Faluda House has been an all-time go-to spot for Indian sweets and faluda for years now. Located in Wellawatte, which is great for saivar kadeys and Indian sweet shops, this eatery didn't disappoint us. However, in comparison to what it was before, it's apparent that their standards have dropped visibly.
Sweets, Savouries and Faluda
We decided to try an assortment of the many sweets that were on display. With 100g being the minimum quantity, we got ourselves 100 grams of jalebi (Rs 70), Boondhi (Rs 70), Raspberry Barfi (Rs 360), and Peda (Rs 110). We also got one Satta (Rs 150) which is a cross between a flaky and dense sweet.
Unlike most Indian sweet shops, Faluda House nailed it with their jalebis! Crispy and super sweet, these were as fresh as it could get.
The boondhi was not of the best I have had and I can confidently state it used to taste a lot better. This boondhi, in particular, had way too much sugar and wasn't as soft as it's supposed to be.
Despite the artificial raspberry flavouring, this barfi was sating. Again, this wasn't the best preparation as it didn't taste creamy and milky, but for someone who doesn't know much about barfi, this would pass off as decent.
These were the best pedas I have had in Colombo as almost all Bombay sweet shops tend to mess up pedas royally. These tasted soft, sweet and milky, and like the jalebis, these tasted fresh.
Satta is a flaky Indian sweet with a soft middle. This satta was only all flakes with no sweetness and no softness. Faluda House used to make the best sattas and sadly, they seem to have lost the art of it just like the management seems to have lost interest in keeping the space clean.
As for savouries, there wasn't much to choose from. So all we could get our hands on were their beef samosa (Rs 30), a classic every Indian sweet shop in Colombo sells, and a packet of ghatiya (Rs 200), a Gujrati snack made out of chickpea flour.
Doused in oil, this samosa was mediocre, but worth the money.
For Rs 200, the packet was ginormous and makes for a great crunchy snack to munch on as you complain about how fat you're getting.
We also got a Faluda (Rs150) for takeaway.
Their faludas have always been amazing, and even made it to the number 1 spot in our round-up of 5 Great Faludas on Galle Road. Reasonably priced, this wasn't perfectly prepared, but had the basic elements and made for a great thirst quencher to beat the scorching Lankan heat.
Service and Ambience
Poor and confused service coupled with shabby interior indicate how what used to once be a presentable sweet shop has now turned into a sad, dilapidated structure. The bright green walls don't do anything to lift the look and the maintainence levels have dropped harder than this country's economy. There are a couple of glass topped tables strewn about and no one will attend until you impatiently call out for assistance.
Conclusion
Despite our regular skirmishes with the Indian cricket team fanatics, India's sweets, Faluda and Shah Rukh Khan have always had a special space reserved in our hearts. To fill this sweet void, Faluda House can be useful, but it's clear they're not as good as they were years ago.
