What’s the first Vietnamese item of food that pops into your mind? Pho? Banh mi? Spring rolls? All of these quintessential dishes and more will be served at the Graze Kitchen at Hilton Colombo from the 29th of June till the 15th of July. Two guest chefs from their sister hotel, Hilton Hanoi Opera are here especially for this.
We reviewed Big Bird’s Delights a few months ago. At the time, Jovanka Jayaweera the lady behind Big Bird’s Delights only offered a handful of delicious items but since we last met, she has quit her full time job and balances this and an event organising company. The best part is that her menu has expanded. Here’s what we thought.
Meeting with clients or business partners can be daunting. You have to set the right tone so that the experience is without any hitches or embarrassing situations for the parties involved. Since important decisions are made over meals, impressions made, it’s best you know your do’s and don’ts. While many of these are obvious, not many pay heed to them, which could harm your business prospects. Here are a few pointers to help you get started.
There is something magical about good tasty food. When you’re feeling blue, a plate piled up with your favourite food can instantly switch your mood to good. This is in no way to encourage you to binge eat, but a sincere appreciation for homemade soul food. One of my preferred kinds of food is breakfast food and I can eat it any time of the day. These Eggs in Purgatory courtesy Nigella Lawson is no exception to this rule.
I love jam! Well who doesn’t? And my all-time favourite flavour is strawberry. I eat it with everything from biscuits, bread, roti and I even mix it in with my plain yoghurt or use it as an ice cream topping! But I always struggled with the level of sweetness found in our locally produced jams and more importantly how artificial the texture is. Imagine my joy the day I found out that jam is one of the easiest things to make!
What started as an attempt to recreate the chillie paste he was once denied eventually led Dush Ratnayake on a journey which resulted in him starting up Bellissima Desserts with his friend and partner in crime in the kitchen, Andrew Obeysekere.
The Kingsbury’s visiting French chef, Eric Berrigaud, is set to present Colombo with an exquisite French experience at The Grill restaurant from the 29th of June to the 19th of July.
Vegan pizza has come to town! Green Magic is a home-run vegan food venture that started its vegan journey earlier this month with pizzas. Ru Ish, the founder of Green Magic, felt that there was a need to fill in the vegan food gaps in Colombo and after much persuasion and good feedback from her friends, she got started on her vegan venture.
Mabroc Bubble Tea has come up with seven new exciting flavours of bubbly bubble tea, of which there’s also a Ramadan special. We headed to their recently opened third branch situated at the food court of Crescat Boulevard to try these new concoctions.
GRAZE KITCHEN’s most recent offering is a lavish and scrumptious high tea which is held in two sittings on Saturdays, Poya days and any public holiday. So instead of their lunch buffet, what you find is a high tea which is offered from 12 noon to 2:30PM (last reservation is at 1:30PM), and the second sitting is from 3:00PM to 5:00PM (last reservation is at 4:00PM).
Cantaloupe Levels is a luxury boutique property owned and managed by the Cantaloupe Group in Rumassala, off the Southern coast of the island. True to its namesake, the property is landscaped in multiple levels with the higher tiers offering a gorgeous view of the fabled Rumassala hill whose mythical origins are traced to the Ramayana.
This recipe is one of my own that I’ve adapted over the years depending on what ingredients I have in the cupboard. It can be eaten anytime of the day - wrapped in a tortilla as a breakfast burrito, on top of some toast for a quick lunch or as a topping for nachos for dinner.
Havelock Place Bungalow is a little boutique hotel tucked in the corners of Havelock City. Established in 2000, this boutique hotel’s restaurant is open to both in-house and out-house guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their a la carte menu features a range of international dishes fused with Sri Lankan flavours.
MILK & Honey Café is easily one of my most favourite cafés in town. They have been consistent from the get go with regard to their menu which used to be vegetarian and vegan. Speaking to Pri Ratnayake, Director, MILK & Honey Café she explained to me that she felt there needed to be something different on offer at the café, which resulted in her introducing chicken and seafood to the menu as well as homemade ice creams.
Agra happens to be one of the finest Indian restaurants in the city. Their cuisine is influenced by the rich culture of the Moghul emperors who conquered the Northern part of India. Agra endeavours to recreate this heritage and bring it to Colombo. With the launch of their new menu, the restaurant hosted some of their longstanding regular customers for lunch and held a session of food tasting to get a feedback of the newly introduced dishes.
