If you’re in the mood to enjoy street snacks with a twist, Jaffna is the place to be.

Jaffna’s most distinctive aesthetic feature is its use of pink throughout its indoor and outdoor spaces. The wooden seating creates a warm environment. The chefs cook right in front of you in the indoor space while you eat, creating an immersive sensory experience.

At night, the space reminds you of a lively, neon-lit food market. This mini Sri Lanka in Nepal offers an authentic taste of Sri Lanka through its light, savoury dishes.

Jaffna began in November 2025 at Bijulibazaar. The story behind the space is rooted in love. A Nepali–Sri Lankan couple decided to open the restaurant after spotting a gap in Sri Lankan cuisine in Nepal.

“We are in the initial phases of market-testing whether Nepalis enjoy Sri Lankan food or not. After that, we will add more items for our customers,” says one of the owners, choosing to stay anonymous. Even so, the current menu items are well-suited to Nepali tastes.

The main curry powder used in most items is the ‘Jaffna curry powder’. Originating in the northern part of Sri Lanka, Jaffna powder is a blend of curry leaves, chillies, fenugreek seeds, cumin, and many other spices. Although you may not be able to taste each spice individually, this rich blend is what gives the food its strong flavours. Most of the ingredients used in the restaurant are locally sourced.

Before opening to customers, Jaffna was already a name on social media. Since October 2025, they have been marketing their claim to be the first Sri Lankan street food spot in Nepal and showing the process of starting a business from scratch.

When the Post visited Jaffna, the owners served four dishes and a drink.

The first item was chicken kottu roti. The owners say, “Kottu roti is Sri Lanka’s comfort meal, like momo is for Nepal.”

One bite of the chicken kottu roti was enough to agree with them. This dish is a mix of shredded Sri Lankan roti, chicken, egg, carrots, cabbage and onions. On the outside, the food forms a curved, mountain-like shape combined with a spicy sauce and lemon. The portion of this dish is also fulfilling.

The flavour was a gradual release of different spices. The spice kicks in as you begin chewing the tender mix of roti and vegetables. With its lasting yet subtle flavour profile, Kottu roti is spicy and lightly tangy.

Another Sri Lankan favourite that arrived at our table was fish cutlets. One serving had two pieces. With a crispy exterior and a soft, meaty filling, the dish’s shape and texture were the main attraction. The dish’s crunchy, golden-brown exterior is achieved by frying flour-coated pieces after they are dipped in breadcrumbs. The ratio between potato and fish is balanced; you could taste the creamy, soft potato in the centre and still enjoy the umami flavour of the fish.

Vaipan, familiar with a renowned Newa dessert, Gwaramari, feels like a sweet snack and a must-have with hot milk tea.

This dessert uses ripe bananas as its primary sweetener in a thick flour batter. Then the batter is moulded into ball-like shapes for deep frying. When tasted on its own, it was soft and moist, with a natural sweetness. Vaipan served as a balanced dessert to counter the strong flavours of the previous items.

The fourth item, the chicken roll, consists of sautéed potatoes and chicken pieces in a rich Sri Lankan spice mixture. This mixture is then rolled in a flour wrapper, deep-fried, and topped with breadcrumbs, following a process similar to fish cutlets but using long rolls. The succulent filling balanced the mildly thin, crisp outer layer. Together, each bite was an explosion of herb-filled ingredients.

The roll is juicy on its own and does not necessarily require a tomato sauce. One dish contains two pieces of chicken rolls, enough for two people per serving.

To wash all the salty-savoury snacks down, we were served rose sharbat (with ice cream). The rose sharbat is the most fitting representation of Jaffna’s aesthetic. As most people eat with their eyes first, the sharbat’s pinkish hue with the vanilla ice cream created an appealing presentation.

The drink consists of milk, rose essence, and basil seeds, topped with vanilla ice cream. It had the right amount of sweetness, and the basil seeds added a gelatinous, chewy texture. After gulping down an entire glass of the drink, it became clear that the drink deserves to have such an elegant name as ‘sharbat’.

Jaffna’s dishes are homely and appetising. They are also quite affordable for students for quick hangouts. For parking, one spot is available for two-wheelers right beside Jaffna. For four-wheelers, a paid parking spot is available nearby.

Chicken Kottu—Rs265

Fish Cutlet—Rs150

Vaipan—Rs50

Chicken Roll—Rs140

Rose Sharbat + ice cream—Rs150