Innovative items like biryani burritos earned Lankan Tucker a loyal following in Brunswick West. Now it’s scaled up to a bigger space in Carlton – and is hiding in plain sight.
Even after eight years on a main road in Brunswick West, Lankan Tucker – Nerissa Jayasingha and Hiran Kroon’s cafe that pioneered Sri Lankan-style brunch – remained a hidden gem. “It took some locals two or three years to find us,” Jayasingha says.
“One lady said she’d lived in Brunswick the whole time we were there and had no idea.”
The original Albion Street cafe closed last December, but the sense of discovery for diners looks set to continue at its new home, in an even more tucked-away location.
Lankan Tucker can now be found off Lygon Street in Carlton, within the College Square apartment complex.
“We’re off the beaten track, which fits our vibe,” Kroon says.
The main reason for the move was more space. The team had well and truly outgrown the tiny kitchen in Brunswick West, which not only serviced dine-in customers but also churned out a range of take-home curries, plus wholesale and catering orders. Now, with a much larger kitchen and dining room, “we’re running a marathon to get around”, says Kroon.
Once a Chinese restaurant, the 50-seat space has high ceilings, glass walls on two sides that flood it with natural light, and splashes of yellow throughout.
Despite scaling back the opening hours to only two days a week – Friday and Saturday – and running with an abridged version of the menu, the offering still packs a punch.
“We took out a lot of the Western components … like hollandaise,” says Jayasingha. “We don’t have to accommodate as much now because people know us as Sri Lankan.”
All the heavy-hitting items are here. The biryani burrito − which started out as a staff meal but quickly ascended to signature status − is a combination of spiced rice, chicken curry, melted cheese, red onion and raita. It’s rolled in fresh, flaky roti that’s handmade to Lankan Tucker’s specifications, “so it holds the gravy better”, Kroon says. There are two optional add-ons: hot chips and dipping gravy, for a saucier experience.
Other longtime favourites include pan rolls, deep-fried savoury crepes filled with spiced veg or beef, and kotthu roti, a street-food staple of shredded roti tossed with egg, chopped vegetables and chilli. There’ll be regular specials, perhaps roast chicken and Laughing Cow cheese kotthu roti.
‘We’re off the beaten track, which fits our vibe.’
Hiran Kroon
The space came with a bain-marie, which might be used in the future. “A lot of Sri Lankan food [in Melbourne] is done buffet-style, all you can eat,” says Jayasingha. “We’ve never done that, but we have a lot of those same things, just done fresh.”
There’s also an increased retail roster that you can shop online for home delivery, or in-store. Curries might be classic chicken and potato or “kid-friendly” lentil and spinach. Butter chicken isn’t Sri Lankan, but it’s popular in family-sized pie form. Plus, you can find frozen, fry-at-home pan rolls; housemade sambols and chutneys; and more.
“Dine in’s great, and we love seeing all the people who follow us [online],” says Jayasingha. “But we really wanted to expand the other side of our business.”
Breakfast and lunch Fri-Sat
570 Lygon Street, Carlton, lankantucker.com
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