Sri Lanka - Pillawoos

Submitted by susan on Thu, 2007-04-12 03:52.
"You must try the cheese roti!" - advice from Chris' work friends about the addition to Pillawoos' (that local institution - pronounced "Pillaus") long-standing menu. 

After a full-on lunch at the Thai restaurant at TransAsia, we hastily realised that dinner at Shanmuga's probably wasn't the best idea.  So perhaps takeaway from Pillawoos instead to have that cheese roti finally? Also to experience the fine Pillawoos tradition - cars all parked Sri Lankan style on the main, major road outside Pillawoos either waiting for their order or waiting for the sharp-eyed staff to dash out to take the order.  Fortunately it's past 9pm so the road is quiet - that is, until some van decides to stop in the one lane still available, to complete some mysterious task quite unrelated to Pillawoos' roaring business.  Chaos ensures for 5 minutes as cars back up behind the two-pronged road block ...but it mercifully clears quickly enough to not attract the attention of the police...and we find a proper park as a happy customer departs with his piping hot load.  What happens in peak hour traffic, we wonder?  (Update from Chris - thanks!!! - they only open after peak hour :-)  )

20 minutes later, laden down with cheese roti & kotthu roti (alas, chicken only, mutton being sold-out tonight....), we depart in turn.   Back home all proclaim the cheese roti a definite success.  In Eugene's words, a Sri Lankan version of the stuffed crust pizza:  cheese melted between layers of roti, which is then rolled up around a filling of chicken, onions & green chilli.  Delectable!  Just the sort of thing to have at the end of a big night - or the morning after hehe...

As for kotthu roti - mmm...there's a dish you can never have enough of.  Like a Sri Lankan version of char kway teow...  roti sliced up into ribbons and stir fried up with curry of choice.  ~mouthwatering~  O to have kotthu roti for breakfast...or lunch...or supper....!!!

Sigh...  not likely in Australia, especially for breakfast, and especially not mutton kotthu roti ~triple gusty sigh~
 
But!!  Kotthu roti is locally available in the Palms food court and Curry & Chips (Blackburn Road, Syndal x 2) the Thosai takeaway in Clayton, and probably anywhere you find a Sri Lankan takeaway or restaurant.  Not made with fresh roti but, ah well..just wait 'til the next trip to SL!