Best hidden street food alleys in Pettah market for Bombay sweets
7 Answers from travellers
You want to head directly to Main Street and Second Cross Street. Look for the neon pink signs of "Bombay Sweet Mahal" or "New Bombay Sweets". They have been there for generations. Order a towering glass of rose-syrup Falooda with basil seeds and ice cream, and grab a box of fresh Jalebi. It is the perfect sugar rush to survive the Pettah heat.
The falooda is incredibly sweet, almost too sweet for me. But the Muscut (halwa) is amazing.
The established shops use commercial tube ice which is perfectly safe. Avoid shaved ice from wooden carts.
Watch your pockets in those specific alleys, they get shoulder-to-shoulder crowded.
Scam Watch: colombo
Driver claims the meter is broken and quotes an inflated flat rate. Common on arrival at airport or railway stations when tourists are tired and disoriented.
Drivers wearing official-looking uniforms claim to be "government-approved" and charge 3-5x normal rates. They may have fake badges or ID cards.
Women with babies approach asking you to buy milk powder at a nearby shop (not cash). The shop is run by accomplices and charges 5-10x normal price.
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