Tiny, family run Sri Lankan restaurant. Fresh, spicy and tongue tingling fare. We went for the brunch buffet. I had never had Jackfruit before and I have to say, it was pretty tasty. Their lentils are on point as are all their rice dishes. I'm still eating... it's so good. Oh and their onion pickle deserves an honorable mention too. read more

Apey discontinued their lunch buffet so I was really bummed when I went recently. I liked the buffet because I can get a taste of everything. So I had to order ala carte and I wasn't too happy with what I ordered. Chicken Hopper Meal ($11) - it had 1 egg hopper, 4 plain hoppers, katta sambol (I have no ideal what this is) and pieces of chicken. It had a side of coconut milk, spicy sauce and chicken and a sauce with some grains that's shaped like a log. I didn't not enjoy my food at all. Beef Pittu Meal ($10) - It had 2 pittu pieces with Pol Kiri and Katta sambol. I have no idea was this was too. I did not enjoy my food at all. I'll only go back if they bring back their buffet otherwise I'll try to find another Sri Lankin place. 3 stars because the owner was super nice. read more

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I love this place! Felt like I was at my aunts house in Sri Lanka again, so friendly and yummyyyy food.

Many thanks to the friendly Apey Kade family for a much needed, truly delicious, homestyle Sri Lankan meal. TOP FAVORITES: Curried cashews/ green beans/ pumpkin/ dal/pol roti & pol sambol - my tastebuds and heart were filled with joy with these Sri Lankan family staples. My husband enjoyed the chicken curry- served on-the-bone with lots of hodhi (gravy) as well as all of the veggie delights as well. Your kind service is greatly appreciated and we look forward to visiting soon for string hoppers and Malu curry! Bohoma istouti read more

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I drove thirty miles to try this place and they were closed. Disappointed but I'll come back. Seems to be a very small operation. I hope it's as good as my friend suggested. I revisited today and was very happy with the flavors and quality. It is smallish but it is run by a very pleasant husband & wife team. There were not many reviews of this place so I count like my discovery to me. My buddy and we're the only customers at the time and we had a chat about this place and the cook (his wife). Sri Lankan cuisine is related to the Indian palette of spices. I had some spicy beef wrapped in a banana leaf. Delicious! And unlike other foods I've eaten. The owner brought over two cups of milk-laden tea, after all this country used to be Ceylon, famous for its tea. Definitely an interesting place for a culinary adventure, easy on the American palate read more

Apey Kade - Beef in banana leaf lampray - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

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Many assume India is the same as Sri-Lanka, there are several similarities, one such thing is they both are tech support gurus, Their food on the other hand well... much like ACTUAL Indian food, (yes not all of it is tandoori chicken, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and all that basic gora food ) it varies from the region. Sri-Lankan is very similar to South Indian and this place is a true slice of what Sri-Lankan cuisine truly is. All they need to do is have a Sri-Lankan mother saying " did you eat, what good are you if you have not done your studies (in a thick British/Indian accent) This place also doesn't dumb down the spice in other words its as you would get it in Sri-Lanka I just really wish they would have Jaffna AND Chilaw crab curry always on the menu. read more

Never had Sri Lankan food but loved this place. Food was great and the couple running it were very friendly and attentive to the customers. Total mom and pop spot. read more

Can't fault the food here. The banana leaf rice meal is to die for. All the appetizers to snack on are yum, and so were the desserts we tried. read more

This has to be some of the best Sinhalese food I've ever eaten. Tastes just like the food my achie used to make. If you miss the food from our gorgeous island, this place is super authentic! You'll love it!! Highly recommend!! read more

I have been wanting to try Apey Kade for a long time after hearing my cousins rave about it. I had never had Sri Lankan food before and finally decided to give it a chance. I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience. The restaurant is a small, Muslim-family owned establishment with a 100% halal menu of fresh, homemade Sri Lankan delicacies. As soon as I walked in the aromas were intoxicating. The owner and staff were very friendly and welcoming. I had to try the beef Kottu Rotti which was packed with flavorful spices. I regret not having more. I also had a side of the fish-stuffed Gothamba Rotti which was mouth watering. I added a side of chicken samosas and chicken rolls which were the perfect addition to a delicious meal. Unlike Indian/Pakistani style samosas and rolls, these had a thicker, breaded coating with grounded and sauced meat for extra flavor. I highly recommend giving this place a shot. The Kottu Rotti is a must have! read more

love the lump rice (lamprais), with the cubes of super spiced beef and aubergine reduced to their essential sweetness. also like the egg hoppers, though need to remember to order some sambals or curry on the side. read more

