CocoHOT is a Sri-Lankan fusion pop-up that has been serving up some of their delicious coconut-infused dishes while supporting local food insecurity initiatives
Founder Shiv Mahendran says he wants everyone to have a taste of his heritage with a little twist. Iconic ingredients like coconut sambol and mangos, often found in Tamil cuisine, are paired with modern food trends such as the Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
Shiv says that for as long as he is running his business, he will always give back to his community. At his previous pop-up, he was able to donate $1,000 to FoodShare Toronto, a non-profit organization that has recently donated over 80,000 emergency food boxes to households facing heightened food insecurity. Currently, his goal is to donate $1 from every sandwich to FoodShare Toronto. Given the current circumstances with the global pandemic, this initiative will contribute towards defeating food insecurity in Toronto.
You can choose from a variety of dishes like the Jaffna Hot Chicken Sandwich with aachar slaw, fresh coconut sambol, sweet pickles and finished with a buttermilk ranch Sriracha sauce on a brioche bun. For the vegetarians CocoHOT also has a Jaffna Hot Tofu Sandwich with the option of making it vegan!
The Lamprais––a blend of curries and samba rice wrapped in a banana leaf to enhance the aroma and flavours, is another hearty main available to order. CocoHOT also has a handful of sides selections, a popular item being the spicy corn topped with spiced coconut, green and red onions and grated parmesan cheese.
The next pop-up date is set for February 13 in Mississauga––address details are provided with every order. There will also be a pop-up coming to North York slated in March. If you haven’t tried Sri-Lankan food yet this is your sign. More information about CocoHOT and their current initiative can be found through social media.
