Lankan Filling Station To Close After “Seven Long, Wild and Glorious Years”

After “seven long, wild and glorious years” on Riley Street, O Tama Carey today announced that her modern Sri Lankan restaurant would be closing imminently.

“In Sri Lanka, one doesn’t say goodbye,” Carey said in a statement. “Instead there is a beautiful phrase which translates to ‘I will go now and come back later’. Saying goodbye is far too final and dramatic which, in this instance, suits me perfectly.”

Lankan Filling Station started as a pop-up and market stalls before it moved to its bricks and mortar digs on Riley Street in 2018. Since then, the teeny kitchen has pumped out punchy sambals and standout crab curries and countless hoppers. There have been guest-chef buriyani nights on Mondays and exceptional lunch specials.

“We have changed, adapted and grown. We lived through Covid and the general chaos that comes with a restaurant. We have dealt with superior suppliers, worked with many talented and lovely people, and served, fed and beveraged so many of you, our excellent customers.”

Carey hasn’t set a date for the final service, but says “perhaps the end of winter”. That’s six weeks left to get in there for that perfect punchy menu, and that curry-leaf-buttered kade paan, the fluffy Sri Lankan “shop bread”.

“Hoppers will still be cooked, lunches and take away will continue, crab curry Sundays may make a reappearance, our curry powders will still be stocked and old favourite dishes will make a comeback.”

Carey’s second cookbook, Lankan Filling, is out on September 30, and she promises this isn’t the end of the road. “[The book] is a continuation of the story. There will be a launch party and book events and from there, who knows? So, you see, LFS will continue but in yet another form.”

Lankan Filling Station’s final service is slated for late winter 2025.

@lankanfillingstation