Recently opened, Lan Tao Cafe has a great potential of rising through the ranks to one of the best restaurants in town. Classified as a Fusion Restaurant, their combination of different elements from various cuisines is second to none.
Service and Ambience
The place looked very cosy and chill, and was very spacious. The entrance was adorned with a few miniature statues, and gave a very oriental-ish vibe, paired with the name.
The staff here are extremely friendly and courteous and was happy to explain the different dishes they had. Also, they gave out boss recommendations as to which dishes go well with which. The food took around 20 minutes to arrive, not more, and the staff when inquiring about the food, made sure to choose the right moment, not throwing anyone into an awkward situation, unlike some instances.
The Food
Lan Tao Cafe had an assortment of various food from different fares, including Thai, Indonesian and even elements from food specifically from the Jaffna region.
We opted for the Indonesian Sea Food Fried Rice (Rs.690), a portion that could serve two people, and it did not disappoint. Everything about the rice screamed perfect, from the fluffiness, to the fact that it was not oily, and yet, not dry, and was plentiful with prawns and other chunks of fish that swam into our mouth with each bite.
We also ordered the Thai Red Chicken (Rs. 720) to go with the rice and although the fact that this dish costed more than the rice was slightly disconcerting, all doubts were whisked away with the first taste of the curry. Chunks of chicken swimming in the rich, thick gravy and mint adorning the curry, the chicken was succulent and well prepared and the gravy was properly flavoured, and went perfectly with the rice and the Roast Paan we ordered.
The Roast Paan (Rs. 90) came sliced, and was slightly toasted and buttered, giving it a perfect taste. Although it wasn't as crispy as we expected it to be and was slightly tough, the buttering and the toasting, gave it a slightly smoky taste as well, which we really enjoyed.
The Pol Sambol (Rs. 120) it came with, was top-notch, Finely sliced green chillies, slices of onions, just the right amount of salt and lime: perfect.
I don't know how they managed to balance the taste of the banana and mango into such perfect harmony, but that is exactly what they did with the thick, relishing Mango Banana Smoothie (Rs. 550).
The Hot Chocolate with Hazelnut lured us into a trance with its smell itself, and the taste, even better. Rich, creamy and very chocolatey, the hazelnut integrated itself perfectly with the chocolate and was well worth the Rs. 500 we spent on it.
Conclusion
We have no doubt that the Lan Tao Cafe will definitely be an up and coming name in the near future, and you'll definitely see us coming back for more, because it's the whole package!
Amazing food, a great place to hang out; not many places in Colombo that have perfected this combination like here.
