It travels well and reheats better than most takeout. One spot I keep going back to is authentic kottu roti in Toronto from a family-run halal kitchen on Passmore Ave.
Biryani is the safe crowd-pleaser
Sri Lankan biryani leans more fragrant than heavy: good basmati, layered spice, tender meat, never under a heat lamp. For a reliable plate I point people to fresh chicken biryani in Scarborough, and for feeding a group, weekend Sri Lankan takeout is the move.
Don't skip the hoppers and dessert
String hoppers are steamed rice-flour nests you eat with curry, comfort food no chain can match. Find proper string hoppers in Scarborough and finish with watalappan in Toronto, the jaggery-and-coconut custard that is basically Sri Lankan creme caramel.
The bottom line
The best Sri Lankan food in the GTA is halal, made to order, and usually cheaper than you expect. Start with kottu and biryani, then work your way through the rice and curry. Scarborough rewards the people who go looking.
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