Kadupul--Dublin (Sri Lankan cuisine)

The other night I visited my favorite Sri Lankan restaurant. It's actually the only Sri Lankan restaurant I've been to or know of in the Bay Area. The island of Sri Lanka is between India and Thailand, so their food is kind of a mix between both but still completely different from either one. They use lots of chilies and spices, they have rice and curries, but it's still different enough that I will make the trip out to Dublin rather than visit the numerous Indian or Thai restaurants in my area.

Located in a strip mall at 8939 San Ramon Road in Dublin, it's housed in a very nondescript location adjacent to a gas station and a condo complex. I accidentally found it one day while browsing restaurants online and thought it might be interesting...and indeed it was.

Do not be fooled by the mostly empty restaurant; this place has great food. It also starts getting packed after 8pm. The service is friendly and if you are open minded, let the waitstaff help you with what to order. They also have a lunch buffet, which I've never tried since I've only gone for dinner. But that may be a good option if you want to try a variety of dishes.

For starters, I ordered fish rolls (you can choose your filling) and stuffed banana peppers. They were served with a red sauce that is similar to ketchup, but with a bit of a kick. Delicious. One thing I look out for when it comes to fried food, is that it isn't fried in old oil. These are always fried in fresh oil and tastes light.

The owner, Robert, goes to Sri Lanka every year so he knows his stuff. Basically I go with what he recommends, and he's never steered me wrong. I may want one thing, and he may change it. During my first visit I thought this was a bit presumptuous of him but it worked out great. Now I just ask him what's for dinner and he fills in the blanks. My entree was a chili pork with yellow rice. The rice is not pictured. The pork was cooked well and even though there were about two dozen little peppers in this dish, it wasn't very spicy, but very flavorful.

My boyfriend got the mutton lamprais. Their lamprais is always a good choice since you can get it with your choice of meat and they will accommodate to your level of spiciness. It also comes with a hard-boiled egg that has then been fried. I love that egg, which is buried within the rice.

I've yet to try any of their desserts as I'm always too full to do so. One day I will though; I'm very curious as to Sri Lankan dessert offerings. So if you are in the area, try out Kadupul. You may be pleasantly surprised.