Zion Fountain Cafe is a little bath kade type eatery that’s on the same premises as the Zion Christian Church. They serve rice, short-eats, smoothies and cake for affordable prices, and it’s actually a pretty popular stop for school-goers in the neighborhood.
Food & Service
We got their chicken rice (Rs. 160) and mango smoothie (Rs. 150). The rice is a great deal for the price, with plenty of potatoes, veggies and parippu, and a piece of chicken. The rice was a little on the rough side but overall the meal was tasty and filling, worth it if you’re in the neighborhood and want a quick lunch.
The smoothie is refreshing on a hot day but it’s also made very thick so trying to drink it with a straw is no good. The folks here were really nice though so we wouldn’t be surprised if they obliged if you asked them to blend it a second time.
These are their other smoothie options from their website. We thought their freestyling with the fonts here were worth the screenshot. The 90s called, they want their WordArt back. (Just kidding, WordArt for the win, bro.) We’re glad we found a place that sells smoothies super cheap.
We also got their maalu paan (fish bun), because everyone knows the maalu paan is the backbone of any decent short-eats establishment. It had a lot of fish in it, so points for that, though it wasn’t the best out there. Go for their chocolate cake. At 60 bucks you get two chunks and it’s very creamy and soft and obviously home-made.
Location & Ambience
Zion is another name for Jerusalem, a name common among different religious groups. The place has got a lot of school kids visiting it, since you find Asian International, Ilma International and Elizabeth Moir inside the lane right next to it (Thalakotuwa Gardens). There are two ways to enter, the first is under the giant semi-circular sign that says ‘Zion Christian Community Center’ – you can’t miss it. You walk in and the cafe is to your left. (To your right is a big dog kennel, where the cafe owners’ dogs chill all day, they’re pretty friendly.)
The other entrance is the actual cafe one from the main road, but it’s obscured by this tree. The entrance says ‘Shalom’, the Christian and Jewish greeting for peace, and has a couple of bird sculptures sitting on ‘Joy of the Lord’ buckets.
Yes, as the name suggests, there are fountains at the side entrance, and generally water coming out of things, like the rocks by the church area, and the buckets at the main entrance. Inside the cafe is a typical short-eats restaurant with glass displays and one table with chairs, and as you go further in there’s an open space with a lot of plastic seating next to the church space and parking. It’s pretty airy and cool here even on a hot day. There’s a lot of open free space here in general and religious quotes on the walls.
Conclusion
Zion Fountain Cafe is a small, clean place to stop at if you’re in the neighborhood and want to get a quick lunch or have a snack or smoothie. The service is good and the prices are pretty low.
