Randiwa

I've often heard how amazing this restaurant is from family & friends. Soo happy I finally got to experience such great Sri Lankan food. We went for the Sunday Buffet and everything was delicious! Great flavors paired with the perfect balance of spicy (heat). Food was freshly made and replenished frequently. It was busy but the staff were able to remain friendly and attentive. Several vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices in the buffet. If you're in Staten Island you definitely stop by Randiwa, only wish they had more locations in New York.

The best Srilankan food we ever had in America. We are frequent travelers and I searched for a nice Srilankan restaurant everywhere I go, this is the best place I ever encountered, delicious food and the hospitality they offer to the customers are amazing as well. Will definitely recommend everyone to visit here.

Absolutely disgusting! Don’t know how they have so many good reviews. Came on a weekend for their buffet and everything was stale, starting to rot or completely finished. They price remained the same. The food was atrocious and made with no love much less any flavor. The dessert was equally as terrible with multiple gelatin based cheaply made items that looks like someone dropped a brain on my plate (pictures for reference). The deserts notable to Sri Lanka were finished which is quite laughable for a Sri Lankan restaurant. Some patrons were given special dishes to make up for it, but actual Sri Lankans who came in search for some comfort from the motherland were told there is nothing for them. Smells terrible inside too! Atrocious service absolutely disgusting food and money grab. You’re better off going somewhere else. Energetic ever coming back again

Honestly I felt It's a little expensive for the ambiance and the restaurant had very simple low budget seating. But when it comes to the taste, it's fatalistic. Trust me, if you love spicy South Asian cuisine, this is the place to be in New York city.

Not only was food already expensive ($40ish) for 2 dishes but the food did not taste good at all. Ordered a goat kothu roti and a chicken lamprais and both were the worst I have ever had anywhere of each dish. Had so much left over to likely get tossed. Not sure if they were just having an off day but normally I’m used to buying Sri Lankan food in Toronto which is 20x the quality for half the price.

Came here during Sunday evening and had the weekend Buffet. Food was really nice and there were plenty of quantity available though we showed up late. Polite and friendly service. Very good deal for 20$.

The food was good but certain items could be better. We got lamprais, deviled chicken, Ceylon chicken curry, chicken kottu roti and wattalappan. All of the chicken were a bit rough. I had high hopes for the kottu but it was bland and had an unpleasant smoky taste to it. Deviled chicken tasted great.

Excellent food. Glad we stopped by randomly. Highly recommended. Parking is little tight. Few spots shared by 4-5 stores. The food makes it worthwhile though. Watch out with the spice level. Don't overestimate your tolerance to spicy food. Sri Lankan food can be spicy. Check out the pictures of what we ordered. Both of these were superb.

If I am not wrong Randiwa is one of over half dozen Sri Lankan restaurants in Staten Island and Eastern New Jersey area. We have dined there four times over the past three years (all with family). Considering to get there we have to take the subway from Queens or Manhattan and Staten Island ferry, four times seems frequent. Randiwa is small restaurant, casual, laid back ambiance, with a laid back approach to service. There are not gonna wow you with service, impress you with menu suggestions. I recall on two of our visits the restaurant was out of appetizers of choice and we had to be content with the selections available. Certain appetizers and entrees may not be available at the time you may crave. Amongst our favorites (and photos attached) are Eggplant Moju, String Hopper Kottu, Devilled Pork and Mutton Curries and Hoppers. Our entrees had a solid spice kick, strength and flavor. The devilled curries pack a punch. Two personal favorites are the Eggplant Moju and Pittu. As I love to mix, these two go good together.

Whenever you visit Staten Island you have to get the Sri Lankan food! My colleague and I decided to try Randiwa since it was near one of our job sites and was not disappointed. The mango lassi was great and the lamprey was on point. The portion is huge and it was very flavorful.

I wasn't impressed with the food. I have had Srilankan food at couple of other places and this seemed very average to me. We went in for lunch on Sunday. They didn't have hopper dishes (we were told its available after 6pm) and also the lamprie didn't have veg options. The hostess was polite but didn't know - what vegetables were part of the veg platter dish that day. Also, we ordered one veg platter with curry and another with Navratna korma hoping to try two different dishes. Both curries were identical in taste. We were told Navratna korma has 9 vegetables :) As can be seen from the pictures, the curries looked and tasted identical. Also, food was lukewarm. I doubt whether the rice was freshly made the same day. Overall an underwhelming experience!!!

