Flower Gate is a new and very welcome addition to the Sri Lankan Chinese food scene. They may be relatively unknown, but theirs was some of the best Chinese food we’ve had in a while.
The Food
We came across Flower Gate on Facebook and decided we’d give them try, and we’re glad we did. This was arguably the best Sri Lankan Chinese we’ve had in a while. Their prices are slightly higher than some of the older establishments but still very much affordable with sizeable portions. We also liked the fact that their menu actually had a few unique options like the beef in peanut sauce (more on that in a bit). This time around we decided to skip the fried rice, instead going for a few more sides.
Though it wasn’t one of the best iterations we’ve had, Flower Gate does a respectable take on hot butter cuttlefish (Rs. 680 for S). This is a bit on the spicy side, but not overpoweringly so. The seasoning was also right, but the batter was just a bit too thick and uneven. We tend to be very comparative when it comes to HBC, but in a general sense, this was still quite tasty.
I can really appreciate a good pork dish, so you can trust me when I say that Flower Gate’s sizzling belly pork (Rs. 840 for L) was excellent. This was one of their most expensive dishes, but well worth the money. Since we had the food delivered the sizzle had died out, but the flavours were all on point. The pork belly was cut into large cross sections with a good ratio of fat to meat. The thick sauce is where all the flavour comes from with a very light sweetness and an emphasis on soy.
The beef in peanut sauce (Rs. 590) caught our eye when we were going through the menu, since it’s not something you often see at Chinese restaurants. It may not be for everyone, but we quite liked it. What you get is batter fried beef slathered in a very thick peanut butter-based gravy which is like seasoned, smooth peanut butter with a bit of chilli flakes mixed in. It does tend to overpower the beef but we didn’t mind it too much in this case.
We also tried the pork in red chili sauce (Rs. 650), which was also quite satisfying, though not as memorable as the sizzling belly pork. This is a better option for those looking for leaner option since the pork in this one had very little fat in it. As expected, the sauce was very spicy with plenty of dried chillies thrown in. Could have done with less onions though.
Ordering and Delivery
One thing we’ve noticed is that Chinese restaurants don’t always pay much attention to their websites. So we were glad to see that Flower Gate’s was functional and up to date. You can go through their menu and place your order online or call them up on 0114 388 189. Delivery in our case took around an hour, with the food coming in nice and warm.
Conclusion
As far delivery goes, we’d say Flower Gate is an excellent choice, with some of the best Sri Lankan Chinese in Colombo. We haven’t checked out their restaurant as of yet, so think of this one as a preview.
