Chocolatier and chef, Gerard Mendis, partners with Coca-Cola to seek out the best food to enjoy with a refreshing, cold Coke. Join Gerard as he visits some of Colombo’s top restaurants and chats with their chefs. This week, Gerard visits one of Colombo’s food courts. The Food Studio at One Galle Face, with its incredible variety of cuisine, is simply prolific, and its new Executive Chef Sesha Fernando treated us to a selection of some of their most popular dishes. 

We started with the Singapore seafood laksa and Hainanese chicken rice from Shiok!, the Food Studio’s East Asian eatery. The laksa, while milder than expected (laksa varies greatly from region to region), was still full of spice that was well-balanced by the tangy creaminess of the soup’s coconut milk base. The Hainanese chicken rice was also full of flavour and was accompanied by homemade pickled radish that elevated the dish marvellously. Another banger was China Express’s Seafood Mala Hotpot. The Hotpot has strong overtones of Sichuan pepper and is a fiery treat that goes perfectly with a big bowl of steamed rice. 

Another amazing eatery at the Food Studio is Cheeseheads Colombo. We tried their Cheeseburger Combo and their Chicken and Cheese Wrap, both of which were superbly executed meaty, cheesy dishes with Greek and Middle-Eastern flavours. 

We also tried out some strong local flavours with Jeewa’s Seafood Kottu with Fried Crab and the Hot and Spicy Rice with Chicken, both of which were excellent examples of Sri Lankan spice at its finest. 

My stand-out favourites from the spread at the Food Studio were Shiok’s Seafood Laksa, Cheeseheads Colombo’s cheeseburger, and China Express’s Seafood Mala Hotpot. While the three dishes had very different flavour profiles, they were each amazing dishes that would each be heavenly with a cold Coke. 

The Food Studio is nigh unbeatable when it comes to variety, there truly is something for everyone, from traditional Sri Lankan flavours to Oriental spice to good old-fashioned burgers and fries. It’s the perfect place for a quick, hearty meal.