Malabe's finally got a great place for upscale dining and fancy parties.
It's on the 4th floor of a new building that still hasn't been furnished completely, and with no signs anywhere on the inside, we were a bit confused as to whether we were at the right place. Anyway, we went to the highest floor since we knew there was a rooftop and voila, we were there.
The Food & Drinks
It took us a while to decide on what to get, not because the menu was extensive but everything we asked for was told not available at the moment. That's not something you want to hear but then again the place was completely empty when we went, so I'm guessing this is more of a dinner place than lunch.
We started off with a portion of Batter Fried Mushrooms (Rs. 400) which was really delicious. While the batter was very crispy and crunchy, it wasn't dripping with oil. The portion was quite large too, and came with ketchup and fish sauce. The onions didn't do anything really, I would've liked it better if they were caramelised.
Then our main courses were served. We got the Surprise Chicken Rice (Rs. 850) and I must say the presentation was absolutely superb. I mean, look at that! At the bottom was a generous portion of fried rice with lots and lots of fresh veggies mixed with a scrambled egg. It was topped with fried chicken which was cooked well and dipped in gravy sauce, and while the sauce was flavoursome they could've gone easy on the pepper. Finally, at the top was a small salad with evenly sliced carrots, cabbages, and leeks.
The Chili Garlic Half Chicken (Rs. 1200) was quite pricey but I wouldn't complain. The chicken was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious, especially the gravy sauce. The dish came with a side of mashed potato which was incredibly creamy and yum too.
For our drinks, we got their in-house special mocktail Silk Route Mule (Rs. 350). It was the perfect drink for a heavy meal. It had passion fruit, ginger beer, honey with a twist of lime.
We also got a Chocolate Milkshake (Rs. 350) and that was the only flop of the day. For Rs. 350 we were expecting a really big milkshake with ice cream and maybe some whipped cream on top. Instead, we got a lightly blended Kotmale chocolate milk.
A dessert is the last thing you're going to taste and it's got to be right. Our Coconut Tiramisu (Rs. 550) wowed us in that same way. The flavour and the texture were on point!
The cream on top was smooth and coconutty, but my favourite was the very bitter coffee cake at the very bottom of the glass. It came with a side of blueberry and rum which I did not care for, but Vishvi liked it.
Service & Ambience
Since we were the only two people there, the staff kept coming and asking whether we were enjoying our food. I liked all the attention, but when you're halfway through a battered mushroom and the manager is waiting for an answer, it's an uncomfortable situation. The service was good, the food arrived on time and was served warm.
The ambience is splendid. With cushioned chairs and wooden tables, you get a 5-star dining vibe with an open kitchen. The rooftop is the place to be. Even on an afternoon, you can enjoy a cold drink without feeling too warm cause you get the coolest summer breeze.
Overall
Our total bill came around Rs. 4000 which wasn't so bad, especially since we didn't get charged for various taxes. For a place that's only been running for a month, they're doing a good job. Their food and drinks are delicious, but with room for improvement of course. I would really love it if they had more options for lunch.
