Lunch in Little Jaffna

While researching today's lunch I found out that the Indian neighborhood where we ate today  actually has a name: Little Jaffna (excellent article in English). This area in the 10th arrondisement of Paris has lots of little restaurants and Indian shops and I've been coming here for years but this was my first visit to Shalini (in French with some photos and the menu and prices).

First of all here is a picture of the street, rue du Faubourg Saint Denis, near metro La Chapelle:

As the shopkeepers are mostly all from Southern India, they speak English! and here is Shalini, where they speak English as well.

We had a most excellent lunch today and it was amazingly inexpensive. I went with my two daughters and so since there were three of us I have lots of pictures.

I got the 12 euro menu which included samosas, lamb masala with rice  and vattalappam for desert.

As served and close up on the filling:

These were some of the best samosas I've ever had; they were light, fresh and very tasty!

The delicious lamb masala, once again very fresh.

And here is my wonderful discovery for the day, vattalappam. Apparently this is a traditional Sri Lankan desert and it's really good. Sort of like custard with a special exotic taste. I highly recommend that if you've never tried this you run right out and go and find some, you won't regret it.

My oldest daughter got the 10 euro menu which included shrimp badji, chicken kourouma (with rice), and barfi for desert (don't let the name put you off, it's good).

Very nice and crispy and fresh  and they were fried just right (not too greasy).

The chicken kourouma.

and the rice for two with cashew nuts and raisins.

Here is the barfi. It was not quite as outstanding as the vattal appam but it was good.

My youngest daughter always gets biryani when we go to Indian restaurants so she had the shrimp biryani for 9,90 euros.

It just looked so beautiful and was tasty as well with lots of good shrimp. She also ordered a mango lassi (yogurt drink) for 3 euros but she didn't want any desert.

This is a photo of the condiments and if you look closely at the fork, you will see that it has a hallmark. Eating with real silver silverware and at these prices? I think I've found my new favorite Indian restaurant in all of Paris.

A final photo of the lovely poster overlooking our table.

So, a great lunch for a very reasonable price and good service too. We were the only Europeans in the place and while we were eating I noticed lots of neighborhood Indians coming in for takeout so although I've not seen any other reviews of this place I think it must be authentic and all three of us were very happy with our lunch today.

May you always be blessed with delicious lunches!