Saturday 26 January 2008

Oman: Sri Lankan fare

Always in search of new cuisine, we went with Sri Lankan friends to 'Flavours' in Azaiba, just the other side of the highway from the Zubair car showrooms. The restaurant is open 24 hours (which did not bode well), however, the 'multi-cuisine' restaurant includes hoppers, kottu, pittu and curries from Sri Lanka which we were keen to sample.

We started with kottu (Sri Lankan pancake, vegetables and meat) with a good spicy curry sauce. I watched the chef preparing the dish on an iron sheet, chopping the ingredients with a couple of metal blades, a distinctive clanky sound which apparently can be heard all over the island. This was followed by a prawn curry with plain rice. 

Saturday night is fish night at Flavours, and the place was full of Omanis making the most of the all-you-can-eat-for-silly-money buffet. There was also live music and the band took the opportunity to entertain our table. They had a curious musty smell. 

The bill for four adults and two children was 13 rials (£17). We will return to try the Lamprais, a Dutch influenced dish of banana leaf-wrapped rice with chicken, brinjal pahi (pickle) and fish cutlets.

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