Adoh! (Sri-Lankan for ‘oi!’) is loud.
Sat on Maiden Lane in frenetic, tourist-packed Covent Garden, this Sri Lankan spot from Kolamba duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella fits right in. While Kolamba and its sister restaurant on Liverpool Street are sleek, sophisticated haunts, this is a maximalist whirlwind.
Chopped roti gets more heavenly with each chewy bite
Adoh’s goal is to emulate the rapid, chaotic energy of Colombo and its street food culture. The decor is raucous – the tables a striking shade of red and the walls busy with storybook murals depicting hand-painted trucks of South Asia. As for service, it’s full speed ahead. You can very easily be in and out within an hour, and fully satisfied. In the throbbing heart of the theatreland that’s no bad thing.
The menu features a blend of authentic bits (isoo vadai, mutton rolls or roti and curry) and some milder hybrid dishes (fried chicken and curry leaf waffles are best suited to less adventurous members of your party). Shiny squares of prawn toast dolloped with tamarind sauce start us off, swiftly followed by a supple dosa spread with smoky masala, alongside a rather dry coconut roti with eye-wateringly hot lunu miris chilli paste.
The must-order main (which at £17 is the priciest item on the menu) is crab kothu, a late-night classic in Sri Lanka. The bronze mountain of chopped roti, egg and stir fried crab meat (mutton, chicken or jackfruit kothu are available too) isn’t particularly pretty, but drenched in curry sauce (punchy but by no means overpowering), it gets more heavenly with each chewy bite. I find it hard not to continue shoving down forkfuls long after I’ve gone past the point of fullness. Who knew that soggy scraps of bread could be so sublime?
There’s only one dessert on offer at Adoh. But, honestly? That’s plenty. After dishes doused in fiery spices, the simple, mellow mouthfuls of jaggery soft serve wrap the meal up nicely. The Milo shake, made from Sri Lanka’s answer to Horlicks, is a similarly soothing option for washing things down before you head out to catch the opening overture at the Royal Opera House.
The vibe: A fun, fast pre-theatre pitstop.
The food: Comfort dishes lifted from the late-night stalls of Colombo.
The drink: South Asian-inspired mocktails and cocktails as flavourful as the dishes.
Time Out tip: Sri Lanka knows how to do a good salad. Order sides of mango and papaya salad and morning glory to bring some freshness to the banquet.