Island tummy tales

“F ood is not just food in Sri Lanka, it is your life and being, it is your medicine and your aphrodisiac,” says celebrity Sri Lankan chef, Peter Kuruvita. Lankan cuisine is a melting pot of influences; with merchants from the Middle East, Persia and south east Asia brought with them not only pungent spices, but their distinctive cuisines and cooking styles. Being on the coast, the city of Colombo also has the best of sea food — from fish and crabs, to shrimps and prawns. Colombo, the capital city is the epicentre of good food — not only Lankan but Chinese, Japanese and British-inspired high tea. Celebrating its food is the unique event — the Colombo Gourmet Week — a week-long food festival that highlights local food, wine and produce. Our pick of the best fine dining places in the city.

Island delights

The latest showstopper restaurant in town, Kaema Sutra, is at the newly-opened Shangri La. It is a collaboration between celebrity chef Dharshan Munidasa, and Sri Lankan actor Jacqueline Fernandez. This restaurant has paid special attention to details, to make it resonate with a local, crafty feel, with elements such as mask-shaped ceramic salt-and-pepper shakers.

The walls are decorated with vibrant Sri Lankan masks in myriad hues that portray folk tales, and carved wooden elephants. The chef uses the island’s aromatic spices and unique ingredients, pairing them with age-old cooking techniques. Choose from slow-cooked curries and kothu roti (minced flatbread with vegetables, spices and meat), their signature lamprais (meat and rice wrapped and cooked in banana leaf), to Banaleak Barramundi — boneless fillets of fish and cassava floss with strings of fried cassava sprinkled with chilli salt. Kaema Sutra has the “world’s largest hopper”, cooked to a golden crisp, and served with two eggs set in the centre of the deep bowl. Don’t miss the chilled curd with organic kithul treacle and chilled king coconut water. For reservations, visit www.shangri-la.com/colombo.

Island food: A modern Sri Lankan meal at the Kaema Sutra

Café tales

Colombo is home to many attractive cafés, where one can while away time, or catch up with friends, and dine in style. The best among these is probably the rustic Gallery Café on Alfred House Road, a local legend. It opened in what were once offices of the legendary architect Geoffrey Bawa, and is a tranquil haven with frangipani trees, wood pillars, tiled roofs, a long pond decorated with scrap metal sculptures and huge urns.

Fit for a king A Sri Lankan meal at Kaema Sutra

The café serves both international and Sri Lankan fare from sweet pumpkin soup to a quail egg salad. My favourite is the black olive and feta ravioli, and their jaggery-infused desserts. Don’t miss their signature dessert called ‘Chocolate Nemesis!’ For more information, visit www.paradiseroad.lk.

A crabby affair

This one is for carnivores. The Ministry of Crab restaurant located in the charming, mustard-walled Dutch Hospital Complex (an old hospital with open verandahs, converted into a swish shopping and restaurant complex) was created by the celebrity team of cricketers Mahela Jayewardene, Kumar Sangakkara and chef Dharshan Munidasa. The restaurant offers every possible variation of the humble crustacean. From garlic crab, pepper crab to butter crab, you can also choose the size of your crab dinner from half kg onwards to a monstrous crabzilla at a whopping two kg. Finish with a delectable chocolate biscuit pudding made of Belgian chocolate. For more information, visit ministryofcrab.com.

Feast in a village

For an authentic Sri Lankan meal, head to Nuga Gama at the Cinnamon Grand, under a 200-year-old banyan tree. The restaurant, accessed by a narrow walkway lit by coconut husk torches, is designed like a typical Lankan village. Traditional musicians, sarong-wearing staff and food served in clay pots under timver awnings — make it a sensory feast. The restaurant has an open kitchen, local kade (grocery store), and a farm with cows and chicken. The food is typically local with items such as white rice, yellow rice, string hoppers, hoppers, pittu and moju on the menu. Don’t miss the tangy jackfruit curry with chillies, turmeric and coconut milk. Ginger tea is served in a blackened old kettle with tiny glasses.

Time for tea

In the island famous for tea, the Dilmah t-Lounge at the Arcade Independence Square has a charming ambience and, in my opinion, the best tea. The art of tea is elevated with their unique creations and infusions. Everything here is tea-inspired, from mocktails to desserts. These are served with cakes, pastries, crêpes and waffles. Their signature teas have everything from Ceylon Oolong to Ceylon Green tea. They also have Earl Grey milkshakes, cinnamon orange chilled tea and tea smoothies such as matcha green with lychees. They even have tea-inspired subs and burgers. For more information, visit dilmaht-lounge.com.

British nostalgia

High tea is a typical Sri Lankan obsession — a British hangover, which the locals have adapted into their culture. Sri Lankans love to meet friends and have a tête-à-tête over tea and snacks. One experience that you should not miss is the high tea at the Sapphyr Lounge at the Shangri La. You can choose from an indulgent Western or Sri Lankan high tea. A seven-tiered silver stand arrives, packed with goodies from wafer-thin cucumber sandwiches to cheese rolls, cakes and pastries, curried buns, fruits and Sri Lankan cakes, cinnamon scones served with jams, and traditional sweets. They are paired along with aromatic brews such as Pettah Market milk tea and Ceylon ginger tea by the sommelier. Cost of tea for two- 1900 Sri Lankan rupees.

Food street

If you want varied experiences in one night, head to the stylish Park Street Mews, a cobblestoned cul-de-sac created from old warehouses that have been transformed into a vibrant street decorated with fairy lights, murals and benches. Choose from an array of eateriesv — drinks and tapas at the Curve Bar, gelatos at the Park Street Trattoria, Monsoon Restaurant with Asian dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and Café Francais, which has all kinds of tapas from arancini balls to butter-fried clams and stuffed capsicum. For reservations and more information, visit www.yamu.lk/menu/park-street-tratorria.

Zen time

Head to Nihonbashi for the best Japanese meal in town. This Japanese-seafood venture of Celebrity chef Dharshan Munidasa has serene rock gardens and a bamboo canopy, as well as private dining rooms. Its ambience almost transports you back to Japan. The extensive menu with the freshest of ingredients offers items from garlic rice maki, to teriyaki and shabu shabu (slices of beef in a sesame flavoured broth). If you are hungry enough, go for the 11 course ‘kawara,’ which includes cold appetisers (edamame and sashimi), salmon croquettes, yakitori, tempura platter, crab stick temaki, sushi platter and miso soup. Don’t forget to end your meal with their lip-smacking wasabi ice cream! For reservations, visit http://nihonbashi.lk

Kalpana Sunder is a Chennai based writer