Foods

Visiting The Ocean at Kingsbury

We headed over to The Ocean at Kingsbury to get a good view of the scenic Lankan oceans with some fresh sea food laid out in front of us. And boy, did we enjoy some good food. The aim of the restaurant is to provide an experience of fine dining – all the way from the cutlery to the food.

For The Love of Brandy

Brandy has always been the drink that is just added to our Christmas cake or the drink used as a home remedy to many sicknesses. It is a good drink, so I was determined to have it otherwise!

Dining at AYU

Movenpick’s main restaurant AYU, is a multiple themed buffet restaurant offering all day dining (breakfast, lunch and dinner). It hails its name through the Sinhala meaning of long life. Despite the fact that AYU only opened a couple of months back, we dropped by on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch and found ourselves pleasantly surprised as we were surrounded by large crowds of office goers and friends catching up for lunch.

My Favourite Things

This week I’m here to show some of the vegetarian and vegan products on the market in Sri Lanka. These are all products you can buy in the supermarket or speciality stores.

Aura Café’s new menu reviewed

Aura Café opened its doors in November 2015 and has since served some delicious eats. Around two weeks back they launched their new menu which we were excited to try out. We met up with Malisha Kumaratunge, the proprietor of the café who explained to us, that they have retained some of their old favourites like the Jerk Chicken (Rs. 1100) and Pumpkin Gnocchi (Rs. 890) while they have introduced homemade ice creams into their new menu.

Crab Factory at the Taj Samudra

The newly opened Crab Factory at Taj Samudra offers a variety of exotic crab preparations for you to pick from. For crab lovers, here’s the place to indulge in a scrumptious spread. The place is a cosy little area with an ambience that would suit any occasion. Be it a romantic dinner for two or even for a family dinner it would be ideal.

The Food Truck Culture

Don’t we all recall with some childish wonder, the food vendors that made our evenings so delectable? Whether they travelled on foot, cycled or drove expertly through the streets of Colombo - adults and children of all ages, would rush out hoping to grab a bite of the treats they had on offer

Vegetales: Dare to be a vegetarian

As a nouveau vegetarian, who decided the meat had to go from the diet, I would say that the journey to get there was no walk in the park! Since 2012, I’ve been contemplating this decision by weighing the pros and cons, posing numerous questions to vegans and vegetarians alike, prior to making one final push towards a new me!

Colombo Supper Club

In a bold move to introduce culinary diversity to discerning diners in Sri Lanka, Singaporean resident in Sri Lanka Naserah Tyebally founded the Colombo Supper Club in 2016. This former lawyer who has called Sri Lanka her home for the last 16 years is a passionate foodie at heart. She loves experimental food and in particular chef and produce driven restaurants.

For The Love of Peanut Butter!

Peanut and jam sandwiches was my go to breakfast, snack or sometimes even dessert since I was a child. It is a classic combination that will never go wrong. Also, it’s one of the easiest things to make!

Created by Sherryl

With a personal life experience pushing her to explore her creative side, Sherryl Brendon started to work on her baking skills. She developed these skills further at the Peggy Porschen Academy in London while also being a full time teacher there. Now back in Sri Lanka, Sherryl takes on orders for intricate handcrafted decorated cookies.

MOTHER

The new kid on the block with hot dogs, burgers and juices is MOTHER. Located in the premises of Divine Cakes at Queens Road, this little outlet serves the most delicious hot dogs imaginable. We dropped by to see what MOTHER has to offer. Here’s what we thought of our experience.

Sunday Brunch at the Galle Face Hotel

The Sunday Brunch at Galle Face Hotel features a varied menu to suit all ages. The buffet is laid out on the Verandah which is just about the most beautiful spot in the hotel. Overlooking the beautiful blue sea and watching the waves overlapping each other is for sure one of my favourite sit outs. Although it was really hot outside it was surprisingly rather cool and comfortable inside.

