The Havelock Place Bungalow @ Colombo, Sri Lanka

Welcome to The Havelock Place Bungalow

I stumbled upon The Havelock Place Bungalow during one of those many google searches when I was in the apartment alone. Unable to find any further write ups or google images of what to expect (environment, food menu and prices, etc) except its own website, the best thing to do is pop by the place and check it out yourself.


A boutique hotel doubling up as a restaurant

The Havelock road was a little further from the place I stayed, I remembered calling for a cab instead of tuk-tuk. The main public transportation in Colombo is the tuk-tuk, and trust me taxis are so hard to come by, it's pretty impossible to flag for any without calling for a booking through the taxi company. I had imagine The Havelock Place to be exactly what was pictured in its website gallery... lush greenery, tranquil garden setting, warm wood furnitures that exudes colonial charm. The gallery pictures did not disappoint me.


Curled up butter & balsamic vinegar


Asparagus cappuccino with chargrilled garlic prawns - Rs 350


Caramelized onion and mushroom tart with garden salad - Rs 850

I chose to sit at the garden area, not a wise choice if you don't want to be bitten by mozzies. But if a little insect bite is the least of your worry, enjoy the sunshine and indulge in the warm weather. The menu is simple and straightforward, clearly written on a blackboard display (not too sure if things have changed since then). My choices of entree, mains and desserts were flawless, though nothing mind blowing but it was simple comfort food in a very peaceful and serene environment.

 
Papaya lime sorbet

If you are not a hotel guest, feel free to walk around and check out the bungalow. It has 7 bedrooms - 3 suites and 4 standards and comes available with what a luxury hotel would offer (and maybe more).

The Havelock Place Bungalow is in my Top 10 list of places to visit & dine in Colombo!



The Havelock Place Bungalow
No. 6-8, Havelock Place,
Colombo 5,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +9411258191 / +94112506153 / +94112506154
Website: http://www.havelockbungalow.com/


* Visuals by Sony T series

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Nihonbashi @ Colombo, Sri Lanka

First restaurant in the world to use the iPad as an interactive menu - just 9 days after the launch in the US!

Every now and then, I would reminisce the times I had in Sri Lanka where it was 3 months of stress free 'work-cation' (note: this could be the longest backlog I have - these were all eaten 2 years ago!). The only worry I had was where and what should I have for dinner after work since I was staying alone. I was constantly looking out for new food places by googling - and googling alot. Alas, I came across Nihonbashi. There honestly wasn't much write ups on the internet but there were a few articles that were all praises and it did seem like a must-visit.

After multiple visits to sample all it has to offer, I also made friends with the man behind Nihonbashi himself, and here's the write up which has been sitting in the drafts for far too long.


Appetizer Platters - Rs 1,060
Left - Sakura (a trio of cold appetizers, endamame, kani no ponzu soe (crab meat), and yasai no goma ae
Right - Tsubaki (warm appetizer trio, chargrilled tiger prawn tempura, chargrilled tsukune (minced chicken meat), and daikon radish slow cooked in chicken broth


Nom nom and slurp slurp
Left - Grilled river prawns - Rs 680
Right - Dobin mushi (seafood and mushroom soup made using fresh shitake mushrooms served in a dobin pot) - Rs 680

I remember having a pretty hard time trying to locate Nihonbashi as the tuk-tuk driver did not seem to know the restaurant or maybe didn't know what I was talking about? But alas, he managed to drop me right at the entrance and I was instantly thrilled for you can tell this could be an authentic Japanese restaurant unlike the ones in Hilton (Ginza Hohsen) or Cinammon Lakeside (Sushi Bar).


Can't remember what fish these were, but it was so good I had it all by myself!


