Colombo Gourmet Week presented by The Epicurean
They had succeeded in bringing to life an extravagant mix of food blending all the ingredients to create a beautiful amalgamation of captivating flavours.
Uga Residencies created a mix of South African delicacies which in tandem with its relaxed atmosphere makes this a must visit for foodies and others alike. The executive Chef at RARE, Chef Ganesh Raja along with his fellow team at Uga Residencies successfully put together outstanding dishes on the table. Chef Ganesh Raja started his culinary career at the young age of seventeen and with the great support he received from his family he was able to focus on his interests. He worked for twenty years overseas and has great experience in the art. He has returned to Sri Lanka and has taken the initiative of creating and fusing Sri Lankan flavours and transforming it into international and dynamic dishes.
We were presented with a three course meal each of which had delicate preparation involved. They started us off with the first course which was Bacon wrapped Tiger Prawns, tuna Carpaccio and a Goat Cheese Crumble with Mango and Thai
Chilli Salsa. His objective with the prawns was to infuse the taste of bacon fat into it with the Tuna Carpaccio having been marinated with beet and onions which was on the side topped with a bit of Goat Cheese Crumble and the mango salsa was added with the seasoning The tangy, sweet and sour flavours greatly mixes with the dry acidic wine. The dish presented to us was colourful and left us speechless as each and every ingredient on the plate was bursting with flavour. This course was followed up with a fruity, sour and tangy Sorbet made out of Basil and Thyme with the aim of cutting down the flavour of the Bacon wrapped with Prawns.
The main course was an Angus Fillet and Corn Fried Chicken Ballotine, Lyonnaise Potato with Duck Fat and Truffle Jus Chicken Stuffed with Wild Mushroom, Young Vegetables and Tarragon Emulsion. The wild mushroom was covered with the roasted chicken and the Lyonnaise Potato which was sautéed with onion and Duck Fat, in other terms foie gras. The Chicken was arranged with Tarragon Emulsion, a white sauce with a hint of acid that blends perfectly with the Black Truffle Sauce which also blends well with it. Once again with this dish the Chef and his team left us wanting more as there was the delightful flavour and texture in his dish as promised, making it an excellent dish that blended all the different ingredients.
Lastly Chef Ganesh Raja brought this meal to an end with a dessert that our taste buds fell in love with. The course had a Brie and Camembert Panna Cotta, Spiced Poached Fruits served alongside the wonderful Bernard Series Chenin Blanc. Though faced by many failures the Chef and his team persevered and by using a light amount of Gelatin he blended many flavours including a ginger sauce and like he said, we were able to taste and feel the taste of the Cheese Panna Cotta with the spiced fruits making it an excellent conclusion to the meal.
The meal was an absolute delight for both the eyes and the mouth and there wasn't really anything to dislike. Chef Ganesh Raja had succeeded in bringing to life and creating an extravagant mix of food fusing Sri Lankan flavours and South African wine blending all the ingredients to create a beautiful amalgamation of captivating flavours. This meal is something truly worthwhile and a recommended eat.