Kottu House, which offers a modern twist to Sri Lankan cuisine, opened this week

Kottu House’s Sassy Paneer dish, Credit: Kottu House

A new takeaway offering a modern twist to Sri Lankan cuisine has opened at CRATE St James Street this week.

Kottu House founder Chelaka Gunamuni told the Echo that he was excited to bring Sri Lankan food to St James Street.

For those uninitiated to Sri Lankan cuisine, he described it as “halfway between Malaysian and Indian food”.

Originally from Sri Lanka, Chelaka owned a restaurant in New York’s Lower East Side for five years before he moved to London.

Crushingly high rent prices forced him to shut up shop and he moved to the capital with his wife and children and ran the kitchen at Hackney Wick’s Howling Hops brewery and pub.

The menu includes Sri Lankan classics like mutton rolls, stuffed (paneer, prawn and vegan) parathas, as well as classic kottu. Kottu House’s signature dish is a stir fry blend of spices, eggs and vegetables, served with a fried egg and crushed lentil cake on top.

The menu includes gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian options.

On 1st January 2024, Waltham Forest Council took over the management of CRATE St James Street after CRATE’s co-founder John Walker walked away from the business.

Visit Kottu House’s website here

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