By Hiruni Herath
When you step into the Royal Thai Restaurant at Cinnamon Lakeside, you’ll be transported from Colombo to beautiful Thailand. Sitting in the restaurant while the rain poured outside was truly an experience like no other. It felt as if I was in an untouched oasis, soothed by the calming instrumentals of Thai music along with the lotus and dragon motifs that are so common to Thai culture.
We were invited to try out their Thai Bento Box which is available at the restaurant only on pre-order. Your best bet is to pre-order the Bento Box before their lunch time which is from 12 noon to 3 p.m as the curries are made freshly with the best ingredients. So, if you want a delicious meal to break the monotony of a workday or a small break from the hustle and bustle of Colombo, you can opt for the Bento Box at the Royal Thai Restaurant.
The Bento Box
The Thai Bento Box comes with the option of Meat or Seafood and two vegetable options as well with the options being refreshed every week so you won’t be having the same Bento Box when you become obsessed with this quick and easy lunch from Royal Thai. Dessert is included in the Bento Box, so you can prolong your Thai lunch experience for a while longer.
The simplicity of the familiar Egg Fried Rice allowed the other curries to shine. The Red Curry Chicken had a ton of spice despite its creaminess. Usually when curries are made creamy, they tend to lose their heat but the heat in the Red Curry Chicken hadn’t lost its impact. The Wok Fried Vegetables, the Mixed Mushroom with Ginger Sauce and the simple Egg Fried Rice balanced out the heat of the Red Curry Chicken and the Thai Chili Paste. There was a generous portion of Thai Chili Paste that was almost unnecessary because the rest of the food was plenty flavorful and packed a punch on their own.
I kept going back to taste the Ginger Sauce in the Mixed Mushroom as it was full of flavor. It was definitely a welcome respite from the usual rice and curry. However, the star of the Bento Box was the Red Curry Chicken for me. You could definitely taste the Thai Red Chilies and the Lemongrass shining through.
The perfect accompaniment to all these was the Thai Papaya Salad which is a staple in Thai cuisine. It was refreshing and light, with its own unique flavor and texture which made sure that it didn’t just blend in with the other food items. The Papaya Salad does contain nuts but if you inform the staff at Royal Thai, they will be sure to take all your dietary restrictions into consideration and serve you the perfect lunch.
The Sago Pudding with mango was a splendid finish to the Thai Bento Box lunch. The mango was not too ripe and the Sago Pudding was melt in your mouth good. It is a bit on the sweet side, so if you are not a big fan of sweets, I’d advise you to take it slow and truly enjoy the flavors of this amazing dessert you shouldn’t miss out on.
The Bento Box is the perfect option for an executive lunch as Royal Thai will take you away from the hectic environment at your office and transport you to another part of the world. It’s the ideal setting for an intimate and relaxed conversation with a client or a luncheon to boost team morale. Notably, Cinnamon Lakeside offers a variety of promotions at the hotel as well as at the Royal Thai restaurant especially for the corporate sector, which you can find on their website, so make sure to keep an eye out for them as well.
The Bento Box is not available for delivery, but it is available for pick up through Flavors, the delivery service of Cinnamon Lakeside so you can enjoy an executive lunch in a space of your choosing or even in your office if you don’t have much time to step away from the busy grind.
Price range: LKR 2400 – LKR 2800
Location: Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, 115, Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, 00200
Time: 12pm to 3 p.m, every weekday.
Visit their website, Instagram page @cinnamonlakeside or Facebook page @CinnamonLakeside for more information.