Is it a fruit? Or is it a vegetable? Well, does it matter? Tomatoes are definitely one of those amazing things that you can eat raw and also add to almost anything you make! It is also very easy to grow in your garden thus ensuring organic fruits free of chemicals. It is packed with nutrition too. Here are some of the health benefits you get from eating tomatoes.
With our days being consumed with work and other responsibilities, we visit restaurants quite frequently. And while often overlooked, there is a certain sense of decorum we must maintain when at such establishments. Check out these restaurant etiquette basics and additional tips to ensure you (and your guests) have the best experience at restaurants.
The history of Ceylon tea dates back to the times of James Taylor - the pioneer of the tea industry in the then Ceylon. Back in 1867, he marked the birth of the tea industry by initiating a tea plantation concept at the Loolecondera estate in Galaha, Kandy. With a massive evolution in the industry, today the Sri Lankan tea leaf is exported to various countries from around the world.
Kingsbury Hotel will offer the culinary expertise of Chef Eric Berrigaud as he presents a variety of French cuisine at various restaurants at the Kingsbury Hotel. A creative, ambitious and skilled Executive Chef with a combined experience of more than 20 years in the food and beverage as well as the hospitality industries with internationally acclaimed hotels and restaurants in France, Caribbean and Thailand, Chef Eric cooks from the heart with g
Grand Oriental Hotel has organised a delectable buffet of Jaffna cuisine for all the Jaffna food lovers from the 22nd of June to 1st of July 2017 at Harbour Room. Bringing Jaffna to Colombo, the Hotel’s international restaurant which has a lovely ambience and a scenic view of Colombo Harbour, will host guests to experience a little bit of Jaffna with the endeavour of adding cultural diversity to cuisine.
If there was an ever a vegetable that can be made in a hundred different ways it has got to be the carrot! Used in both sweet and savoury preparations, carrots are loved by both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foodies. It makes beautiful sides for your meats, raw - it can be enjoyed as a healthy snack, and more importantly carrots give you so many health benefits that it should definitely be included in your diet regularly.
The second we thought of doing a roundup of all the places that serve healthy food only did we realize we had no idea what really constitutes as ’healthy’. Is it healthy when the food has no oil? Is it healthy if it’s just vegetables and fruits? We were on a mission to find out. After a small Google search, we set about to check out all the restaurants claiming to be serving healthy dishes.
Most people have French toast for breakfast but I end up eating it as a snack. If I am being completely honest, sometimes even as dessert! It is one of the easiest things to make to fulfill your sweet cravings and healthier than eating any artificial sugars.
Celebrating their first year anniversary in great style, recently Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa had laid out a feast for their guests. Their chefs needless to say, present some of the most delicious dishes you can find. You should definitely make a trip to find out for yourself. Or if ever you are visiting the area just pop by for a meal.
Ishara describes herself as ’’a whimsical, pint sized, self taught baker’’ who discovered her love for baking when she was around 10 years old. ’’It all started with my mother suggesting that I try making some brownies. I’ve been hooked ever since then and it’s become my passion to make sweet things happen.’’ Ishara is the friendly face behind ’Baker in Heels’ which has been going strong since 2015.
Do you ever get that feeling late in the night when you feel like cake but the shops are closed or you don’t have enough money or the energy to make one? I have this problem. I like cake, but I don’t want to eat a massive slice. But through the magic of the Internet, there’s a new cake craze happening. It’s called the mug-cake, no not mud cake, MUG cake. It’s as simple as it sounds - cake in a coffee mug.
Yumi the Japanese Restaurant at Taj Samudra brings to you an all new Katsu menu. This simple a la carte menu doesn’t have too many items, but features the popular katsu dishes. It has two types of soup, four starters, four mains and two desserts.
Phuket is an island off Thailand with some beautiful beaches and culture to match. A prime tourist destination, the island serves up some of the finest in entertainment and is adorned with a range of street-side diners and restaurants.
Lamprais was launched at Kaema Sutra on June 6, 2017 with the idea of keeping this well-respected Sri Lankan Dutch favourite as authentic to its roots as possible.
Park Street Mews has teamed up with Teaeli, Sri Lanka’s first designer tea brand, to give their customers the perfect culinary delight to wrap up their day with their new “Desserts and Tea” menu.
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