I felt geographically challenged as the five of us settled into our table at Aralia. “Ummm, between India and China?” was the best answer I could come up with to the question, “Where exactly is Sri Lanka?” Nothing like being dull and unprepared to make a big first impression on the three CityBeat readers who joined us as reviewers.
I was mildly relieved to learn this is a frequent query and a common misconception. Because of its familiar curries, we often associate Sri Lankan cuisine with Indian cuisine. Actually, Sri Lanka is a tiny tropical island nation, formerly known as Ceylon, located in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of India. The island’s cuisine — exotic fruits and vegetables, rich and flavorful curries — has been influenced by the Portuguese, Dutch, Arab and neighboring South Indian traders. Triset De Fonseka, chef/owner of Aralia, skillfully combines these aspects with the essence of Chinese, Thai and Middle Eastern for “Sri Lankan cuisine with a fusion twist.”
The Scene
Don’t blink as you drive north on Loveland-Madeira Road. Aralia resides in a diminutive, melon-colored building across from the post office. Pull into the parking lot and you might see De Fonseka’s husband watering an overgrown bed of cherry tomatoes.
Inside, the small dining room is painted in Spice Belt colors of warm tumeric yellow, trimmed in cinnamon, with tables displaying lovely batiks beneath their glass tops. A simple decor of knickknacks, framed articles, photos and “Best Of” awards, as well as a corner table laden with jars of colorful relishes, speaks proudly of family.
The Scoop
Aralia’s menu is short and simple — two appetizers, three poultry items, five seafood and seven meat dishes. The largest part of the menu is devoted to 10 vegetarian entrées and any “fusion” specials De Fonseka might prepare that evening.
Our focus for this review is vegetarian fare, so we order several dinners to share. We include both appetizers, since they too are vegetarian: Roti ($2.95), a Sri Lankan flat bread with green chilies, onions and a touch of coconut; plus Bruschetta ($3.75), Italian bread topped with hummus and roasted red pepper. The Roti was interesting, thicker than the more familiar Indian Naan and served at room temperature with a dollop of a ginger chutney. The coconut contributed some texture but not the sweetness you would imagine. We would have enjoyed it more had it been warm. A good spicy hummus topped with pepper relish made the bruschetta the favorite of the two appetizers.
Three basic sauces are divided among the entrées: red curry sauce made with mild chili powder and roasted curry powder, yellow curry sauce with tumeric and raw curry powder, and a spicier chili sauce. We chose the Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry with yellow sauce ($12.95), Artichoke Curry and Spinach Curry with a choice of red or yellow sauce ($12.95), Fiery Tofu and Spinach Curry with chili sauce ($12.75) and Sri Lankan Cashew Curry with yellow sauce ($13.50). All entrées are served with basmati rice, lentils and chutney; the coconut milk which is the base of most curries can be replaced with soy milk upon request.
In South Indian cuisine, vegetables tend to be over-stewed. In Sri Lanka, the natural flavors of ingredients show through: You can see the freshness of the vegetables through their vibrant colors. Our dinner plates became palettes of bright orange sweet potatoes with deep green, barely wilted spinach, yellow lentils, red ginger chutney. Flavors were of a subtle complexity without the competition. As we passed plates around, each of us had favorites. The Sweet Potato Curry and the Artichoke Curry were the big winners, while the Fiery Tofu only lost one vote due to heat. We were evenly divided on the Cashew Curry some didn’t fancy it as well, feeling it would fare better if the cashew flavor was more pronounced from a light toasting of the nuts.
We cooled the piquancy of dinner with Mango Sundaes — vanilla ice cream, fresh mangoes, cream and cashews — and a tapioca custard sweetened with a Sri Lankan syrup. Our five spoons clinked against the glass as we polished them off.
The Sizzle
De Fonseka has authored two cookbooks: Easy Cooking with Herbs and Spices and Easy Vegetarian Cooking with Herbs and Spices. ©
Go: 215 Loveland-Madeira Road, Loveland
Call: 513-697-8777
Hours: Lunch: TuesdayFriday 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. Dinner: TuesdayThursday 5:309 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5:309:30 p.m. Closed SundayMonday.
Prices: Moderate
Payment: Visa and MasterCard accepted
Red Meat Alternatives: This place has many choices for vegetarians.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2002.