shortly after setting foot on unawatuna beach on sri lanka’s south coast, we heard that happy spice restaurant was one of the best kept secrets on the beach. complete with four small tables under a thatched roof, the unassuming restaurant was always full at mealtimes. It could easily take an hour for your freshly prepared food to come out of the kitchen but any frustration with waiting was quickly appeased with the first taste of chintha’s rice and curry. It was our kind of place.
chintha is a local woman, about my age, mother of two brilliant and beautiful kids, and the possessor of an unforgettable smile and a contagious spirit. she runs the kitchen with her mother and cousin at her side, dishing out sri lankan home cooking to satisfy the soul. with the kids running through the kitchen and a full house of hungry people, chintha remains admirably cool, taking her time to carefully prepare her food with love and patience.
eating at happy spice at least once a day, we became quite close with the family so we trusted their recommendation for an ayurvedic doctor to help mayo when he was struggling with a persistent case of heat rash. the medicine man came to the restaurant every other morning to give mayo a rub down with healing plants and herbal oils. i made good use of this time hanging around the kitchen with chintha, chatting about food and learning the secrets behind her grandmother’s recipes that make up the menu at happy spice. the food is surprisingly simple, a perfect balance of flavors and served in proportions that could rival anything ‘supersized’. but no matter how much we ate, we left happy spice feeling nourished, loved and… HAPPY :)
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