Popular local hangout and a homey place to get a good value curry
- Lighthouse Street
- Open daily 6am-8pm
Buddhist teachings
This charming yellow building perched between the buildings of Southland College in Lighthouse Street packs a wonderful history. It has been here since the late 19th century and is home to the Young Buddhist Men’s Association. The lesser known Buddhist equivalent of the YMCA was founded to spread the teaching of Buddha at a time when the country was unwrapping itself from Colonial rule and Christian religion.
I love the community. I get so many different people here, bank staff, sisters from the chapel, trainee teachers from Southlands College and young monks
Roti with a smile
YMBA is one of Fort’s best kept secrets. It is a friendly place where locals come for breakfast, to make a photocopy or just hang out. Aiyomi Ramanayake has been running the restaurant with her husband for over 20 years. “Our most popular dish is red rice and curry. Many customers say they enjoy the friendly atmosphere, and dishes such as our gotukola salad, jackfruit and bitter gourd curries, which reminds them of home-cooked food”.