A taste of HVN

Starting off the dining column in a place literally called HVN, we zoom down Galle Road eating dust balls and breathing smoky air to a tucked away corner of Colombo. Popular as a retro-chic boutique hotel, we arrive at the well known Casa Colombo to enjoy ‘heaven’s touch’ through gastronomical delights.

By Cheranka Mendis

 Entering the old mansion’s grand hall which has now been transformed into the hotel’s stylish restaurant ‘HVN’ or ‘Heaven’ as it is commonly known, one is captivated by the comfortably cozy setting of the place.

 With padded walls, gold carved ceilings and dominated by an extremely long fan which we later found out spans across 18 feet, along with the frescos of bejeweled swamis floating on clouds (which one of us thought looked rather like Jack Sparrow look-alikes), the restaurant reverberates uniqueness and a class of its own. After much giggling about the said swamis, which I must add takes the attention away from the rest of the dining room, we settled in for a chilled coca-cola while awaiting the lunch to follow.

 The food, we thought was reasonably priced but the menu altogether was nothing exciting. Offering a selection of fusion food, the menu offers a total of 28 dishes inclusive of dessert. The Sales and Marketing Manager of Casa Colombo, Zacky De Silva says that the menu is changed every six months or so, adding variety to the meals of recurrent customers. The restaurant has good demand, said De Silva, even though only 30 people can be seated at one go.

 Our meal started with curry spiced and flambéed prawns with a Mediterranean salad and basil vinaigrette - the salad which was a mix of peppers laced in dressing with a hint of tomato sauce and vinegar left a refreshing taste while the flambéed prawns added to the taste. If someone was to ask us one word to describe the dish it would be ‘comfortable.’ Crunchy, saucy and filling- the starter definitely whet our appetites and we were left waiting to taste the main dish which was served accordingly.

 De Silva recommended the coconut and ginger encrusted mahi-mahi with Thai salad and chilled glazed tapioca. Mahi-mahi which means ‘strong’ in Hawaiian has been given to the dish as the particular fish, in our case swordfish, are known for their fighting ability and strength. The fish which was a bit too dry for our tastes, would have made an excellent dish if served with tartar sauce etc. The salad which was a mix of peppers, carrots and other vegetables too was a bit dry but eaten together with the fish was a delicacy. What really caught our attention were the pieces of boiled potatoes that came with the dish with a dash of ‘lunu-miris’ on top - at least that’s what we assumed it to be: anyway the ‘lunu-miris’ was extremely spicy and was a good break after the rather bland fish.

 The dessert however was incredible - the best part about the meal, we thought. Out of a selection of interesting dishes such as the Godamba rotti with Nuttella chocolate which definitely sounds too good to eat (served with vanilla ice cream), the Belgian chocolate empanadas with coconut foam and orange crisps and key lime panna cotta, we were served what was described in the menu as the ‘Chocolate cappuccino mousse bomb with crème anglais.’ The dish which was fairly huge was delicious even though the mousse was more like a hot chocolate pudding. The distinct                 cappuccino flavor along with the crème anglais (a mix of sugar, egg yolk and hot milk flavored with vanilla) was a perfect touch to the dish. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. It was not too sweet but was perfectly blended in.

 On a separate note, HVN also offers dishes such as sesame encrusted fillet of tuna with gotu kola salsa and coconut cream, Cajun spiced chicken breast with fera cheese stuffing, crushed potato and a soya infused orange sauce, grilled medley of seafood with provincial vegetables and lemon butter sauce, spaghetti with creamy mushroom & beef sauce, chicken scaloppini served with a light chicken reduction and crushed jacket potato among many others. If it’s our very own Sri Lankan dishes you crave for, the chefs would soon whip up a Sri Lankan rice and curry dish with white and red rice along with a collection of seasonal country style vegetable curries and a choice of beef, prawn or chicken curry. Kothu Roti both plain and with egg are also offered at the restaurant.

 Overall it’s a place that you must try. It is not as expensive as it looks and cushions you in a nice and comfortable atmosphere- the background music, very ethnic sounding, adds to its charm and relaxed ambiance. Do step in if you want some time off your busy schedules and if time is not an issue for you.

 Pix by Cassandra Mascarenhas

FT Locater

231, Galle Road, Bambalapitiya, Colombo 4 (right next to the Lumala Gift Centre)