Priyani Ceylon Cafe - Northridge

When I first decided to explore Sri Lankan food, I had no idea what to expect, and it turned out to be a delightful surprise. The cuisine bears some resemblance to South Indian food, particularly in its use of chili, cardamom, cumin, and other spices, all contributing to its unique flavor profile. A friend invited me to try Priyani, and since we were unsure what to order, we asked the owner for recommendations. He was incredibly gracious, guiding us through the menu and helping us choose a few dishes. From the moment we began our meal, it was an explosion of flavors. While the phrase "Burst of Aromas" may not mean much to you, capturing the essence of this cuisine was a challenge I faced. To delve deeper into the flavors, I decided to return for a second visit and chat with Priyani, the chef and co-owner, hoping to try another dish for a broader perspective. Every dish is complex, packed with spices that make it difficult to single out specific flavors. In my conversation with Priyani, I asked her to describe the aromas in her cooking. Although I could detect Indian influences, I quickly realized it wasn't Indian food. The ingredients might be similar, but the flavors stood apart. Priyani explained that it’s the way she blends and balances her spices that gives her dishes their unique character—what she calls the "love factor." The flavors are distinctly hers, a reflection of her culinary heritage that is hard to find elsewhere. To start, we enjoyed a sampler of appetizers including Pattis, rolls, and fish balls. The Pattis brought to mind an empanada. The dough was light and delicate, filled with a delicious mixture of chicken, potatoes, curry, and nutmeg. The rolls resembled Chinese egg rolls, crispy and filled with goodness. The fish balls were akin to salmon croquettes, featuring a wonderfully spicy filling. Next, we tried Lumprei, also known as Lamprais—a dish with Dutch influences. The entire meal comes beautifully wrapped in a fresh banana leaf, containing an array of ingredients like sambola (caramelized onions that are sweet and spicy), pol sambola (shrimp paste), yellow banana curry, fish cutlet, chicken curry, and richly seasoned roasted eggplants. Steamed together, these ingredients allow the flavors to infuse the rice, creating an incredible medley of aromas, from sweet to spicy, highlighted by cardamom, cilantro, and fresh curry leaves. We also enjoyed a serving of Biryani, topped with chicken, cashew curry, raisins, and an egg nestled in the fragrant rice. The preparation involves marinating the chicken in yogurt and a special Biryani spice blend before cooking it with the rice. Priyani has perfected this dish; the chicken remains juicy, and the rice is cooked to perfection, releasing a wonderful aroma of saffron and herbs. Lastly, we tried Kotthu Roti, which translates to "chopped Roti." This is a popular street food in Sri Lanka, featuring strips of roti stir-fried with vegetables, onions, eggs, and beef. Priyani makes the roti from scratch daily, a sight I had never witnessed before. The simple ingredients include rice flour, water, and salt. For dessert, we indulged in Watalapaam, a delicious bread pudding with Malaysian origins, made from coconut milk, brown palm sugar, cashew nuts, rice flour, treacle (Sri Lankan syrup), eggs, and a medley of spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Overall, my experience at Priyani's was an unforgettable journey through the flavorful world of Sri Lankan cuisine, each dish telling a story of its own.

The food at this restaurant is authentically Sri Lankan and absolutely delicious – it's "finger-licking" good! The atmosphere here is fantastic as well. Unfortunately, Priyani Cafe is closed.

First and foremost, I'm glad I read about Priyani before dining there. Although the menu lacked detailed descriptions, the photos and insights from FoodGPS and the LA Times were incredibly helpful when it came time to decide what to order. Additionally, we received valuable recommendations from the owners, Nahil and Priyani. Our meal kicked off with a complimentary trio of deep-fried appetizers that included Pattis, chicken rolls, and fish cutlets. The Pattis were empanada-shaped with a flaky crust, filled with ground beef and potatoes. The chicken roll was particularly interesting as it featured chicken wrapped in an egg roll, which was then fried to perfection. My favorite of the three was the fish cutlet, which had a delightful kick from the red pepper mixed in the filling. These tasty appetizers were elevated further by an extraordinary tomato-based pepper sauce. Next, we tried the Lam Prize, also known as Lump Rice. This dish consisted of a mound of rice served with an array of curries: eggplant, onion sambol, shrimp sambol, green banana curry, chicken curry, and fish curry, all steamed in a banana leaf. This single dish was bursting with wonderful aromas. The onions were perfectly caramelized, and I loved the tanginess of the green banana curry. The shrimp sambol added a lovely pungent flavor thanks to the shrimp paste. If you order nothing else, this is a must-try. Another standout dish was their Biryani, which was mildly seasoned yet packed with flavor. The rice was cooked with cashew curry and accompanied by eggplant curry. Tucked beneath the rice were yogurt-marinated chicken legs, and a roasted egg was also nestled in the middle. The cashew curry added a pleasantly unexpected sweetness to the rice, and the marinated chicken was incredibly moist and juicy. After the Biryani, we were served Kotthu Roti, a dish made of homemade flatbread cut and stir-fried with eggs, peppers, onions, curry leaves, carrots, and lamb. I loved the chewy texture of the Roti, and it was my first experience with curry leaves, which added an intriguing flavor that I can't quite describe. Next, I tried String Hoppers, which are disc-shaped rice noodles that can be likened to Sri Lankan tacos. We enjoyed these noodles with pork curry, coconut sambol (dried coconut with chili), and dal curry. Nahil also provided a small bowl of what he called "gravy" to add moisture to the noodles. Traditionally, the various components are placed on your plate, and you tear the string hoppers into pieces to scoop up the food, similar to injera bread in Ethiopian cuisine. However, my group opted to lay the string hoppers flat, add our ingredients, fold them in half, and eat them like tacos. It was a fun twist on tradition, and they tasted amazing either way. Believe it or not, we still had room for dessert and shared three among our group of four. The first was a simple yet refreshing dry yogurt drizzled with Sri Lankan honey. We also ordered a cream caramel that reminded me of flan but had a light texture and wasn't overly sweet. Last but certainly not least was the Watalappam, a delightful dessert described by foodblogz as “a bread pudding of Malaysian origin made from coconut milk, brown palm sugar, cashew nuts, rice flour, treacle (Sri Lankan syrup), eggs, and various spices including cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg.” Overall, my culinary experience at Priyani Ceylon Cafe was stellar. It has been a long time since I've had a meal that was so impeccable. From start to finish, there was nothing I didn't enjoy about dining there. If you haven't yet made the trek to Northridge, I highly encourage you to do so and experience the food for yourself. You definitely won’t be disappointed!