The Rise of the Humble Hopper in London

The humble hopper has come of age. In recent times, one of Sri Lanka’s most popular culinary creations has enjoyed unprecedented attention in London thanks to Emily Dobbs who runs 'Weligama', a pop up restaurant cooking up hoppers and 'Hoppers' run by the Sethi Family.

For those not in the know, hoppers can be best described as the result of a alliance between a crepe and and a crumpet which displays the contrast in textures from the crater like spongy middle to the bowl shaped pancake with its crispy brittle lace like edges. Especially for non Sri Lankans, there is unfettered joy in trying this rather novel item. 

In an exclusive interview with us, Karan Gokani, husband of Sunaina Sethi and manager of Hoppers reveals that he and his brother-in-law Karan Sethi’s closest friends at University were Sri Lankans and they had been enjoying some terrific Sri Lankan food.

When their friends moved away from the London, they felt the need to open a restaurant where they could eat mutton rolls, devilled seafood, hoppers, koththus and other delights - therein lay the birth of 'Hoppers'. 
Karan adds, “The hopper was bound to be big. It's not only a great looking dish but also super healthy and versatile. At 'Hoppers' we allow people to build their plates as they please and that's led to people discovering many interesting ways to eat a hopper.” 

Karan refuses to believe it is a passing culinary fad, saying, “The hopper is a staple in Sri Lanka and I have no doubt it will be the same in London. A significant number of our guests are repeat customers and they come back for the food and experience again and again and wouldn't bother queuing each time. We are thrilled about this and want to continue to create the atmosphere that we found in Sri Lankan homes and family run restaurants, at 'Hoppers'.”

Emily Dobbs who has been a frequent visitor to Sri Lanka took back the idea of making hoppers at the pop up restaurant she runs called 'Weligama'. Often to be found at Druid Street Market and other popular foodie venues across London, Emily started selling hoppers a year ago and at the time her passing trade did not know anything about and she had to put up a sign explaining what they were and how to eat them. 
Explaining her take on why hoppers have risen in popularity, Emily explains, “Sri Lanka is fast becoming a popular tourist destination and that has made more travellers aware what the hopper is all about and after returning back to London they are keen to revisit Sri Lankan cuisine.”

Emily believes that the hopper has made a grand entrance to the London culinary sphere and it could well be the next Eggs Benedict. Infusing an element of fusion into her creations, Emily serves her classic 'Weligama' hooper with seeni sambol, pol sambol, roast peanuts and lime and a splash of kirihodi. However depending on the season, she rotates the accompaniments. 

For both 'Hoppers' and 'Weligama', diversifying into serving hoppers for the British palate has been a resounding success which has helped to put Sri Lanka on the map in more ways than one!

Text by Tina Edward Gunawardhana