Sushi & sashimi
Left - Shake no aburi sushi (marinated norwegian salmon sushi, blowtorched) - Rs 580
Right - Sashimi moriawase


Small plates
Left - Not in menu, it's pieces of tuna with excellent marbling and fat that just melts in your mouth
Right - Gyuu no tataki (this is beef from Sri Lanka, thinly sliced and heavenly) - Rs 580


Greens are good
Left - Can't remember the name, but it was a medley of seaweed-like vege in a wasabi-like dressing
Right - Karapincha tempura (traditional Sri Lankan curry leaf tempura) - Rs 380


Healthy eats, greens and soy
Left - Namaharumaki (fresh spring rolls)
Right - Agedashi tofu - Rs 580


Dinner course for one - Rs 2,680
Shake no aburi teriyaki (blow torched teriyaki salmon) with kani cha-han (crab fried rice) and miso soup


Kani cha-han (Japanense style crab fried rice) - Rs 1,180

I have read about the famed crab fried rice and it was my first dish at Nihonbashi - just as it was raved in the articles, it truly was delicious! Since then, I had returned multiple times during my 3 months stay in Colombo, taking my family and friend who visited to the restaurant. In fact, Nihonbashi was my most frequented restaurant in Colombo!

It was also during the first visit that I met the founder-owner-chef, Dharshan Munidasa in person himself. You would be curious how a Sri Lankan could whip up such amazing and authentic Japanese cuisine - the answer lies in his blood! Dharshan is of mixed parentage, his father a Sri Lankan, and mother a Japanese and he actually majored in computer engineering, not culinary! We chatted quite a bit and I quickly learnt more about him and his inspiration to starting up Nihonbashi.


Yakitori from the charcoal grill
Left - Ebi shio yaki (salt grilled prawn) - Rs 300
Right - Can't remember if it was chicken?


Steamed fresh Sri Lankan crabs and teppan grilled vegetables


Japanese pancake and a Nihonbashi special
Left - Okonomiyaki
Right - Garlic rice maki (a Nihonbashi original dish sees garlic rice rolled in nori and placed on a sizzling rock to crust, splashed with soy sauce) - Rs 980


Who and what inspires Nihonbashi?
Dharshan was in the US doing his computer engineering degree, and I suppose like many who studied abroad, he soon started cooking for himself and then for others and before he knows it, culinary and a passion for food started boiling over and he knew this is what he wants to do. He returned to Colombo and started Nihonbashi, and that was almost 18 years ago. The foodscene in Colombo was uninspiring (the civil war halted development) and as he told me it was a tough time to bring and introduce a new dining perspective to local Sri Lankans. Alas, the effort and sacrifices paid off as Nihonbashi celebrated it's 17 years anniversary last year. The restaurant is also making heads turn and riding the waves to being one out of two restaurants in Sri Lanka listed in the 2011/2012 Miele Guide (Asia's independent restaurant guide ranking the Top 500 restaurants in Asia).


Of handrolls and tempura
Left - Ten Sabi Temaki (hot tempura tiger prawn, cold vinegared rice and handrolled) - Rs 460
Right - Kaki age tempura - Rs 940


Yosanabe - Rs 2,980

You'll find yourself dining in a zen-like environment, I have personally dined in a few areas of the restaurant; the common area, a private dining room that seats about 10 pax, and the special wine room that comes with the chef's personal choice of music (i.e. the ipod playlist). The food is nothing less than amazing every single time. Freshest of ingredients, although not everything was air flown from the famous Tsukiji fish market (you would end up paying for the airfreight instead of the meat), Dharshan walks the local Colombo market everyday to scout for the freshest. However, Dharshan also flies frequently to Tokyo to stock up on the fresh harvest from the Japanese waters.

It is ironic that when people ask me what food in Sri Lanka was like and what was my favourite, Nihonbashi sits on top of the list and Chesa Swiss a close second - which both are non-Sri Lankan staple / local cuisine! If you happen to pop by Nihonbashi, be sure to tell Dharshan that I miss the food there!


Nihonbashi Honten
11, Galle Face Terrace,
Colombo 3,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94112323847
Website: http://www.nihonbashi.lk/honten.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Nihonbashi?fref=ts


* Visuals by Sony T series

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Paradise Road and Green Path Art Gallery

Paradise Road Studio @ Alfred House Garden

Paradise Road (trademark) is the brainchild of Udashanth Fernando and is also famous because all the galleries/ cafe/ studio are located in buildings designed by famous European-Ceylonese architect Geoffrey Bawa. A google search brought me to a Wikipedia page dedicated to him and these words "among the most influential architects in southeast Asia in the last decades of the 20th century, he is the principal force behind what is today known globally as ‘tropical modernism’" says alot about his works and contribution to Sri Lanka. Unfortunately he has passed away in 2003, but there's no doubt his designs and works still lives on and I'm glad Paradise Road has brought a new lease of life to the premises.



