Tantalising Tsing Tao

By Cassandra Mascarenhas

The architecturally stunning, newly-renovated Colombo Racecourse Promenade brings together the finest elements of the city of Colombo and coupling this with delectable authentic Chinese cuisine, Tsing Tao introduces gourmands to an eclectic fusion of cultures.

Offering patrons five-star fare in a tastefully plush setting, Tsing Tao is the newest addition to the city’s somewhat limited fine dining options. Proprietor Janaka Wimalananda, however, is no stranger to the culinary scene, being the mastermind behind the popular beachfront restaurant Loon Tao in Mount Lavinia, which was launched over five years back.

“I wanted to create a synergy between the names of the two restaurants. Tsing Tao is a port city in China and as Colombo too is a port city, it seemed like the ideal choice. The similarities end there – the overall experience here is completely different to that offered at Loon Tao,” explained Wimalananda.

Chinese food may seem easy to come by in Colombo, yet what most establishments offer is a hybrid, now known as Sri Lankan Chinese, adapted to suit local tastes and those with authentic Chinese tend to lean towards more traditional dishes.

Tsing Tao differentiates itself completely by dishing out ‘modern’ Chinese cuisine and its menu with over 200 dishes replicates what may be found at an up-market restaurant in any of China’s main cities. The restaurant’s interior mirrors this, loosely modelled around upper-end luxury eateries in Hong Kong. Wimalananda, understanding that not all dishes would suit the Sri Lankan palate, has carefully handpicked every dish on the menu – all of which are prepared by six chefs hailing from various provinces in China.

Live acoustic music by Flame coupled with delicious aromas greeted us as we headed upstairs to one of the four dining areas the restaurant houses. Occupying three storeys in the building, Tsing Tao boasts what is possibly Colombo’s first al fresco dining location, right by the road – ideal for dining under the stars after around 9 p.m. when the traffic eases. The first floor is more formal, while dining on the floor above is cosier, with either Flame or Beth De Castro keeping you company with their melodies. For the most visually stunning experience, head outside where candlelit tables arranged on the steps of the Racecourse’s pavilion overlooking the vast expanse of turf offers a hauntingly lovely and private dining setting.

The restaurant’s extensive menu contains a rather quirky feature – every price on it is rounded off to the nearest eight. Wimalananda explained that this was a traditional Chinese custom. As we waited on our soups and starters, he went on to explain that every dish and drink in the restaurant was made to order, keeping to the restaurant’s motto of ‘eat fresh’.

“Fruits and vegetables are delivered daily, meats come in every other day and we feature catch of the day seafood – as you can imagine, this is a logistical nightmare! All perishables are bought in Sri Lanka but all non-perishables are handpicked by the chefs and imported from China, from the flour to the noodles and even dry mushrooms,” Wimalananda said.

As the dishes were brought to the table, the first thing that catches your attention is how eye-catching every dish is. Presented in simple yet stunning crockery, each dish is beautifully arranged with carefully placed vegetables and sauces giving an additional pop of colour.

“I was trained in Japan where I learnt that people first eat with their eyes, then their nose and finally through taste. Therefore presentation, aroma and taste are equally important to me,” added the proprietor.

While Tsing Tao offers steamed soup, a much healthier option, we settled for a firm favourite – tom yum – and we were not disappointed. Liberally infused with seafood, the clear soup nailed the perfect balance between spice and sour, simply delicious. Up next was a rather bold starter, black fungus in hot chilli sauce, and although we at first picked at it rather dubiously, it was surprisingly good. The fungus has a rather unusual texture, much like a crunchy raincoat, and while the fungus itself was devoid of much taste, the sauce certainly made up for it with a spicy kick – a definite must-try just for the experience.

A highlight of the night for me, being an avid fan of pork, was the boiled belly pork with spicy garlic sauce. Boiled gives one the impression of blandness but this was far from it with wafer thin slices of well marinated pork coupled with the garlic and soy sauce creating a veritable explosion of tastes in your mouth as you eat it.

A smorgasbord of meats and seafood was laid before us for the main course. The egg fried rice or even steamed rice are great accompaniments if trying out a variety of dishes. Some of the highlights were the prawns with basil, mild yet the leaves add an abundance of flavour; beef with green curry served with stringy mushrooms and green glass noodles – the curry in itself is well-seasoned and tasty; the Hong Kong style sizzling spicy chicken is a great option for a savoury kick to the meal, and tea mushrooms with beef – in both the beef dishes, it is the mushrooms that really stand out and are well worth a try.

Always leave some space for dessert when dining at Tsing Tao – they must be eaten. The dessert menu features over 20 dishes of classic favourites including blueberry cheesecake, tiramisu and chocolate brownies, and adds a fresh twist to others with inclusions like lychee panna cotta, choc-nut cookie ice cream sandwiches and chocolate pots. We sampled two desserts readily available in Colombo – the tiramisu and chocolate brownie – and they were both excellent. The brownie was rich yet not overly sweet with the taste of dark chocolate while the tiramisu was simply perfect, with strong overtones of coffee.

The restaurant also serves over 40 varieties of flavoured tea and a range of coffees, including espressos and cappuccinos. An extensive beverage menu with over 200 items features fresh juices, cocktails, mocktails, liqueurs, spirits and wines. An ‘after dark’ menu brings together the best of liqueurs, espressos, teas, cognac and must more – a decadent indulgence.

Tsing Tao has a seating capacity of 250 and each of its four dining areas can be hired out for functions which the restaurant caters to specifically, with four different party menus to choose from.

A range of dim sum is also available at lunchtime. The restaurant’s staff too deserves a mention – courteous and attentive from the minute you step through Tsing Tao’s doors, they complete the fine dining experience that the restaurant offers.