New Sunshine Restaurant (CLOSED)

While New Sunshine is a big take-out spot, you could easily fill a night sitting in the tiny, four-table dining room exploring the Sri Lankan menu. Most of the appetizers are some form of breaded and deep-fried roti, stuffed with a tangy mix of lentils and onions or cod. Basmati rice shows up in many dishes too. Lamprais is a flavorful standout: A banana-leaf engulfs slow-cooked beef, goat, or chicken, basmati rice and caramelized eggplant and onion. The biriyani options are intensified with saffron and studded with cashew nuts, raisins, and tender chunks of meat or shrimp. But if you want a truly authentic taste of Sri Lanka, stick a straw in a glass of the mango lassi—a thick, cold concoction of yogurt, mango, milk, and sugar.