Subway has just opened its doors in Kollupitiya and Colombo fast food enthusiasts went nuts at the opening. With more than 42,000 restaurants in 107 countries, everyone’s pretty psyched that it’s finally here. From the bread to the filling to the sauces – these sandwiches are as customized as they come, there’s plenty to munch on, and it’s not crazily priced.
Location & Ambience
Subway is pretty accessible down Duplication Road, inside a big clunky white building that still says SRIMAL INTERIORS. It’s an old style building with a decorative white fence and Dutch period lamp posts on the porch. This used to be a very short-lived Russian restaurant.
On the opening day, the ground floor was obviously insanely crowded. There are long tables and stools along the large windows – it can get a bit cramped on a busy day – but there’s a spacious room upstairs styled like a typical fast food diner.
Food & Service
People love Subway because you feel like you’re getting exactly what you want. The sandwich makers (they call them artists, but we won’t go there) will ask you what bread you want, what meat and veggies you want, and which sauces. There’s a range of options: five types of bread, an epic host of veggies and pickles, chicken, beef, turkey, tuna, and sauces like red chili, honey mustard and sweet onion.
Service was obviously swift, took a little more than five minutes for our three orders, though that feels like forever if you’re standing in a queue. The sandwich can’t be made without you pointing out your preference all along so it might feel like a bit of work sometimes (when it got to our third order we just said ‘put everything in it’), but you don’t really care once you get your subs a few minutes later.
Subway ClubThe best part about Subway sandwiches is that they’re generous about the fillings. We got two 6 inch sandwiches – Chicken Teriyaki and Subway Club (chicken, turkey and roast beef), for Rs. 590 each, and a footlong Italian BMT for Rs. 840. Add-ons are really cheap – for an extra Rs. 150, you get a drink and a big cookie (chocolate chip, double chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin).
Italian BMTThe filling, as expected, was plenty and delicious. We suggest you go for the Parmesan Oregano bread every time though – it’s heavier than the other breads and tastes better. The White Italian bread was too soft and flimsy, and slightly cold, and took away from our Italian BMT footlong – it was barely filling.
Chicken TeriyakiThe Chicken Teriyaki 6 inch was the best: huge chunks of chicken, veggies and mayo, sandwiched in Oregano bread. Our double chocolate chip cookie was big and soft, and tasted alright.
Conclusion
We’re glad Subway is in Colombo. Subway is an efficient and consistent franchise, especially if you want to eat healthier and put more veggies in there, or if you want to experiment with the sauces. We think it’s good value for money, considering it’s hard to get as much inside a 6 inch sub anywhere else.
