Curry Leaves, 463 Ballarat Road, Sunshine. Phone: 8528 3876
Given the number of budget-priced eateries Consider The Sauce tries, it’s hardly surprising that when it comes to rotis we sometimes get less than what we hope for.
Specifically, it’s sometimes plain that the rotis we get are store-bought.
When they’re otherwise – when they’re made fresh and in-house – our delight is all the more.
That’s what we get at Curry Leaves, a newish Sri Lankan restaurant in Sunshine.
The outstanding rotis are just one of several high points of a tremendous meal.
Curry Leaves is a nicely appointed eatery right on Ballarat Road and right next door to a discount grocery outfit.
It’s a pleasant space to be in on a cold night, waiting as the traffic whizzes by.
It’s not often we eat in an establishment that uses real linen serviettes – especially not at the prices we’re about to pay.
We’re told that later in the week and at the weekend, when there is a buffet available, the place is “packed”.
Early in the week, we’re the only eat-in customers but there’s steady takeaway business coming and going.
There’s much to ponder in the longish menu – what we share between Bennie and I is just a beginning, we reckon, of our relationship with Curry Leaves.
Our fabulous rotis come as part of the special roti meal ($11.90) that includes two “godamba roti”, one “egg godamba roti”, dal and beef curry.
The rotis really are fabulous – big, not too oily, fluffy and chewy, and the perfect foil for the wet dishes.
The dal is simple and delicious – mildly spiced, sweetish.
The curry is spicier by quite a bit but the meat itself is very good and tender.
Our other board serving is the string hopper meal deal ($12.90) of string hoppers, beef curry, the same dal and pol (coconut sambol).
The string hoppers are super fresh and dainty, and splendid for soaking up the gravy juices.
As instructed, we use our right hands to mix and mop the curry and dal and coconut sambol, doing the best we can based on our greater experience with injera.
We get messy but have an all-round, lip-smacking good time.
As we’d ordered chicken but got beef by mistake, a serve of chicken curry is also brought.
The string hopper meal deal, BTW, is topped price-wise on the menu only by the banana leaf-wrapped lamprais ($14.90), which we only bypass on account of the listed 30-minute wait.
Next time!
We’ve had string hoppers before but not often – all the rest is familiar from hundreds of meals.
It’s simply that these – the string hoppers, the rotis, the curries and dal – are way better than most similar food we eat.
The meats and other ingredients are better quality, the dishes fresher and the simple seasoning more vibrant.
consider the sauce 
Yum! You’ve got me thinking about Jolly J’s for lunch now š
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This is just around the corner from me so I’m keen to check it out!
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It was one of the worst meals that I have had for a long time. The meat was undercooked, the dhal was too salty, the fish was rubbery, frozen, not fresh. I will never go there again.
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I’m sorry to hear that. I went there last night by myself and loved it again. I love the dal. But then again, in my experience restaurant dal is always salty and I like it that way. Did you try any of the rotis?
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went last night. meal to mild not authentic flavours. Eggplant bland did not have any taste ;chicken bland no spices ( too salty). Egg hoppers were good. On a whole fell short of my expectations. When I eat Sri Lankan I want the spices,:these dishes fell short for me. Fish cutlets were good.
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Well, these are interesting comments and I’m sorry, Rosemarie and Heather, your meals did not please you.
Where in Melbourne do you go for Sri Lankan food?
I’ve had quite a lot and Curry Leaves is right up there with the best for me.
It’s worth noting, too, that this is an eatery at which nothing is priced above $15.
I’m not a real big seafood fan, but I generally don’t order seafood in places with such low prices. And if I do, I certainly will not be surprised to be served frozen fish.
The rotis are exceptional, IMO, and the curries I’ve had have been very good – and spicy!
Eggplant? Next time!
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I also got a lumprice when I went there……No flavour rice too salty, bland curry. Hop N Spice down the road leave it for dead. But hey I will support new businesses but has to be good food.
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Most of the time i’m going to curries leaves for B’fast and dinner. I love their White fish curry and Freshly made rotti. And also i have been tried their lumprise, Kottu, String hopper & Hopper with lamb, chicken and dhal curries. Those curries are fabulous and best Sri lankan curries i ever had in Melbourne. Curry leaves Chefs and staff very friendly and kind, always serve with unique Sri Lankan Smile which i love lot. I recommended every one to try curry leaves for get some unique Sri Lankan taste. I have been in Sri Lanka so many times, So i can recommended this restaurant for everyone.
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Hello
Tbh after a couple of years i had the best Sri Lankan cuisine.
First of all i would like to thank the staff for providing me with some amazing food and trust me the service, timing and TASTE was up to the standard.
@heather
I am suprised to hear that you dont like the food maybe because you are not used to realize the life of food. Anyways no offence its your personal view after all.
Isthuthi š
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I only put my opinion on because I love Sri Lankan food and have learnt, eaten and cooked it for about 25 YEARS. I didn’t post this blog to be nasty it is my first food blog. IN EVERYTHING we learn and improve from criticism. I hope that this resturant takes on board this review. David you have no idea of sri lankan food if this your view. I am not saying all was bad but some lacked flavour and my lumprice was salty…..you didn’t gey these dishes but I did and that is my opinion NOT YOURS.@David.
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Well, Iāve had a good look at your comment Heather. It is true that it was your personal experience at Curry Leaves but fortunately I have had a better experience with a crowd of thirty others at a small get together at Curry Leaves.
We ordered lumprise along with other Sri Lankan traditional food like Hoppers, String Hoppers. Majority of our crowd were Dutch families moved here almost 30 years ago, and to our surprise lumprise was of its exact Dutch taste. Something we did not really expect from an infant Sri Lankan restaurant. And most of all wasnāt salty at all. I wonder if your taste buds were really tricky on the day you had lumprise at this restaurant.
After all, itās your opinion, I respect it. But this is mineā¦hope you would not cross with me for this.
Anton Constantine
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