Just a few more days for everyone who enjoys Chinese Cuisine to indulge in an unlimited offering of authentic Chinese fare.  Don’t miss out experiencing this sumptuous spread. If you haven’t been there already I recommend that you should head out there very soon.

Sri Lankans are known to relish Chinese food and it seems to be the most popular cuisine in town and has been so for a long time. The Chinese Food Festival at Cinnamon Lake Side which offers over 100 dishes started off on the 8th will continue till the 18th of January giving diners in Colombo an ideal opportunity to savour over 100 dishes inspired by China’s rich culinary heritage. 

Ambience
When we dropped by to check it out we found that the ambience was awesome. Under the stars the Chinese lanterns lit up the open area around the poolside. The music was in line with the theme. I loved how the 100 dishes were spread out so well that it didn’t feel at all crowded in spite of every table being full. People had enough room to walk about freely. 

The two Master Chefs Huanxi Yan and Mei Din Duan were the masterminds behind the creation of this extensive menu. They were very busy at the action stations.

Food
There were 15 action stations serving popular Chinese speciality items and a Kebab counter.The vast spread included 16 appetizers, 2 soups, 31 main dishes featuring seafood, meats (pork, chicken, beef, duck) and vegetables taking in the influences of Cantonese, Sichuan, Shanghai and Beijing styles of cooking. A Dim Sum Bar featuring 21 varieties of dim sum and pan-fried dumplings seemed to be the hit of the evening. 

The Salmon head and vegetable soup was delicious and was presented in a huge open pot while the Crab meat and sweet corn soup which is a popular item in all our Chinese restaurants was also available. 

The dumplings station was a hot favourite among the diners. I thought the Spicy mutton dumplings were fascinating as it was purple. The chef explained that it was made with imported purple yam powder. Hence the colour. Of the huge range of appetisers, there were the popular items like Prawn toast, Hot butter cuttlefish, Sichuan fried mushroom, Sichuan crispy chicken and the list goes on and on. 

I fancied the Lion seafood balls which retained the seafood flavour without the overpowering of the spices. The well-flavoured Salt and pepper pork rib and the crisply fried pork belly were also two items I enjoyed very much.

From the 31 mains, it was difficult to pick a favourite so I could say the Sichuan fried crab, Shredded beef with honey black pepper sauce and Honey roast duck were my preferences. All the dishes ranging from fish, meats, seafood to vegetables were cooked with authentic spices, sweet and tangy sauces by the two Master Chefs to ensure the distinctive flavours of each dish.  

The lavish spread of 20 desserts of which we tasted a few were made with some unique ingredients and was laid out artistically inside the hotel in order to keep it cool in this warm climate. I noticed that mung beans were used in many of the desserts making it a very healthy option.  Every item I tasted had a very subtle undertone of sweetness. So don’t expect the very sweet desserts that we are usually used to. 

Overall
It is somewhere you should go with your family or loads of friends, as the ambience and food is definitely worth experiencing. 

The festival is on for dinner from 7.00 PM- to11.00 PMat Long Feng.
Price - Rs 2600 nett per person
Special beverage discounts available
For Reservations – 0112 4919 49

Pics by Kushan Pathiraja