Cocktails
We kickstarted our Friday evening with a couple of cocktails – a Kamikaze (Rs. 675) and a Sri Lankan Delight (Rs. 500).
*Pictured above – Kamikaze (right) and Sri Lankan Delight (right)
Crafted with equal parts of vodka, lime juice and triple sec, the Kamikaze was refreshing, but the splash of sugar they had added seemed to dominate the flavours. Still, the alcohol punch was there, which we appreciated.
Promising a concoction of arrack and passion fruit juice, the Sri Lankan Delight was served in a tall glass, garnished with a slice of lime. However, what we tasted wasn't quite passion-fruity enough. Sure, the sour and sweet notes were there, but in comparison to the almost similar drink we had at The Ocean By O!, this one certainly has a lot of room for improvement.
Plus, they could've done better with the presentation of the drinks as well.
Food
The food menu at Sky 348 spans from appetizers, bites to grilled meats and a whole bunch of dishes inspired by Indian culinary fare. The grilled stuff is expensive, but the rest is priced under Rs. 1000, which is quite pocket-friendly, considering that it's a well-established hotel.
The Grilled Pepper Steak (Rs. 1600) was a sizeable chunk of local beef, grilled to excellence, glazed with a delightful pepper sauce. You get a say in how you want your beef – we went with the well-done version.
Lines of pink spreading towards the middle of the steak, while growing browner as it reaches out to the top and bottom layers, it was well-executed. It was more like medium-well roasting, but we really didn't mind. The crust was deliciously tough – a result of the perfect grilling, and the pepper sauce jazzed things up with its zestiness while letting the meat boast its wonderful meaty flavours.
Next up, we tried a couple of rotis off their Indian food section – Cheese Naan (Rs. 250) and Chilli Naan (Rs. 200).
Nicely embedded with bits of red and green chillis, the Chilli Naan was tender to the touch, not doughy, and spicy as promised, while the flecks of charcoal elevated the overall flavour.
However, our favourite out of the two rotis has to be the Cheese Naan. It looked like a plain naan from the outside, but what you're not seeing here is the generous slathering of mozzarella they had included to the inside layer of the roti.
To pair them with, we ordered a portion of Chicken Korma (Rs. 600). Around 6 sizeable chunks of chicken, soused in a rich, thick gravy, it was so delicious. There was a nice balance between creamy and spicy elements here, and a lot of curry taste. Thanks to having soaked up all that goodness, the luscious pieces of chicken were flavoursome too.
Ambience & Service
The view from here is impeccable – so much so that we couldn't stop looking at it. At the end of all the concrete paraphernalia that surrounds the hotel, you'll catch a glimpse of the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, spreading towards the horizon. You can bask in the glorious sunsets as you enjoy your drinks and food, and get quite a bit of sea breeze as well.
For those of you who prefer to stay indoors, they've got a separate space for that as well. The bar counter surrounded with tall chairs for solo drinkers, and they've arranged tables and comfortable chairs catering to couples, and groups.
The food took around a good 1 hour to arrive, which is not something we're happy about. Later we found out that the kitchen had been handling a couple of events on the same day, along with the Cricket World Cup screenings. The staff were truly sorry about this and apologised profusely. And honestly, the delicious food, and friendly attitude made up for that.
Conclusion
Wallet-friendly, good food, and the picturesque views of the city – our Friday was sorted! Their drinks surely have the room to improve, which is something we're looking forward to.
