HYDERABAD: Aliyaa Island Restaurant and Bar, which opened its doors in 2007, was the first establishment in Kuala Lumpur to provide traditional Sri Lankan food. It continues to be a leader in promoting the cuisine throughout South East Asia. Aliyaa received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award in Malaysia, with Chef Shiva’s extraordinary culinary skill being a key factor in the restaurant’s resounding success. The menu is full of traditional, soulful dishes that have been passed down through generations of Sri Lankan households.
In order to offer an amazing eating experience, renowned for its savoury crab curries, perfectly seasoned tiger prawns, hot mutton bones, fluffy appams, and sweets, Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel, brought Aliyaa at Zega, the Pan-Asian restaurant located within the hotel. With ingredients which have the power to contain the history of a culture, the dinner began with delicious starters of fish cutlet, a blend of fresh fish, herbs and spices and vegetable cutlet patties with a blend of authentic spices and fresh vegetables. Next up with two soups, lentil rasam made with tamarind rasam, toor dal spiced with pepper, then on to the spice-tingling mango rasam made with the chef’s secret recipe, tasting of a tangy soup made with a blend of mango and tamarind, aromatic spices and fresh herbs.
The chef brought out the main course on a tray with notable dishes including the chef’s signature Jaffna style crab curry which is one of Sri Lankan house specials, deliciously aromatic fresh crab cooked in a fragrant blend of spices, and traditional flavours from the island. The Jaffna crab curry is a culinary experience that should not be missed. Adding to that is the mutton varuval, made of slow-roasted tender mutton cubes with Jaffna spices.
The malu curry, another hit amongst the many incredible dishes, is a traditional dish prepared with boneless fresh salt-water fish, cooked in roasted curry powder and stewed in rich coconut milk. Including isso badum, prawn marinated with Aliyaa’s secret spice mix, stir-fried, with spot-on flavours. Also presented with a wide selection of vegetarian options, the course included fried bitter gourd salad, and brinjal theeyal, a dish steeped in mélange of coconut, spices and herbs.
Morning peratal, drumsticks tempered in home-style spices. Adding to the list of flavour-packed dishes, a bunch of staples such as idiyappam (string hoppers), karuvepillai rice (curry leaf and herb rice) were served. The chef presented his signature desserts — sweet appam and Aliyaa’s wattalapam, a traditional custard with notes of palm sugar and spices — to end our gastronomic journey.