Hop In

Sri Lankan and Tamil Cuisine is something that I haven't really delved into before. So when it came to checking out Hoppers, I went in with very little knowledge but come the end, I left having tried some fine ass food. The restaurant showcases the Sri Lankan cuisine bringing as much authenticity as possible whilst at the same time giving it a modern makeover.

Hoppers is a bubbly and bustling little hotspot in Soho, the only tricky thing though is that they do not take reservations, so get there in good time to ensure you get a table. Even if you don't manage to get a table straightaway, let me be the first to tell you that it is well worth the wait.

 

 

Knowing what was on the menu proved a little difficult but luckily Hoppers engaging, helpful and friendly staff were there to guide me and save me from making a fool out of myself.  I should mention one important thing, that I stupidly failed to realise there's a glossary of terms at the back of the menu. But nevertheless FoodPunkers, let me give you the heads up by giving a brief description of the key items.

 

• Hopper - Bowl shaped fermented rice and coconut milk pancake
• Dosa - Crispy fermented lentil and rice crepe
• Kothu - Finely chopped roti cooked with vegetables, meat or seafood.

 

As always I ordered a whole heap of stuff, any more and it would have been game over. I just know the pictures below will get your taste buds going.

 

Bonemarow

Roti

Mutton Rolls

Lamb Kothu Rot

Hopper with various chutneys and Sambals

Dosa

 

 

If you like you're spice then you're gonna love this place. For me it hit the right note, enough heat to coat the lips but if things did get a little too hot, I had a cool crisp beer to cool things down. FoodPunkers if I were you I would order two rounds of mutton rolls. One just isn't enough and I'm not being greedy here. Those bad boys were just incredible and the good chefs themselves don't shy away from packing it with lots of  meat. It tasted even better with the chilli, garlic and ginger dip. In fact all of the dips and sambals are to die for. Get your dosa, roti and hopper and just dunk away.
The fish curry had flaky bite size pieces of mackerel swimming in a spiced coconut sauce and the soft fatty bonemarrow came with a fiery sauce and a light buttery roti, perfect for spreading that flavoursome fat on.




Without a doubt Hoppers could just be one of the best restaurants in London. So next time you're in Soho and you want to spice things up a little, hop in to this little gem of a place.