New Zealand Herald

Reviews for 7 Siri – Taste of Sri Lanka

by Francesca d.
16th May 2013

What a gem of a place!

This was my first time experiencing Sri Lankan cuisine and I was not disappointed. The food is fresh, traditional and most importantly, tasty.

The staff were very friendly and helpful in recommending and suggesting dishes. I had the Egg Kottu and it was phenomenal, it was packed full of wonderful flavours, and not too spicy, as I had requested.

And to top it off, $13 for that huge, amazing dish?! Not bad at all! I’d highly recommend 7 Siri and I’ll be back very soon for the Crab Curry!

by Deena Y.
10th March 2013

We had the lump rice, a couple of rotis and something called kottu roti which is chopped cabbage, chicken, spices and bits of roti stir fried together. This came out first and tasted not too bad. When my lump rice came out a little while later I opened up the package to see an assortment of items sitting on a pile of yellow rice. It certainly looked appetising but…it was overwhelmingly dry. I was expected an explosion of flavour in my mouth after reading so many positive reviews on this site. Every item on the plate was dry, even the chewy lamb or beef pieces which appeared to have been cooked in gravy were dry. I was looking forward to the chutney coming out with the roti we ordered for some well needed saucing, but this was dry too!

The other problem was the timing of the meals, I think this is something obvious and easy for restaurants to get right – don’t leave one patron empty handed while their counterpart is munching down their meal.

I’m giving this place 3 stars because I’m not sure what Sri Lankan food is supposed to taste like. Perhaps they’ve hit the nail on the head, and if so then it’s just not my bag.

by Leanne
26th January 2013

First time trying Sri Lankan food and I’m glad my husband and I stopped in at 7 Siri!!

The food was fantastic!! I was very surprised how filling the meal was but it didn’t leave me feeling heavy like other cuisines can do.
The food was largely dairy and gluten free which was nice to find out. It can be hard to find places that have great tasting food that is gluten and diary free.

The service was very warm and welcoming and they helped explain the menu. They were very helpful in suggesting dishes that would give us an authentic taste of Sri Lanka.

’7 Siri’ will definitely be my go to place when I need a Sri Lankan fix.

by Steve
22nd September 2012

We drove around looking for a place to eat. We stopped out side 7Siri and had a look and went in. Probably one of the best dining choices we have made in a long long time. Full of flavours and very filling. We will return.

by Adeline
26th August 2012

Not bad – Love their version of briyani rice (which is quite different from what you’d get from Top in Town or Paradise) – flavourful and very generous with the ingredients. This was the lump rice, by the way.
The owner (I presume) was friendly and kind enough to bring us through the menu and even threw in some free papadoms – so that was pretty cool customer service.

by Amanda
20th July 2012

Went there last night and had a delicious lump rice and my partner a BBQ style dish. The service was wonderful and the lovely man talked us through the entire menu which was great as we have never had Sri Lankan food before. Very impressed with the whole evening. The food was exciting and full of flavour. They cater well for vegetarians and those on gluten free diets. We will definitely be back here again, a great little restaurant!

by NomNomPanda
9th June 2012

Lump Rice was beautifully presented in a banana leaf as others have pointed out. Some good flavours here, but found everything a little sweet. The vegetarian curry and rice we ordered were the same curries as in the Lump Rice, i.e. eggplant, potato and coconut. We also ordered the Roast Chicken Kottu Roti, which had shredded roti and vegetables on a sizzling platter, which again looked better than it tasted, reminiscent of sweet and sour sauce. Ginger teas were watery and slow to arrive. Staff were friendly and restaurant had great atmosphere (though only 4 tables), but am tempted to give only 2 stars because there were plastic flaps in place of a door, making the place was absolutely freezing, especially when someone comes in or out (frequent occurrence because of takeaway orders).

by Maria
14th April 2012

This is the best Sri lankan restaurant in New Zealand! we had the most amazing food and the service was fantastic too. They were all very lovely and helpful.

The Lump Rice is a must try!

Please go and try it out! i’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

by Marie
14th February 2012

Had takeaways from Taste of Sri Lanka tonight, absolutely wonderful authentic Sri lanka. We are a young couple living in the area and will certainly be back to try more of this delicious food. We had Lump Rice wrapped in banana skin with 3 different types of curries, absolute devine. Also cheese Roti and chicken Roti which was also wonderful. I rang our order through on the phone and when we went to pick it up the staff were very friendly. Well deserved 5 stars…we will be back.

by mark b.
10th February 2012

Best Sri lankan food I’ve tasted in NZ.. anyone wants to try or dying for some Sri lankan food this is the place to be..Can’t wait for my family to come up to auckland from Hami to try the food and lovely staff aswell..allways welcoming.. cheers guys

by sandun
14th May 2011

Great Sri Lankan food and so far the best Sri Lankan restaurant in Auckland. This restaurant is owned by Sri Lankans so the food is authentic. I ordered Kottu and Appa for my family and they were yummy. Recommended to all.!

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