Colombo City Center
Drinks All Berry Bang – Fresh Intentions
Perusing the drink menu - although it is very small - will leave you flip flopping from one drink choice to the other, since the combinations listed all sound very appealing. I finally zeroed in on the All Berry Bang which comprised Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Banana & Strawberry Yoghurt, and was very glad I did. True to its name, the drink was rich in flavour thanks to its ingredients. I was also surprised to actually be able to taste the said ingredients in the drink, more so considering many places typically skimp on the pricier ingredients. All things considered, it definitely would have been a plus if the drinks were served in glasses or other environment friendly options as opposed to plastic cups and straws, which is the only option they currently have.
Food Prawn & Mushroom Dumplings - Noodles & Dumplings
Picking off the menu at Noodles & Dumplings is pretty easy considering they have a very small menu. I picked the Prawn & Mushroom Dumplings
(8 pcs) Rs. 1500 which was served with a dipping sauce and chilli paste. Although the dumplings were on the pricier end of the spectrum, they were generous with the fillings in the dumplings and I tasted prawns in every bite. Eaten with the dipping sauce and the chilli paste, the dumplings certainly were satisfactory and surprisingly quite filling.
Kung Pao Chicken - Mao Cuisine
If you’re hungry, Mao Cuisine is the place to head over to - they have the dishes prepared in advance, so you get your food almost instantaneously. I picked the Kung Pao Chicken
(Rs. 500) which is typically a spicy Chinese stir fry. The Kung Pao Chicken I tried here wasn’t exactly spicy, but leaned more towards sweet. Although this might sound a little off-putting to many (including to many of my companions before this tasting) the Kung Pao Chicken ended up being quite popular, and the dish was devoured within seconds! In addition to the chicken, peanuts and vegetables were used to add flavour and textural vibrancy to the dish. I ordered rice to go with it (at an additional cost).
Beef Rendang - Sumatran Spice
Fans of Good Market alum Far East Indonesian
Cuisine can now head over to Food Studio; they are known here under their new name Sumatran
Spice and have many fan favourites listed on their menu. I tried the Beef Rendang (Rs. 1200) which comprised a hearty portion with plenty of sides. The rendang was served with beans, stir fried potatoes, sambal, pickled veggies, and was topped with a fried egg. The rendang had incredible depth of flavour, however, despite the fact that the rendang is a dry curry, the meat was not tender, which would definitely have been the cherry on the top; especially considering the other elements were all very tasty and added complexity and texture to the overall dish.
Dessert Kalea 65 - House on the Moon
The House on the Moon dessert bar have been creating quite the buzz with their inventive desserts, coupled with theatrics and beautiful plating. I tried the Kalea 65 which not only looked great but also tasted incredible !!!! The Kalea 65 comprised creamy cheesecake that was slightly caramelised, served with fresh strawberries, mango and passion fruit sorbet, almond tuile and crumble. Interestingly, House on the Moon pairs desserts with flavoured tea, and the Kalea 65 was served with mango and passionfruit tea with a little bit of strawberry. The dessert was almost too pretty to eat, but the cheesecake beckoned and I was in dessert heaven. Slightly hardened on the outside and incredibly creamy on the inside, the Spanish inspired cheesecake tasted incredible! The sorbet and the crumble added acidity and sweetness as well as texture, making it an awe inspiring dessert that I highly recommend you try! Keep in mind though that the Kalea 65 is only available Monday through Thursday.