Synopses & Reviews
Welcome to Hoppers, where the flavors, colors, aromas and sights transport you to the tropical warmth of Sri Lanka. Serving up the best of Sri Lankan cooking,
Hoppers: The Cookbook showcases signature recipes from the cult London restaurants, while also going beyond their four walls to explore the dishes, places and people that inspired them.
The book celebrates both home cooking and the food served at roadside shacks, kitchens and stalls across Sri Lanka. From spicy deviled dishes to crab kari (curry), crunchy deep-fried mutton rolls, dosas and sambols, kalupol chicken and satisfyingly rich kothu roti, Karan Gokani explores the classics as well as new recipes developed at Hoppers restaurants.
Stunning location photography, glorious food, warmth, personality and generosity suffuse the pages of this cookbook — join the Hoppers family in a personal and vivid journey exploring and celebrating the food from this extraordinary island.
Review
“How lucky are we to have Hoppers! First the restaurants, now the book, giving...a taste of the incredible riches of Sri Lanka. The recipes and the photos have such a transportive power that I feel like I am practically there, or at least I must pay a visit very soon. I love everything! But first on my list to try is the Hot Butter Squid, followed by an epic Buriani.” Yotam Ottolenghi
Review
“Karan is undoubtedly one of the most talented cooks I have ever met. Reading this book, I hear his tone, humour and overwhelming excitement for life in every word.” Andrew Wong
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“Love it, love it, want to cook everything, so I want to spend a week in the kitchen with Karan cooking!!!” Angela Hartnett
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“A beautifully crafted collection of heartfelt, wonderful recipes from one of the most exciting chefs and restaurants of the past few years. Eclectic, interesting and above all else, super-tasty. A must-have for anybody who has an interest in the world of food.” Tom Kerridge
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“Karan is a supremely talented chef — his beautifully curated selection of recipes will enliven your senses and transport you on a journey to Sri Lanka.” José Pizarro
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“What a joy to have this beautiful book, so that I can jog great culinary memories, unlock the whys behind so much flavor, and savor my favorites at my own home table.” Danny Meyer
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“Karan is one of the best cooks I have ever encountered.” Fay Maschler
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“There’s a lot to learn and glorious dishes to cook.”
Diana Henry’s Autumn 2022 Best Cookbooks, The Telegraph
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“A collection of superb recipes... This is an introduction to the exciting cuisine of the country.”
Bee Wilson, The Times
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“A proper immersion in Sri Lankan home and street cooking, and an impressive debut book for a truly excellent writer. Accessible but thoroughly inspiring recipes and much rich colour.”
Tim Hayward, Financial Times
Review
“The book is a freewheeling foray into the island nation’s food culture, with beautiful photographs shot on location in Sri Lanka, as well as favourite dishes from the restaurants themselves.”
Susan Low, The Independent
About the Author
With three restaurants in central London, delivery kitchens across the capital and a well-established retail brand Cash & Kari, Hoppers takes inspiration from the home cooking and roadside stalls and shacks of Sri Lanka and southern India. Co-founder and Creative Director of Hoppers, Karan Gokani grew up in Mumbai and came to England in 2005 to study law at Cambridge. In 2012 he left his career as a solicitor to move back to India and focus on food and cooking. He returned to England and opened the first Hoppers in 2015 with the Sethi siblings, founders of JKS Restaurants. Always looking for the next excuse to visit Sri Lanka, Karan’s obsession with the tiny island country began in 2009 where he met his first Sri Lankan friends at university. The book is an ode to Sri Lankans, their warmth, hospitality, love and, above all, a very personal and subjective story of their food through the Hoppers lens.