DC-Area's Only Sri Lankan Restaurant Makes a Comeback

"Was the incongruous Sri Lankan restaurant that existed for a few years in a staid Chevy Chase DC neighborhood in the 2010s just an apparition? It felt that way until we saw a familiar name-Banana Leaf-pop up on Google Maps in Manassas earlier this year. This new suburban incarnation was a dream deferred for owner Danushka Jayawardena, who immigrated to the US at age 17 from Chilaw, Sri Lanka."

"Ask a server what to order and they'll invariably point you to the lamprais. When the banana-leaf packet arrives, extract the toothpicks that hold it together, and be careful of the hot steam billowing from the meal hidden inside: a neat mound of yellow rice topped with-in counterclockwise order-a delicately curried protein of your choice, a fish croquette, candy-sweet fried eggplant, coconut-cashew curry, a tangy onion relish, fried shards of ash plantain, and, sometimes, a funky dried-fish-and-coconut condiment."

"Jayawardena blames its closure three years later on a lack of parking. But he remained motivated by a pride in Sri Lankan cooking and hoped to reopen. It took almost a decade, during which Jayawardena worked in a Falls Church post office while searching for an affordable space. Banana Leaf's new Manassas home is roomy and filled with symbols of Sri Lankan pride, such as photos of the famous Sigiriya rock fortress and a menu emblazoned with "We Are Sri Lankan" in a huge font."

Danushka Jayawardena immigrated from Chilaw, Sri Lanka, at age 17 and helped open a Banana Leaf outpost in DC in 2014, with the Sri Lankan ambassador attending the grand opening. That location closed three years later, which Jayawardena attributes to a lack of parking. He worked at a Falls Church post office while searching for an affordable space and reopened Banana Leaf in Manassas earlier this year. The new restaurant displays Sri Lankan images and an emphatic "We Are Sri Lankan" menu. Servers recommend lamprais, and distinctive starches such as pittu accompany the curries and condiments.

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