Galadari’s official bakery/pastry shop Cafe 64 needs no introduction. It’s already an immensely popular spot among food lovers in Colombo. The quality of the food, the service and better still the setting is one of the best you will find. Their latest promotion, however, is a tad different from what they usually offer and it came as quite a pleasant surprise.

It’s all about Roti 
This was their All Roti promotion which ran from the 4th to the 7th of March. Galadari really knows how to go the extra mile and the variety of Roti available, along with the quality and price was truly commendable. Different varieties of Paratha, Godamba, Kottu and Pol Roti were available along with curries to accompany it. Roti with Chilli Con Carne (Rs. 550), Galadari Special Kottu (Rs. 850) and Tandoori Chicken Roti Wrap (Rs. 650) were our choices for that night. It’s hard to pick a favourite because all three had distinct qualities that made each one special in their own right. The Chilli Con Carne is a Mexican dish that’s typically served with Tacos or Nachos. Serving it with Paratha Roti suits Sri Lankans perfectly. The paratha was light and fluffy and complemented by the Chilli Con Carne which tasted great.

The Con Carne consisted of minced beef seasoned with garlic, onions, cumin, tomatoes and predominantly chilli. The level of spice was perfect and we weren’t puffing smoke from our ears at the end of it, which helped us to enjoy the flavours that much better. The Kottu had a mix of meat in it and was accompanied by two chicken sausages and two spicy prawns. The kottu itself was moist and tasted full of flavour without even having to add any gravy. 

The roti of the wrap was also quite light allowing the filling inside to shine. The tandoori chicken filling was on the mild side of spice and left a pleasant tang in our mouth. 

It’s All Far Eastern
The Far Eastern Hawker Street promotion will run from the 11th to the 14th so make sure you don’t miss out! The Selection is unending, ranging from Chinese and Singaporean or Malaysian, Mongolian, Vietnamese to Thai. We opted for the Singapore Fried Rice (Rs. 750) paired up with the Prawns in Hot Garlic Sauce (Rs1450) and the Thai Sticky Rice with a Mutton Curry (Rs 1100).

My favourite here and probably my favourite dish of the whole night was the Prawns in Hot Garlic Sauce. The prawns were big, juicy and had a lot of meat and the sauce was just exploding with flavour. I could have gone on eating this the whole night but there were more dishes to try. The Singapore fried rice with chilli paste and soy sauce was also a nice dish and combining it with the prawns was a perfect choice. I felt that the sticky rice was a bit dry and lacked flavour. But the mutton curry made up for it. The curry was a bit spicy and the mutton itself was soft and just melted in our mouth. It was great!

It’s all about Crab 
If you are a crab lover then missing out on this promotion would be a crime! They have crab done in every way possible. Singapore Chilli Crab (Rs.2200) ), Golden Crisp Crab Claws (Rs.1430) , Lagoon Crab Curry (Rs. 1650) with Roast Paan and Baked Crab (Rs.1320) were what we opted for. The Singapore Chilli Crab was just out of this world. I highly recommend this if you love crab. The crab was with a light coat of Chilli Crab paste and the whole thing was dipped in a tomato and chilli gravy. There was an abundance of meat and the dish, despite the name, wasn’t too spicy. The mild level of spice really helped us to enjoy the flavour and the tomato, chilli and crab meat combination was simply a match made in heaven.

The Baked Crab was filled with crab meat and topped off with cheese and herbs. It was light, creamy and was definitely a mouthwatering delight. It was accompanied by a portion of rice mixed with nuts and plums. The combination of rice and the creamy crab was one of the best that night. The Lagoon Crab Curry was super spicy and had a thick gravy which went well with the Roast Paan. The crab tasted fresh and overall it was a great dish. 
Eight dishes down, I quite honestly had no space left in me to fit in The Crisp Crab Claws. Although they looked golden and delicious, I simply had to let it go. But if you do go there make sure to try it out.

All in all, I had a great experience at Cafe 64 and I highly recommend you try out these promotions. Although the prices do seem a bit high end, you are guaranteed to get your money’s worth in terms of both quality and quantity, so make sure you don’t miss out!

photos: Kushan Pathiraja