Before I went to Sri Lanka, I had a colleague who kept insisting I have to visit Paradise Road. He told me that in a state of drunkness and I actually thought he was fooling around (Me thinking: Paradise... Road? Is it a road where drug addicts gather to 'feel' like they're on paradise? Or where magic mushrooms are available?) Of course I didn't pay much attention to him and brushed aside the drunken 'tip'.



When I touched down in Colombo, I was whisked to Cinammon Lakeside Hotel where I spent a month there. Everytime I passed by the lobby or waiting for my vehicle I could see hoards of European tourists carrying paperbags with the two words printed on it: Paradise Road. That was when I learnt, those are not magic mushrooms and neither it is a road name. Google came to the rescue again and I then found out about Gallery Cafe (own & managed by Paradise Road group), subsequently Paradise Road Galleries (Design Warehouse and Studio), and Tintagel.



I love Paradise Road. There's always so much to see, and I never get bored of it. There's always something that I want to buy and I'm looking forward to have my own house one day and decorate it with home decors from Paradise Road!

Paradise Road Studio
12, Alfred House Gardens,
Colombo 03,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94112506844
Website: www.paradiseroadsl.com/studio/Index.htm


Paradise Road @ Dharmapala Mawatha; Unmistakable black & white

Just another 10 minutes away from my apartment, there is another Paradise Road Studio which sits in a huge white bungalow opposite the Viharamahadevi Park. While selection of goods are almost the same with the one at Alfred Garden, I find this studio has a little bit more of extra stuff like kids wooden toys and food stuff (hand bottled chutneys, jams, spices, olive oil, etc).


Paradise Road Cafe; Have a slice of cake and rest your feet


Pretty hand bottled food stuff available; The White Room- you can't go wrong with white ceramics

Gift wrapping service is also available here free of charge and wrapping papers come in a myriad of colors with thin manila ropes for ribbons.

Paradise Road
213, Dharmapala Mawatha,
Colombo 07,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94112686043


Paradise Road Design Warehouse @ Ward Place; Ayubowan book stopper

Paradise Road Design Warehouse opened its doors in December 2010. It is more spacious and houses more antique furnitures rather than knick knacks and ornaments. Most of the furnitures showcased are of Chinese influence and there are also modern leather furnitures on the upper level.

Prices of things in Paradise Road ranges from about Rs. 50 for the smallest little thing like tealight candle to Rs. 100,000++ for antique furniture pieces. There's always something for everyone!

Paradise Road Design Warehouse
61/3, Ward Place,
Colombo 07,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94112691056
Website: www.paradiseroadsl.com


Green Path Art Gallery on weekends

My colleagues knew I like arts after knowing that I bought a painting at Gandhara Crafts. They recommended me to pay a visit to Green Path where there is a painting exhibition every weekend by independent artists. Coincidentally, Green Path is just 10 mins walk away from where I stayed so it was really convenient. While not all paintings caught my fancy but there were a few good ones too...


An Aliya painting sold for Rs. 6,500 to me!

... like this water color painting on an aliya (elephant in sinhalese) which was again love at first sight just like the buddhist monk painting I bought earlier. Fortunately this costs only a fraction of the first painting!

Now.......... I need to buy a house to put my paintings!

Green Path Art Gallery
Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha,
Colombo 07,
Sri Lanka.
(within the Viharamahadevi Park)


If you like this, you may also be interested in:
Yiling - The Gallery Cafe
Yiling - Tintagel
Yiling - Gandhara Crafts
Eiling - The Gallery Cafe
Eiling - Tintagel

The Famous Beach Wadiya, Colombo

The famous Beach Wadiya- you have to cross the railway track to eat your meal!

