During Sydney’s lockdown, Manjula Fernando has been forced to temporarily close his Sri Lankan CBD diner Kottoo, while sister restaurant Dish, in Glebe, is open for takeaway for those within five kilometres. But there’s some good news: Sydney residents can now get a wide selection of Fernando’s fuss-free Sri Lankan street food delivered weekly to their door, no matter where they live.
“We are preparing cooked, chilled food so [customers] can store it for future use or freeze [it]. So people can order bulk – enough for a week or a few days,” Fernando tells Broadsheet.
A range of Dish’s menu staples are available to order and can be kept in the fridge or freezer for when you need a quick meal or a Sri Lankan feast. Snacks such as fish rolls and cutlets need to be fried at home, while everything else arrives ready to heat and eat. Aromatic lamb, beef and goat-on-the-bone curries are among the meaty mains. There’s also vegetarian dal, and eggplant and okra curries.
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SIGN UPFernando says a popular combination is the banana-leaf wrapped curry and rice, which comes with your choice of meat curry, two vegetable sides and coconut sambol. Kottoo’s namesake dish, kottu roti (roti mixed with egg, curry and vegetables and chopped as it cooks), is also on the menu.
For sides, a 12-pack of string hoppers comes with Dish’s classic yellow curry and coconut sambol, while its fresh, flaky roti arrives in packs of five for reheating as you please.
Dessert-wise, choose between sago pudding or watalappam, a sweet, steamed Sri Lankan dessert that Fernando likens to the French crème caramel; it’s made with palm sugar, cream, cardamom, cashews and raisins. Complete your order with traditional drinks, including bottled Sri Lankan iced coffee, creamy mango lassi and a range of Sri Lankan soft drinks.
Different specials are available each week – for Father’s Day this weekend, Dish is cooking up a thick, spicy blue swimmer crab and coconut curry for $45. Or try Negombo-style hot fried prawns tempered with sauteed onions, tomatoes and spices.
Fernando is excited to offer delivery to wider Sydney. “In this way we are serving everybody. People can order from anywhere. People can’t go out for food at the moment, so it’s a service, too, to make people something they like and give them satisfaction.”
It all seems to come naturally to a restaurant already offering catering on the side.
“People are doing everything online so [delivery] is very convenient; there is a possibility that we will continue doing it.” Fernando says they may also extend to delivering grocery staples.
Weekly orders close on 2pm Wednesday for free delivery on Saturdays. Minimum order is $50.