Spicy Bistro Taprobane is just around the corner from the main Monzennakacho crossing. A smiling Sri Lankan Airlines cabin attendant greets you at the entrance (she's a cardboard cutout) and the staircase leads to an attractive dining room in turquoise and mahogany. The background music is an unusual mix of folksy Sinhalese classics, modern Sri Lankan pop music and Buddhist chants.

Unlike other more fussy Sri Lankan places in town, the emphasis here is on full flavors and hearty portions. Lunch sets offer a choice of one or two curries with rice, huge naan breads or rotti (crepes). The chicken curry here is dark and deeply flavored, the fish curry mild with turmeric and coconut, and the beef curry as rich as a French boeuf bourguignon.

The main event here is the Sri Lankan specialty Lump Rice (or Lamprais in Dutch). A kind of biryani baked in a banana leaf, the dish was brought from Indonesia to Ceylon by Dutch colonizers in the 17th century. A large helping of coconut-oil rice is surrounded by chicken and dal curries, Malay pickles, and Seeni and Maldives fish sambals, wrapped in a banana leaf and then baked in the oven. The packet is served sealed with two wooden toothpicks, to be opened and enjoyed by the delighted diner. The various curries and condiments can be combined in a myriad of flavors.

If you are very hungry, go for the Chicken Kottu Rotti. Chicken curry, chopped vegetables and shredded crepes are stir-fried with a blend of eight spices for this rib-sticking dish. This intensely flavored and very moreish Sri Lankan soul food comes in a very generous portion, so wear your elastic-waist pants.

Budget about Y1,100-1,500 for lunch, and Y3,000-4,000 for dinner with drinks.