Finding local cuisine in Colombo is easy; every corner you look, you can find a small hotel selling Sri Lankan food. But once in a while, it is nice to indulge in a Sri Lankan fine dining experience with locally sourced spices and age-old recipes cooked for you by a highly experienced chef.
If that’s something you’re looking for, then look no further than Culture Colombo. Located in the heart of Colombo, down Kensington Gardens, you’ll find the gorgeous bungalow turned restaurant decked out in inviting blue paint and a cosy verandah.
If you opt to eat inside, the tables are arranged in such a way that it stays true to the home it previously was; from the lighting to the colour schemes, Culture Colombo represents Lankan hospitality and brings about a comforting feel of a home-cooked meal. It was no surprise that they were recognised as “Best Ethnic Restaurant in Asia” under Asia’s Dining Awards by The Awards Asia 2022.
We had the pleasure of stopping by for lunch last weekend. We left the restaurant in charge of picking our menu for the day, and were absolutely blown over by the feast they had prepared for us. Starting with the drinks, we received three of their signatures – an iced Milo, ginger beer, and a lime and king coconut juice.
The Milo came with a generous topping of Milo powder and was rich, chocolatey, and perfect for a hot day. The ginger beer, we learnt, is actually made in-house with locally sourced herbs – the secret ingredient being a sprig of lemongrass – so much better than the bottles usually available over the counter. The king coconut and lime too was an experience – served in the king coconut shell, the two flavours complemented each other well and was a refreshing start to lunch, while it was also great to wash down the heat of certain spicy dishes.
For our main meal, we were served their take on a Chinese-Lankan fusion fried rice with devilled chicken and vegetable chop suey, a dry seafood curry with hot, buttered roast paan, a nai miris chicken and cheese kottu, and their signature bamboo biryani.
Before we get into it, we must applaud their attention to detail and how alluring their presentation was – the kottu was topped with a bed of cheese, the fried rice was presented on an ash plantain leaf boat, the curry in a piping hot clay pot, and the biryani pushed out of a bamboo chute. It’s an amazing fine dining experience that will absolutely leave you wanting to come back for more.
We first tried the nai miris kottu, and as I am generally not a fan of spice, I found the cheesy sauce to be a godsend, cutting down on a lot of the heat, and leaving behind that unique nai miris taste. However, if you really want to amp up the spice, you can request for some nai miris paste that they will be more than happy to provide.
Next the dry crab curry – we didn’t expect much in the way of gravy, but there was still a decent amount despite the name, and it was a stunning (but intimidating) shade of red. My fears were not unfounded as the curry was incredibly spicy and packed a punch with all those Lankan flavours we know and love. Despite my tongue burning, we devoured the curry and the soft bread helped cut down on a lot of the heat. The curry comes with fleshy crab, prawns, cuttlefish, and fish, and in terms of portion, it does not disappoint – you can tell how fresh the ingredients are with each bite.
The fried rice is anything you’d look for in a typical Chinese fried rice here. It had a healthy salty taste, with a tasty saucy chicken curry and a few vegetables tossed in sauce as well. Taste wise, it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a safe bet for anyone intimidated by spicier options.
The biryani again had a unique flavour – it could have been the way it was cooked in the bamboo chute – but it wasn’t too heavy on spices like cardamom or cloves, and instead had a subtle taste of a spice blend keeping the rice on the wet side, perfectly accompanied by the seafood curry it was served with, as well as the raita and peas we received on the side.
All in all, we left with all our cravings for a good, filling Sri Lankan meal fulfilled, and can only encourage you to go check it out for yourself. We can promise you will not be disappointed – everything from the ambience and service to the food was incredible, and we had a pleasant experience. Next time you crave a home-cooked meal, Culture Colombo is the restaurant for you.