Apey Kade - faluda=ice cream milkshake! - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

found a dead bug in my takeout food. Their food handling is really unclean. Avoid. I hope food sanitation dept reads this. read more

Apey Kade - Dead bug in chicken curry - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

Really great small business with very flavorful food! We come here at-least 2 times a month at this point and truly love the food and customer service from the owners. Will continue to come back! read more

Apey Kade is the sort of restaurant that makes you happy and proud to live in Los Angeles. I've eaten here three times in the past few months and always leave with a huge smile on my face. The flavor combinations are unlike any other cuisine I've tried, and the meals are generously portioned and prepared with love and pride. I always go for the vegetarian string hopper -- a bed of noodles that serves as a palette for the coconut curry and chef's selection of freshly prepared and richly flavorful vegetables (today's included spicy beet roots and fried okra). It's a total gem of a restaurant and I can't wait to return for the next adventure. read more

Apey Kade is a hidden gem in the deep valley. Only reason I know about it is my best pal is Sri Lankan, so he turned me on to it. It's located in a tiny strip mall. I mean, if you blink, you'll miss it. The interior is even smaller, if you can believe it. I think there's like 3 small tables. We were welcomed by the Chef who is extremely friendly. He recommended a few things, but we already knew what we were after: the Legendary Lamprais. This is a dish full of magic and spice. It's basically a full meal wrapped in a huge banana leaf and steamed to perfection. There's all kinds of amazing things inside, like rice (obviously!), chicken, eggplant, plantains, fish (I think?), and a few other delicious things. It was as if X-Mas came early and I unwrapped the greatest and most desired gift of all. I can't wait to go back. The chef mentioned that on weekends they serve a cafeteria style lunch, so I will most definitely make the trek back to Tarzana for some weekend lunch. If you're looking for some uniquely delicious and spicy food, look no further. read more

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This restaurant offers 100% authentic and excellent Sri Lankan food, made with love by an experienced chef. They never disappoint here!

Great food and service, we will return Tried several dishes like Deviled Capsicum, fried potatoes, chicken curry with yellow rice. All were excellent and spicy, the way it should be. read more

ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN LA!! I hadn't had much exposure to Sri Lanken food. I'm from Florida where we eat crappy fast food or whatever Publix has. My GF (part Sri Lanken) was telling me about all the wonderful flavors that Sri Lanken food had to offer and I was intrigued. We Yelp'd and find our way to Apey Kade. Apey Kade is a small, intimate restaurant in the heart of Tarzana, but it is no hole in the wall. It is a hidden gem of the valley-- one that should be written about in every year-end list of LA's finest restaurants. The food looked gorgeous, the smells were intoxicating, the owners were a sweet couple that talked us through the best dishes to order, they offered hefty samples of additional dishes to try, the ambience was rich with history, the spices were tingling and - most essentially - the food was delicious. I got the Lump Rice with chicken. It came in a steaming banana leaf that, when opened, reveals a colorful collage of foods that are irresistible. It was tough to stop eating. The flavors were bursting, the rice was fluffy, the chicken was tender, and overall the food was spicy (I may have needed a cup of water or two) but in the most tolerable and, dare I say, exciting way possible. It wasn't fatal, as some might fear. If this white boy from FL can handle it, I am certain anyone can. In sum: You should go to this restaurant. It will be an incredibly delicious and memorable meal. I am grateful to be living in the valley for a number of reasons... Apey Kabe is one of those reasons. read more

What a gem hidden in the valley. I came in on a saturday afternoon not knowing what to expect or what to order. The people there were friendly and helpful, guiding us on what to order for our first experience. I would highly recommend the lump rice. I got it with chicken, but other meat options are available. It is a beautifully seasoned and prepared meal wrapped and steamed in banana leaves. I've definitely become a fan of sri Lankan cuisine. read more

Apey Kade - Lump rice with chicken...a must!!! - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

