Drink Rec for Sri Lankan Food
 

I wish I could say I was going on a trip to Sri Lanka, but, alas, only going to a Sri Lankan restaurant for dinner. It's BYOB and I can't seem to find what one would drink with SL food. Is there a type of wine you would recommend or beer? Thanks for your thoughts.

SL food tends to be quite spicy so a light beer works, or a slightly off-dry white wine with a bit of oomph to it - i don't know if you can get hold of them but a wine from Alsace can be good.

Agree!

Where is the restaurant?

BEER for almost anything in Asia. I don't drink wine with spicy food (although you can, with the right wine :-) )

The restaurant is a new one, Banana Leaf, in WDC....the same family as the one in NYC.

Thanks for the beer/wine recommendations; we should not have difficulty finding Alcasian Wine here.

DH and I will have the pleasure of this SL evening with Yestravel and her DH. :).

A good bottle of Argentine Malbec will hold its own with SL food.

Ah, Crellston's. Would that you could join us :-)

Wish I could Marnie but it is along way from Hanoi!
Incidentally, recently spent a great evening with another Fodorite DC resident, internetwiz and Mr Wiz, in Kuala Lumpur a couple of weeks ago.

If it is to be a very spicy meal with sea food etc a cold beer will probably work best. Sri Lankan food tends to use a of of Coconut which makes it challenging to pair wines with. I have found some of the South African Pinotage goes well. Also a gin tonic as an apertiff perhaps!

Thanks, all! Not a beer drinker though that is what I always hear pairs well with Asian food.

As Marnie said no problem getting an Alsace wine in DC.

Crellston, an ARG malbec is an intersting suggestion. How goes it in VN? Are the Internetwizs having a good time? I remember their questions when they were planning.

Mohammed, not sure I have ever had a South African Pintoage.

yt - pinotage is the SA equivalent of a pinot noir in other places.

I had also brought a case of Voigner (its a white wine) from South Africa a couple of years back and this was marvelous served chilled with spicy meals.Sorry I cant remember the exact name.

yestravel, I hope you had a good time at Banana Leaf/DC.

I live only a few blocks away from the Banana Leaf/NYC -- it's a tiny place (went once), but if anyone wants to do a GTG there, let me know!

hi! progol! I was just thinking about you and how this time last year I was obsessing about BKK.

mohammed - i think that would work well too. We mainly stuck to beer and enjoyed that very much with the spicy sri lankan food, which is some of the most delicious I've tasted.

Hi, yestravel, Can't believe that it's been nearly a year - boy do I remember the BKK anxiety! Plans A, B, C and more!

It is going great in Vietnam thanks yestravel ( apart from the weather!). The Internetwizs had agreat time I think and are now back home in DC - probably planning there next trip��

When are you going to the Banana Leaf? I am in the DC area and would love to meet up with you guys. I met crellson and his wife last month in Kuala Lumpur. I'm toying with going to Sri Lanka, so this would be a good introduction to the food.

internetwiz, sure, love to have you join us. We're going this Thursday, the 18th, at 7:30. Is there a way to reach you? (Hate that Fodors doesn't have a private messaging function.)

yestravel, Thursday would work! I just added my email address to my profile (which I will remove after I hear from you). I am in Silver Spring and the restaurant is in Chevy Chase, so that's perfect. I look forward to meeting you on Thursday.