It was no accident that led us to Athara Petara -- we always keep an ear to the ground for the latest of good new venues for foods from other parts of Asia. But anyone fortunate enough to stumble upon this friendly little eatery by chance will understand immediately why the word serendipity was coined from the ancient Arab name for the island we know today as Sri Lanka.
Quite simply, to eat Sri Lankan cuisine for the first time is a revelation, especially if you are expecting little more than a country cousin of the cooking delivered by most Indian restaurants. Sure, there are resonances from South India, and the coconut-based curries are not so far from those of Thailand. But the complex vernacular of hoppers, string hoppers, sambolas and devils is entirely homegrown Sinhalese.
There have been Sri Lankan restaurants on the periphery of the city for many years now (notably Ceylon Inn, near Naka-Meguro, and the reliable Court Lodge chain). But Athara Petara is the first to venture into the Tokyo mainstream -- not merely by siting itself in Roppongi but by taking the effort to make this little known cuisine absolutely accessible to all comers.