When the Curry Leaf made its move from its original eight-table space to a sprawling new location on Tejon Avenue, it was most certainly a risk.

More tables, more servers, more cooks, more overhead.

And in the long term, Curry Leaf’s move to this tastefully decorated larger space that once housed Crepes Francaise (and before that, Flavors on Tejon) could turn out to be a smart one. Right now, though, the operation is a bit bumpy and the execution sometimes off the mark.

The building is cute, a brick storefront under an awning. And while the short A-frame sign out front doesn’t do much to advertise the venture, the owners have done a good job with the spacious interior. Bright paint, packing trunks and wall art evoke the culture and landscape of Sri Lanka. Neat as a pin, a charming and eclectic variety of chair styles are pulled up to clean, beflowered tables.

As two countries separated geographically only by the narrow Palk Straight, the difference between the Sri Lankan cuisine of the Curry Leaf and Indian cuisine is a subtle one. In addition to frequent use of the peppery curry leaves from which the restaurant takes its name, Sri Lankan food utilizes lemongrass-like rumpe, sour goraka and greater quantities of coconut.

The Deviled Shrimp ($10.95/$11.95) is perhaps the best item on the short menu. The prawns are nestled in a bed of sautéed peppers, onions and shards of cinnamon stick, all bathed in an uber-spicy red sauce. First comes the clean, rich flavor of the plump, moist shrimp; then, the powdery spice that slowly ignites in the mouth like TNT.

The Curry Leaf is expert in the complex, layered flavors of its regional cuisine, and that often works out deliciously well. Those “deviled” dishes, for instance, are fiery and unique stir-fries that I’d order again and again.

Many of the vegetable dishes shine, too. The Eggplant Curry ($7.49/$8.49) has been a customer favorite since the inception of the first Curry Leaf, and the Dahl Curry ($4.49/$5.95) is a light yet expertly spiced dish of creamy lentils.

Unfortunately, the fresh texture of the fruit in the Mango Curry ($5.95/$6.95) was stewed away, leaving the dish unappetizingly mushy – although, yes, still awash in delicious juices.

These issues of execution and texture cropped up repeatedly.

The curry in the Chicken Curry and Beef Curry ($6.49 lunch/$7.95 dinner) proved to be the stars of the plates. The chicken was lit up by more than 20 spices roasted to create a toasty shade of brown and a robust heat. The beef swam in a delicious sauce of coconut milk and Sri Lankan spices. In both cases, though, the gravy was not enough to save the large chunks of dry meat, which derailed the promising dishes.

The Fish Curry ($7.95/$8.95) ranked the best of the curry bunch, coming in as only mildly overcooked, most the slippery oil of the salmon roasted away.

I still have to wonder how the Vegetarian Pastry appetizers ($6.95) were simultaneous cold in the middle and burned on the base. The rounds of Roti flatbread ($6.95), the Sri Lankan version of India’s naan, was inexplicably thick. And although the bread is meant to scoop up sauces, it cracked rather than bent, and much sauce was left behind.

The service was friendly, but on my visits, I saw my server only at after long intervals. Lunch, for instance, lasted far more than an hour.

None of these issues, however, left a bad taste in my mouth. That’s partially because the house-made desserts were transcendent enough to wipe the palate clean of all mildly disappointing memories.

The Coco Marie ($5.95), which is an Asian version of tiramisu, layers cake and chocolate mousse with a coconut edge. It’s decadently coated in cocoa powder and sits in a shiny pool of chocolate sauce. On the lighter side, the Island Cake ($4.95) is soft, fluffy and warm, parting like butter underneath the fork and dissolving like heaven in the mouth. Both were spectacularly tasty.

Deviled Shrimp will light up your mouth like TNT. Photo by Kate Jonuska

The Mango Curry, foreground, and the Chicken Curry suffered from over cooking. Photo by

Curry Leaf’s appetizer sampler features vegetarian pastries, cutlets and beef rolls. Photo by Kate Jonuska