With the intention of giving  Sri Lankans a high quality culinary experience the “Gourmet Week” 2018 was organized by Wine World Private limited and Epicurean Private limited at a range of locations across the country from the 1st to the 7th of October.  

After an entire week of incredible food and the most luscious and luxurious wines, the Gourmet week came to an end with its final event held at the Veranda Restaurant at Galle Face hotel. The event consisted of a Sunday brunch and wine tasting, and was the perfect way to end this magnificent week of great food and drink and the most breathtaking view of the ocean, to take in.

The Royal Brunch organized by Epicurean Private limited in collaboration with Galle face hotel was the highlight of the day. 

Pastries and Bagels

The brunch consisted of a variety of dishes, ranging from bagels and croissants, to a diverse range of salads, pasta and traditional Sri Lankan rice and curry. Being a passionate fan of croissants, I started off at the croissant and pastry counter. Personally, I felt the chocolate croissants were not chocolaty enough for my taste, however, the almond croissant and the strawberry Danish was an absolute mouthwatering delight. I was excited to try out the 'do it yourself' bagel station, which included a wide spread of bagels and the perfect creamy spreads, salads and meat to match. I was particularly impressed with the smoked duck and smoked beef. Not only was it succulent and smoked to perfection but the flavours were absolutely divine.

Roast lamb and Frittata

There was also a roast lamb which went really well with the baked baby potatoes and the seasoned vegetables. The lamb absolutely divine and the potatoes and vegetables were well seasoned and well done. Additionally, I tried the sausages and bacon, but what really got my taste buds tingling was the spinach and cheese frittata. The frittata was just right; not too overcooked, and filled with an adequate amount of cheese. Not too overpowering so as to drown out the other flavors but just enough to distinguish its presence. 

Pasta and Naan with Curries

There was also a station for pasta where the pasta was made on demand. I tried spaghetti with a marinara and shrimp sauce. It wasn’t great enough to write about as it was nothing above the ordinary. The sauce failed to bring out the flavor and without it, the spaghetti tasted quite bland.  By this time I was quite stuffed but wanted to just try out the naan and range of curries available. The Singaporean chili crab was absolutely amazing and so was the Mutton Rogan Josh. The naan was really perfect to have with the dhal and chicken curry. The Mutton Rogan Josh is a favorite amongst many at the Sunday brunch and was recommended to me before the event, and I believe it did not fail to deliver.

Desserts 

From the dessert section the waffles were made according to your preference and, my word, didn’t I enjoy that! They had chocolate, strawberry and blueberry toppings, and they were the most delightful things I had all morning. They also had red velvet cake and coconut mango parfait which was satisfactory, however nothing out of the ordinary. There was also a various assortment of cakes and a variety of parfaits but they failed to impress as much as the waffles which were the highlight of the dessert corner. 

All things considered, it was a wonderful afternoon and everyone seemed to enjoy the amazing food and wine alongside a magnificent view. 

Photographer: Nisal Baduge