Mansa’s Kitchen is one of my go-to places whenever I crave a scrumptious yellow rice meal. Wrapped in a banana leaf and prepared fresh for every order, the meal features yellow rice, chicken curry, potato or dhal curry, brinjal pahi, Maldive fish fry, and Malay pickle.
The portion is substantial and the pricing is reasonable; at just Rs. 950, you get a generous meal packed with flavour and fragrance that is sure to bring joy to any diner.
Mansa’s inspiration
The man behind the Mansa’s Kitchen magic is Founder/Head Chef Thuwan Kichilan Mansoor, whose culinary journey was inspired by his mother. As a child, Mansa saw how his mother, who hailed from a family of culinary experts, would prepare meals professionally and his role was to help her in the kitchen.
After he lost his mother, grief kept him away from the kitchen for many months. Then one day she came to him in a dream and taught him how to prepare Malay pickle. He tried making it the very next day and received good feedback, which set him on his own culinary journey.
Today, Mansa’s Kitchen is a reality because of two women – his mother, who first inspired him, and his wife, Kamanthi, who urged him to continue his mother’s legacy through Mansa’s Kitchen.
“I’m proud of the journey I have come on this far and I sincerely thank my customers for placing their trust in Mansa’s Kitchen. They are my biggest strength.
“If not for my mother, I wouldn’t have opted for cooking and I’m ever so grateful for everything she has done for me. I’d also like to thank my wife for managing everything and for being my biggest support system in this journey,” said Mansa.
While Mansa’s Kitchen is currently a home-based operation that delivers meals to customers, the end goal is to set up a restaurant where everybody can enjoy a good meal.
Menu offerings
Speaking about the well-loved yellow rice meal, Mansa said: “The yellow rice meal comes with many curries, including Malay pickle and Maldive fish fry. We don’t see this choice of curries often in a usual yellow rice meal. It also comes wrapped in a banana leaf. I believe that all these factors make it special.”
Mansa’s Kitchen also serves an authentic dum biryani, which comes with a variety of accompaniments, including green peas and cashew curry, devilled roast chicken, and raita.
Mansa’s mother mostly cooked traditional Sri Lankan meals despite having a Malay background and Mansa includes Malay pickle in his meals in order to keep this heritage alive.
I also love the bottled beef fry – a crowd favourite – and the Maldive fish fry, both of which are packed with flavour. They, along with the Malay pickle, are also available in vacuum packs, ensuring that those going overseas can take some sensational local meal accompaniments with them.
New dishes to come
Keen to expand his offering, Mansa is now experimenting with different curries and heirloom rice varieties such as maa vee, masuran, pachchaperumal, and madathawalu.
“Not a lot of people get to eat these rice varieties, but they are quite nutritious and could be prepared with different vegetables sourced from rural areas of the country,” he explained.
A dinner menu is on the cards by end-2026, with plans to introduce pittu and babath, roast paan with a choice of curries, and a range of dry fish curries, which are in demand since most people do not get much opportunity to have them nowadays.
“I want people to appreciate our own food choices rather than opt for the everyday fried rice and kottu,” said Mansa.
Homemade and consistent
One standout aspect of the food he prepares is that he does not add any preservatives or additives, ensuring that the homemade aspect is always upheld. It’s no surprise, then, that Mansa’s Kitchen has so many repeat customers.
“I’m proud to have repeat customers. They have sometimes provided feedback for me to improve my service. Many of them frequently visit hotels and other high-end restaurants, and the fact that they order from Mansa’s Kitchen to enjoy some homemade meals is something that I can take pride in.”
And he certainly should take pride in it, given how his food consistently satisfies the taste buds. I, for one, cannot wait for the new dishes and the dinner menu!
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Social media
- Facebook: Mansa’s Kitchen
- Instagram: @mansaskitchen_1