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The Saffron Restaurant |
By Laurie AshtonWhile reading The Far Pavilions, one of my first major introductions to life and culture in India, I was brought so far into the book that I could see the events unfolding in my mind. Little Ashok and his aiya, Sita, live in the Raja’s palace with Anjuli, a half-breed princess who he later falls in love with. The rich descriptions of the Hindu Kush, the Indian palace, the plush cushions, the tapestries, bazaars all pulled me. Places like Gulkote, Lahore, the Hindu Kush were magical – romantic, mysterious, mesmerizing. I fell in love with India while reading this book, and longed to visit and experience it first-hand. When I walked into the Saffron, I felt like I’d walked into The Far Pavilions. I was in love. We were seated in one of the many alcoves, scalloped walls around us, a beautiful wall painting behind us. We sank into the plush sofa, overstuffed pillows surrounding us. I didn’t want to ever have to move again it was that comfortable. The tables had rattan pedestals while the wood chairs had beautifully carved backs. The décor was incredible – beautiful and striking. Luxurious. In the centre of the room stood a round table with an oversized arrangement of beautiful yellow and white flowers. As I looked around in amazement, I realized that there were ornate sconces and mouldings along with ornate patterns in aqua and sand on the ceiling. The restaurant was lavished with stunning attention to detail. The menu has a Sri Lankan side and and an Indian side. My husband ordered solely Sri Lankan items while I stuck with Indian. But of course, we shared. We started with the Saffron Delight (Rs225. Fish cutlets, capsicum chilli filled with spiced vegetables and green pea potato pastry) and Dam Ka Jhinga (Rs775. Crunchy prawns fried with cashew nuts green herb sauce.) They were over far too soon, they were that good. We could have handled having more of the same for the main course. Other items we contemplated? Amerella, Young Mango and Fresh Caju Salad (Rs275. Fine strips of amerella, mango and cashew in mustard, sugar & chilli). Even without knowing what amerella is, it sounded divine. As did Samosa (Rs275. Minced mutton and green peas in cumin pastry), one of my favourites, or Vegetable Pakora (Rs225. Deep-fried vegetables in chickpea batter served in chilli tomato sauce). Or how about Kesel Mal and Hal Masso Salad (Rs225. Tender banana blossom, deep fried sprats tossed with garlic flavoured chilli vinegar)? Or maybe the Isso and and Annasi Salad (Rs375. Baby shrimps and pineapple pickled with tangy tamarind dressing.) Oh my! For drinks, my husband had the papaya juice while I had the mango. They were thick, flavourful, and magnificent. Brilliant and divine. We wanted more, but they were filling and we needed to save room. We were so impressed by our experience that we ran out of superlatives by the end of the appetizers. However, as a writer, I must press on. So press on I did. Soup. Curry Flavoured Karallo Soup (Rs290. Baby pomfret soup flavoured with curry essence) for my husband, and Yakhini Shorba (Rs290. Mint flavoured lamb soup with lemon juice) for me. The Karallo soup was bathed in coconut milk, and my husband is not generally a fan of coconut milk, as I’m reminded when he complains at my heavy handedness with coconut milk. This soup, however, was so good that, he says, he’s “willing to overlook the coconut milk.” Karallo are tiny fish that, while bony, provide an excellent flavour. The mint flavour of the Yakhini Shorba was extremely subtle, as was the lemon. It had tiny cubes of lamb and possibly also cilantro in it. It was heaven. It exploded with flavour and delicacy. We could have ordered Chooze ka Shorba (Rs290. Clear chicken and fresh coriander soup) or Up Country Vegetable & Local Mutton Broth (Rs300. Country style root vegetables & local mutton gently simmered with hill country spices.) I’m not sure what hill country spices denotes, but I would love to find out. Or how about Kukulmas Maluwa (Rs425. Slow cooked boneless chicken in rich red curry gravy)? Or Elawalu Curry (Rs275. Seasonal mixed vegetables simmered in cumin flavoured curry sauce)? Or Navrathan Korma (Rs350. Jewels of vegetables cook in cashew paste gravy)? Or Murgh Tandoor (Rs475. Originated form the north west of India. Chicken marinated to chefs recipe and baked in clay oven)? A sure winner would be Barra Kebab Lazeez (Rs2100. Tender lamb chops in pepper marinade & kachiri charr grilled to perfection), as would be the Isso Temparaduwa (Rs775. Prawns tempered with onion, garlic and curry spices.) Difficult choices indeed. While we waited for our main course to arrive, I admired the bright pink lotus flower floating in water on our table. A member of the staff came over and explained to me that it was folded. He further explained that our flowers were folded in the most common way, but there were a couple of other ways to fold them. He then whipped out a few flowers from the back and folded them for us in a couple of other ways. My favourite? The way it was folded in the brass bowl. A short while later, our main courses arrived. The Baked Seer (Rs475. With chef’s spiced secret recipe baked in banana leaf) was tangy with an aftertaste of lingering spiciness. It was attractively arranged with slices of tomatoe and deep friend lengthwise banana chips, accompanied by a spicy sauce that was delectable. The Potato Garlic and Mushroom Teparaduwa (Rs250. Potato garlic and mushroom sauted with chilli & spices) was fantastic, but if, like my husband, you’re not fond of large pieces of garlic, don’t order it. Kaha Bath (Rs175. Basmathi cooked to perfection with turmeric, spices & fresh coconut milk) was subtle, sweet, and spicy. The Chicken Kurcharan (Rs475. Stir-fried tandoor chicken with tomatoes, chilli, coriander & ginger) that I ordered had crunchy bits, tender bits, and the most succulent chicken ever. The flavours were a delightful ménage of spice, kick, and je ne sais quo. I couldn’t get enough of it, even after I was past the point of being full. The Dahl Methih Makhan (Rs275. Our own style of dahl makhani with Kasoori methi) was excellent, as was the Paneer Kulchas (Rs125), which was fantastic. All in all, we were very satisfied with our meal, and as we spied on the leftovers, we realized that two more people could have easily been filled on what we ordered. Dessert. To order, or not to order, that is the question. Whether tis nobler . . . Ah, well. I wanted to order the Rath Kehel with Pol Pani (Rs275. Deep fried red banana served with palm sugar syrup and chopped nuts) from the Sri Lankan side of the menu, but there was nowhere to put it. I have no choice but to come back another time and try it, along with everything else on the menu that caught my eye. Which would include. . . pretty much everything. Luckily, my husband agrees – this is a restaurant we will be more than enthusiastic to frequent. Service was excellent. The décor was fantastic. The food was incredible, and the presentation was top-notch. The entire experience was inimitable. Unsurpassable. Magnifique. Enjoyable. Pleasing. An absolute delight. It’s restaurants like this that makes reviewing restaurants oh so incredibly worthwhile. Well! I guess I did have a few more superlatives left in me after all!
Saffron Restaurant Trans Asia Colombo Hotel
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Last Updated:
2005-07-06 8:21
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