Sagara Food City

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$$$$Perfect For:LunchCasual Dinners

At first glance, Sagara Food City in St. George is a Sri Lankan grocery store where you can buy things like curry powder and canned jackfruit. But look a little harder and you’ll spy a long menu of Sri Lankan dishes on the counter by the cash register. The person behind the counter will advise you on spice levels (medium), protein of choice (mutton), and which dishes you should prioritize (the kottu roti, always).

Some people get their orders to go, but we prefer grabbing a table in the back room and waiting there. There’s usually a game on, and once the person who took your order has delivered your piles of rice and curries—all of which arrive on quarter-sheet trays draped in banana leaves—they’ll join you in the seating area. Maybe to watch the game, maybe to observe your spice tolerance. Either way, it’s quite charming.

Food Rundown

Mutton Kottu Roti

A disclaimer: the portions at Sagara Food City are quite large. (This isn’t a bad thing—it’s a great thing.) But if you’re here solo or with a small group, and you don’t want to go home with a week’s supply of leftovers, prioritize the kottu roti with mutton. The stir-fried roti is laced with egg and chunks of bone-in mutton, with enough garlic and ginger to clear your sinuses forever.

Sri Lankan Rice & Curry

Sagara Food City has great vegetarian options, like this mountain of rice surrounded by different curries and your choice of protein. If you choose the vegetable option, you’ll get a saucy scoop of sausage-like seitan, and some slightly spicy jackfruit.

Chicken Biryani

This giant mound of biryani has chicken mixed into it, but also on the side—a whole chicken leg, scored into chunks and fried on the bone in such a way that it tastes like chicharron. If you’re here with a group, this is a great choice.

Suggested Reading

New Asha

Staten Island’s New Asha has been making some of the best Sri Lankan food in New York City since 1999.

The Best Restaurants On Staten Island

Whether you’re taking the ferry on a Saturday or just looking for something good to eat on your way home, check out these spots.