Lakruwana

Fantastic, authentic food! Every time I come here, there seems to be more and more stuff on the walls. The brunch buffet is for anyone who wants to please their taste buds.

LOVE THIS PLACE. Randomly came here on a Sunday at 6; just in time for the $ 12 buffet. Excellent vegetarian and carnivorous options. The atmosphere was super cultural and awesome. BYOB.

We ordered both the soups and try were excellent! The atmosphere and presentation are outstanding. The House Special dish was a very delicious dish and had a variety of tastes and texture. Will definitely come back again.

3.75 stars.
I had never had Srilankan food before, until coming here with a group of friends. The place is spectacular… more like a museum that a restaurant. There are artifacts everywhere, and the atmosphere is fantastic. We were served by a welcoming family that did everything they could to make us feel comfortable. We came for dinner, although their weekend brunch is an outstanding deal. I didn’t find the food to be as memorable as most other Unilocalers, but it was good nonetheless. I would totally go back for the brunch.
Mango lassi: delicious and very rich.
Mulligatawny soup: very delicate; tasty.
Lentil soup: interesting snd spicy.
Assorted appetizers: 4 croquettes with mixed vegetables and fish… a lil dry.
Lamprie with lamb: except for the meat — which was tough and dry — the rest of the dish was very tasty, especially the eggplant… truly delicious. It was an interesting combination of flavors, which I highly recommend. Maybe I wouldn’t get the meat next time.
Kottu roti with vegetables: very flavorful; a lil too starchy for me, but it’s just my preference… the dish was well prepared and presented.
Egg hopper with fish: underwhelming.
Fish biyriani: just ok; flavors didn’t stand up as much as I had expected, and the fish was very dry.
Watalappan (coconut custard): not as sweet as I had expected, but still an interesting choice.
Overall, it’s a solid place, wonderfully managed, and an experience itself just to walk inside.

Now this is food that tastes like home!!! I think that tells everything. The flavours were authentic, SPOT ON and a buffet at $ 13.95??? In NY!!! And pairing up with the flavour, I had the Faluda, a MUST for anyone to try!
This is a place which offers the REAL taste of Sri Lanka, from the food to the décor.

Best brunch spot in NYC, period.
Saturdays and Sundays they serve a buffet for 13.95 that includes 3 kinds of rice, 7 kinds of curries and 5 kinds of dessert. Best part is, the ingredients are fresh and, no matter where you call home, this food tastes like home, because of how flavorful it is.
I do think the veggie curries were significantly more successful than the 2 meat curries that day, which were black pork and devil chicken. The pork especially was dry and overcooked. But the vegetable curries were spot on. My favorites were green beans and yucca. Now for the life of me I did not think i would be able to eat yucca at a sub-​$ 15 buffet. It was cooked tender but still had that firm chew in yucca if you know what i’m talking about. Best part is, for the first time I actually had yucca that was flavorful. No disrespect to yucca fries, but you usually have to dip those bad boys in some sauce. Not the curry here! The flavor really went in.
Some dishes were misses. I wasn’t a huge fan of the kale but I am glad it was there (hashtag fake health hoe). I also didn’t understand the egg curry because it tasted like a plain hard boiled egg to me (The only hard boiled egg that stands above all others is chinese tea egg). Desserts were also extremely well made. Try a bit of each and you’ll leave extremely satisfied.
The place has a sign saying 1. it’s better to eat Sri Lankan food with your hands which I think nobody does 2. you should keep your buffet time under 1 hour. But honestly I was full after a plate so I didn’t go for seconds, neither did the couple sitting next to me. I definitely got the bang for my buck for the entire 30 minutes that I was there. Service was nice. Location is easy to find.

The flavor, texture, and atmosphere of this place is sensual and very welcoming.
The Sri Lankan food is fantastic! They cook with lust in mind… It is as if they’re suggesting you follow-​through upon finishing your meal…
If you are vegetarian or a meat eater, you will be happy. And it is not far from the ferry.
The Saturday & Sunday brunch is particularly a bargain at $ 13.95
Big thanks to my friend and vocalist #MikelBanks, who suggested I go there, and that once I did, I would be saying «Thank you» to him. Well… my gratitude is official.

Such an amazing discovery! I was originally planning to come to another restaurant however it was still closed by the time I got there; Unilocal led me here.
Sri Lanka food was something I have never tried yet always craving about before. Buffet was served during weekends so I got to try each different piece of it. Highly being influenced by Indian food, Sri Lanka food indeed offered lots of curry sauces — made by eggplant, by pineapple, by kale, everything. They even had egg curry! Haven’t yet satisfied, I went ahead and served myself homemade pudding with mango and gooseberry flavors, both were fantastic without going extremely sweet.
Inside décor was so Sri Lanka-​like, with elephants everywhere, even for the teapot! You cannot miss this place if you prefer something exotic and would like to embrace changes.

