You expect a couple of things when a restaurant has ‘East’ in its name. Exposed brick? Visible ceiling joists? Those air vents Toy Story characters use to escape a villain? Well, right on brand, Kolamba East has them all, plus the rattan furniture, wash walls, and tattooed bartenders to boot.
It’s refreshingly quiet for Shoreditch, tucked a few cobbled lanes behind the sirens and chaos of Liverpool Street. You don’t need a Sri Lankan wellness retreat to get that sought-after yogi calm; a table at Kolamba’s Blossom Street branch after battling the tube feels similarly zen.
Yet inside, there are vibes. Lo-fi beats seep through the speakers as I arrive. Trendy couples in teeny weeny beanies surround me as I peruse the drinks menu. I am dining with features editor, Max. He’s late but I forgive him immediately on arrival. He decisively opts for the other cocktail I’ve spent the first 12 minutes of my evening deliberating on.
His lychee martini (yes, you heard correctly) is dangerously unalcoholic tasting, velour pink and delicate. It comes in a dinky glass. He tells me about his love for ‘girly drinks’, peering over his Nick and Nora rim, pointing out a minor typo at the top of the menu. (There’s a reason why he’s an editor.) I proffer some yin to his yang with my spicy, sour Pol Mezcalita. He sniffs my coconut-sprinkled glass: “Well, you’ve been sensible,” he says, taking a sip of mine. “That actually tastes like there’s something quite strong in it.” The correct choice.
We are sampling the ‘favourites’ menu. Another win. Signature menu? 1. Decision making? 0. I prevent the cocktail from going to my head too quickly by scoffing the pappadums in the stainless-steel dish in front of me. The accompanying mango chutney has chunks so large and plump, you know this stuff was made in house.
Soft shell crab
The starters arrive promptly and fittingly we start with the Idli, a savoury rice cake typically served for breakfast in Sri Lanka. We each pop one away with the same zeal as the pappadums and sample the accompanying stack of soft, perfectly-spiced jackfruit. The soft-shell crab is next. It’s more difficult to divide evenly. (Something I am secretly happy about because I land the larger half). I take my time devouring its crispy structure sprinkled with soft spring onions, dripping in spiced hot butter and a healthy squidge of lime.
The next course is a full feast: roasted pineapple sprinkled with crispy curry leaves. A dark and sticky Jaffna lamb shank on the bone. Bream, delicately cooked with crispy skin intact, balanced on a vivid splurge of orange. All this is served with rice, daal and heritage tomato salad. The lamb shank in particular is so delicious but substantial, I insist on taking home a doggy bag.
Lamb Shank
Despite being full to the brim, we open our second stomachs for pud. Finishing a 2021 South Africa Chenin Blanc, we sample the Payasam: a rice pudding originating from Kerala. It’s weightless, aromatic even. Laced with cardamom and coconut, it’s (almost) cleansing.
At £55 per head, the signature menu grants you a superb selection. Dosas and hoppers don’t feature, but you can order these from à la carte. I don’t think you need them; the favourites menu is well-balanced and interesting on its own. Here, Kolamba combines cool, casual dining with excellent, elevated curry.
I like this place. Not just on account of appeasing my decision fatigue. Thanks to the doggy bag, I am lucky enough to remind myself of the taste when I finish the write-up over breakfast. And that lamb shank? Wow. It’s even better on toast.
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12 Blossom Street, London E1 6PL; Kolamba East
