Isso, a now popular franchise in Sri Lanka, famous for their range of seafood dishes and customisable options, recently launched a new menu. Initially, the menu was targeted to a late-dinner audience for when those midnight cravings hit, hence the name “Brunner” but they have since had to change times to breakfast due to the unpredictable situation in the country and many customer requests. We must commend on how quick they are to cater to their clients’ wants.
The menu currently serves from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and offers a wide range of breakfast delights. We had the pleasure to actually sample some items on the menu. Here’s what we tried.
Drinks
So, of course in true Sri Lankan tradition, we had to start off our day with a strong milk tea. Usually, when one goes to a fancy restaurant and orders a milk tea, you leave with comments on how there's nothing compared to a cup of tea made at home – Isso came very close to it. We would describe it as a warm hug and a great pick me up so early in the morning. We also had a cold pressed pineapple juice – again quite refreshing and not overly sweet – it was so good we went for seconds. A lovely accompaniment to our meals.
Breakfast
I'm not a morning person by any means, so I usually tend to skip breakfast, which made this whole experience all the more exciting for me, as it’s not a meal I get to indulge in often. We had the truffle sweet potato fries with black truffle mayo as a snack, and the kiribath and isso curry along with the breakfast for champions as the main meal.
Isso is famous for their sweet potato fries and we’ve been a fan for quite some time, so we had an idea of what to expect, but what was served to us was completely different from the fries on their regular menu. We must say, they really went all out on conceptualising this menu and ensured that no repeated products are on it. The fries, although soft inside, still retained its crispiness on the outside. The mayo had a cheesy flavour to it, which we suppose comes from the earthy notes of the black truffle. The portion size was quite generous too – two people could easily share – and we could not get enough of it!
Next, the kiribath. The presentation for this dish was quite unique; rather than the usual square or diamond shape, the kiribath was molded into an oval shape served alongside a creamy prawn curry and lunu miris. For the price, we think it was absolutely worth it. The kiribath had a hint of sweetness and was the perfect amount of mushy, when eaten with the prawn curry, it was an explosion of flavours in your mouth. The lunu miris also gets several points for authenticity, we particularly enjoyed the mild lime flavour that came through; and it added just enough spice to the dish that all the flavours balanced off perfectly. Even if you're not one for spice, we think you’d be able to enjoy this because the kiribath cuts down the heat. Of course, the prawns were cooked to perfection; soft, juicy, and oozing with all the spices that went into the curry; we could only wish that the portion of curry was a bit more.
Now we come to the star of the menu; breakfast for champions. This dish certainly lives up to its name; it will leave you full to the brim and completely satisfied. The main elements on the dish are laid on a sourdough bun, proportionately bigger than your average hamburger. It comes with two hash browns, crab cake, truffle mushrooms, grilled baby potatoes, and cherry tomatoes topped with two poached eggs and grilled chicken sausages on the side. My favourite part was probably cutting into the egg and watching the golden yolk run down the meat and bun – there’s something very satisfying about a perfectly done poached egg. Let’s break it down: First, the hashbrowns; not too oily, perfectly crispy on the outside and a great choice to balance out the other flavours. The crab cake was quite nice; we wish the flavour from the crab could’ve been a tad stronger though. I loved the truffle mushrooms; it has such a unique taste; earthy and nutty, and would be a great substitute for meat too. Having tried everything in one mouthful, it leaves nothing to be desired, whatever flavour it is that you want, you are bound to find in this meal.
Dessert
We had the stacked kithul pancakes and tropical pavlova for dessert. We’re huge pancake enthusiasts and these did not disappoint! The pancakes had been sweetened with kithul instead of sugar, which made their texture a lot softer and fluffier. Interestingly enough, they were served with a pineapple miris compote and a scoop of mascarpone cheese. We never thought we’d be eating pancakes with a spicy side and cheese but lo and behold it works! For those of you who don’t know, mascarpone cheese tastes similar to cream cheese or clotted cream but sweeter, with a hint of acidity. It works with both sweet and savory dishes which is why it was perfect to balance both the spice from the compote and sweetness from the pancakes.
The Pavlova is perfect for anyone who likes fruits; it’s served with a range of exotic, tropical fruits like dragon fruit, peaches, strawberries, lychee, and passion fruit. Incredibly refreshing dessert, and a nice way to cool off after a heavy meal.
