The Chef’s Table at The Ocean: A sensational seafood spread!

THE PLACE

The Ocean is a serene and spacious restaurant located at The Kingsbury, serving up some sensational seafood paired with fine wines and exciting cocktails.

From Japanese and Thai to Sri Lankan, it serves up varied cuisines, ensuring that every diner is satisfied. Browsing through the menu is quite the treat since it is both extensive and impressive – making selection that much harder! – and, more importantly, it features quite reasonable prices to boot.

The focus is all on freshness here and the displays are covered to ensure hygiene, unlike in many other seafood restaurants. The fish is bought in super fresh and the entire catch is replaced daily, revealed The Kingsbury Director of Culinary Services Kithsiri De Silva, who is the man behind the magic that happens here.

The restaurant is exquisitely decorated in lovely shades of blue and provides privacy through the spacious placement of tables. The discreet and well-trained waitstaff is the icing on The Ocean cake, resulting in a lovely dining experience that doesn’t burn a hole in the wallet.

COCKTAILS

Alice’s Fantasy – Vodka, kiwi fruit mix, green grapes and freshly-squeezed lime juice: A wonderfully fruity concoction served over crushed ice, quite refreshing with a certain zing to it. The sweetness of the kiwi syrup is balanced out by the acidity of the grapes and lime. 

Cucumber Phantom – Hendrick’s Gin, cucumber slice with lime juice, cucumber syrup and tonic water: For the Gin connoisseurs out there, Hendrick’s is already an impeccably crafted spirit and the cucumber syrup only serves to heighten the flavour profile. The sweetness of the cucumber battles with the tonic water and gains the upper hand, resulting in a very well-balanced and well-rounded cocktail, simple yet perfect. 

Scented Rose – Gordon’s Dry Gin, Triple Sec, lime juice, bitter lemon, rose petals, elderflower cordial: Gin once again lends itself to this cocktail with the elderflower syrup keeping the overpowering flavours of the citrus trio at bay. The subtle scent of rose comes through at just the right time. This elegant cocktail is a must-have. 

STARTERS

Assorted Sushi and Sashimi Platter: Melt-in-your-mouth fresh tuna, creamy salmon, nigiri and maki, all made to perfection. As we all know, anyone can do sushi, but very few can get it right. One particular rice maki roll stood out as the rice was slightly roasted and gave a nice crunch to each mouthful.

Baked Crab: Warm, soft and packed with flavour. A delightful dish, the crab was highlighted expertly and every bite was a lovely reminder of why we like crab so very much. Priced at Rs. 950 plus taxes, this generous dish is well worth the price.

Tom Yum Soup: The traditional Thai soup that has become a staple of the local dining scene, hot and sour with just the right hint of citrus notes. Flavourfully packed with seafood and spiced with kaffir lime and lemongrass.

MAINS

Salmon Teriyaki: Undoubtedly one of the stars of the night, a dish so simple in its preparation, but executed with supreme precision. The Teriyaki sauce was made to perfection, the balance of sweet to sour with the burnt sugar notes. The salmon was cooked to a perfect medium rare. With every bite, you cannot help but be mesmerised in a world of flavour profiles. At a reasonable Rs. 1,600 plus taxes, this dish will see us returning repeatedly.

 Lobster Thermidor: Smooth, velvety and decadent, the lobster was prepared wonderfully, the creamy texture of the egg yolks and cream flavoured with white wine. Each bite is rich and packed with flavour. The star of the night. Simply put, a top class dish that deserves to be on any menu. 

 Jumbo Prawns Thai Red Curry plus Wok Fried Vegetables: Another staple of the local seafood scene, the Thai red curry was exquisite and the prawns were bursting with freshness and flavour. The wok fried veggies were also cooked well, with the freshness of the vegetables coming through. This coupled with the garlic rice made for a joyous experience. 

 DESSERTS

Baked Alaska: The quality of culinary skill shown right throughout our meal was impressive, including with this dish. The layers were done with precision, the meringue charred just right. As the spoon cuts through the layers, you start to anticipate the mouthful and can›t help but feel a child-like glee. 

 Chocolate Fudge: This was the least impressive of the dishes, a bit too sweet and gelatinous but it provides a decent chocolate fix after all the seafood splendour.

 Assorted Fresh Fruits with Sabayon: The silky smooth sabayon added an extra dimension to the fruits and served to elevate something as simple as fresh fruits to a higher plane.

Pix by Sameera Wijesinghe