Fashion + Food by CFW

Every season HSBC Colombo Fashion Week partners with four premier restaurants in Colombo to curate unique, limited edition menus and signature dishes from the 13th to the 19th March, intended to provide attendees with an appetising gastronomical experience. This year proves to be no different.

Ginza on the Edge

Moshi moshi, fellow Japanese cuisine lovers. Ginza on the Edge is the Japanese restaurant located at Waters Edge, Battaramulla, serving you with delicacies as if straight from the land of the rising sun.

The Ethical Pantry - Chickpeas

A staple in South Asian, European and Middle Eastern cuisines, the humble chickpea is a versatile addition to your pantry. From the legume family, these nutritional little powerhouses offer a range of health benefits due to their high fibre, protein content and abundance of other vitamins and minerals such as iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and vitamin K.

Ankara

Adding flavour and colour to Colombo’s culinary offering the first Turkish restaurant was launched with much pomp and pageantry very recently. Located on Milagiriya Avenue in Colombo 4, diners will discover a mixture and refinement of traditional fare that draws its inspiration from Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines.

Bakes by Bella Café

The success story of Bakes by Bella highlights how powerful social media is in this day and age. What started off with baking at home just for the love of it, to eventually opening a separate Instagram page titled Bakes by Bella just to post her baking success stories, Melissa Dharmadasa (a Biomedical Scientist by profession) seems to have formed an almost celebrity like following simply because she whips up some really fine baked treats.

5 Non-Sri Lankan Teas You Might Like

Sri Lankans and tea always go hand in hand. When my mother used to travel, she carried about 7-10 boxes of the assorted Dilmah fruit tea bags for her friends abroad. The milk tea was the champion for us. We never understood the huge hype about the flavoured and coloured cups of fruit and herb teas. We decided to give these ‘cuppas’ a shot and here are the shortlisted favourites.

Cat’s Super Scrambled Tofu

Following on from my article last week about the soya centre I’m going to share with you a recipe for a basic tofu scramble. This is one of the first dishes I learnt how to cook when I went vegetarian as it’s super easy and you can use household staples.

For The Love of Garlic!

Are you a big fan of garlic bread just like I am and tired of having to run to the store every time you get a craving? Sometimes you are let down by the taste even if you buy it from your favourite store! Here is a simple recipe that anyone can follow.

The Soya Centre, Kandy

Most people who have been to Kandy know of The Soya Centre. That haven for dairy free delights on Kotugodella Veediya, right in the centre of Kandy town. The two large ice cream cones that you can see from the street, beckon to locals and tourists alike.

Café Noir

We’ve been hearing good things about Café Noir, so we decided to check them out and see if they lived up to the hype.

Hangover Café

Hangover Hostels Mirissa is a cool set up which caters to backpackers who can look forward to a clean, friendly place to relax and stay over for very reasonable rates but it seems to be their café - Hangover Café, which opened in December 2016 that gives the already funky spot a whole lot of life.

Harpo’s Pizza and Pasta opens in Mount Lavinia

As part of its long term expansion plan, Harpo’s Pizza and Pasta, launched its second pizza parlour in Mount Lavinia. Conveniently located and easily accessible on Galle Road in a prime position of Mount Lavinia, Harpo’s Pizza and Pasta offers a range of woodfired, thin crust pizzas and fresh homemade pastas for customers to dine in, takeaway or have delivered to their home through their efficient delivery service.

The Startup Cook – Marinara Sauce

Pasta is one of those foods that I can eat on a regular basis. Especially on a hectic weekday, when everything has been super exhausting, there is nothing like a good bowl of pasta to liven up my spirits. To deal with the hasty pace of a working day, this Marinara Sauce is set to fulfil your dining desires.

For The Love Of Toast!

This is a recipe for cheese toast and it’s as Sri Lankan as it gets! It can be made as an appetizer for parties or something easy that you can whip up easily if you want to treat yourself.