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Introduction
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Rough ochre walls, giant cement urns, wrought iron furniture and exotic food... that's what Colombo's The Gallery Café is all about
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AT THE end of a fifty-minute flight, a memorable experience awaits you. It can look like Sorrento in spring, San Tropez in summer and Costa del Sol on a good day. Got you wondering? Well! This restaurant not only serves up sublime food, but even the music here keeps with the time — day-light jazz for lunch and blues for dinner. Have I got you all ready to go zooming off to the teardrop of an island on the Indian Ocean?
I do exactly that and head straight to The Gallery Café located in Colombo's elegant tree-lined area. Admire the paintings on display as I enter the office of the world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa and find myself in an open-sided dining pavilion and an alfresco dining area. The rough ochre walls, giant cement urns and wrought iron furniture lend a noticeable elegance and the food more than lives up to the ambience. The Gallery Café serves up a unique gastronomical experience, the menu is eclectic and changes every three months. What shines through is the freshness of the ingredients — be it the seafood or the crisp lettuce leaf — and the creativeness of the dishes.
How about beginning with the sweet ending — the desserts? It's here that I taste the best crème brulee ever. Even something as unlikely as a pumpkin cheesecake with vanilla ice cream is a masterpiece. Iced chocolate bombe, carrot cake, gooey chocolate cake and lemon meringue pie are equally irresistible.
For the main meal, opt for the perennial favourites like the baked crab, the lemongrass and ginger chicken, vegetable lasagne and the gotukola soup made from a local vegetable known to increase your memory and is health-friendly too.
Do ask to meet the owner if you can. Shanth Fernando is a die-hard devotee of art, style and aesthetics and has 16 years of hotel experience. His restaurant has been written about in all the leading food and travel magazines of the world. According to "The Gourmet Traveler", the Gallery Café has an international feel and timeless appeal and serves some of the most exciting food in Srilanka". And while you are there don't forget to make a note of the café's stylish accoutrements, all designed by Fernando and which are available for sale in his shops too. Now, that's a great way of having one's cake and eating it too.
The Gallery Café, 2 Alfred House Road, Colombo 3, Srilanka, ph: 94-1 582 162 556 564
Been flooded with requests for recipes (Vietnamese and some nutritious ones), will publish them as soon as possible. Thanks for your calls and mails. Great to hear from you. Do keep calling and keep smiling.
Dial 28365010 or e-mail gfl@rashmiudaysingh.com or mail us at Good Food Line, Metro Plus, The Hindu, Kasturi Buildings, 859/860 Anna Salai, Chennai- 600002.
RASHMI UDAY SINGH
(Rashmi Uday Singh is a food reporter, critic and author for 21 years. Food and health are her passions. )
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