Cafe Nova prepares Sri Lankan dishes for students

The varied flavors, large portions and low prices offered at 6431 N. Sheridan Road offer Loyola students an escape from dining hall food.

Café Nova has been serving authentic Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine in Rogers Park since March 2023. Opening up Sri Lankan culture to those who have never experienced it is the restaurant’s main goal, said owner Kisothan Sivarasa.

“This is what I ate when I was younger,” Sivarasa said. “This is what reminds me of my country. I just want to share this with anyone who might come and visit me.”

Having brought his love of food from Vavuniya, Sri Lanka, to Chicago in 2016, Sivarasa said he found his new neighborhood of Rogers Park to be welcoming and open to cultural variation.

“I love the diversity, how people are open to supporting different types of cuisines,” Sivarasa said.

Sivarasa didn’t always intend to become a restaurant owner. Just three months before he was set to graduate from Richmond Gabriel University with a medical degree, he decided to drop out of school and do what he really wanted with his life.

“I’ve always had a desire to serve people and things like that, to introduce people to our cultures,” Sivarasa said.

He then decided to change his life and started working in Indian restaurants around Chicago. Eventually, the pandemic-related closure of South Asian restaurants prompted Sivarasa to start his own restaurant.

Sivarasa said it was difficult to start without the guidance of an experienced professional to guide him through the marketing and management processes.

It took him six months to find the right commercial space. Although he considered several locations in the Chicago area, Sivarasa said he remembered Rogers Park’s warm receptiveness to diversity and was motivated to secure the current location between Loyola’s bookstore and the Campus Safety office.

Although he didn’t have professional help, he did have chef Ravi Bopage. The two met in 2016 while working at the now-closed Mysore Woodlands restaurant, West Ridge. Bopage brought a wealth of knowledge about Sri Lankan cuisine to Chicago when he relocated from the country’s capital, Colombo, in 2013.

“He brought his own personal touch,” Sivarasa said. “I’m from the north and he’s from the south, which allowed us to bring the whole culinary dimension of Sri Lanka to the restaurant.”

Together, they have come up with a comprehensive menu comprising 22 starters, ranging from house specialities like biryani and kothu roti to curries and stir-fries, as well as sides and fried breads.

The menu doesn’t limit Bopage, however, who says he enjoys making “more and more new things,” such as experimental varieties of curry.

A varied menu doesn’t mean the restaurant is overcrowded, though. The room is generally quiet and calm, with high ceilings creating a spacious atmosphere.

Upon entering, customers can order on touchscreen kiosks and sit at one of ten tables. This type of self-service is used by customers because the restaurant operates with only four full-time employees.

Sivarasa said he wants to expand Café Nova’s reach to more of the Loyola community.

“We just want kids and students to know that they can come and give us a helping hand,” Sivarasa said. “We’re always happy to offer free drinks, and you can also use the facilities for as long as you want.”

A sign outside the restaurant advertises a free iced coffee with any purchase exclusively for Ramblers — one of many efforts Café Nova is making to attract more students.

Sivarasa says catering events for student groups increase the restaurant’s awareness on campus. Loyola’s Indian Student Organization ordered mango lassis from Café Nova for their paint night last year.

“Working with them was a wonderful experience because they were very communicative and very efficient,” ISA Secretary Sarah Savani wrote in an email to The Phoenix.

Having lived on a student budget himself, Sivarasa said he intentionally caters to the student population by offering large portions and prices under $20. He plans to create a coffee counter in the store with discounted coffee and quick transactions to accommodate customers’ busy schedules.

With further improvements to its ceilings, floors, side panels and decor through mid-October, Sivarasa said he hopes to create a comfortable space for Ramblers to gather.

Both Bopage and Sivarasa said they believe the stigma surrounding South Asian cuisine and foreign restaurants in general deters people from entering Cafe Nova.

“I think they are not open to the idea,” Sivarasa said. “But when they try it, they like it.”

Customers who are hesitant to try South Asian cuisine because of its spiciness can customize their spiciness level when ordering. Bopage said he can make dishes milder without sacrificing authentic flavors.

Sivarasa said he is still learning what it takes to run a restaurant and appreciates customer feedback because it helps Café Nova evolve.

Improving accessibility through student engagement is proving fruitful, according to Sivarasa, who said he sees many regular student customers advertising Café Nova to their communities.

“We just want them to come and use it, it’s that simple,” Sivarasa said. “What we hope is that they have a comfortable space to sit and eat whatever they want, to just enjoy and experience Sri Lanka with us.”

Cafe Nova, located at 6431 N. Sheridan, is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The menu is available on their website.