I visited the Hopper Hut Restaurant in Toronto (Scarborough) recently to enjoy some Sri Lankan food.
The restaurant is celebrating its 25 th year currently, and is one of the oldest Sri Lankan/South Indian style restaurants in Toronto.
While the Sri Lankan eateries' scene has changed significantly over the years, with old places shutting down (Kiraamaththu Virunthu, New Devi etc.,) and new ones opening up (Canbe etc.,), Hopper Hut has remained a legend.
Those who came to Canada before the nineties and those who were here but moved to the States still love the Hopper Hut. I remember someone telling me that for some of those who reside in the States, eating out at the Hopper Hut during their visits to Canada is a must.
As well, the Sri Lankan eatery scene is made up of mostly take-outs and just very few eat-in restaurants.
Thus, it was time for a Hopper Hut visit, after more than ten years.
We ordered a number of dishes - mutton lampreis, beef curry, fried fish and samba rice.
The Lampreis
It was very aromatic and, as expected, wrapped in banana leaf. It was a considerably large parcel and contained all the expected items - fried anchovies, mutton curry, boiled egg, a cutlet and veggies.
While it was tasty, the rice could have had a little bit of salt to it as it is custom to make it eatable even without any of the curries.
The Beef CurryIt was cooked to the right texture and moderately spicy with a tangy tinge. I would have preferred it to be a little bit spicier but I can understand that the chef wanted to ensure the curry is acceptable to the most number of patrons.
The Fish FryI love them, and this was great, with the right amount of salt and crispiness. It came with sautéed green chillies and curry leaves.
The Hopper Hut is also known for its hoppers but we did not have enough amount of people to try more than these dishes.
Another time.
