Rice and Curry in Colombo: Sri Lanka's National Dish, No Two Plates Alike

White or red rice, sometimes steamed in coconut milk, surrounded by a spread of curries: fish, chicken, vegetable, egg, lentil (parippu), pumpkin, jackfruit. Each curry contrasts the next -- some fiery, some mild -- and no two plates are genuinely the same, since the spread varies by cook and by day.

Upali's by Nawaloka -- The Polished Introduction

A classic introduction to rice and curry with all the trimmings, in a setting more comfortable for first-timers than a market stall.

Pettah Market and Galle Face Green -- The Local Way

Pettah Market food stalls offer busy carts with multiple curry pots on display -- look for the stall locals queue at for lunch specifically. Galle Face Green food carts, on the edge of the financial district, offer good variety in a casual setting.