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Jaffna has always held a special place in my heart for its inexplicably endearing vibe, but mostly, for its excellent food. Still, my experience with Jaffna’s wide-ranging culinary repertoire has been lacking at best. So when I had the opportunity to try the recently introduced “A weekend in Jaffna” dining experience at Chutneys, Cinnamon Grand, my foodie soul was excited. 

The Jaffna buffet is a sensory experience that draws you in from the second you walk in. The sights, the smells and the great ambience all engulf you, giving you a whiff of what’s to come. I circumnavigated my way through the space, as I always do at buffets to get a feel of the offerings, half expecting to see a lineup of smattering stereotypical Jaffna dishes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I’d never heard of many of the dishes they had and my excitement piqued at the chance to try out novel Jaffna fare!
I started with soup. They had the signature Jaffna Kool (Jaffna style seafood soup) as well as a Mutton Bone Rasam. The Jaffna Cool was hearty, spicy and flavourful. Fellow diners gave their thumbs up for the mutton bone rasam too, sharing that it was rich and delicious.

The mains were a little nerve-wracking - while I’ve become more adventurous with food, I crave the comfort of familiarity. As I mentioned previously, most dishes here were novel items I’d never heard of. I headed for the elephant yam dish in two minds. Elephant yam was something I’d never tried, but earlier that day, in conversation with the longtime patron of the Cinnamon Grand, Christie Richards, I was successfully convinced to give it a try. While elephant yams are eaten both in the North and South, made Jaffna style, it tastes like meat, Richards assured me. It did. 

Pictured: Christie Richards

Interestingly, Richards is one of the main reasons for the Jaffna buffet here at Cinnamon Grand. Born in Jaffna, he eventually moved to Canada. But over the years, he returned to the country frequently. In fact, he’s been coming to the hotel from before it was Cinnamon Grand. “My association with Cinnamon Grand and predecessor hotels goes back almost 50 years. It was my daughter who stayed here first and loved it”, he shared. “The idea of the ‘Regional Cuisines of Sri Lanka’ started as a casual conversation among Ms Usha Almeida, the Executive Chef of Cinnamon Grand, Mr Kapila and myself”. The Cinnamon brand has consistently looked at redefining Sri Lankan culture, entertainment and hospitality, showcasing the very best of what the island has to offer. And when regular and new guests give suggestions, they conduct research, organise focus groups and then implement. Jaffna is the first among a host of regional cuisines on offer at the Cinnamon Grand, with many soon to follow.

A foodie at heart, Richards is very knowledgeable about the intricacies that make Jaffna cuisine special. He shares with me that the Chef overseeing the Jaffna dishes is from Point Pedro, a locale that is famous for a subtype of Jaffna cuisine, adding that a lot of chefs come from different islands off the peninsula and that the way they cook has continued for centuries unaltered, hence the delicious food.

He’s not wrong. As I slowly made my way through some of the dishes, I found myself amazed at how consistently delicious and well-flavoured every single dish was. A rarity in buffets, where at best, it’s a hit-or-miss with the food on offer. For mains, they had Sivappu Kuththarisi Choru (steamed red rice), Arisima Idiyappam (red string hoppers), Gundu Thosai (round dosai), Keerai Puttu (spinach pittu), Meen Puttu (fish pittu), Idly and Thosai. Some of the mains were prepared in live-action stations and they also had Hoppers, which was quite the hit with diners.

The buffet had a good variety of meat-based dishes including Eral Kuzhambu (prawn curry), Nandu Curry (crab curry), Kanavaai Paal Piratttal (cuttlefish dry curry), Naattu Kozhi Kuzhambu (country chicken curry), Kozhi Milagu Pirattal (dry pepper chicken) and Aattu Erachchi Kuzhambu (mutton curry). Sura varai (shark mallum) was something I’d never tried (let alone heard of) before, and unsurprisingly, turned out to be flavourful. No Jaffna meal is complete without their crab or prawn curries so I couldn’t pass up on trying them. They were the right amount spicy and delicious! The gravy was tasty and paired well with everything from rice to the pittu. 

Pictured: Chef Kaarthika

The vegetarian curries were also varied - Sambar, Vendhaya Kuzhambu (onions and fenugreek curry), Karunaikkizhangu Curry (elephant yam curry), Paithangai Pilakottai Curry (long beans and jack fruit curry), Saaranai and Kizhangu Curry (saarana and potato curry), Murungakkai Kuzhambu (drumstick curry), Vendikai Pavakkai Poriyal (ladies fingers and bitter guard), Poosanikkai and Marawalli Kizhangu Paal Curry (pumpkin and manioc white curry). They also had a section with all fried food like Ulundu Vadai, Paruppu Vadai, Vazhakkai (ash plantain), Eral (prawns) and Fried Chicken. While they were all tasty, the chicken was my favourite. Perfectly fried without being overdone, it was succulent, juicy and finger-lickin’ good!

Desserts comprised a mix of fresh fruit and Jaffna sweetmeats like Sakkarai Pongal (rice, moong lentil, ghee, jaggery, cardamom and nuts), Paayasam (vermicelli, milk, jaggery, raisins and nuts), Ulundu kali (urad dhal and jaggery), Paruthithurai Vadai (a flat vada), Panangai Paniyaram (palmyra fruits, steamed flour and sugar) and Paitham Paniyaram (green moong dhal, coconut and jaggery). My favourite was the king yam pudding, recommended by Chef Kaarthika herself. A mushy dessert I would not normally have picked, it is a dessert not to be missed. I would have gone back for seconds, but the food here will have you full before you know it!

Service too was great; Roshan, who served me was very attentive and helpful. My glass was always refilled and used plates cleared as soon as I was done. Chef Kaarthika also mingled with diners, explaining the story behind the dishes and recommending things based on our preferences.

Photos Waruna Wanniarachchi