Sanur's New Lamuri Explores the Culinary Ties of South India and Sumatra

Sanur welcomes an intriguing new restaurant, Lamuri, that invites diners to explore the culinary relationship between South India and Sumatra.

Lamuri is inspired by an historic kingdom that was located on the northern tip of Sumatra – now modern-day Aceh – between the 9th and 16th centuries. Also known as Lambri, the ancient kingdom was a major trading port, opening to the Andaman Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, connecting the region to global maritime traders – and as a consequence, influence from Sri Lanka, India and beyond.

Chef-founder Aman Lakhiani revisits this history through a culinary lens, developing a menu that showcases South Indian, Sri Lankan and Sumatran flavours, exploring a spectrum of shared ingredients to distinct dishes of these regions. Utilising local Indonesian ingredients, paired with Indian spices, the flavours are rich, aromatic and complex.

Highlights include Kare Kambing, a slow-cooked mutton curry steeped in Sumatran and South Indian spices; Kothu Roti, a favourite Sri Lankan street food of chopped flatbread tossed with the spiced curry gravy; Crab Masala, where coconut richness and South Indian masala seeps into sweet crab meat; and Ayam Tangkap Aceh, a fragrant fried chicken specialty representing the Sumatran side of Lamuri.

Meals are best enjoyed family-style, where dishes are shared and passed around the table, set over banana leaves to capture a traditional dining style. Rattan seats, terracotta-coloured walls, and the joglo-style ceiling speak to the restaurant’s regional theme, with the wood-panelled open, kitchen and stylish bar area giving the interiors a contemporary edge.