John D'Cruz (.
Google
The food, service and atmosphere is top class and worthy of a fine dining establishment. Everything I had was good quality and tasted fine, although some dishes worked better than others.
The meal started on a high note with some complimentary Rasam served in small cups. I'm not sure what type of rasam it was but it may possibly be the tastiest rasam I've ever had. Compliments to the Chef!
The Fish Cutlets were tasty but had a strong fishy aroma, perhaps from the type of fish used? The Lamb Cutlets were better in terms of taste and aroma and I preferred it over the fish.
The stars of the meal for me were the Sambols or salads. The Gottu Kola, Bitter Gourd Salad and Amma's Eggplant Salad were all unique and tasty. All the salads were seasoned with grated coconut and sliced onions. These are ubiquitous of Sri Lankan cuisine and are Highly Recommended. Stir Fried Four Angle Beans were on the Daily Specials and this was very good too.
I found the Fish Sothy to be a little too thick with coconut cream for my liking. It was also lacking some spiciness from green chilies which are usually added. The Drumstick Curry was similarly a little too thick with coconut cream but had a nice sourness. Both would pair nicely with string hoppers.
The Signature Mutton Paal Poriyal was a dry preparation, but I felt it was somewhat mild compared to the spicy and fiery versions in Sri Lanka.
Both the Vegetarian and Chicken Kothu were decent with the choice of String Hoppers. Personally I prefer the Kothu with Roti instead.
Kulaiyal are packets of rice with choice of Vegetables, Chicken, Lamb or Seafood. The Vegetable and Seafood versions we had were decent but I felt the rice ended up rather mushy from the steaming. I'd prefer just plain rice with the dishes, like in a Lamprais packet.
Masala Tea was rather disappointing as it came with frothed milk. Not something I'd expect in a good Sri Lankan tea, and it felt out of place.
