BBQ spots are not that common in Colombo, especially when you're going towards the outskirts of the city. Having said so, imagine our surprise when Masma Eat (මස්ම Eat) fired up their grill in Kottawa.
This is a small BBQ joint with a rented out parking spot – a bit down Highlevel Road from Kottawa. Being right on the roadside, it’s not hard to find, but it is quite easy to miss. But we knew right away that we’re in the right place – when we saw the huge BBQ sign, the music, and the people around.
Dem Meats
You can find an assortment of pork ribs, pork chops, bockwurst, sausages, fish, chicken legs and wings, and some garlic bread and salads in their roster. They have a few platter options and meal combos that can help out when you are dining in groups.
We settled on the most expensive item on the menu since it covered most of the items they have to offer. The Special Platter Ex-Large came in at Rs. 3450 sporting an extra-large Pork Rib, 2 pieces of Grilled Pork Chops, 3 pieces of Grilled Chicken and 3 Kochchi Sausages.
The star of the platter is this humongous pork rib and its beautiful reddish-brown colour was inviting enough for us to dig in. This was perfectly cooked – the meat was juicy, fell off the bones, and was glazed in honey making the sweetness take a bold stance. It was smoky as heck and its charred bits gave a slight bitterness here and there which added more depth to the meal.
We had a serving of their special sweet sauce on the side and dunking the meat in it took the flavour to the next level without tipping off the balance.
We requested the Pork Chops to be marinated to the spicy side and it delivered. The marination was on point with the bitterness from the char running all throughout the meat but without disturbing the porky flavours. This one came with a small tub of hot sauce with hints of garlic, pepper and kochchi miris seeping through, and it paired beautifully with the meat, making things extra spicy.
The three Kochchi Sausages came in the same dish as our order of Garlic Bread (Rs. 220). Right off the bat, we felt the aroma of garlic emanating from the bread. The slathering of garlic butter was rich but wasn't too much and there was a delightful crunch from the outside.
There were kochchi bits inside the sausages adding a bit of heat while having the perfect touch from the grill.
The three huge grilled chicken pieces came with their homemade sweet sauce. Its flesh fell off the bones easily, and it was cooked all the way through to the bone. They haven't overdone the grill here, keeping the chickeny flavours intact.
Service & Ambience
As we said earlier, they are a small joint by the roadside and they’ve set up their dining area on the parking lot of Ceylinco Insurance. At our time of visit, 10 in the evening, the air was cool and calm but if it was to rain, it can be an issue.
You have a few repurposed pallets as tables and chairs that can hold around 30 or more people comfortably.
We could easily see how they are working the grill and all the folks there were quite friendly. They explained which items would get delayed for the sole purpose of cooking it properly and without us asking, they heated up our meats so they won't go cold.
We didn’t see any issue with the ordering process and their service.
Conclusion
As their name suggests, they are an excellent option to grab some meat to eat. All of the items in our platter were quite delicious and they managed to deliver on service too. Their prices aren’t bad either and the quality of their grill is just excellent. This is a place a true carnivore can enjoy well and I for one will be returning for sure.
