We headed over to The Ocean at Kingsbury to get a good view of the scenic Lankan oceans with some fresh sea food laid out in front of us. And boy, did we enjoy some good food. The aim of the restaurant is to provide an experience of fine dining – all the way from the cutlery to the food.

Atmosphere

We were guided through the ocean themed restaurant and given information on the fish and other seafood that they serve. The exterior seating lounge had some beautiful designs with ambient lighting for the night and sunlight for the day along with a marvellous view.

The interior was quiet and minimalistic, allowing the cooking staff to do all the impressing. Outside of the main area of the restaurant, they had a bar with a few tables.

Food

The restaurant has a variety of seafood, fresh and imported, for the customers to choose from. It is interesting toknow that they proudly serve the Sri Lankan catches from the seas of Negombo like the jumbo prawns and other local fishes. Their scallops, octopus, salmon and a few other items are imported from Australia, Singapore and Norway. The executive chef of The Ocean, Kithsiri De Silva, explained how they want to serve fresh quality seafood as that is what enhances taste. Seafood on the counters can be ordered per 100grams and with no additional cooking charges. You will simply have to pay for the fresh sea item you choose.

The ordering of meals can be done through 2 menus. The first one categorises the marine item individually with the style it can be cooked. This ranges from Middle Eastern, Asian and Western dishes. So, if you want to eat lobster, you can go through the page dedicated for lobster dishes. The second menu, the speciality menu, has the usual pattern of appetizers, mains, salads, desserts where the seafood is mixed. In addition to this, they have a Japanese menu that serves you everything from sushi, sashimi to noodles and carpaccio.  We ordered our meals from the second.

We had the appetizer that I was eyeing since I arrived. The Baked Crab with Linguine was a pasta dish that was served with 4 mussels, baked crab mixed with the pasta and a load of parmesan cheese on top. The crab had a sweet taste that went well with the parmesan. At first I doubted as to how seafood would taste with cheese. It was splendid and a must try at The Ocean. The mussels also had a chewy and poultry like texture. So for those who aren’t comfortable with mussels and oysters, this style of cooking is great.

The main meal, Atlantic Fresh Pink Salmon was bursting with flavour, and was the winner for me. The plate was arranged in such a manner that all the sauces and flavours are absorbed into each item on the dish. Along with a few jumbo prawns, spinach and shredded oyster mushroom, the salmon was given the main spot on the meal. The salmon was well done, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. An accompaniment of rice with fried garlic and leeks was also presented on the side. It suited the salmon so well. The jumbo prawns were much different from the salmon, maintaining diverse tastes and texture. The best part about the dish was that each item had such good flavour on its own.

We also tried a Thai based dish with octopus and squid- Plan Muk Pad Gra Pao. The octopus was cooked in peppery flavours whereas the squid reflected real Thai sweet and sour tastes. The flavours of the squid dish with bell peppers was great. It went well with plain white rice. The pepper octopus with beans and green chilli was chewy and reminded me of hot butter cuttlefish.

On a side note, they have a chef from Thailand handling the Thai section and so you are served with an authentic Thai experience.

Overall

The food lived up to the quality The Ocean said it maintains. If you are a seafood lover, this fine dining restaurant is a must try. The service and staff were simply pleasant.

For menus and pricing, please visit The Oceans website: 

https://www.thekingsburyhotel.com/colombo-restaurants/the-ocean-seafood-restaurant/

You can score a 25% off on food for lunch and dinner with your HSBC Premier Credit Cards and a 20% off on food for all other HSBC Credit Cards.

Terms and Conditions

This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or promotions.

Offer valid from 1 March to -30 April 2017

Reservations: 077 108 7720

Open daily from 11:30am to 11:30pm

Location: Lobby Level Galle face View, No.48 Colombo, Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 00100

Text by Madushi Rajapaksha

Pics by Kushan Pathiraja