The café is snug, warm lights playing off the cosy chairs and highlighting the paintings on the wall, an inviting space to enjoy good food. It’s everything a good café has to be, featuring varieties of coffee, Wi-Fi, plug points for laptops, tables close enough to make good use of the space but far apart enough to be private. Some seats are placed in a small garden, a lovely little area that’s charmingly decorated. “We’d like to emphasize that this is a café, not a restaurant. Don’t be shy to come in in your shorts and slippers.” Koluu says, mentioning that people think that they ought to dress up to eat here. Ginger, however, is unpretentious.  When it’s full there’s a clamour of conversation replaced by a quiet murmur when the bulk of the crowd is gone. If you’d like to avoid the bustle then mornings and early evenings are the best time for you.

We sampled a latte from their coffees, as well as a healthy juice. Their variety of affordable coffees is definitely a good reason to visit, and though we weren’t coffee people, we enjoyed the latte. The healthy choice was very interesting, pulpy Gotukola, chosen because vegetables have less sugar than fruit, mixed with Apple and Pineapple for sweetness – a comforting sort of beverage that I suspect will be extremely satisfying on a hot day.

When it came to the food, we decided to try out their fast-moving curry sandwiches. Not quite sure what to expect, we were proffered small loaves of bread with had a dollop of curry on top. What hit us first was the pungent smell and the sight of it almost smouldering on the bread. We were unsure how to eat this, but Koluu said that was no set way, and that he observed the different ways customers tackle it. The easiest way is to slice it right down the middle and then forgo fork and spoon for your fingers. The curry, which we tried in Beef, Prawn and Chicken, was steaming and full of flavour, and when combined with the soft, fluffy bread was perfectly tasty. The spiciness of the curry can even be upped by a little green sambol that sits on a side, dipping your piece of bread in that adds a whole new flavour and type of heat. The whole thing was very unapologetically Sri Lankan, something we really appreciated.

For dessert we had an Oreo Mousse and a Cherry Mousse Torte. The former had little chunks of Oreos mixed in with the mousse, which made for a delightfully crunchy course. The Cherry Mousse Torte had a liberal middle layer of nuts steeped in cherry juice, and we relished it. Though the food is predominantly Sri Lankan and thus very spicy, there are calmer dishes for those whose palate can’t handle it, and you are only a request away from turning any dish into a vegetarian one.

Overall, Ginger is a delightful addition to Colombo’s food and coffee scene, a compact and tranquil place with incredible food and a relaxing atmosphere.

By Marissa van Eyck