08.04.2023 Friday @5:45pm Called in order for pick up. Friendly and patiently answers question I had. Tried once and been curving for the Nasi Goreng dishes. So flavorful, explosive of spices in my favorite.

Great food! I go to the Sunday Buffet, and the food is always top notch. The flavors are always there. IMO, they have the BEST curry chicken, curry lamb there is. Service gets a 10/10. The staff is friendly and always ready to answer any of your questions. The ambiance is welcoming and inviting. Looking forward to next Sunday....

We went here looking for great Sri Lankan food, and we're definitely happy that we stumbled upon this place. It really punches above its weight. The food is all very homey tasting. My wife loved the curry goat meal, and I loved the specialty that was wrapped in the banana leaves. The appetizers were all delicious too. I'll be back.

I wish I came here sooner because the food here is amazing. The spices in each of the dishes I ordered, seafood Nasi goreng and the lamprie each had their own unique flavor and it was delicious. I came here several times already to order the same dishes and I'm always craving for more. I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken curry as I definitly had better. I'd say to order the two rice dishes as it is a must have.

First time trying Sri Lankan and Indian food. We got the associated appetizers, which included a spring roll, fish patty, vegetable cutlet, masala wade, and the fish cutlet. All of these are deep fried and come with two types of chili sauce. My favorite one was the vegetable one - it was so delicious. Soft on the inside and very crispy on the outside with really good flavor and texture considering it was all vegetables. We also got two of their signature dishes - the fish lamprie and the chicken lamprie. It is a mixture of eggplant, meat, onions, a fried egg, and boiled rice all wrapped up in a banana leaf. It had a really good deep flavor and the rice had the most delicious aroma of banana leaf. It's a big portion though, so definitely share with someone! We also tried the nasi goreng, which I think is a fried rice dish. The rice in this dish was completely different in flavor from the one in the banana leaf. I love that! It was a bit sweeter and I think I tasted garlic plus it was spicier than the rice in the lamprie. I was completely stuffed after this meal! It was wonderful!

Initially wanted to go to the supermarket but something said "Eat here." I think I got chicken curry, but it was fresh and delicious. I plan to return soon.

This place is deep in Staten Island. Like, closer to New Jersey than to the Hudson. You're lucky if you can get to the ferry in a half-hour with how unreliable the buses are. One of my dining companions said that this was about comparable to at least one place in St George, for what it's worth. In any case, we were disappointed that the classic Sri Lankan things like hoppers and pitta aren't available until 6pm, and they were out of black curry, but so it goes. Let's evaluate them on what they do have! Roti with beef curry. Might be the best of the three dishes we had. Roti were super thin without falling apart, flavorful without being too oily. Delicious mix of spices and beef was tender. (Beef...that's how you know this is a Sinhalese place.) Vegetable curry with rice. Pretty good, but the vegetables weren't super fresh or the like. Not too special. Chicken lamprais. I wasn't too impressed. Individual things like caramalized onions were tasty, but somehow it was kind of dry despite being cooked in a coconut leaf, and it didn't add up to more than the sum of its parts.

Casual and simple restaurant with some really tasty options..! Rice was a little dry but rest of the dishes were really good. This is a laid-back restaurant so expect the service to be same. Will definitely visit again if I am in Staten Island

I ordered biryanis and mango moose. Food was cold and desert had mold on it. It was so disgusting. When I brought it back they didn't even say sorry. If you want to enjoy you food this is not the place to go or order. I do not recommend this place. Dirty, old food, service is awful.

Pretty good food and a great deal for $15 Sunday lunch buffet. I was about to head to pho mac with my mom when we decided to try something new. We were impressed with the quality of the food though the variety was not as much as some Indian buffets in New Jersey. There was palak paneer that was very tasty and probably my favorite. Spicy chicken, curry fish, lentil. Jackfruit dish. Egg curry. All pretty good. 3 kinds of rice and Naan bread. There was a nice assortment of salad, fruits and desserts. The server working by the buffet area was pretty friendly and helpful but the guy you pay the bill to by the counter not so much.

