Poppy Hana – Chic fusion Japanese

There seem to be a number of Japanese restaurants cropping up in Colombo as of late, with each one having its own uniqueness about it. The older ones like Ginza on the Edge, Sakura and Nihonbashi are more authentic in style and cuisine while places like Yumi and Kami Maki have a slightly more modern twist to Japanese cuisine with the latest addition to the string of trendy Japanese restaurants in Colombo being Poppy Hana.

Established in 2006, the original Poppy Hana is located in London and the couple behind the restaurant are Kanako and Faizal Sherifdeen. Faizal or Deen as he is better known, hails from Kandy and has over 20 years of experience as a Chef de Saucier in Japanese culinary arts while also being skilled in the art of sharpening Japanese knives. His wife Kanako has vast experience in the hospitality trade and is also a skilled baker who specialises in Japanese and European style breads, cakes and pastries. Having lived in London for 25 years the Sherifdeen’s felt it was time to make Sri Lanka their home while also open up a Poppy Hana here.

The unique factor here, aside from serving fusion Japanese food, is that they serve Conveyer Belt Sushi or Kaiten Zushi , the first of its kind in Sri Lanka (they also have an  à la carte menu).  The conveyor belt for this Sushi Train was designed and built by Deen who also looked into every single detail of the restaurant.

As the name suggests a variety of dishes travels on the belt, while each plate, depending on the colour has a different price. You are billed depending on the number and colour of the plates you’ve gone through and if you decide to pick dishes and beverages off the menu, these too are added to your bill.

From the bright red that adorns the walls to the bright lights in the restaurant, the feel you get is that of a friendly, hip and chilled out restaurant. The food too, reflects this with the dishes being fusion to the core. Deen uses a variety of local produce and has modified the dishes to suit the local palate. He also places a lot of emphasis on healthy food and therefore limits the use of oils and artificial additives.

The beverages on the menu include milkshakes and smoothies, with the latter reflecting the health factor to a great extent. The Strawberry Milkshake is fruity and extremely creamy while the Apple, Carrot and Ginger smoothie is a really refreshing and hydrating juice. You can almost feel your insides cleansing!

The Cream Cheese, Crab and Avocado Fusion Roll is absolutely scrumptious – I loved how there was a thin layer of tempura batter around it. My next sushi roll of choice had cucumber and crab salad while having a paper thin layer of cucumber wrapped around it. It was crunchy and fresh while the slight hint of sweetness in the vinegar rice complimented the flavours so well. 

The Ebi Fry was also absolutely delicious. The prawn which was coated in crunchy panko was just perfect in flavour as it was light and simple while the textures were marvellous on the senses. If you are a tempura fan, you will love the Prawn Stick/Vegetable Tempura with mayonnaise. It wasn’t overly oily while the Japanese Mayonnaise (made in-house) was a real treat. Poppy Hana’s Kani (Crab) Cream Croquette was smooth, silky and tangy on the inside while it was light and crunchy on the outside. As much as it had a western edge to it, the flavours were very much Japanese.

In spite of being in operation for just a short period in Colombo, Deen says the response has been fantastic. It is not tough to see why as the experience you get at Poppy Hana is one of a kind, while the food is value for money.

Hours of operation: Tuesday to Sunday from 12 noon to 10.30pm
Address: 1st Floor, Liberty Arcade, 282 R A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 03

Ratings:
Variety of food: 5 stars
Value for money: 5 stars
Cleanliness: 5 stars
Friendly staff: 5 stars
Parking: 4 stars

By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pics by Kanishke Ganewatte