If you live around Maharagama, chances are you already have a good idea about Iceburg Cafe, a popular spot known for delivering quick snacks, and a range of sundaes.
Food & Drinks
They've got a bunch of stuff, from fast food to desserts – burgers, submarines, sandwiches, finger foods, salads, and soups whatnot.
Our lunch here comprised of a Chicken Submarine with Cheese (Rs.510), Southern Chicken Fried Chicken with Potato Wedges and Salad (Rs. 620), and a couple of drinks to wash them down – Iced Milo (Rs. 200) and Mocca Frappe (Rs. 350).
The Chicken Submarine with Cheese was a decently sized bun, well-stuffed with chicken bacon, thinly sliced carrot, lettuce, cabbage and a slice of cheese and maybe very few random wandering pieces of onion. The bread was soft, and had a tinge of sweetness to it, but lacked the ability to hold the massive filling inside. While the chicken bacon was cooked well, it didn’t carry meaty flavours that we were looking for. Actual pieces of chicken (roast or grilled) would have been a better choice.
We weren’t impressed by the carrot – chicken bacon combo either. They could have easily included more caramelised onions here to make it more interesting. Anyway, the slice of cheese (Kraft, we presume) was a nice touch but made us wonder how the one without the cheese would stack up.
The fries were better. With a light crisp on the outside and a soft inside, it had just the right amount of oiliness and a tiny sprinkle of chilli powder spicing it up.
This plate of Southern Chicken something left us with mixed feelings. First, the chicken had little to no flavour. You need to bite all the way to the bone to get the meaty flavour, as the coating was hella thick in texture. On the good side, it had a good crunch, but the spicy kick resided on the edges didn’t really do any favours to the flavours. We assume it was a re-fried, and not freshly made.
This was served with the sides of potato wedges and a salad, which turned out to be the saving grace of our meal. The wedges were chunky, well-seasoned, with a little crispiness on the outside.
The salad was good too. Lettuce, thinly sliced onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, and even apple. The ingredients seemed fresh and the leafy flavours blended nicely with the subtle sweetness of the apple bits.
Pictured above – Iced Milo (left) and Mocca Frappe (right)
The Iced Milo was cold enough, with strong hints of malt coming through its milky flavours. Even though it was a bit sweet for our liking, we enjoyed it a lot.
Topped off with a blob of whipped cream, the Mocca Frappe was a refreshing drink. It was on the milkier side, a couple more spoonfuls of coffee, and probably chocolate powder would have made this better.
Service and Ambience
We have no complaints regarding their service. Friendly and welcoming, they presented the menu as soon as we walked in, and delivered our food within like 20 minutes.
In terms of ambience, it had ample seating and plenty of space, which was further helped by the giant glass window overlooking the road. Generally clean and well-maintained – the fish tank said that too.
Conclusion
It's the same cafe we remember, and hasn’t changed much over the years. With plenty of seating for people, it's a good place for podi celebrations or to enjoy a meal with a friend or by yourself, if you are in the area.
