Paan Paan has created a name for itself in Colombo's bakery scene and now, they're breaking into the whole grilled meat scene with their latest extension, The Grill. Here's our First Look!
Food
The Grill serves burgers and submarines filled with grilled meats (obviously).
We opted for a Tandoori Chicken Burger (Rs 450) and a Teriyaki Chicken Submarine (Rs 550).
Don't char wish your grill friend was hot like me Tandoori Chicken?
Tandoori chicken as a filling is seldom an option. And when it is, it's often done badly. But Paan Paan's tandoori chicken was on point. It was seasoned well with that distinct Indian flavour cutting through the rest of the burger sharply.
The bun wasn't hard, but it had potential to go higher on the softness meter. I did also notice there was no mint chutney as described on the menu. With the addition of the promised chutney and more raita, this burger could have gone from a good burger to an amazing burger because the generous tandoori chicken filling really does the trick.
We genuinely hope Paan Paan never compromises on the quality of the tandoori chicken!
Fun fact: If you have OCD, you may not have made it through this sub because it wasn't cut in equal halves.
Most places confuse "teriyaki chicken" with "soya sauce". I sent prayers of gratitude to the Lords of Teriyakiland when this didn't taste like soya sauce being forced down my throat. This slightly spicy filling came with a few colored peppers thrown in, and there was plenty of chicken. YAY! However, I noticed there were no carrots as mentioned on the menu, but who cares about carrots? Ain't nobody got time fo dat!
For submarines, you can select from Multi Seed, Soft White and Crusty White breads. I chose Soft White. Promise delivered. Bread was soft. Very, very soft.
Service and Ambience
Service was okay. The staff were a little confused with Quickee orders being piled with normal orders. So, basically, it was slightly chaotic in there which is understandable given that they were only in the trial stage of operations.
The seating area is fairly small, but it's cosy and warm. It's built on a wooden platform outside their first branch down Lorenz road. Wise usage of space. Ornamented with plants, it's quite a chilled spot to munch down a burger and a submarine after a tiring day of stalking people on Facebook.
Overall
The Grill wasn't disappointing although there definitely are some bits they could work on, beginning with getting the staff organized and giving me that mint chutney that was promised on the menu.
But on the whole, they are off to a good start with some great tandoori chicken.
