Aliyaa

While Indian restaurants are a dime a dozen in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, the same can’t be said of Sri Lankan cuisine, which is what makes Aliyaa, Sinhalese for ‘elephant,’ such a culinary gem. The elegant restaurant, which is undergoing renovations at the time of print, serves the whole spectrum of Sri Lankan specialities, from popular street snacks to coastal seafood dishes. Start with the lamb cutlets, a moreish tea time treat, before traversing the ‘staples,’ namely string hoppers, appam, rice or roti. Do it as the Sri Lankans do, which is to mix and match a melange of vegetable and meat or seafood dishes with your starchy base. We can vouch for the Fish Sothi, the eggplant moju and Aliyaa’s signature crab curry. Note that the chefs don’t tone down the spices, which is exactly how we like it.

TATLER TIP

New to Sri Lankan cuisine? Order ‘A Taste of Aliyaa’ to sample Aliyaa’s best regional specialities. It’s absolutely worth topping up the set menu to sample the restaurant’s famous crab curry.

SIGNATURE DISHES

1. Amma crab curry

2. Mutton paal poriyal

3. Sweet appam $50-200/PERSON

YES YES $100-150/BOTTLE

48 G&M, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur TEL: 03 2092 5378 aliyaa.com