Words by Sasha Nugara
Photography by Sasha Nugara

As someone who has grown up immersed in Sri Lankan food and culture due to my fathers heritage, the opening of The Coconut Tree (TCT) in Cardiff was an exciting moment for me. When I walked into the restaurant for the first time, I remember being instantly hit with a cultural punch reminiscent of those lazy days spent in Sri Lanka. The menu offered everything I could have asked for in order to acknowledge a true Sri Lankan foodie experience; parippu, kotthu, slow cooked tuna in goraka spices, coconut sambol and of course hoppers. I enjoy making my own egg hoppers at home but it is a laborious task and will often result in me spending the whole morning slaving over the hob for my family, so, ordering them from a restaurant is a nice change! At Quench we wanted to get in touch with The Coconut Tree, delve into the background of their restaurant and find out about the inspiration behind their Sri Lankan theme. We were also interested to learn how they had coped with lockdown and what effects COVID 19 could have on their future.

I was put into contact with the brand director Anna Garrod who was able to shed some light on The Coconut TreeÔÇÖs origin story and the five young Sri Lankans who wanted to ÔÇÿbring Sri Lankan streetfood to the masses.ÔÇÖ The beginning of their journey was accompanied by calls to Ceylon to attain secret recipes from their mums and handmade furniture from their dads. This authenticity is so prevalent in their restaurants and creates such a refreshing experience. They made sure that the menu offered variety with the abundance of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as affordability with the pricing starting at ┬ú2.50. This way they have been able to fulfil their mission of ÔÇÿtrue Sri Lankan hospitality that ÔÇÿEveryone is welcome to the Table.ÔÇÖ ÔÇÖ Anna says that Sri Lankans were born making food for an occasion, and, if my family are anything to go by, this is definitely true!

The Coconut Tree own six different branches across the UK, but they donÔÇÖt see themselves as a chain. They are a group of owners who work in the business every day and night, from cooking to finance, to operations. After their initial opening in Cheltenham, they were picked up by the Guardian as one of the best ÔÇÿcheap eats in the South WestÔÇÖ and their business exploded from there. Since then theyÔÇÖve opened branches in Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford and Bournemouth. Cardiff attracted them as the ÔÇÿlifestyle capital of WalesÔÇÖ and the WelshÔÇÖs friendliness and love of eating out! Anna commented on the fact that both Lonely Planet and The Sunday Times listed Sri Lanka as the No1 ÔÇÿBest place to visitÔÇÖ and the benefits it subsequently had on The Coconut TreeÔÇÖs success and profile. The Coconut Tree are going to be a part of the Castle Eats project at Cardiff Castle, so Cardiffians will be able to sit outside the castle and enjoy a takeaway from the restaurant al fresco! TCT is located on Mill Lane, next to C├┤te Brasserie and opposite John Lewis. This is a perfect foodie location, as it is surrounded by some of CardiffÔÇÖs finest restaurants and TCT acts as a unique addition to this collection. It stands out with its bold, dark branding and its outdoor seating and bar creates a welcoming vibe, encouraging passers-by to pop in for a legendary cocotail!

On the topic of lockdown and COVID19, the lack of business proved to be a struggle for all small to medium boutiques. TCTÔÇÖs Cardiff location had only been open for six months, so for them to have come through the worst of lockdown and survived it is a big success for them! Social media acted as a positive method to keep in touch with their customer base and give updates towards reopening. They started doing takeaways on Fridays and Saturdays throughout lockdown, but have now extended to every night thanks to the extreme popularity they received. TheyÔÇÖve recently opened their outdoor space with plans to start trading inside as well, so itÔÇÖs onwards and upwards for TCT! They are participating in the August Eat Out to Help Out offer Monday ÔÇô Wednesday, so itÔÇÖs the perfect opportunity to get down there and try out their amazing food!

I asked TCT what they would recommend to a first time coconuter and they responded with two new hybrid dishes that theyÔÇÖve recently added to their menu:

• Devilled Pork & Pineapple: Mixing two famous Sri Lankan dishes, this spicy, sweet, tangy and sour dish is a vibrant mix of juicy belly pork, red chilli, onion and banana peppers with garlic, spring onion and seasoning. The pork is cooked in the spices, before the veg is finished on a hot plate with the pineapple ÔÇÿAchcharu StyleÔÇÖ. 
• Chicken Curried Kotthu: Two of The Coconut TreeÔÇÖs best-loved and best-selling dishes come together for the first time; Vegetable Kotthu (finely chopped roti cooked with egg and vegetables, cooked on a searing hot plate), topped with juicy chicken off-the-bone in a rich curry sauce made with fennel, cardamom, cloves, cumin, house curry powder, onion and cinnamon. 

They sound delicious and I canÔÇÖt wait to try them! Everyone should get down to The Coconut Tree to sample their amazing food and cocotails!