Situated in the heart of Pelawatte, this cozy orange and black themed restaurant with a classy wooden interior perched at the side of the road catches your eye for all the right reasons. It has a comfortable and homely vibe, rightfully so, as the small staff comprising of 11 staff members and owners operate as a close knit family. They promote the three principles - Quality, Freshness and Hygiene, as a result they do not add any MSG, artificial flavours, colouring or stock powder. They offer every possible cuisine imaginable be it Italian, Thai, American, Sri Lankan etc. and each dish is carefully curated and designed to cater to your taste buds. You can even get it customized to your liking.
A lawyer by profession Sushan Pieris had another passion in life; to start his own restaurant one day. Armed with no other prior experience in the hospitality industry other than owning a travel company he embarked on this journey along with Harsha Ranasinghe and Mr Yohan Fernando.
When Covid-19 hit, they had a choice between giving up or soldering on, naturally they did what any entrepreneur would and pursued on through the many obstacles. ‘When you are passionate you need to know how to convert that into a business which was the hardest and most important thing I learnt’, stated Sushan.
Today, they operate at a quality that matches a five star restaurant, backed by an energetic, friendly, highly experienced and a young crew. Their Executive Chef Dilan Maduranga although young, has travelled all over the world and worked with some of the top chefs at the best restaurants, including Marco Pierre White himself.
They will also be opening a new branch next month in the ever buzzing and happening Colombo 7, which will comprise of a supermarket downstairs named Modern Grocer run by his brother Sharen Pieris and the restaurant situated upstairs.
They are also becoming known for their steak and veg dish which has garnered compliments from foreigners so do check it out when you visit.
They are open from 11am – 10pm and hope to extend their hours during the weekend. Further, it is BYOB.
Lime and Mint Temptation – Rs 320/-
This bright green drink is the perfect thirst-quencher for our island weather. It has the perfect blend of mint and lime and is quite refreshing on the palette.
Strawberry Pineapple Twist – Rs 450/-
This was a twist we didn’t see coming as these two unsuspecting fruits went great together. The tanginess of each fruit balanced out the overall taste. It was made with real pulp and you could taste the freshness of the fruit. (This was something they came up with on the spot for us)
Cream of Basil and Tomato Soup – Rs 390 /-
If you’re not a big fan of tomato, this soup will change that! It was creamy and the flavour of tomato was not too overpowering or watery like it usually is. This rich red broth is perfect for these chilly evenings, and the basil added that extra zing it needed.
Caesar Salad – Rs 600/-
There had big pieces of chicken which we thought was good value for money. It had been tossed in mayo along with fresh salad leaves, boiled eggs and croutons. Make sure you give it a good toss before you eat it or you might find the chicken dry.
Island Fries – Rs 290/-
If you like big fries, then this dish is for you. These sweet potato fries were perfectly crispy and seasoned. The texture was on point, as was the ratio of batter to sweet potato. It is a definite must have and was quite a big portion for the price.
Bacon and Cheese Koththu – Rs 830/-
Koththu is a perfect dish made more perfect by adding in bacon bits and smothering it with cheese. It is a wholesome dish and leaves you wanting more even though the portion is quite large.
Fish and Chips – Rs 1100/-
This has all the staple necessities you need in this dish – crispy, tangy and crunchy fish and chips topped off with their self-made tartar sauce. The fish is absolutely melt in your mouth and was the highlight of the day. Their secret? Using pangasius fish which is imported from East Asia as opposed to the traditional barramundi. They also offer the option of beer batter if you request it.
A fun fact about their desserts is that it is all sourced from their family members, reiterating the family vibe this restaurant has. This ensures that it is freshly homemade each day and of the highest quality. ‘If the correct ingredients aren’t available the desserts don’t get made that day’, joked Harsha.
Chocolate Biscuit Pudding - Rs 220/-
Following a family recipe that is over 80 years old, it is just to die for. It is not overly sweet but still offers that chocolatey taste we all crave. It has the perfect biscuit to chocolate ratio.
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake – Rs 450/-
The cheesecake by itself it a treat for your taste buds as the cream cheese is silky and gooey and makes for a perfect cheesecake. The Oreo just adds that crunchy base and chocolatey texture making it a must have dessert.
Go and check them out on Instagram at @colombocuisine and they are also available on pick me and uber eats if you want to order in.
We wish them the best of success in their future endeavours, and we can’t wait to visit their Colombo branch.
