I recently visited one of Colombo’s oldest Indian restaurants - Alhambra at Ramada by Wyndham. While I had dined at Alhambra many times before, I hadn’t been there recently and wanted to see if the food was still as good as I remembered. I'm happy to report that Alhambra did not disappoint.

Starting off with the Papdi Chaat, I loved the unique combination of sweet mint, potato masala and tamarind chutney. The crunchy fried wheat flour wafer added a great texture to the dish, making it a perfect way to start off the meal.

Moving on to the mains, I tried the Butter Naan which was unfortunately a little tough for my liking. However, the Chicken Biriyani more than made up for it with its aromatic spices and perfectly cooked rice. The chicken was tender and flavourful, making it one of the best biriyanis I've had in a while.

The real stars of the show were the curries. The Rajasthan Laal Mas, a spicy mutton curry with tomatoes and onions, had just the right amount of heat and richness, making it the perfect accompaniment to the naan. The Paneer Butter Masala, a cottage cheese cooked in a spicy onion and tomato gravy, was also a winner, with the fresh coriander leaves adding a great freshness to the dish. However, the surprise of the night was definitely the Jhinga Pasanda, a creamy prawn curry with red chili and cashew gravy, lightly flavoured with almonds. Although I picked it since I thought the ingredients were interesting, I had no expectations for how it would turn out. It was surprisingly excellent and the slight sweetness in the dish made it all the more interesting.

Indian food is always heavy, even if you portion control. So chances are you will probably be full by dessert time. I certainly was! So I decided I’d pick something that was comparatively light, ending the evening on a sweet note with the Gulab Jamun, a traditional Indian dessert made with fried dough balls soaked in sugar syrup. It was the perfect way to end a flavourful meal.

Overall, my experience at the Indian restaurant was a delightful one. The food was exceptionally flavourful and authentic (their chef is Indian), with the curries being the real standouts. While the naan was a little tough, it did not take away from the overall dining experience. There’s plenty of seating available, so it’s also ideal for big groups. Staff are friendly and courteous without being overbearing.

Pics Nimalsiri Edirisinghe