Overall, we really enjoyed this menu and would highly recommend that you check it out. We applaud their service; not only was the food brought out within minutes, but the staff was quite attentive and pleasant to be around. Isso is a great place to visit if you want the comforting ambience of a well done fast food restaurant with five star quality food. They offer takeaway and delivery on their own delivery service as well as on Uber Eats.
So, of course in true Sri Lankan tradition, we had to start off our day with a strong milk tea. Usually, when one goes to a fancy restaurant and orders a milk tea, you leave with comments on how there's nothing compared to a cup of tea made at home – Isso came very close to it. We would describe it as a warm hug and a great pick me up so early in the morning. We also had a cold pressed pineapple juice – again quite refreshing and not overly sweet – it was so good we went for seconds. A lovely accompaniment to our meals.
Breakfast
I'm not a morning person by any means, so I usually tend to skip breakfast, which made this whole experience all the more exciting for me, as it’s not a meal I get to indulge in often. We had the truffle sweet potato fries with black truffle mayo as a snack, and the kiribath and isso curry along with the breakfast for champions as the main meal.
Isso is famous for their sweet potato fries and we’ve been a fan for quite some time, so we had an idea of what to expect, but what was served to us was completely different from the fries on their regular menu. We must say, they really went all out on conceptualising this menu and ensured that no repeated products are on it. The fries, although soft inside, still retained its crispiness on the outside. The mayo had a cheesy flavour to it, which we suppose comes from the earthy notes of the black truffle. The portion size was quite generous too – two people could easily share – and we could not get enough of it!
Next, the kiribath. The presentation for this dish was quite unique; rather than the usual square or diamond shape, the kiribath was molded into an oval shape served alongside a creamy prawn curry and lunu miris. For the price, we think it was absolutely worth it. The kiribath had a hint of sweetness and was the perfect amount of mushy, when eaten with the prawn curry, it was an explosion of flavours in your mouth. The lunu miris also gets several points for authenticity, we particularly enjoyed the mild lime flavour that came through; and it added just enough spice to the dish that all the flavours balanced off perfectly. Even if you're not one for spice, we think you’d be able to enjoy this because the kiribath cuts down the heat. Of course, the prawns were cooked to perfection; soft, juicy, and oozing with all the spices that went into the curry; we could only wish that the portion of curry was a bit more.
Now we come to the star of the menu; breakfast for champions. This dish certainly lives up to its name; it will leave you full to the brim and completely satisfied. The main elements on the dish are laid on a sourdough bun, proportionately bigger than your average hamburger. It comes with two hash browns, crab cake, truffle mushrooms, grilled baby potatoes, and cherry tomatoes topped with two poached eggs and grilled chicken sausages on the side. My favourite part was probably cutting into the egg and watching the golden yolk run down the meat and bun – there’s something very satisfying about a perfectly done poached egg. Let’s break it down: First, the hashbrowns; not too oily, perfectly crispy on the outside and a great choice to balance out the other flavours. The crab cake was quite nice; we wish the flavour from the crab could’ve been a tad stronger though. I loved the truffle mushrooms; it has such a unique taste; earthy and nutty, and would be a great substitute for meat too. Having tried everything in one mouthful, it leaves nothing to be desired, whatever flavour it is that you want, you are bound to find in this meal.
Dessert
We had the stacked kithul pancakes and tropical pavlova for dessert. We’re huge pancake enthusiasts and these did not disappoint! The pancakes had been sweetened with kithul instead of sugar, which made their texture a lot softer and fluffier. Interestingly enough, they were served with a pineapple miris compote and a scoop of mascarpone cheese. We never thought we’d be eating pancakes with a spicy side and cheese but lo and behold it works! For those of you who don’t know, mascarpone cheese tastes similar to cream cheese or clotted cream but sweeter, with a hint of acidity. It works with both sweet and savory dishes which is why it was perfect to balance both the spice from the compote and sweetness from the pancakes.
The Pavlova is perfect for anyone who likes fruits; it’s served with a range of exotic, tropical fruits like dragon fruit, peaches, strawberries, lychee, and passion fruit. Incredibly refreshing dessert, and a nice way to cool off after a heavy meal.
Overall, we really enjoyed this menu and would highly recommend that you check it out. We applaud their service; not only was the food brought out within minutes, but the staff was quite attentive and pleasant to be around. Isso is a great place to visit if you want the comforting ambience of a well done fast food restaurant with five star quality food. They offer takeaway and delivery on their own delivery service as well as on Uber Eats.