Very good Sri Lankan food, we came here for the first time and were very pleased, the décor and ambiance is top notch, I’ve never been to Sri Lanka so I can’t tell you if its traditional décor but it sure seems like it lol, as for the food, we went with the Saturday Buffet which was excellent, we tried many Lankan restaurants and this one is definitely one of the best so far, next time we may order off the menu so we can make a better assessment. The owner and waitstaff were helpful and pleasant. We will absolutely be back

I have to say that I was skeptical at first, but our experience was great, the décor is out of this world.
We went Sunday for the buffet and tasted a little bit of everything.
The staff is friendly and we will come back!

The majority of Sri Lankin food I have had in NYC is average at best, but Lakruwana is not, this has to be the best Sri Lankin food in NYC! The atmosphere is very creative and inviting, shut your stupid phone off and take it in! I cannot describe how good everything, I mean everything is there. From the basmati rice to the black curry pork and all the vegetarian pots to choose from in the buffet to the Lamprais, which can be made with pork, chicken, lamb, beef or goat.
The staff is very helpful, friendly and inviting and I had no problem finding street parking. Lakruwana will be a go to place for me from now on… Fantastic place!

Best food I’ve ever had in a restaurant ever. This is not an understatement… If you’re reading this, do yourself a favor and drop whatever you’re doing and go have dinner here.
I don’t care if you’re sitting on a toilet… in a restaurant bathroom… on Mars — just GO!

Terrific buffet in Staten Island. We came on a Saturday and were pleasantly surprised that the buffet is not just for Sundays — it was well worth the trip. Incredibly ornate décor was both a surprise and a delight. The buffet was beautifully presented as if you were happening upon a scene of repose by chance. There were so many winners: to say that the eggplant dish and all of the sambals, plus the kale and coconut were our favorites seems offensive to the heftier dishes, but really, everything was incredibly flavorful, beautiful to behold and rather inspiring. The simple puddings and mousses for dessert were the perfect finish.
Very happy to have made the trip, and we hope to return when we next make our way from South Brooklyn to New Jersey. Lakruwana, though, is a destination worthy of a trip on its own!

This is one of the great restaurant in NYC – hands down. There are basically about 4 Sri Lankan Restaurants in NYC. My boyfriend lived in SL for many years so we have been looking to visit as authentic as possible spot. Where are most of the Sri Lankan Restaurants-​Staten Island!
So, I took an amazing one of a kind free ferry ride from Manhattan to Staten Island-​then an 8 minute tram to the restaurant. The restaurant is located in Richmond – a working class community on the bay. Once inside you are met with an explosion of ceramic, masks, wooden statuary, candles, woods, and… aromas straight from Sri Lanka. I got the Mango Lassi – best I have ever had. We got the assorted appeiteizers – a little bit of everything and it is so delicious! Then comes the food. I had the veggie selection in a banna leaf and he had sizzling chicken. One fabulous dish after the other. I felt like I was completely awash in the spirit and flavor of what I imagine to be a magnificent country and cuisine.
The service is impeccable. Great for groups. Great for romantic dinners.
This is a must go to in NYC – at least once.

Loved this place! If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll love it too! Both the food and the dining ambiance in this place were terrific. We tried quite a few vegetarian dishes and were very please.
Vegetable Cutlet
Masala Wade
Godamba Roti with vegetable curry
Kottu Roti with vegetable curry
String Hopper with vegetable curry
First two appetizers were great. The dipping sauce for the Vegetable Cutlet was DELICIOUS. We wanted to put it on everything. The Masala Wade was a lentil patty, also tasty.
Main dishes were bright, had good presentation and taste great. The fan favorite was the string hopper for both its taste and consistency. The Godamba Roti was also a fun dish due to the light papery roti for dipping.
We will definitely be back for weekend buffet brunch!

I’ve been here a few times for the buffet on Sundays. The food is always delicious and not volcano hot. But some of the dishes are spicy and some are sneaky spicy (meaning the heat hits you afterward!)
The only slight downside is sometimes the pork station can be a little fatty and the chicken curry is mostly bone. The flavored are nice though just a bit more work is all.
The service is pleasant if a touch slow but overall this is a good place to go.

Well the girls of Sex and the City definitely never came here for brunch. Are you sick of just eating the same old silly pancake and drinking Bloody Marys while you talk about last night’s shenanigans? It’s time to mix it up!
Walking in, you’ll feel like you entered a magic portal to Sri Lanka. The interior is INCREDIBLE. Literally everything is imported from Sri Lanka. The walls are made of stone, there are Buddha statues everywhere, and even the menus are pasted on wooden faces.
Though it totally looks like Disneyland on crack inside, don’t let that discourage you. This is not some cheesy theme restaurant. In fact, after walking past the rather lackluster neighborhood on your way over you’ll be thrilled to enter such a well-​cared for space.
My friend and I came here for the buffet. Which for $ 13.95 is a steal considering it’s all you can eat and all that will get you in most places is an omelette and a drink. There were about 10 – 15 dishes including kale and coconut, deviled chicken, spicy green beans, egg curry, dal, spicy coconut, eggplant, spicy yucca, plus an array of mousses for dessert.
Every single I ate was delicious. I was raised with Indian food and for a long time I figured Sri Lankan food is similar. NOT the case. While somewhat similar, Sri Lankan food definitely stands on its own. Honestly, we just kept eating and eating and eating. 4 hours later we realized we were the last ones standing.
It’s definitely worth the trek from the other boroughs.
BUT I’m subtracting one star because THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY HOPPERS! What the heck guys??? That’s what Sri Lankan breakfast is known for. We couldn’t even order one. That made me pretty effing sad. However as my pants were about to burst open, maybe it was a sign from the Universe.

