There’s nothing like Jaffna crab curry. Two of my favorite restaurants in Sri Lanka are both called Yarl’s (well, one is spelled Yaal’s). Both are located in Wellawatta (Colombo 6), and are off of Marine Drive. Tissa (head of the US-SL Fulbright Commission) told us about Yarl’s last November. It is a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant that gives you an authentic experience eating crab curry. The owner is from Jaffna, the crabs are fresh, and the food is finger-lickin’, lip-burning GOOD. Whenever we go, Utsha, Ruth, Kirti, and I are the only girls in the whole restaurant and make a real spectacle of ourselves eating the crab. There are no utensils so we spend a good hour smashing the crab with our fingers, splattering spicy sauce all over ourselves, sweating profusely, giggling, and finally scarfing down pitthu, paratha, and yoghurt to try and subdue the fire blazing in our mouths.
Recently, we discovered Yaal’s. The menu is the same and the food is delicious (I hate to say it but the crab is even more succulent and tender than Yarl’s). The restaurant is much classier and more established, but it doesn’t give the same authentic experience as Yarl’s.
I can’t decide which one I like better. After eating at either restaurant I leave on a natural high. It’s that good. And so much fun to eat J
The original Yarl's
Notice the sweat beads
The new Yaal's
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