Went here for a late lunch and I asked the gentleman for something vegetarian and he prepared me some rice and some potatoes and he said it was a very traditional Sri Lankan dish that came wrapped in a steam banana leaf and WOW...it was delicious healthy and absolutely flavorful...at $10.99.... This place is small & clean and most importantly the service was absolutely friendly and his recommendations hit the spot....and was exactly what I was looking for....so if you're in the area and you want to try some delicious Sri Lankan food and this is a place I highly recommend read more

Apey Kade - A very traditional Sri Lankan vegetarian dish that was steamed in banana leaves... absolutely delicious! - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

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If you need your sinuses cleared, this is your place! (If you don't want your sinuses cleared, no worries, the owner will hook you up too.) We were in the first camp (though even as spicy food lovers we honestly didn't know what we were in for) and ordered the string hopper meal with vegetables and the regular hopper meal with fish curry. Tears streamed down our happy faces as we cradled anaheim peppers and potatoes in our hopper 'nests', dipped them in coconut sambol, and shoved more in. The golden coconut milk surrounding the egg eased the burn - kind of. Not really. And especially not after the fish curry came and we started making 'tacos' with the fish using the airy, crispy, fried-egg-bottomed hoppers and, if we dared, the angry red chilies on the side. (I didn't dare. My companion, generally slightly less spice-tolerant than me, did.) Though I wished the vegetables that had come with the string hoppers had been a little more interesting than potatoes and peppers, that's just something for me to know for next time so I can specify. I'll try the eggplant, jackfruit, and okra next! My companion tried to order a soda to kill the remainder of the burn after our meal, but was directed to try the wattalappan instead, which was a great recommendation on the owner's part and about 203762849 times tastier than a soda. Picture a cardamom-and-tea scented flan. read more

Love, love, love. The food is amazing and it is consistently amazing. But, it's not the food that keeps us coming back...the owner's pour their heart & soul into the food & service and we feel and taste it each time. The love that is cooked into the food is noticed and appreciated. Even if you have never had Sri Lankan food, you will still feel as this is a home cooked meal, because of the love you taste in every bite. You can taste the care, concern, love & pride in every dish! Apey Kade is home away from, the food is spectacular and the hospitality is bar none. read more

Amazing place. Great mild spice food. Extremely nice family run business. 10/10 would recommend to anybody wanting a good dinner

so happy that there is another gem in the valley! sri lankan food is sort of like indian cuisine but different in the flavor profiles. this is another great example of small, hole in the wall strip mall places that are meh when it comes to atmosphere but the food is so good that you don't care. family owned deliciousness!!!!!! read more

After having the pleasure of visiting Sri Lanka in December all I wanted for my birthday now in June was to have the wonderful flavors I craved from the beautiful island country. Similar to Indian foods but distinctly different at the same time, I wanted to find a place that truly represented what I experienced. Much research and reading lots of reviews lead me to determine Apey Kade was the top choice. Driving an hour plus to go to what may appear to some as a hole in the wall food establishment for a very specific ethnic cuisine could be a gamble. Well, let me say that this gamble paid out quite nicely. Tucked in a strip mall, this gem had the food and hospitality to match my fond memories of Sri Lanka. We ordered rice and fish curry meal, the lovely gentleman behind the counter suggested we try a Lamprais so we ordered that in chicken. And the dish I craved the most since our visit, Pol Sambol! So much delicious tastes! Spicy enough to perk up the flavors without taking them over. Everything tasted so fresh and perfectly balanced and the service was delightful. I could not have asked for more. Until we started chatting with the other couple who came in after us with their 2 adorable children. Both of them were Sri Lankan themselves and drove TWO hours to eat at Apey Kade. They agreed the food was authentic and delicious! Having a lovely conversation with some delightful people really completed the experience for us. If this place were closer I would probably eat here once a week. I will have to settle for less often due to the distance, but I am already looking forward to my next visit. read more

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I can't give a fair review because I don't know anything about Sri Lankan food. But I couldn't handle the flavors, not just the spiciness. Faluda was too sweet for my palate, but it was good. Small place with a few tables. Difficult to find parking. read more

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Love love love the food here. Family run business and everyone there is kind and friendly. We had: Egg hopper, lump rice with chicken, Dahl curry (lentil), jack fruit curry, potatoes curry, papppadum (kind of like a chip) and string hopper (like a noodle pancake?). Really great! Will be back soon. read more

Outstanding food. Buy anything from the menu - you won't regret. We ordered a bunch of patties and the vegetarian lamprais. We can't decide which one was best. We live in SF bay area. We are considering driving all the way back to LA just for this place. read more

Really delicious local spot. I had the chicken curry and the stuffed peppers , both were fantastic and very friendly owners.

