You know it’ll be good when the food is brought out on a banana leaf.

A reader tip brought us to the fluorescent-lit aisles of Manila Mart Grocery Store on Carling, where, tucked beneath the main floor and down a quiet stairwell to the left, Thilaks waits like a secret you're glad someone told you. It’s not the kind of place you’d stumble upon by accident—but it’s exactly the kind of place this blog lives for.

The dining room is modest: about a dozen tables, a laminate floor, floral murals on two walls and bright produce wallpaper on the third. No sign out front (yet), no frills, no fuss—just the smell of spice, the hum of kitchen activity, and a quiet warmth from behind the counter.

We order the rice and curry combo. What arrives is more than a meal—it’s a whole tapestry of Southern Sri Lankan flavours laid lovingly across a banana leaf. There’s black pork curry (a standout), lentils, mango, greens, and a crisp poppadum served alongside.

The black pork, a hallmark of southern Sri Lankan cooking, is deeply spiced and slow-cooked until the edges caramelize into something smoky and almost sweet, with a dark, intense richness that comes from roasted curry powder and a generous hand with the spice cabinet.

It’s unapologetically spicy. The black pork brings heat, but it’s the fresh green chillies scattered across the plate that kick things up a notch. The mango, tart and tender, acts as a lifeline between bites, offering relief like a homemade chutney. The yellow lentils have a mustardy kick and carry that soul-warming comfort of something slow-cooked and cared for. And the greens—think curried collards—round things out with just the right bitterness.

We weren’t even that hungry going in. We cleaned the leaf.

And here’s the kicker: the whole meal cost just over $15. For the size, quality, and sheer depth of flavour, it’s one of the better deals we’ve found anywhere in the city—strip mall or otherwise.

Arjuna Thilakarathna, the restaurant’s namesake and owner, brings serious culinary credibility to the table. A former software engineer turned culinary school grad, Arjuna once ran a burger joint before the pandemic wiped out nearly $800,000 in investments. But food—specifically Sri Lankan food—is what he knows and loves.

“I grew up making everything fresh,” he tells us. “We make everything from scratch here.”

He launched Thilaks last June, aiming to introduce Southern Sri Lankan home cooking to Ottawa’s growing Sri Lankan community—and to anyone else who appreciates bold, handmade food. Getting a proper sign out front is a top priority. In the meantime, he recommends first-timers try the mutton kothu roti: a fiery, chopped flatbread dish that’s already become a local favourite.

Until then, look for the stairs. Follow the scent. Let the leaf guide you.