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Ports of Call Taj Samudra Colombo's Iftar dinner buffet will run from the 20th of March to the 10th of April from 6 pm onwards. The net price per person is Rs. 7700/- for adults and Rs. 3850/- for kids aged 5-12. This is an amazing deal as the buffet includes a wide array of dishes. Executive Chef Sajesh Nair along with his Executive Sous Chef Prince Muthukumara, Pastry Chef Sumedha Janaka and their team have worked together to produce a delightful Iftar dinner buffet of high quality. The food is top-class and will leave you wanting to come back the following day as well.

Iftar
The buffet has everything you need to break fast. From Dates to apricots varieties of nuts, cut fruits, congee and musket are all provided at this buffet. The buffet also provides Barari (medjoul dates) which are a special type of dates.

Starters

There are many varieties and options to choose from as a starter. Some of them are – Hummus, Baba ganoush, Tabbouleh, Chickpea Salad, Fattoush, Beetroot Hummus, Moutabel and Muhamarah. The starters really make you build up an appetite.

Pita Bread
One of the main specialities offered is the 6 varieties of Pita Bread. The team of chefs have worked together to make sure that every type of pita bread is provided, including Multi Grain Pita, Plain Pita, Kurakkan Pita, Wheat Pita, Oat Pita and Sundried Tomato Pita.

Mains

Chicken Katti Roll
The delicious shawarma filled with chicken and vegetables was one of my favourite dishes. It was delicious and was paired with a sauce that went perfectly with it. The chicken was seasoned well, juicy and tender. This is one of the dishes I would highly recommend you try.

Mixed Kebab Platter
The mixed kebab platter consisted of chicken, beef and seafood kebab. The chicken kebab had a light garlic
flavour and was very tasty. The seafood kebab included squid, prawns and fish as well. The beef kebab's seasoning was good but the beef was a bit too hard for my liking.

Moroccan Chicken Tagine 
This was the main dish that caught my attention. The colours of the dish as well as the presentation were a delight to the eyes. The flavours were very well balanced and the chicken was beautifully cooked to perfection. Overall one of the most memorable dishes.

Hyderabad Chicken Biriyani 
The chicken biriyani was one of the best biriyanis I have ever had. The blend of the spices with the rice and the Tandoori chicken was a marvellous experience for the taste buds. The tantalising fragrance of the dish added to the overall experience. It was served with a side of raita, mint chutney and papad, which balanced the dish perfectly.

Raan with Butter Naan, Plain Naan and Garlic Naan
This was the star of the buffet in my opinion. The different spices and flavours of the raan really were an amazing experience for the palate. The raan was so tender that it melted in your mouth. The smoky and spicy flavour was very well balanced. Paired perfectly well with the naan, it made the perfect bite. This was my favourite dish and I would go back and have this dish at any given time.

Tandoori Prawn
The Tandoori prawn was a delightful dish. The tandoori seasoning was spot-on and was delicious.

Chicken Malai Tikka
The garlic flavour and creaminess of this chicken made this a must-try dish. Pairs perfectly well with any of the rice dishes, pitas or naans.

Desserts

The buffet provides a variety and wide array of sweet confections. Mouhallabiya , baklava , ummali ,
Namourrah, basboussa, watalappam, date pudding and jauza halwa are some of the many desserts offered.

This watalappam was delightful. It wasn’t too sweet and was very well-balanced. The Date Pudding gave me a complete explosion of flavour in my mouth. The smooth, soft and creamy date pudding was divine. The taste of dates wasn’t too overwhelming but still tasted great. The topping coated the pudding very well and was an amazing combination. This is another dish that you cannot miss as it is so special at Ports of Call.

Final Thoughts

The Iftar buffet at Ports of Call at the Taj Samudra is a great experience as it had a wide range of items. The
service was excellent as the team truly made us feel at home and made sure we enjoyed the experience.

Text Noah Jesse

Pics Nimalsiri Edirisinghe