4 days ago
I tried the restaurant bringing truly authentic Sri Lankan cooking to Rhyl
Most of us will be familiar with our local high street Indian, Chinese, Turkish, Italian or perhaps other exotic culinary choices such as Mexican or Jamaican. However, I don't think I have ever eaten food from Sri Lanka before?
We were surprised but delighted to see that directly opposite the town hall in Wellington Road is the first Sri Lankan and South Indian establishment in Rhyl. The 'Thisha Curry House' offers the unusual style of authentic Indo-Lanka cuisine rather than the usual Bangladeshi Indian food.
Looking at the menu, the central feature of Sri Lankan cuisine appears to be boiled or steamed rice, served with a curry of fish or meat, along with other curries made with vegetables, lentils, or fruits. Dishes are accompanied by pickled fruits or vegetables, chutneys, and sambols.
Sri Lankan food is a bit different to Indian food as it has its own mix of distinct dishes and flavours. They use a lot of coconut in many foods and use ten to fifteen spices from Ceylon cinnamon to turmeric.
There are a lot of vegetarian choices on the menu to go with your Dosa or rice meal. The 'Thisha Curry House' offers both takeaway or dine in options.
The dining area is directly in front of the counter and consists of neat blue table clothed tables in a row. The restaurant looked spotlessly clean and had a five-star hygiene rating on the door.
It seemed that takeaways were the most popular option here as several delivery drivers popped in and out to pick up orders. You can order online via Just Eat which offers collection and delivery options with the added bonus of various promotions or discounts.
We had £8 off as we spent over £25 which seemed a good deal to me. We didn't have a clue what to order so played safe with a set family meal deal.
It consisted of a choice of two portions of rice, two parotta pieces, two puri pieces, one non-veg curry, two veg curries, three pappadams, two veg or non veg starters and one large portion of chips. There is a notice on their website, which says that their food delivery may sometimes take longer than estimated as they focus on preparing each meal from scratch.
This process ensures that you receive the freshest and highest quality dishes and that they appreciate your understanding. Ours took about 15 minutes longer, which we didn't mind at all.
We ordered urid vada and bonda as our starters. Bonda is a popular South Indian snack that hails from the city of Mysore in Karnataka.
It is made from a simple batter consisting of urad dal, rice flour, and spices, which is deep-fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. The vada is also a South Indian breakfast snack made from Vigna mungo.
It was made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. They taste a bit like a samosa or an onion bhaji, which you can also order on the menu.
We went with a Dhal curry for one of our veg curries, which was prepared with slow-boiled lentils, tempered spices (mainly cumin), onions, tomatoes, and garlic. We also picked a carrot sambal, not really knowing what it was?
It appeared to be freshly grated carrots along with coconut, shallots, dried whole chilies and a pinch of lime. It was certainly unusual as it seemed more in keeping with a picnic item rather than a curry but it was tasty all the same.
Our choice of a chicken curry as the meat option was much more familiar to the taste buds. It was still a bit different as the chicken was served on the bone, but it was succulent and the meat fell off the bone easily enough.
The curry was fairly spicy with mustard and herbs but not overly so. There was an option called 'chicken devil' which I imagine was the spicy version for those who like 'punch you in the face' hot curry.
Both versions of the rice soaked up the curry sauces well with the exotic taste of coconut in one with the other rice being plain basmati. We also mopped the curry up with parotta, a layered Indian and Sri Lankan flatbread made from Maida or Atta, alternatively known as flaky ribbon pancake.
We also had a Puri, which was a deep-fried bread, made from unleavened whole-wheat flour. The chips were more of a taste of home rather than Sri Lankan but went down well anyway as chips always do.
We were even given extra Pappadams, which is always a joy to behold when you dig inside the bag of delights. I ate one or two as I drove the takeaway back home but told tell anyone.
This curry house is a wonderfully authentic South Indian and Sri Lankan takeaway or dine foodie place. It has a great selection of traditional vegetarian food along with more familiar curries.
It is clear from the taste that this is a family business, which offers a truly authentic taste of home-cooking from Sri Lanka. It is already popular and I can only see that growing as more and more people try a taste of something different from the other side of the world.
The 'Thisha Curry House' is a fantastic and welcome addition to Rhyl's culinary landscape.
The Facts
Meal Deal
Two portions of rice (Plain Basmati, Coconut rice £1 extra supplement)
Two Parotta Pieces two Puri Pieces
One non-Veg Curry
Two Veg Curries
Three Pappadams
Two Veg or Non-Veg Starters
One Large Chips
Total £26.49 with Just Eat discount
Opening Times:
Monday – Thursday 2pm-11pm
Friday - Saturday 12pm 11pm
Sunday – 2pm-10pm
Atmosphere - Sri Lankan music playing from a television
Car Parking - Town Hall car park 80p for 30 minutes, £1.50 for an hour. £3 for 3 hours.
Disabled Access - Access possible
Service - Order via Just eat or just pop inside.
Overall - The first Sri Lankan and South Indian establishment in Rhyl.
