Why Come Here? Sample Sri Lankan street food, cheap eats
Kottu House epitomizes the current state of the New York casual dining scene. It’s fast! It’s cheap! It’s easy-to-eat! It’s got hard-to-find authentic ethnic eats! From the streets of Sri Lanka! I’m sure many of you are sold already, but I’ll finish the review anyway because that’s my job. Sort of.
Kottu occupies a shoebox of a space on Broome Street, but in true South Asian form makes use of every available inch. They’ve managed to squeeze three tables and two counters seating about 15 in a a place smaller than the entry way to many suburban restaurants. One wall is covered with photos of the owner’s family in Sri Lanka which is ideally situated above the side counter you’re likely to sit at if dining solo. The rest is covered in brick walls with a neon sign announcing where you are.
So what food have we been brought from the Sri Lankan streets? The signature kottu (typically spelled kothu) is sort of a mix between curry and stir-fry with chopped veggies, roti, spices and choice of protein served in a newspaper laden box with a branded spoon. If Wikipeida is to be believed, these are as popular in Sri Lanka as burgers are in America. It comes in medium spicy (“a notch above American medium”), spicy and “Sri Lankan spicy.” The Sri Lankan spice will give you the nose runs for sure, but the heat works perfectly with the dish and I recommend it if you can take it. It doesn’t hurt to mix in one of their sambols – a blend of chilis, lime and coconut to cool things down. The kottus come in small and large, but take them the small to save room for another small plate like the lentil patties or popular beef rolls. Apparently people “race down the street” to get their hands on the latter, but unfortunately I couldn’t try them due to an egg allergy. Add in one of several Sri Lankan beers to round out the experience for a very reasonable $20 a person.
Shrimp & Chicken Kottus 
Obviously the choice of protein matters, but the peppery spices and roti/veggie blend are similar enough I’ll rate them together. The flavors really blend nicely and it’s a pretty dry dish for a curry (similar to Malaysian rendang). If I lived on the LES, I’d be putting these down on a weekly basis.
Lentil Cake 
These crispy little fritters are spicy and heavy on the chili flavor. If you haven’t gotten enough heat from your kottu, add an order of these bad boys.
Potato Roll 
This was a special and sort of reminded me of a softer samosa. Although I found it a little bready, it makes a nice vegetarian or vegan alternative to the beef rolls.
Pol Sambol Pictured next to the potato roll is the coconutty, limey pol sambal. It’s perfect for cooling your mouth down or adding extra flavor to your kottu. It’s only $1 so just get one.
Right Amount for 2? 2 small kottus, 2 short eats
Kottu House
250 Broome Street (Ludlow & Orchard Sts.)
New York, NY
