A dining experience like no other – Rock Salt at Cinnamon Bey

The sprawling veranda and cool breeze that greets you when you walk into Cinnamon Bey in Beruwala gives you a sense of calm which in turn sets the tone for the time you spend there. Either a night’s stay or dining at one of their eight venues is truly a unique experience.

Our dining experience took us to Cinnamon Bey’s signature restaurant, Rock Salt. The restaurant with its polished wood floors and dim lighting is such a romantic setting and the food they serve is simply spectacular.

In terms of flavour, the food more or less is fusion food and the unique aspect of the restaurant is that the varying ingredients brought to you are cooked by you on hot stone and salt tablets. Before we delved into cooking our own main course over heated stones, we were presented with traditional fresh Japanese Sushi and Kappa Maki served with the usual trimmings that of wasabi, soy and pickled radish. This aspect of our meal was from the restaurant Raw which sits right next door to Rock Salt.

Our tea pot soup was such a soothing experience not just to savour but also visually. We were given the choice of seafood, poached chicken or vegetarian of which I chose seafood which was arranged artfully in a bowl. The light broth had to be poured over the seafood to be enjoyed. I loved the subtle, soothing and refreshing flavours of this light soup.

The fun part began with the main course which was the Hot Stone where you become your own chef for the evening! These heated lava stones from the Himalayas and Australia are heated to 450⁰C. First choose the meat you’d prefer of which my choice was lamb. The raw meat comes with accompaniments of rice, mushroom and vegetables as well as hot sauce, soya sauce and coriander sauce. The idea here is to dip the meats in the sauces and then place them on the hot stone to cook along with some vegetables for added flavour. It is such a fun experience and ideal for that perfect date night! The meat was so soft and succulent and the flavours just burst in your mouth. I must say that dining in this manner can transport you to your primitive roots.

The best way to end your evening is always a stunning dessert. We were given the choice of Crème Brûlée or a Seasonal Fresh Fruit Platter. With my sweet tooth, there was no way I was going for the latter, so the Crème Brûlée it was. This was not your ordinary Crème Brûlée but a Lemon Crème Brûlée served with ginger cookies and honey ice cream. Given a choice, Crème Brûlée is not a dessert that I would choose but this one was different. From that first crack on the hardened caramel to the soft rich custard – this was one fabulous dessert. The dessert was garnished with strawberries and salt. So I added my twist by sprinkling a bit of salt onto the ice cream and having it with the Crème Brûlée, ginger cookies and strawberries. All these flavours have the ability to arouse your senses. It is a divine dessert experience that must not be missed.

From the beach to the lagoon, this stunning resort certainly pays tribute to Beruwala giving you the ideal opportunity to experience all that is unique about this beach town while the restaurants at the hotel, including Rock Salt pay tribute to the varying culinary methods borrowed from a number of cultures making it a fine experience.

By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pics by Kanishke Ganewatte