Found in a crevice of the maze that is Colombo 5 lies Kafe KBG. They had made a name for themselves a while back as the place that does stellar yellow rice, but, they no longer limit themselves to rice. Instead, they have a whole heap of varying things to choose from.
Since we had already tried their yellow rice, we decided that it was time that we tried the other items on their menu. And after 3 visits and 4 attempts at visiting, we finally made it.
Ambience
The ambience at Kafe KBG is pretty straight forward. Comprising of a couple of wooden picnic tables, lots of wall art and a small space outside which people can book for when they want to have a BBQ/ bona party, we found it to be all right.
It's great for when you're looking for a place to have a quick lunch, plus, given how it's smack dab in the middle of Thimbirigasyaya, it's as convenient as a resto could get.
The Food
You can't just go to Kaha Bath Gedara and not get the Kaha Bath. Rs. 480 and served in the nicest way possible, the Kahabath with Lanakanised Tandoori Chicken was actually very good. Boosting a bright, sunny yellow, the rice was packed with flavour and the curries helped to take things to the next level. With a sense of creaminess creeping through the dhal and the spicy notes coming through the tempered potato, we actually really liked this one.
The chicken itself had been cooked quite well. Yes, it was a tad on the dry side of things but we didn't really mind.
This was the Chicken Fried Rice (Rs. 375). A rather generous helping of fluffy white rice tossed in spring onions and chicken and served with a small portion of chilli paste, this was okay. While the fried rice itself was quite nice, the fact that there was no gravy kind of killed it for me. The addition of maybe even the smallest bit of gravy would have made a world of a difference.
Kicking things off with the Fiery Nai Miris Pol Sambol and Ambul Thiyal (Rs. 550) was probably the best decision we made during our experience there. The bread was beautifully fresh and had a wonderful crunch when you bite into it. Boosting a rather generous amount of butter on the surface, the bread itself was the first of the many good things that followed.
Spicy with a slight tang thanks to the pol sambol, creamy thanks to the added cheese and just the right bloom in the flavour thanks to the ambul thiyal, we absolutely loved this one. If you do happen to visit Kafe KBG, we suggest getting this. It's brilliant.
This is the Fiery Nai Miris Pol Sambol and Spicy Chicken Roast Paan (Rs. 500). This wasn't as good as the prior, the bread wasn't as buttery and the added punch from the ambul thiyal was severely missed. It's mostly because the chicken didn't have anything distinct about it, and if, given the option of choosing between this and the previous option, we say go with the fish.
Aside from all the bready stuff, we also happened to get a helping of their Devilled Cuttlefish (Rs. 850). Fiery red with plenty of cuttlefish pieces lazying around, the cuttlefish itself was quite nice. A bit of the saucy, sweet side, but not all that bad. What really stole the show was the nai miris sauce that they serve with the rice. Spicy, sweet and utterly divine, it adds enough flavour to eat with just plain rice and was all in all fantastic.
Service
The service at Kafe KBG was good. Very informative to the point where we were made slightly uncomfortable, but as a whole, okay. We got a helping of their Pepper Chicken on the house and while we are grateful, we can't really talk about it because we didn't pay for it.
With 30 minutes on the clock to get our food in order, we can't complain.
Conclusion
If what you're looking for is a solid place to get your dose of yellow rice or a decent roast paan sandwich, we suggest giving Kafe KBG a shot. The ambience is nice and the food was lovely as well.