This is by far the best Sri Lankan food in town. The minute we land from Atlanta it is our first stop!

Started on 3/19/2014 I usually come for their lunchtime buffet, which usually has rice, beef curry, spicy anchovies, curried cabbage, a minced salad of greens and onions, and a spicy green bean dish. The heat is legit here, and nothing is shy in flavor magnitude. The veggies are tasty, well balanced flavors. Really enjoyed the pumpkin curry was well. As far as seating, it's really crammed in here. There are I think two tables against the wall, so in total there are maybe 7 available seats. It's definitely family style in here. The couple that owns/runs the place are very nice and helpful. Protip: the. tea. here. is. AMAZING. Sri Lankan style milk tea, where its mixed by pouring vertically from cup to cup, creating a homogeneity and froth I haven't had otherwise. The one thing I was disappointed with here was dinner: The mutton curry hopper meal tasted good. But... mutton was a bit chewy. I like mine stewed til its falling off the bone. Speaking of bones, there were too many. Feels like half the bowl was bones. I understand that's an important part of getting the flavor (I'm not naive to that fact), but for the price, I feel like there just wasn't enough meat in that ratio to satisfy me. I'll stick to lunch specials here. read more

There are only 3 Sri Lankan restaurants in LA: Curry Leaf (Torrance & Reseda), Cafe Lanka (La Crescenta), and Apey Kade (Tarzana). I actually traveled 2 hours in traffic from Orange County to Tarzana so that I could add Sri Lanka to my map of international food eaten. I chose Apey Kade because it is the first Sri Lankan restaurant established in LA, and the numerous years of staying in business is typically a positive sign. When I walked up to the restaurant counter, the owner told me that the a-la-carte choices are only available during dinner after 4PM. I had really hoped to sample their hoppers, curries, and roti, which are unique to Sri Lanka. He gave me some excuse about how he can do me a favor and probably prepare some string hoppers, but it would not be as many as 12 as indicated on the menu. But why would I pay full price for an incomplete order? Instead, the owner directed me towards their $7.49 steam table buffet. It looked awful, with only around 6 varieties including two types of rice, and most of the food trays were 90% empty. The chef had no desire or intention to refill the trays. This buffet was not even worth $5. Clearly, their strategy was to lure me into finishing their left-overs. If this restaurant had been local to me, I would have walked out immediately, but given the long drive over already, I reluctantly stayed for the lunch buffet. The buffet is very low-key as paper plates were provided. Out of all the buffet dishes, the kottu, mallung (kale), and pumpkin curry were my favorites. Eggplant curry was extremely oily and the devilized dish was just too tongue numbing that I couldn't taste any other flavors. I ate three plates not because the food was exceptional, but because I wanted to leave on a full stomach before going to do field work. On a positive note, Apey Kade's buffet offers several authentic Sri Lankan dishes which are unique to the island. Sri Lankan food is rich and spicy. I had to stop after my third plate because the food was just too hot and their water pitcher was nearly empty. Their chicken curry is unlike those at Indian buffets, as it was Sri Lankan spicy. In fact, everything in the buffet is extremely spicy, except the rice and mallum. I was disappointed that the buffet did not include any sweets. Any Indian buffet would have highlighted their desserts or at the least included cheap fruits. I had to shell out an additional $2.75 for a taste of wattalapam, a popular Sri Lankan coconut custard pudding. It was heavy on the eggs with notes of vanilla and coconut. Not bad but it brought my bill to exceed $10. I left paying a premium for this mediocre lunch and what I wanted to order was "not available". Maybe I will have a better experience if I come after 4pm next time. read more

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We went to Apey Kade on Feb 3rd, 2021. Lalith and Neetha are very friendly, caring and efficient, and it's always a great pleasure to see and chat with them. We have placed a large order just on the previous day and everything was ready by this afternoon with no mistakes whatsoever. All the Sri Lankan dishes here are very authentic and delicious. We love string hoppers, roti, pittu and the matching curries like polos, mutton, kiri hodi, fish and many more. Then there are snacks like cutlets, patties, rolls, etc. which are great appetizers to the palate. We recommend their excellent food services for anyone who likes South Asian, particularly Sri Lankan, authentic food. We wish them all the very best and good luck. read more