I was treated to the Sunday buffet by some Sri Lankan friends. The restaurant is apparently owned by a former cook from the very popular Lakurwana Sri Lankan restaurant that is also located on Staten Island. Upon entering Randiwa I was surprised and a bit apprehensive that unlike Lakurwana on a Sunday, the place was less than half full. Also the variety at the buffet was more limited (but the same price) than at their competitor. The food however was just as delicious so I was happy to let the Sunday buffet crowd eat elsewhere! The decor is simple but once you have visited Lakurwana, most restaurants will pale in comparison. And because this restaurant is apparently less well known, you will have more room to move around and shorter lines at the buffet than at Lakurwana. Service, while cordial, was extremely lackadaisical (almost non existent - we had to go downstairs to find the server when we wanted the check) but in fairness to the man on duty, they seemed to have had only one person overseeing the upstairs buffet, the downstairs dining room and takeout orders. The other disappointment was the not so flavorful, overpriced ginger tea which was made with a tea bag and a few slices of ginger at the bottom of the cup rather than prepared the traditional way as my host did at her home!

I haven't had a Nasi Goreng in a long time. Given COVID and travel restrictions I haven't been to Sri Lanka in a while, ordering from Randiwa gave me a bit of nostalgia. I ordered for pickup and it was ready by the timeI arrived. Main: Nasi Goreng with Vegetable Suey: The best combination! I ordered the two so there's a nice serving of vegetables along with the rice. There was a generous amount of vegetables and the rice itself was amazing. The rice was packed with calamari and an assortment of seafood. I would definitely recommend this to my family and friends who want a bit of nostalgia of Sri Lanka.

If you want great traditional Sri Lankan food this place is a must try. My family and I love the devilled chicken and beef platters. It's very flavorful and if you can handle the heat I recommend asking for it extra spicy.

Came here for a dinner club event and tried a ton of food. This place is definitely off the beaten path! So should you make the journey? Take a look.... *Mulligatawny & lentil soup with chicken - this soup was amazing! Hypnotic and delicious! I would come here just to eat it again!!! Absolute perfection. I would give this a 5. Lamb black curry leaf on beet leaves- tasty. When you eat the lamb and leaf together you get a new taste which was nice to experience. But was I supposed to eat the leaf? I will never know. 3 Chicken liver- If you like liver, this was good. 3 Goat tripe was ok. Good consistency. 2 Baby goat was dry. 2 Ox tongue was dry. 2 Lamprie- delicious and spicy! 4 String hoppers-dry and needed sauce. 2 Karavila - bitter gourd salad - loved this! Completely different. Me-Karal- long beans -ok 2 Jack fruit- this was yummy! Looks like chicken but it's a fruit! Wow! 4 Eggplant - good but mushy 3 Watalappan - ok but mushy 2 Overall it was a good experience. The temperature of the dishes at times were a little cold so that affects the eating. So if you be sure to get the soup!

I liked their hospitality, food, and the surrounding . Server who welcomed me and my boyfriend was really sweet. Most likely , I've been here for three times. And all these time, I had a wonderful experience . They have been nice towards us. Starting from service, environment, and food. They were all great. Devilled chicken, hoppers, and fried rice has been my favorite since day one. Every time , I come here I order these 3 items. They're all vey delicious I'll certainly keep coming and will recommend you peeps. They got both Indian and sri-lankan food.

You can't find better Sri-Lankan food outside of Staten Island, the home of the largest Sri-Lankan community outside of Sri-Lanka itself! Randiwa is my favorite of all of the restaurants on Staten Island and all of NYC in general. The reason being the amount of quality food you get for the price. The Lamprais is delicious; full of cashews and meat, and my favorite item that they make is the Kottu Roti. They put much more egg and veggies into the dish than most other restaurants and they serve it with a wonderful gravy full of bay leaves and spices. I highly recommend their deviled chicken/shrimp/beef. It's so spicy! The meats are crispy on the edges and fried and the chili sauce is slightly sweet along with the hot spice. I also love the spring rolls, their spring rolls are like meat/veggie croquettes more than spring roll. All of it delicious!

