Located at: 17 de Silva Lane, off Watarappola Road, Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka

Visited on: 12 Jul, 2020

I finally got to try out something that I’ve been looking forward to since hearing of it a few weeks ago. True to their quirky name (Lansi’s), they promise to deliver ‘authentic Dutch lamprais’. And true to their promise, they surely put out a very satisfying packet of lunch!

To begin with, their packaging was very neat and rather generous with the fresh banana leaf that enclosed the food. Perhaps not the most eco-friendly option, but I believe the cling film that held the leaf together helped to keep the packet quite warm (more like hot) through the hour-plus ride back home.

We went with their chicken lamprais (LKR 650) – they have a mixed meat option as well. One of the first things I noticed when I opened the packet was that there were two sizeable fish cutlets, which – as I found out shortly – were quite tasty and complemented the meal well when mixed with the rice. Another thing that tasted good was the chicken – it was well-marinated and came in the form of medium-sized pieces.

Something that was refreshing to find was that all the sides came in decent portions. I say this because, quite often, you find that the proportion of rice to other elements is rather unbalanced, leaving you with nothing much to have the rice with in the end. This wasn’t the case here. The rice in itself was not oily and had a mild spice-infused aroma. Both the ash plantain baduma and the brinjal moju were fried to moderation, making it easier to extract their flavour into the meal. The belacan was top-notch, and I was quite happy to see a large spoonful of it too. The seeni sambol blended in nicely with everything when mixed.

Overall, it was a rather satisfying and filling meal – I ended up eating more than I usually do! Did Lansi’s live up to the hype? I certainly think so. And it is quite evident that they put their heart into it.

Lansi’s lamprais is available for pre-ordered pick-up. They also organise transport, on request (charged by meter).

PS: As with most pictures of lamprais after it has been packed, mine here looks like it’s got caught to a landmine too – but I think one can manage to figure the elements out. Or so I hope! Cheers.

Yummy Rating: 4.5 / 5.0