Definitely a destination restaurant, absolutely worth the trip. Huge portions, incredible ambience, welcoming attentive generous waitstaff, delicious food, affordable prices. Even though, for me, it’s a 30 minute walk to the ferry, then a 30 minute ferry ride, then a 30 minute walk to the restaurant, and that’s just one way (not including the return trip home), I can’t wait to come back many times very soon.

One of the more remarkable food experiences I’ve had in awhile for sure. My first dine on Sri Lankan fare that I’m aware of. Friends brought us to this remote spot on Staten all the way from Brooklyn. We dined on the Sunday buffet, and what a spread it was. Spectacular curries, succulent goat, eggplant, kale in coconut oil, green beans, egg hoppers (wow! never had those), lots of great condiments and spices and a great pot of tea.
The desserts are equally wonderful with my favorite being a mango mousse that was intense, sweet and satisfying.
For the money, a great deal. We had a veritable feast for four and only managed a $ 72 bill not including tip. Was mildly annoyed the owner wasn’t able to run my credit card so I had to dig out a bunch of cash I wasn’t planning on spending, making it necessary to find a cash machine later that day. Oh well, such is the experience. Would I return here? In a heartbeat.
A veritable smörgåsbord of flavors, many new to me. Be warned, some of those toasted red peppers that serve as condiments are very potent.

Do you like to eat at the best restaurants in town? Me too. If you’re looking for the best Sri Lankan restaurant in New York, go to Lakruwana.
I’ll start this review by saying I’m Sri Lankan. I know the difference between quality Sri Lankan food and mediocre food. With all due respect to the other wonderful Sri Lankan restaurants in NY, including but not limited to Sigiri and Sun Rasa, there is no question in my mind that Lakruwana serves the highest caliber Sri Lankan food in the five boroughs.
Let’s dive in. First off, the atmosphere is as we Sri Lankans like to say, «top notch.» The interior is beautifully decorated with artifacts and artwork shipped from Sri Lanka. Buddha statues in various poses and Sinhalese cultural masks can be found throughout. The tables and chairs and even the stones on the walls are all from Sri Lanka. That’s about as authentic as it gets. Even the menu is cool. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.
The owner, Ruwan, also serves as the host and waiter. He’s a very nice guy and should be commended for the level of detail that he’s brought to his restaurant.
Ok, let’s get to the food. Everything on the menu is authentic and fantastic. There are a wide variety of options to choose from. To start off, I’d suggest going with the wade (lentil cakes) and fish cutlets, which are delicious and a great way to get your palette ready for the main course.
I also always order the Mulligatawny soup. It is in my very humble opinion, the best soup you can get anywhere. Period. That’s right I said it. I’m not comparing the Mulligatawny soup to just other Sri Lankan soups. I’m saying it’s better than any other soup you can get anywhere. The flavor is explosive. It’s a must have if you enjoy hot soup with your meal.
If you’re a first timer, I would suggest going with one of the curries as your entrée. I think the chicken curry is the best but the mutton (i.e. goat) curry is also very good. Warning, it’s spicy. Sri Lankan food is meant to be spicy. It is spicier and thus much more flavorful than Indian food. If you don’t like spicy, go ahead and eat Italian somewhere else.
Another very popular dish is the kottu roti. If you’ve had chicken and rice from your favorite Halal street cart, it’s kind of like that. Except much better. The spices, vegetables, and meat combine for a filling and delicious meal.
If you want something unique, I’d suggest going with the hoppers. A hopper is most often eaten during breakfast in Sri Lanka, but it’s also delicious for lunch or dinner. Think of it as something akin to a flaky pancake. My favorite is the egg hopper. Combine it with a chicken, beer, pork, goat, or fish curry and it’s amazing.
For dessert, get the traditional Watalappan, which is a type of coconut, custard, nut milk pudding. It’s very sweet and a perfect way to end a spicy and savory meal.
If you’re adventurous and more cost conscious, I suggest taking full advantage of the Saturday and Sunday all-​you-​can-​eat buffet. For $ 11.95, it may be the best deal in NY. You’ll get a chance to sample a wide variety of dishes and eat to your heart’s content for a very reasonable price.
For my fellow Manhattan city dwellers, I know that trekking to Staten Island can be daunting. If you have access to a car, it’s no problem getting there and parking is plentiful. If you don’t have a car, the restaurant is easily accessible by the Staten Island ferry. Trust me. It’s worth the trip for one of the most unique and best dining experiences in New York!