So glad I decided to come here, I haven't been treated this well in a LONG time, at a restaurant at least. Don't come here expecting luxuries, somewhere nice to sit, etc. There are very few tables, they use paper plates and it's a small place thats mostly serve-yourself-style. They do have a staircase that leads up to what seems like more seating but it looks like that area is rarely used. The chairs were upside down on the tables so maybe they're for large parties. I was basically clueless when I walked in and the only white girl there, ha. Let me just say that the service was AMAZING, I felt like I was visiting a family members house, especially since their little daughters were there too. They were just so helpful and welcoming. So refreshing to experience that. They asked me about my pregnancy, they recommended dishes and thoroughly explained all the dishes I asked about. Let me just say that I'm now a huge fan of Egg Hoppers, so delicious yet so simple. (Kinda like a thin crepe with egg and you can eat it with their chutneys, I posted a picture of them). I can't explain how happy I am to have visited, they even asked my name and actually were interested in talking to me, not just taking my money. It reminded me of when I visited a small, family owned Greek restaurant in Amsterdam. Authentic food with good conversation and kind people. I know I keep raving about the kindness of the owners/cooks but the food was awesome too! I loved the vegetarian curry. If you like spicy food and want to feel like you aren't even in the valley, come here! read more

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5 stars for the wattalappan dessert! It is like a coconut flan with cardamom and caramelized brown sugar. It was delicious! The string hoppers (rice noodles) with the polsambol (dried coconut and spices) was spicy! The meal came with chicken and kirihodi with a boiled egg. Everything was tasty, but my only complaint is that I would have liked everything to be hotter temperature wise. The food is reheated and not long enough for me. The lamprais was OK. I only liked the eggplant and onions. The beef was dry and everything else had a frozen then reheated texture. The staff was very friendly and sweet people. I would go back to have the wattalappan and to try the egg hoppers at night. They did not have the egg hoppers at lunch. read more

Apey Kade - Wattalappan... coconut flan with cardamom. This was really yummy! - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

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The food was fine, and the owners were friendly, and yet, I'd never go back. I went there for lunch, and for an hour, I was the only person there. The owners were nice, but while they weren't chatting with me, they were watching satellite TV. The upstairs was blocked off by a dirty carpet sweeper (you know, those non-electric vacuum things)... seriously? You're leaving your dirty clean-up supplies out for ambience? And it went downhill from there. The food was fine, but it kinda seemed like I was eating a Sri Lankan family's leftovers. All steam table stuff, and none of it bad by any stretch -- but none of it really special, either. If a friend dragged me there, I'd go back, and not unhappily, but I don't imagine I'll just walk back on in ever again in the future. read more

I visited this place recently & was delighted with the dishes available on the "all you can eat Friday night buffet!" You could choose or sample it all... hoppers, string hoppers, thosai with curried beef, shrimp, the proverbial yellow curry, devilled chicken, thosai sambal, string hopper sambol, Luna miris... what a feast. The hosts are never hurried even though they are super busy. The curries had distinctive tastes, that allowed you to mix it as in the homeland... hoppers with beef curry & strings with shrimp curry. We did not have to worry or hurry, there was plenty and it was top class! read more

I wasn't sure what to expect from this place but I was overwhelmed with the flavors and the variety of dishes they had. I tried the buffet with some different dishes. They were all good except they were a bit too spicy for me. I almost forgot to mention the highlight of my meal, the mango mousse. It was creamy, refreshing and simply delicious. The owners were very, very friendly and welcoming. I would definitely come back again. read more

Apey Kade has the best service I've experienced for a Sri Lankan restaurant. The owners stayed late frying family up some fresh short eats today and they were so nice about it. Thank you for accepting us even after it was past closing. Like I said before, definitely try Apey Kade out. In my opinion, it is the best Sri Lankan restaurant food I've had in California...oh and.. I'm Sri Lankan born and raised in Cali. I've tried em all..yeah it's that good. read more

Apey Kade - Chicken kothu! Yum!! - Sri Lankan Near Me - Tarzana, California

Not enough seats downstairs. Expensive. Served from Tupperware. Very limited menu. The best tasting item was the water, all you can drink. Should try to get better plates and condiments. The food was very spicy, but they lacked depth. The hopper freshly made by the owner lady was interesting because I never had them before. read more