The Sizzle is an expensive restaurant with a great selection of meats and even decent vegetarian. Everything is served sizzling, even the drinks.
Colombo has few middle class restaurants along the lines of Chili’s or TGI Fridays (though the latter is reportedly opening a franchise soon). By middle class we mean restaurants which are higher priced but which also have higher food and service standards. Colombo does have expensive restaurants, but they rarely give much thought to the food or service.
Sizzle is different. It’s basically a very intelligent machine of a restaurant from everything to the service, the decor and the food. It’s not cheap, but as a diner you can expect a very interesting and satisfying experience. We tried the smelting pot, sizzling chicken, various drinks and a bubbling chocolate cheesecake and ice cream dessert. They were all very good, some verging on excellent. Actually ate a bit too much, simply for the taste of it.
Food
Sizzle’s trick is that everything sizzles. The drinks have dry ice in them and smoke and the food is served bubbling under a fire (the smelting cheese) or sizzling on a hot plate. This makes for a fun meal, especially for families with kids.
Besides the trick, the food is all very generous and quite good. The smelting pot (we had the Jack Dempsey Upper Cut for Rs. 1450) is excellent – in our case cuts of beef, bits of bread and baby corn, mushrooms and peppers, all served with a bubbling pot of cheesy sauce to dip it in. It’s very aggressive fondue.
For mains we tried the Lex Lugan Special (Rs. 1300), chicken with mixed spices and egg. This was served with mashed potatos and buttery vegetables. This was not as amazing as the smelting pot, tasty but not amazing.
The drinks were actually the highlight of the meal. Layla’s Daiquiri (Rs. 150) is a huge, steaming behemoth of ice and pink. It actually melts throughout the course of the meal. It’s very sugary and punch-in-the-mouth kinda tasty, which is not a bad thing.
While Sizzle is best for meats and hearty eating, they have a very sophisticated menu with something for everyone. There are dedicated vegetarian and kids sections and they also have biriyani and Mongolian and set lunch specials (for around Rs. 600). We’re usually suspicious of places with huge menus, but Sizzle seems professional (and profitable) enough that they can deliver.
The Dessert
We almost forgot the desserts. This deserves a heading of its own. We tried Judy’s Favorite Sizzle, an obscene combination of brownie, cheesecake and ice cream, all served in a bubbling chocolate sauce. It’s really really good and really really bad at the same time. The sizzling experience takes already decadent desserts to another level.
Location
Sizzle is on Walukarama Road (accessible from the Galle Road) in Colpetty. There’s not a ton of parking but there’s some. The interior itself is quite nice and, again, you get that middle class American feel. The ceiling is covered with photos of patrons celebrating their birthday there and everything is generally bright and nice.
Service
Sizzle is an institution, set apart by its service. The staff are all friendly and knowledgable and smart. We went with a four year old cousin and they immediately brought out paper and colored pencils for her. When one server couldn’t quite understand us a senior waiter seamlessly took over. They also knew how to time the courses so they were all sizzling hot and that the table was cleared in time.
Sizzle’s service goes beyond that, they give you a card afterwards to note your birthdays and anniversaries and send you timely discounts and reminders. It’s a very intelligent business.
Conclusion
Sizzle is a fun restaurant experience. The food is not especially healthy and the flavors are over-powering rather than subtle, but sometimes that’s the experience you want. For a special occasion or just fun time out we highly recommend.