Wanted to try something new and found Randiwa on the top of the list. Did not know until my party of 5 walked in on a Sunday and the gentleman at the cashier asked if we wanted to have the buffet or order from the menu. Cluelessly bc we didn't even know there was a buffet, we agreed to it. We proceeded to go to the 2nd floor and let me tell you, we didn't regret a thing! The food was so rich in flavor and spice! We all went for seconds lol. The place was clean and quiet. We left with bellies full and satisfied. Plus, it was about $16/person which we thought was a good deal. It was indeed a great experience.

First time trying this spot and food was amazing! Had a small gathering and convinced some friends to try out Sri Lankan food and everyone loved it. We ordered a few different entrees like chicken, seafood and rice. Food was fresh and full of spices, and to top it off, the mango lassi and mousse balanced all the heat nicely. Highly recommend trying if you're in the mood for unique and authentic spicy Asian food. Would definitely order again real soon!

Walked in with my girlfriend on 5/10/19 and was immediately hit with the rancid smell of mildew. There's no denying it. I even ask the server, and he explained that there was a problem with their water leaks and that he was sorry about the odor. Quite literally, it smelled like a damp basement. I wanted to leave, but my girlfriend really wanted to try Sri Lankan food. We sat down, and wanted to try a basic dish. Upon asking the waiter basic questions about the food, I was met with a blank stare. Apparently, asking simple questions like "how large is the platter?" and "is this dish spicy?" were just too complex, because the server had trouble giving answers. Frustrated, I simply ask a dish he could recommend. The server immediately turned my menu and showed me one of the most expensive dishes. It was as if the manager told the waiter to always pick an expensive dish if a customer doesn't know what to order. I couldn't roll my eyes any harder. The food was fine, nothing amazing. It was served on large tropical leaves, which was a nice touch. Other than the decorative food, I was less than impressed. Conclusion: interesting food with exotic tastes, worst restaurant smell/ambience I have ever experienced in my entire life. Beware.

Ordered from Randiwa for my mom's 31st day memorial service and I couldn't have been happier on how the food turned out. I reached out to Sanjay after learning from a friend that their food is great but I wanted to try it before placing the order. When I explained to him what I was looking for he immediately agreed on letting me try the items that I had intended to order. Not only did he make arrangements for my dad and I to try the food, he also made changes to accommodate our taste buds, which a lot of restaurants won't do. He also delivered the food on the day of and guided us on how to serve all the dishes. All the guests who attended appreciated and enjoyed the food thoroughly. I can't wait to go try their buffet once Covid restrictions are off. Randiwa definitely gets a 5 star for delicious food and their courteous staff.

We don't live far, and now that the weather is behaving we went for a stroll and decided to check this place out. While I'm familiar with certain regional Indian cuisine, I'm totally unfamiliar with Sri Lankan, so I was excited to try something new. Being vegetarian I opted for that special menu section. Not having any idea what a hopper was, the hostess pointed to a picture, then, upon it appearing at the table, illustrated how to eat it. ( I'm not proud and I gladly admit ignorance lol) It was so good, the lightness coupled with the texture was a perfect foil for the vegetables in a creamy coconut sauce. I asked for medium heat which came with a mild back of the throat burn. I tend to go more spicy, but I did not want to override the lovely layers of flavor. Got to go for more dinner time strolls

The Sunday buffet is small but awesome flavors with great variety of tastes. But don't come right when they start because the food is still cold. Come around 130. Service was excellent

Great service! Food is absolutely tasty! And so many different options. If you want to try different cuisine from another part of the world I highly recommend. You will not be disappointed. They have a full buffet on Sunday for most of the day. Soooo good!

My sri lankan parents and I agree that this place offers one of the best Sunday buffets in the NY area. Food is very tasty and the variety is excellent. Service was fine, though we did have to ask for water mid meal, so I suggest they ask about drinks as we are seated. My personal favorite was the veggie noodles which were reminiscent of stringhoppers. My non lankan guest enjoyed the egg curry, the pork black curry, and the coconut sambol. I wouldn't say any particular dish was too spicy unless you go for the peppers and the things clearly labeled spicy. For dessert they had mango mousse and yogurt curds with the most delicious coconut honey. The buffet had this chicken curry that was so tasty but it had so many podi podi bones in the meat it was difficult to eat. I cant complain though, over all it was a nice buffet.

