The latest addition to the many restaurants at Waters Edge is Thunapaha. Launched very recently, this is definitely the place to go to for authentic gourmet Sri Lankan cuisine. Their concept is to bring the buffet to your table. 

The 'Embula', is the highlight of this buffet, a concept where the village lasses in their colourful cloth and jacket (redda and hatte) bring the dishes to you in a wattiya on their head. This used to be a regular feature seen in the villages of Sri Lanka in the days gone by when the young wives would take the meal to the husbands working in the paddy fields. It’s a unique idea and the first time I’ve seen it being enacted in Colombo. It blends well with their whole theme of culture and paddy fields and such. 

Life Online dropped by to see what this newly opened restaurant had to offer and here’s our experience. 

Ambience 

The ambience is nothing short of being tranquil and exotic. When we drove a little past the usual Waters Edge that we are so used to, what suddenly appeared was this picturesque space illuminating the darkness all around. It’s something you would never expect to see. When you walk along the bridge that leads you to the open building, on one side of the entrance you see a marketplace where you can purchase exquisite handicrafts, mugs, plates and various little trinkets. On the other side is the market place of all the fresh vegetables and fruits which are all organic, different varieties of rice and spices etc. By the side of that is a model of a paddy field. The whole area is open on all sides so it’s beautiful and breezy, and surrounded by waterways. There is also an airconditioned glass covered dining area and anyone sitting in this area also doesn’t miss out on the beauty around. 

Beverages 

On arrival, we were given a ginger tea shooter and after walking around to look at the place we went to their bar which was rightly called 'Theberuma'. 

They have some interesting arrack cocktails of which we found the Thunapaha Sunrise (Rs. 500) to be quite nice. 

The Ceylon Mango Margarita which we also tried out was a bit watery and lacked flavour. 

Food 

Until the mains arrive, you are served with a tray of assorted bites. What we got included yummy ash plantain chips which were thin and crispy, handellas, devilled kadala and polos cutlets. 

When you order the buffet (dinner at Rs. 2900, lunch at Rs. 1500), what you get is two types of rice, three meat items, three vegetables, six condiments, a fruit platter and a variety of desserts and sweets. All this was brought to the table by three village lasses in the wattiya on their head, keeping with the 'Embula' concept, and was placed on the induction table which keeps the food warm while you dig in. 

Of the meats, I liked the chicken stew which was not spicy but well flavoured and the mutton curry which was very spicy and just the way I liked it. 

Then there were the prawns and fish as well. 

Of the vegetables, I could say the brinjal and ash plantain combination was my favourite. The other dishes included innala, dhal, kos mallum, pol sambol chutneys and pickles. The homemade billing chutney was mouthwatering and I couldn’t get enough of it. 

Apart from the two types of rice that’s brought to the table, you can also get hoppers, string hoppers, pittu, roast paan, godamba roti or pol roti, all of which is included in the buffet. If you want to order crabs or cuttlefish, that can also be ordered separately from an a la carte menu and it has to be paid for separately. 

Desserts 

For dessert, you get a plateful that includes curd and treacle, watalappan, bibikkan, milk toffee, coconut rock and a few other items and also a fruit platter. The plates are daintily arranged and more than enough for one person. 

Entertainment 

There isn’t a shortage of entertainment as there were cultural performances, various dances and drummers performing throughout dinner. 

Service 

The service was great and the staff was quite pleasant. The food was brought really fast. 

Overall 

This is an ideal place to go to with family, especially children as I’m sure they would benefit by this whole experience. It’s also a lovely place to just hang out with friends for a long evening of first class ambience, entertainment and delectable cuisine. 

Telephone: (011) 2 863 863 

PHOTOGRAPHS by Pradeep Dilrukshana