Jul 16 2014.
views 39464Contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine at its best – Kaema Sutra
It is a fact that when Dharshan Munidasa opens a restaurant, he does it is style and with purpose. On Monday July 14, Dharshan along with Jacqueline Fernandez, Raju Chandiram and Shalin Balasuriya opened possibly the first contemporary Sri Lankan restaurant, Kaema Sutra.
Situated at the newly opened Arcade at Independence Square the restaurant has a Sri Lankan feel to it from the kavichchi, which are artfully placed in the restaurant to the brass light fittings and the 900 kilogram miris gala, all of which, pave the way for a Sri Lankan dining experience that you won’t get anywhere else.
Some of the restaurant’s signature dishes include, Dharshan’s Spicy Roast Chicken. This dish consists of one and a half kilograms of chicken made using a 22-year-old secret recipe. It is oven baked for two hours in a spice paste and bathed in gravy. We had a few nibbles of this tender and juicy chicken which was oozing with flavour. I also tried out their hoppers, which were eight inches in diameter! Yes eight inches, so don’t forget that one hopper is more than enough for one person. The best sides for the hopper will be their signature lunu miris and roast chicken.
Dharshan and his highly trained kitchen staff practice the finest cooking techniques, blended with traditional Sri Lankan cooking equipment. They use chopsticks when cooking their meat dishes so as to not damage the meat in the cooking process.
The restaurant has an open kitchen, where you will see your food being prepared right in front of you. There are essentially four levels, the first, the miris gala where all that yummy pol sambol is made and the second level is where the rotti’s and kottu’s will be made. Those massive eight inch hoppers will be prepared in the third level while the curries – both ones that are cooked quickly as well as slow cooked will be prepared in the fourth and final level. The area known as Mahagini (the big black box behind the fourth level), is where the oven that makes all that delicious roast chicken is situated.
A bar will also be up and running soon – at the moment, the only beverages served are Elephant House Ginger Beer and Iced Tea.
Kaema Sutra dishes out a mouth watering Ambul Thiyal, made using Sashimi grade tuna, which mind you, is cooked for just seven minutes. Dharshan explains that this is because the curry is served fresh and the fish need not be preserved. Their Boneless Chicken Curry is also delicious. Having nibbled on these as well as some of their egg rotti, I was able to find a new-found appreciation for Sri Lankan food.
Some of the other dishes that will be on the menu will be the Chicken Curry Salad with Egg. It will consist of crispy Iceberg Lettuce, curry chicken cold cuts with a soft yolk egg served with a sprinkling of manioc floss. A must when you visit the restaurant is the Fried Manioc Floss. It is unlike anything you would have tried – that of fried strings of manioc root sprinkled with just the right amount of salt.
A dessert treat which I am looking forward to trying out some time at Kaema Sutra, is What the Hopper, which is a crunchy Pani Appa filled with fresh strawberries or mangoes (depending on availability), whipped cream and kithul treacle.Even though the restaurant screams sophistication, Dharshan says you are more than welcome to dig in with your hands – After all there is no better way to have Sri Lankan food!
Address: 30, Arcade Independence Square, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
Hours of operation: 5pm to 12 midnight, daily
Parking: Situated at the rear of the Arcade, Independence Square
Price Range: USD 10 upwards
By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pics by Kanishke Ganewatte
0 Comments
PRIYANTHI says:
Jul 17, 2014 at 12:00 amNatasha, I LOVED this article! I was WAITING for some info on this place! Thank you! The article and pictures were both mouthwatering!
Patrick from Canada says:
Jul 19, 2014 at 12:00 amAs a person who travel around the world frequently, I am very particular of who and how the chef prepares my meals. Certainly, don't like the idea of not using gloves when preparing certain meals that goes directly to the customers plate. I will think twice before dining at this restaurant.
Natasha says:
Jul 22, 2014 at 12:00 amI am glad to hear that, Priyanthi.
Thusitha Weerasinghe says:
Jul 23, 2014 at 12:00 amNice to have a meal once in a way for a monotonous rat race. Food look great must taste asap.
Prabath says:
Aug 09, 2014 at 12:00 amDharshan you disappointed me :( I will start with the plus points.. Excellent service and very friendly staff. In one of the top places in the country for a restaurant - even the best place in the Independence Arcade. Overall price is not as high as the hype - per head around 1300/=. Good lime juice. Went there for dinner with great expectations - even after reading the Yamu review. But - its way below my expectations - food is never closer to authentic Sri Lankan food. Not spicy at all. Hop
Ranuka Moses says:
Nov 06, 2014 at 12:00 amWORMS / MAGGOTS in the food!!!! https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeevaka-leanage/worming-it-out-at-kaema-sutra/10154745752475464