Great delicious food. Ordered for delivery through door dash and it was packaged well and super delicious

Excellent Food. Excellent Service. Exotic Dishes. We were warmly greeted. The dishes were explained to us patiently. The food was delicious. We got an appetizer that allowed us to sample several typical dishes and then we ate their Vegetarian Hopper with coconut milk and these crispy rice cakes and fish Lamprie, which consists of Rice, Eggplant, Potatoes, fish, fish patty, fried onion and it came wrapped in a Banana Leaf. Can't recommend enough.

I'm not very familiar with Sri Lankan food: I've only ever been to one Sri Lankan restaurant before, and I thought my food there was a little on the lackluster side. I figured I should try out another place when I was last on Staten Island a few weekends ago with the bf when he was visiting his parents, who live on the island. This place is a little hard to spot as it's by two major roadways, Their parking lot is tiny and also seems to be shared by what appears to be a rather popular Vietnamese restaurant. Once we got inside, we saw that the space was ample and well lit, with some Sri Lankan items decorating the establishment. Our server was very pleasant, making sure that we knew what we were ordering as it was probably apparent to her that we were newbies. I order their vegetable curry string hopper kottu and the bf got lamb biryani. I did have a string hopper dish at the aforementioned restaurant, so I had a vague idea of what to expect. The portions here were quite sizable and here, my dish came with a side of some spicy, savory daal. The daal honestly made the dish because it just went so well with the flavors of the string hopper. Prices are also very fair. Would love to come back here again sometime soon.

Wow, seriously blown away by this place! Being Indian, I didn't have much expectations thinking Sri Lankan food would be very similar to Indian food, but I was wrong! The spices used and the various fruit/vegetable combination are so delicious! You have to try their lamprias (I ordered the vegetarian one)- it has a combo of sweet/spicy/tangy to it!

Came here with my Sri Lankan friends and was not disappointed. As usual, we ordered the Egg Hoppers, Lamb Curry, and Kottu Rotti. If you have never tried out Sri Lankan food, I recommend you come to this place is Staten Island. The food is very authentic and prepared by a Sri Lankan chef, and once you have a taste of the delicious food, you will wish that you were in Sri Lanka at that point. I told my parents back in Maryland that I came here, and of course they were jealous because they love eating food from back home.

It's actually very coincidental since I searched up Asian Staten Island the other day on Youtube and a bunch of videos on the large Sri Lankan population in Staten Island popped up. Very cool to try and experience the culture through food. Today on Sunday it was the first time my family and I tried this Sri Lankan and Indian buffet for only $14.95! The atmosphere is nice and quiet with ethnic music playing in the background. The buffet is upstairs. There's a small dessert section with delish mango mousse, flan, fresh cut fruits like cantaloupe, watermelon, small oranges and pineapple, and curd and honey. Carbs are in one section including coconut with rice, biriyani, and veggie noodles. Then all the entrees like shrimp stir fried with tomatoes, peppers and onions - so delicious, one of the best dishes, dark brown chicken curry, egg curry which my mom rlly liked, stir fried jack fruit, lentils, mango dish, coconut sombol, salad, and some thin chips called papadum which were sooo good almost like chinese shrimp chips. Would totally recommend. It's right next to Pho Mac! I really like how Staten Island has more Asian ethnic food and a diverse variety! Randiwa has been here around for 5 ish yrs and first time trying! Very nice :)

I am a Sri Lankan and We have been to Randiwa every time we visit ny/ nj . We don't live here. This place has really nice authentic Sri Lankan !!! Anyone craving for Sri Lankan food!! You must try this place!!

