Oyster Brunch at The Kingsbury: A lavish way to spend Sundays!

By Marianne David and Cassandra Mascarenhas

The Sunday Oyster Brunch at The Kingsbury is the latest addition to the city’s brunch options and it’s a fabulous one at that. Featuring over 300 dishes, including around 10 action stations, this is one brunch that’s a must-try – especially if you’re a seafood addict.

Boasting a wide open space surrounded by glass walls and looking out onto the ocean, the hotel’s Harbour Court restaurant is a place where you can sit down for a delicious meal and not feel the hours slip by as you settle into the comfortable chairs and take a gastronomic journey through many types of cuisine.

It’s hard to imagine a more lavish way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Colombo as the action stations cook up a storm, producing dishes that are made according to your instructions, ensuring satisfaction all around. In fact you even have the option of cooking up your own dish!

Priced at Rs. 2,650 nett, the buffet comes with a glass of bubbly (Café de Paris), which goes perfectly with the freshly shucked oysters and succulent slices of sashimi that will definitely have you wanting more. In fact as you walk into the restaurant, it’s the ice carvings holding all the seafood that first catch the eye – a tantalising sight indeed!

Arm yourself with chopsticks and commence at the far right of the restaurant where the chefs deftly work slices of salmon, tuna and other delicious delicacies into rolls of sticky rice, arranging them carefully on platters for eager diners to, in turn, pile on their plates. Further down are beds of fresh lettuce with zesty accompaniments such as croutons, bacon rinds and assorted nuts. A more substantial variety of salads – over 40 in fact – can be found at the salad station over by the mains, featuring cold cuts, 12 types of cheese, chutneys and other condiments.

Before heading to the mains, direct your attention to the highlight of the buffet – a literal mountain of oysters patiently being shucked by a chef, carefully arranged on ornamental ice carvings.

The buffet is extensive, with the action stations being key attractions, while the cheese corner and salad station are equally tempting. The yam station is unique and highly popular, as are the pasta and grill stations, not to mention the Indian corner featuring two stations – rotti and tandoori.

There really is nothing like freshly grilled seafood and meats and the Oyster Brunch excels at this. With the grilling action station set up in a corner, the aroma of sizzling steaks and calamari is irresistible. Another highlight is the pasta station at which guests can polish up their cooking skills by preparing their own dish, be it creamy fettuccini heaped with bacon or spaghetti infused with thick tomato sauce and seafood.  

While chatting to the Kingsbury’s Executive Chef Kithsiri De Silva when taking a much-needed break between loaded plates, he explained that he, along with his team, make subtle changes to the buffet every week, in order to offer recurring clientele some new delicacies. With over 27 years of experience in the field, he has in the past been at the Hilton Colombo, worked for top establishments in the Middle East and Europe, and commenced his stint at the Kingsbury a mere eight months back.

“I’m always here making a note of customers’ comments in order to plan some new dishes for the following week. There’s always room for improvement as well and the feedback I receive is important in order for us to develop further,” he asserted.

Chef explained that another reason for making frequent changes to the extensive menu was due to an observation he had made at similar spreads at Colombo’s establishments. “A mistake hotels in Sri Lanka make is that they never change their offerings. If you walk into a buffet at any hotel here, you will be sure to find the same dishes up for grabs even several months down the line. I want to change this. I also want to give first preference to local products at this buffet, hence the additions like the yam station.”

De Silva added that he realised the importance of showcasing traditional Sri Lankan fare during his many years abroad, pointing out that such additions have made a big different to the buffet, with customers coming back specifically for certain dishes that they can’t find elsewhere.

When you’re done with the mains, take some time for a breather before moving on to the delightful dessert section. Boasting an impressive range that definitely beats the other brunches in town, this dessert spread also features a fritters station and a highly-popular chocolate fountain.

There’s cheesecake, apple crumble, soufflés and many others delicious delicacies, ensuring there’s something for every palate. A unique feature here is the Sri Lankan corner featuring a selection of traditional sweetmeats. Another quirky addition is the platter of marshmallows which can be speared and dipped in the chocolate fountain for a gooey and delicious treat.

Platters of fresh fruit – watermelon, guava, apple, grapes, papaya and strawberries, amongst others – are also available for those who would prefer to end the sumptuous lunch on a lighter note. The Harbour Court also boasts a wide selection of refreshing beverages from the extensive beverage menu.

There’s more good news if you have young kids – while you indulge in the buffet, the kids can enjoy a kid-friendly snack buffet and activities including face painting, arts and crafts, magic balloons, cookie decoration and much more at the special Kids’ Corner.

Oyster Brunch is on every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. For reservations and inquiries, contact 0771087720 or 0115635 635.