Award-winning Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree has reopened its Cardiff restaurant.
After investing in new procedures and technology, customers will now be able to order an island-inspired feast via their favourite delivery apps (Uber Eats or Deliveroo).
The re-openings are part of a phased return to normality for the Sri Lankan street-food pioneers, who are shortlisted for ‘Best New Business’ at this year’s Cardiff Life Awards (postponed until September 2020).
What’s on the menu?
The menu at The Coconut Tree is made up of smaller tapas-style dishes cooked fresh to order, making them perfect for a take-away.
In 2019, eminent food critic Jay Rayner visited the Cheltenham restaurant, citing a “raucous, rough-edged enthusiasm to the food” which manages “that rare trick of being totally laid-back and completely on point at the same time.”
Dishes include ‘Hot Battered Spicy Cuttlefish’; green peas and ‘Cashew Nuts’ soaked and cooked in coconut cream; and ‘Cheesy Colombo’ – cheese cubes fried and mixed Colombo style. ‘Jaffna Goat Curry with potato’ is also a firm favourite, as is the ‘Black Pork’ which consists of diced pork belly cooked in 30 roasted spices. Finally, ‘Kotthu’ is a fine example of a street food served all over the country – made with finely chopped rotti and cooked with egg, vegetables and / or meat.
As part of the new service, The Coconut Tree will also be offering a range of vegan handmade ice creams for home delivery. The desserts, made by Dolcetti – a family-run business in Cirencester – will be available to order in 500ml tubs in three flavours: Coconut Cream, Mango Sorbet and Vegan Stracciatella.
Brand Director Anna Garrod said, “The Coconut Tree has always been about bringing people on a journey through Sri Lankan street food, and putting smiles on people’s faces. Even if we can’t welcome people into our restaurants at the moment, we’re delighted to be able to feed people in Cardiff again, and as the weather heats up, to include some delicious new ice-creams to cool them down.”