Came here because pho Mac ( restaurant next door) is closed on mondays . We got there about an hour before closing . There was no one else inside and the waiter seemed uninterested in seating us. We got the appetizer platter and a lamprias dish. The appetizers were all exactly the same and tasted like they pretty much had the same stuffing and fried it 4 different ways. The lamprias came wrapped in a banana leaf , the flavor was lacking and the chicken dry . The eggplant was mushy . And the service was terrible , didn't come check on us or can to refill our water when we ran out . Wouldn't come back.

Have to admit food was tasty, but very heavy. Service wasn't good cause of the language barrier. She hardly spoke English and was very hard to order our meals.

Great food, very friendly service. Prawn curry was amazing. Lamprie was really good too. Super convenient off the highway. We will be back!

This one of the places where don't judge a book by its cover applies. Sometimes I am hesitant to go into restaurants when I dont see a crowd. I'm glad I went in! I came here for both their Sunday buffet and dinner on a weekday. The buffet had a good variety (curry beef, chicken, lamb, coconut sambal, rice, noodles, dessert, naan, daal) and is a good way to try out Sri Lankan food. I'm not sure if they switch out what they offer week to week. The food was flavorful with spices. However, I was highly impressed with the curry beef with hoppers and lamprie that I had for dinner. Hoppers- first time ever having it and it was awesome. Shaped like a bowl, thin crispy like a crepe on the edges and fluffy like a pancake right at the center. Give me more! It paired perfectly with the beef curry. Medium was spicy enough for me. There was a good amount for beef(tender) in the bowl. Lamprie- advertised as a house special which included rice, eggplant, cashews, choice of curry and the fritter type item all wrapped in leaf. This was also very tasty but spiciness is more mild. Def recommend that your try this place!

It's nice place to eat , delicious food and perfect service... I really enjoyed and appreciate them... thank you ..

Our first time ever eating here (and Sri Lankan food in fact.) But we eat Indian regularly and we were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food was. Great flavor and charming buffet on Sunday- what a deal. We loved the deviled chicken (spicy!), mutton, eggplant dishes. The parsley dish is a great accompaniment too. Fresh fruit- very refreshing and varied even had papaya. Yogurt and honey are a great way to finish off this meal. We will return next time we are in town to visit family.

Beautiful presentation, everything was delicious and the service was good and quick. I highly recommend this restaurant. If the parking lot is full, you can usually find parking on the side street. We had the Shrimp Biryani, Chicken Spinach Curry and Lamb Lamprie.

This place is fantastic! First time trying Sri Lankan/Indian food and it is awesome! I was in Staten Island for a business trip and before heading back to the airport to go home, my friends and I decided to try something new. Great deal on their Sunday Buffett and it did not disappoint!!!

Got the buffet special and everything was amazing. There was different kinds of curry, rice, vegetables, breads, and spices. My favorite was actually the fish curry and the yellow rice with peta bread. And they had a mini dessert table too! The lady that was there made the flan herself and it was really good. I was stuffed by the end of the buffet. You guys have to just try it !! :)

Came here again. Still Delicious! Generous portions. Delicious chicken Roti and Vegetable Roti. It was so good you just want to keep eating it! Lovely atmosphere and friendly service!

Great food and nice presentation! Clean and authentic to Lankan style. Only problem is they open a little late for lunch on weekdays...but I definitely recommend.

This place is outstanding. The waitress was si sweet and welcoming. The waitress explained everything we got in our dishes. The food was flavorful and the portion sizes were huge! I got the deville chicken, it was soooo good. My husband got the lamprie and he loved it. We are def coming back to this place.

Decent food, terrible service. There was only one person to wait on 5 tables on a Saturday night. If I happen to have another craving, it will most definitely be for pick-up.

Amazingly authentic Sri Lankan food - true taste of home . Great service with a smile and very fast. Easy to reach and just a bright colourful atmosphere.

Went here twice in the last three weeks and had starkly different experiences. On a Monday night, we were served immediately. I had the vegetable curry with Roti which was delicious. The portion was huge and I brought half of it home to enjoy. On a Saturday, however, the place was packed, which would be okay if it didn't take roughly 30 minutes to even get a glass of water. The food took about an hour after the order was placed, and the quality was significantly worse (I ordered the same thing as Monday). I'm attributing this to the busy-ness, which of course is not an excuse. I'll be willing to come back on a weekday for sure though!