Sagara food city
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Lamprais, kottu, and fish buns from Sri Lanka
Lamprais, kottu, and fish buns from Sri Lanka
"Grocery store hot bar, meet Sagara Food City kottu roti. The Sri Lankan grocery store has shelves stocked with curry powder and canned jackfruit, but the real reason to come here is the long Sri Lankan menu that inconspicuously lies beside the cash register. The stir-fried roti is ginger- and garlic-heavy, laced with egg and your choice of protein (go mutton or go home). There are a few tables in the back where you can work on your mountain of food, which arrives at your table on a quarter-sheet tray draped in banana leaves." - willa moore
"Visit Sri Lanka by way of Sagara, where the island nation’s rich cultural diversity is on full display in a tiny dining room in the back of a local grocery.Dishes here are delivered at once, so you’ll be nibbling on an appetizer of fish cakes, mas paan, and fritter-like dhal vade, while also tucking in to hearty entrées. It’s a veritable feast as you make your way through the likes of fluffy Basmati rice with piquant curries.This kitchen certainly offers many compelling dishes—especially the hoppers with chicken curry—but the pièce de résistance is lamprais, served on a platter and wrapped in a banana leaf. Unwrap to discover such aromatic treasures within as rice with cashews and a braised protein—including mutton. Typically reserved for special occasions, it makes for the ultimate present to the palate." - Michelin Inspector
"At first glance, Sagara Food City in St. George is a Sri Lankan grocery store where you can buy things like curry powder and canned jackfruit. But look a little harder and you’ll spy a long menu of Sri Lankan dishes on the counter by the cash register. The person behind the counter will advise you on spice levels (medium), protein of choice (mutton), and which dishes you should prioritize (the kottu roti, always). Some people get their orders to go, but we prefer grabbing a table in the back room and waiting there. There’s usually a game on, and once the person who took your order has delivered your piles of rice and curries—all of which arrive on quarter-sheet trays draped in banana leaves—they’ll join you in the seating area. Maybe to watch the game, maybe to observe your spice tolerance. Either way, it’s quite charming. photo credit: Britt Lam Food Rundown Mutton Kottu Roti A disclaimer: the portions at Sagara Food City are quite large. (This isn’t a bad thing—it’s a great thing.) But if you’re here solo or with a small group, and you don’t want to go home with a week’s supply of leftovers, prioritize the kottu roti with mutton. The stir-fried roti is laced with egg and chunks of bone-in mutton, with enough garlic and ginger to clear your sinuses forever. Sri Lankan Rice & Curry Sagara Food City has great vegetarian options, like this mountain of rice surrounded by different curries and your choice of protein. If you choose the vegetable option, you’ll get a saucy scoop of sausage-like seitan, and some slightly spicy jackfruit. photo credit: Britt Lam Chicken Biryani This giant mound of biryani has chicken mixed into it, but also on the side—a whole chicken leg, scored into chunks and fried on the bone in such a way that it tastes like chicharron. If you’re here with a group, this is a great choice. photo credit: Britt Lam" - Willa Moore
"Visit Sri Lanka by way of Sagara, where the island nation’s rich cultural diversity is on full display. Dishes here are delivered at once, so you’ll be nibbling on an appetizer of fish cakes, mas paan, and fritter-like dhal vade, while also tucking in to hearty entrées. It’s a veritable feast as you make your way through the likes of fluffy Basmati rice with piquant curries.This kitchen certainly offers many compelling dishes—especially the hoppers with chicken curry—but the pièce de résistance is lamprais, served on a platter and wrapped in a banana leaf. Unwrap to discover such aromatic treasures within as rice with cashews and a braised protein—including mutton. Typically reserved for special occasions, it makes for the ultimate present to the palate." - Michelin Inspector
"Visit Sri Lanka by way of Sagara, where the island nation’s rich cultural diversity is on full display. Dishes here are delivered at once, so you’ll be nibbling on an appetizer of fish cakes, mas paan, and fritter-like dhal vade, while also tucking in to hearty entrées. It’s a veritable feast as you make your way through the likes of fluffy Basmati rice with piquant curries." - The MICHELIN Guide
