Although Sri Lankan cooking can be very good, few restaurants really do justice to the island’s cuisine. Most of the island’s independent restaurants can be found in Colombo and, to a lesser extent, Kandy, Galle and Negombo, where tourism has inspired the growth of a modest local eating scene. The most common independent restaurants are aimed at tourists, with a mix of Sri Lankan, seafood and Western dishes; you’ll also find a few South Indian-style places, especially in Colombo. If you want to eat like the locals, you’ll find lunch packets on sale at local cafés and street stalls all over the country between around 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. These usually include a big portion of steamed rice along with a piece of curried chicken, fish or beef (vegetarians can get an egg), some vegetables and sambol. They’re the cheapest way to fill up in Sri Lanka, although probably best avoided until your stomach and tastebuds are properly acclimatized to the local cooking.