I read somewhere that if you have not eaten at Beach Wadiya, then you have not been to Sri Lanka! Beach Wadiya is a very well known cheap thrills-no frills seafood place where it has managed to attract many rich, famous, powerful personalities (it's most notable being Princess Anne from England and Richard Branson of Virgin Group) and also the low rung, middle class, average Joes, tourists, travellers, expatriates, and locals alike.


Guestbook index by country; Richard 'Virgin Galactica' Branson was here!

Beach Wadiya has been in operations for over 3 decades where it was founded by owner Olwyn Weerasekara who is now in his 70s! This humble little joint with no decorations, fancy atmosphere (it's next to the beach shore, you can't see anything but you certainly hear the beating of the waves), smartly dressed waiters or even a physical food menu! The best way to describe it will be a 'scrapped off to its bare minimum seafood hut'.


Devilled crabs- Rs.850 (RM24); Garlic grilled prawns- Rs, 525 (RM15); Kangkung for fibres- Rs. 155 (RM4); Kah Yee and I with bibs ready to chomp them crabs down!

There were no menus shown, once seated the waiter brings a plate of raw seafood which the kitchen has for the day (prawns, kangkung, crabs, fish) and suggests cooking method. We opted for the famous devilled crab- everyone raves about it so we obviously had to try!, garlic grilled prawns and kangkung for fibers. The crab was delicious with the not-too-spicy sauce though I wish the crabs are bigger and meatier, the prawns were amazingly fresh so much so you can feel them bouncing in your mouth, while the kangkung is so much thinner and seemed different from Malaysia's version.


Loads of pictures of famous patrons adorning the walls; Beach Wadiya and its raw-rity; With owner Olwyn Weerasekara

Be sure to spend some time looking at the gazillions of photos adorning the walls, you may even spot your favourite cricketer/ corporate figure/ celebrity amongst the Hall of Fame crowd. If you're lucky, you may even get to meet the legendary Olwyn Weerasekara in person having tea. We managed to spend some 5 minutes chatting with him where he gave us some life advice and also a Beach Wadiya t-shirt each as souvenirs! Must be our lucky day :-)


Stamping our marks down too- Kah Yee and Yiling were here!

Be sure to ask if you could pen your thoughts in their guestbook too. We were told that when the tsunami hit, 5 guestbooks were washed away... but what is really amazing is how Olwyn manages to remember who, where and which books that some comments were penned down (he's got a few favourites) and some people even wrote stories, attached currencies and even religious items in these thick books!

I've finally got all the places I want to eat at covered, so now I can leave Sri Lanka with joy and satisfaction. See ya'll at the other side of the globe soon.


* Prices are excluding 10% service charge and 12% VAT


Beach Wadiya
2, Station Avenue,
Colombo 06 (Wellawatta),
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +94112588568
Website: http://beachwadiya.com/

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]

Tintagel, Colombo

Tintagel

Tintagel (Tin-ta-jel) is one of my favourite places to be in Colombo. If it is any coincidence, this historical mansion turned boutique hotel is also associated with my favourite gallery/ art brand 'Paradise Road' and (again, my favourite) The Gallery Cafe. If you can have 3 favourites in one sentence, I think hell yeah this deserves a little bit more photos than the usual posting!


Dining at The Courtyard; Paradise Road Hot Chocolate- Rs. 450 (RM12)

Located at Rosmead Place within the Cinnamon Gardens postcode which is regarded as the elite neighbourhood where embassies, government offices, and big colonial mansions scatters around, Tintagel stands tall and beautiful among all. With a history dating back to 1930 where it was the residence of Dr. Lucien de Zilwa, an eminent Sri Lankan physician, gynaecologist and writer. In the following decade, it was made the British military quarters, and later sold to Sir Solomon Dias Bandaranaike for his son Solomon West Ridgeway (S.W.R.D.). It is this point that the mansion became known as the Bandaranaike's Residence where S.W.R.D. became Prime Minister in 1956 and assassinated at the verandah of the mansion. His widow, Srimavo Bandaranaike became the world's first female Prime Minister and longest serving PM in Sri Lanka. She lived in the mansion till her demise in 2000. Subsequently, the following generations of Bandaranaike also became political leaders in the island.


