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By Laurie Ashton

This month’s assignment took me to yet another restaurant that recently opened its doors. Tulips by Koluu opened in September of 2004 and is another welcome addition to the restaurant scene in Colombo.

I’ve heard a lot about Koluu over the last year and a half I’ve lived in Sri Lanka. I’ve heard that he’s a flamboyant cross-dresser. I’ve heard him referred to as outrageous, eccentric even, and also delightful. And so I was curious to experiencing one of his creations. Little did I know that when my husband and I arrived at the restaurant, we would be brought into the bar, replete with chrome and glass, to meet Koluu, the owner.

In real life, he’s a large man - large in size as well as personality. I found Koluu to be warm and friendly as we sat for a few moments chatting. Charming, too. I noticed the large, colourful painting of tulips across from me, appropriate for the restaurant. Behind Koluu was a picture of a scantily clad man.

Later, we were seated in the dining area, separate enough from the bar area that the loud dance music doesn’t filter through. It was classy, the solid wood furniture, plush sofas with oversized pillows adding to the warmth and comfort. More pictures caught my eye, one of a very large squid (small octopus?) draped around another barely dressed man’s shoulders, a common theme. The barely dressed men, not the squid.

After perusing the menu for a few brief moments, we both started with the Mixed Fruit Cocktail, which was marvellously scrumptious.

I nearly ordered the Sea Food Assam Puteh Soup (Some thing spicy and some thing sour combined with seafood, Rs450), but when the waiter described it as salty, my husband’s interest was immediately piqued, so he ordered it instead. I opted for the Prawn and Spinach Soup (A delicately spiced soup with chilli and coconut milk, Rs 400).

Excellent choice, I thought, as I savoured the thick and creamy coconut flavour, a little sweet and a little spicy, the colour a symphony of contrasts with creamy yellow broth, red peppers, and dark green spinach.

My husband’s soup was too salty and sour for me, but he found it perfect – the sourness, saltiness and spiciness set each other off to perfection. He loved the lingering taste, an intriguing blend of onions, cilantro, and spices.

I had thought about ordering the Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup (Thick and creamy with a sharp flavour of blue cheese, Rs450), highly recommended, but I was more than happy with the choice I’d made.

Garlic herbed bread arrived at our table that was delish, although Fahim complained that it was too crusty. It’s baguette bread, I tell him, and it’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. It nearly dripped with the garlic butter – oh, how I love it! Very nicely done.

I thought about ordering the Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce (A flaked crabmeat patty lightly pan-fried with a tangy mustard sauce, Rs400) since I’d never had that before and always wanted to. I also contemplated the Spinach and Cheese Fritter with a Tomato Salsa (A combination of leafy spinach and loads of Cris’s cheese. Served with a tomato salsa, Rs400) since it looked so good, but I went with a smoked salmon dish.

The part of Canada where I come from has excellent smoked salmon, and I’ve been spoiled. I’ve had salmon smoked with fruit - cherries, apples, raspberries - that tasted just divine with a fruity sweet smoky flavour I just adored. So when it was suggested that I order the Smoked Salmon Parcels with a Coriander Pesto (Smoked salmon stuffed with coriander pesto, wrapped and steamed in rice paper. Served with a spicy sauce, Rs500), I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d respond. Would I be disappointed?

Fortunately, the smoked salmon, imported from Norway, was excellent. Not the same as I was used to – completely different taste and texture - but no less excellent. The coriander pesto was delightful and went very well with the salmon, and the spicy sauce was, well, a little spicy. For me, who has a very high tolerance for spicy food, that’s saying a lot. It was sweet sweet sweet, and this is one sauce I will make every effort to emulate in my own kitchen because, after all, I now know what a perfect sweet pepper sauce ought to taste like.

My husband had the Spicy Prawn Balls with Coriander Dip (Delicious balls of chopped prawns, deep friend and served with an exotic dip, Rs450), and while the prawn balls were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, perfectly deep-fried, they were lacking in flavour. The coriander dip, however, was enchanting. Ingenious. Excellent, even. The dip had a bit of a kick, was thick and slightly salty, and had a perfect coriander flavour. They kicked the prawn balls into wonderful. And, as a side note, I was pleased to discover that the coriander dip was also delightful with my smoked salmon.

My husband’s main course was the Mee Goreng with Salted Egg and Fresh Chili (Rice vermicelli served with your combination of chicken, prawn, pork, or beef. Topped up with salted egg and served with fresh chilli sauce, Rs600). The prawns had no flavour and were not salted, and neither was the egg. My husband commented that there were bits of the rice vermicelli and vegetables which were bland, but most of it was flavourful and delicious. He doesn’t think they mixed it well enough.

I’d been tempted to order the Belly Pork with Hot Butter Sauce (Slices of tender pork served with a rich gravy, blended with red wine, Rs 700). Or maybe the Mushroom Stroganoff (Mushrooms cooked to perfection with cream and a dash of sherry, Rs600). How about the Lentil and Nut Roast (the vegetarian’s answer to the meat loaf, Rs600)?

Nope. I had the Lemon Grass Prawns (Lagoon prawns marinated in lemon grass, tossed into a hot flame and simmered in spices and a dash of coconut milk, Rs700). The dash of coconut milk was much more than a dash, but believe me, I’m not complaining. Not the way it tasted, which was heavenly. The sauce was lemony, sweet, a little spicy, and thick, and it complemented the succulent prawns flawlessly. It was served with a salad – tomato, green and red peppers, cucumber, lettuce, all at the height of freshness – with a mustard vinaigrette. Very nice indeed.

We already knew we weren’t likely to have room for dessert by the time we were done the appetizers, which was unfortunate as I would have loved to sample the Triple Layered Chocolate Mousse (Rs500). Or Proffiteroles (Rs450), if only to find out what they are. Or, oh! The Date Delight (Rs450). Given how good the food was already, I knew it wouldn’t disappoint, but would there be room? I could hope, couldn’t I?

But alas and alack! It was not to be. We were stuffed. Next time.

The menu offers much in fusion cooking with items from all over the world represented. Who wouldn’t want to take the menu for a spin?

But then, this is something else Koluu is known for – colourful décor, interesting menus, and mixing east and west flavours into explosively superior combinations.

Tulips by Koluu

No. 383 Duplication Road, Colombo 03
Telephone: 011-5522111, 011-5522115
Lunch: 12pm – 3pm Monday through Saturday, closed Poya days
Dinner: 7pm - 12pm Sunday through Thursday
7pm - 1am Friday and Saturday
Poya days – open for dinner, but the bar is closed.

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Other Sites: L M Ashton - Creative Writing | L M Ashton - Writing Blog | Fiction Tips & Tools