Men of my age grew up with images of Valerie Singleton on an elephant in a far off world called Ceylon. Now of course we have to jolt ourselves to remember that it is Sri Lanka, same place, different name. I was supposed to go there for a lovely holiday a few years back but the Tamils bombed the airport in Kandi and our trip was cancelled. Sad really as I had been introduced to Sri Lankan cuisine by family friends in preparation for the trip.

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The home cooked food I tried was delicious with a very vibrant and distinctive taste, the spicing clean and fresh, the heat intense but never so hot that it masked the flavour of the food. I was hoping that Moonstone in Hove would deliver the same exciting experience, in fact, it far exceeded it.

Unsure of what to expect I happily handed the menus back and left the owner to choose our supper. It was an excellent move and one I would recommend whenever venturing into uncharted culinary waters. With a Lion beer, native to Sri Lanka, although brewed for European colonials originally, and a glass of chilled white for Mr L we sat back and waited – but not for long.

First out was a hopper. Yes I know, a mad name but a delicious dish in the form of a thin bread bowl filled with baked egg. This you roll up with grated coconut and fresh chilli. We loved them and despite their size polished them off. A salad of mango drizzled with honey was equally tantalising and the fishcakes actually tasted of fish and not mashed potato like so many do. A long thin pepper was stuffed with shrimps and deep fried in breadcrumbs. It had that naughty deep fried thing that is so irresistible.

“Had the food been merely OK I might have pecked around the edges but it was delicious and I made a pig of myself”

To be honest I overindulged and by the time our main courses arrived I was pretty full. Had the food been merely OK I might have pecked around the edges. It was however delicious and I once again made a pig of myself, especially as there were so many of my favourite ingredients. In particular I loved a curry of beetroot and potato, some crunchy and slippery okra and a memorable salad of carrot and parsley. It struck me that this was quite a find for my veggie friends. When I tasted the aubergine dish I was wowed, sweet, sour and smokey, unlike anything I had tried before or at least in that combination.

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A dish of prawns had intense fishy flavour and the red snapper was really delicious too. I loved the clear seasoning of these dishes and the fact that the ingredients were able to sing across the spicing.

A chicken curry was rich and tender, a bubbling soupy sauce and big chunks of meat that had clearly been cooked in it rather than having been dropped in at the last minute.

A dry dish of lamb was cooked to the point where it simply melted in your mouth leaving a gentle aftertaste of coconut milk and fresh lime juice.

I should have been dipping into a pile of special rice but I was too involved with the vastly differing flavours and fragrances of the other dishes and in particular the vegetables. There was also a noodle dish, usually my first choice, which I didn’t pay anywhere near enough attention to.

Too full for pudding, the owner offered a tiny morsel of something very traditional. I am very glad he did. It was an eggy custard that was made with coconut milk and sweetened with Sri Lankan treacle, then baked. It was wonderful and I detected a saltiness in the background that lifted all of the flavours. I liked every bit, the soft layers of custard, two textures and then the slightly caramelised crust.

Moonstone hit exactly the right spot, spicy food that I found exciting and new, brilliant vegetable dishes, a richness here and lightness there and a pudding that I will be trying to replicate at home. I fell asleep dreaming of coconut pudding and Valerie Singleton.

Link to review