Don’t let the faux-rustic, slightly naff decor fool you, Nuga Gama’s native fare is some of the best in town. Tastebuds, be warned…
Right, so the village-themed outdoor setting doesn’t exactly scream authenticity, but brave Nuga Gama’s jarring anti-style shock and brace yourself instead for the flavour and spice tsunami about to level your palate.
Under the verdant, torch-lit canopy of a seemingly age-old banyan tree, Nuga Gama’s well-executed traditional Sinhala dishes issue forth, from negombo prawns and kalu pol pork curry to pickled eggplant brinjal moju, all served with a requisite glug of spice (large or extra large) and alongside piles of rice and string hoppers – a local accompaniment essentially a compact disc of rice-flour noodles. Round off with buffalo curd with kithul treacle and fresh fruits, and do your best to avoid Monday evenings, where a one-hour ‘cultural performance’ (read: cringey sideshow) is staged between 8 and 9pm. Zing!
Nuga Gama, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka, +94 11 249 7468, cinnamonhotels.com
