Colombo 5 is unquestionably a hotspot for gastronomic variety and its latest offering, ISSO, will no doubt make its presence felt. Located in Sulaiman Terrace in the same premises The English Cake Company - The Cakery once occupied, ISSO is an ambitious fast food restaurant focusing mostly on takeouts, although there is enough seating on premises. Unlike most restaurants though, ISSO has a menu focused solely - as its name suggests - on prawns. 

When we dropped by ISSO on a Saturday afternoon, the place was packed and full of activity. The interior is simple - basic wooden tables and stools - which bodes well with their theme. The tables were well spaced out, and thankfully clutter free. There was also outside seating with trees offering some respite. 

Their interesting menu is on full display as you walk in. Despite their limited menu, they do have healthy options as well as styles to suit local, Asian and Western palates. You begin by selecting the prawns  (L, XL & XXL), the style, followed by the carb. You get a complimentary salad along with your order. 

We tried out The Home-Made Secret (lime and chili sauce) and The Local Favourite (hot butter: 3 kinds of pepper + onions + capsicum) with couscous (Rs. 1100 each for XL prawns). We were kinda bummed though, that the Roast Garlic Paan that we were hoping to try out they'd run out of. But all that was soon forgotten as we received our food in less than 10 minutes. The food came in fairly large microwave reheatable boxes, which we thought was pretty neat. If you had any leftovers, you could just take the box home with you instead of waiting for staff to pack your food for you. 

Looks thankfully weren't deceiving as the large box included about 10 nos. of prawns. The fact that they hadn't skimped on the prawns makes the price totally worth it!! The Home Made Secret, which we tried first, was bursting with flavour thanks to the zing of the lime, the spiciness of the chili and the charred flavour of the grilled prawns.

The crispy hot butter prawn though, was the clear winner of the two and reminded us why hot butter is such a local favourite!!! It was the perfect mix of flavour and spice. Both style pairings of prawns worked perfectly with the fluffy, perfectly made couscous. The salad provided texture and very subtle flavour. 

Without a doubt, their limited offerings allows them the opportunity to perfect the food, and they definitely don't disappoint! While the menu may seem limited as of now, they hope to offer perennial local favourites such as isso vade and batter fried prawns in buckets in the future. They also have plans to expand into a franchise with many locations. 

To conclude, ISSO is not a place for a sit down dinner. Nor does it claim to be. So if you're looking for that sort of experience, then ISSO is not for you. This unassuming restaurant is perfect for a quick meal with family and friends. Or an excellent option for take out, especially since the food is prepared in less that 10 minutes. 

ISSO is located at #2, Sulaiman Terrace, Colombo 5, and is currently in operation Tue-Fri: 6-11pm and on the weekends from 2pm-1am. 

Food : 4.5/5 
Ambience : 4.5/5 
Value for Money : 4.5/5 

By Rihaab Mowlana 
Photographs by Pradeep Dilrukshana