A touch of 'dark' luxury in private dining

In 2005, Tintagel is leased to Udashanth Fernando, designer and proprietor of the Paradise Road group and it has since been turned into a luxurious, unique historical boutique hotel. Every little item put into Tintagel can be traceable to the items sold at the Paradise Road galleries but in a very subtle way... you will almost think that it is a coincidence. The mansion is huge, housing a beautiful courtyard for dining, a dark luxurious 'The Private Dining Room', a flawless glass-like swimming pool, a tastefully decorated library, the distinct Red Bar, the lobby which smells of fresh beautiful small white flowers, and above all 10 exclusive suites.


The scent of fresh flowers everywhere!


A room for the bookworms, The Library


Beautiful glass-like flawless long narrow pool

My favourite part of the house would be the swimming pool. It was love at first sight when I saw it during my maiden visit and I knew I have to show this to my visitors from Malaysia! It is too beautiful to even dip your foot in, just so that the glass-like illusion is not spoilt!


Tintagel Executive and Superior Suites from USD200+ onwards

I had the privilege to be shown some rooms and they are amazing- tastefully decorated with a special view for every room. I was told that rates starts at USD200 onwards and you can do the reservation here. If you're willing to splurge USD200 for a room, I would strongly suggest Tintagel as it is more private yet warm than the big hotel chains.


Inside 'The Red Bar'

Unfortunately, Tintagel does not have a lliquor license due to historical importance and status of the building, however you can BYOB and pay for the corkage. A friend of mine asked me, "I wonder what they serve in the bar if they don't have alcohol?" Virgin pina colada, virgin bloody mary, virgin cosmopolitan, virgin margarita, virgin mojito.... maybe??!


Fresh strawberries and cream- Rs. 625 (RM17); Roast pork on a bed of potato mash with sauteed vegetables, apple mousse and mustard sauce- Rs. 995 (RM27); King Coconut- Rs. 90 (RM2)

I was actually pretty happy with the food on my first visit as I wasn't expecting much (hotel food usually looks better than taste). I did not hesitate to bring my family here for our CNY reunion dinner + Eiling's birthday, I'm sure they will love it too!


Complimentary bread; Spicy Sri Lankan crab soup- Rs. 645 (RM18); Avocado, Prawn and Lobster salad- Rs. 835 (RM23); Fettuccine with lobster, prawns, crabs and spicy sauce- Rs. 1,485 (RM41)


Sri Lankan pork curry and rice; Pan fried red snapper with rocket pesto risotto and roasted cashew nut- Rs. 1,795 (RM49); Crispy duck with apricot and plum sauce, stir fried beans and roasted pistachios- Rs. 2,145 (RM59); Steamed fish; Braised pork belly topped with poached egg- Rs. 1,585 (RM44)

That said, we had a very different and western dinner this year and perhaps also very memorable as we have not sat together as a family for a meal at least in the past year!


The Tintagel High Tea- Rs. 1,750/person (RM48): Finger sandwiches; Selection of savoury and sweet pastries; Plain and fruit scones with strawberry preserve and fresh cream; Slice of 'cake of the day'; Tea/Coffee


Ceylon Tea- Have your cup and drink it too

When my friend came down for a week-long visit, this warrants a 3rd visit to Tintagel in a month! We had the high tea menu where it came in 3-tiers of pastries, cakes and sandwiches. I like the scones but felt slightly below average for the finger sandwiches and just so-so for the cakes. But I suppose the ambiance more than makes up for it if not for the super annoying and deadly mosquitoes in the evening!


Happy Chinese New Year from the Lims!

I hope everyone had a very good Chinese New Year, I'm finally coming home this Friday. But before that, I will be flying to Maldives tonight to enjoy my well deserved ho-ho-holiday (the beginning of ticking off my 2011 Travel Resolutions).

* Prices are excluding 10% service charge and 13% VAT.

If you like this, you may also be interested in:
Yiling - The Gallery Cafe
Eiling - The Gallery Cafe
Eiling - Tintagel


Tintagel
65, Rosmead Place,
Colombo 07,
Sri Lanka.
Tel: +944602121 or +944602060
Website: www.paradiseroadhotels.com/tintagel/index.php

[Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. Please don't sue me, I don't have money. Kthxbye.]