I like cheese toast. A lot. Whether at White Horse, Swimming Club or your average dodgy bar, cheese toast has always been the solid companion to a night out. It’s the unsung hero to many a tea-time afternoon or boozy evening – the silent parter to a mug of zippy Lion, the soft complement to a milky Dilmah.
For me, it doesn’t get much better than White Horse – the small triangles of bread covered by a light tent of cheese, hitting the perfect balance between ever so slightly singed and gooey moistness; while some like their cheese burnt, I like mine oozy – when a cream of white sauce and cheese dribbles over the crust and the centre wobbles with small chips of green chilli.
Yet every Sri Lankan has his own favourite version of those oozing, golden triangles – whether from a bar, your local sports club or even the kitchen of a former tuition teacher…But a couple of days ago I heard something boldly declared, a strong pronouncement that the city’s best cheese toast had been found…and it was at the Colombo Golf Club.
Now not everyone has access to Colombo’s clubs, and most loyal members will swear by the wares of his own fraternity. Not being a member of every single club, gauging which of the city’s cheesey triangles is superior proves a difficult task.
But the Golf Club’s platter cuts a formidable rectangular figure. Fat strips of bread are smeared with a thick cream of cheese, green chilli, onion, and what we’re guessing is white sauce and egg. It’s an excellent cheese toast. Chunky, soft and rich – the top layer lightly baked to form a slim crust over a gooey ocean of creamy cheese swaying beneath.
There’s something comforting about cheese toast. If you’re at a slightly dubious establishment, it’s safer that braving the dodgy bits of devilled pork or chewing your way around an unremoved prawn intestinal tract. And this is one Colombo’s better renditions of the classic beer accompaniment – so if you ever have the chance, try it.
