The clink of glasses and cutlery, heartwarming laughs and lively chatter greeted us as we entered the Lotus Leaf Restaurant. Despite the fact that the huge screen in the room was showing the highlights of the second T20I, everyone seemed to be having a great time.
What inspired them to have adopted such a jovial mood must have been the food (and the booze) we assumed, as the Sri Lankan bowling attack was demolished by Warner and Smith over and over again.
The Food
We opted for the Chicken Cheese Kottu (Rs. 1200), the Nasi Goreng with Prawns (Rs. 850) and Fish & Chips (Rs. 530).
The Fish and Chips had been prepared in an unorthodox method, where instead of properly coating the fish in batter, the chunks of fish had a minuscule layer of batter and had been fried after being marinated. But nevertheless, it tasted amazing. The fish had this slightly salty flavour, which was perfect, and that extra zest that we expected. The chips were also quite chunky and the mixture of chilli and salt that has been sprinkled on top of it went perfectly.
The Chicken Cheese Kottu, like most cheese kottu you find, did not have much cheese, or chicken, for that matter. A few chunks of chicken thrown into the fray, and some passable dollops of cheese decorating the kottu, and a lot of slightly raw vegetables was what this kottu consisted of. We would have also loved if it was slightly wetter and fresher. The portion was also big enough to feed two.
During the naming of the dish "Nasi Goreng with Prawns," they would have done better to just stop at Nasi Goreng, because we surely did not find many prawns in it. The rice was a bit dry, but it had flavour and spice, which sort of made up for it. The portion served could easily have fed two people.
Juices and Milkshakes are served only during lunch so we settled for the fizzy drinks.
Service and Ambience
The place in itself gave out a very cosy, chilled out vibe, and there is a huge screen where you can watch the match from. They also had an entire wall dedicated to pictures of "Old Colombo", which presents a striking contrast of the Colombo from years ago to today.
Your judgment on how friendly the staff is might differ from the waiters present because while some of them are pleasant, the others are quite impatient and curt.
Conclusion
Pictured above: Nasi Goreng, Chicken Cheese Kottu and EGB
If you're looking to just hang out and catch up with a few friends while watching the cricket or rugby match, it's an ideal place to be at. The food might be a wee bit overpriced, but the side dishes are quite relishing, and all in all, a good place.
