An iconic building from ‘Old Ceylon’ stands majestically in Colombo. York Street was once the most happening avenue in town when horse carriages trotted down cobbled streets. It was an era of solace for ships’ crews when they berthed at the Colombo Harbour. Hence, the Harbour Room is perhaps, one of the pioneer venues of fine dining in our country, laden with blissful heritage. Dining out in that colonial era was indeed a luxury. Thankfully, the Harbour Room has sustained her glorious past.
As I entered through the polished wooden doors, the lights from the harbour sent a dulcet glow to the entire left side of the restaurant. The wait staff attired in ‘naval whites’ with the mariners’ ‘blue collar’ enriched the ambience of the wood panelled interior. A pianist was displaying his prowess, and it felt like walking into a beautiful Hollywood production. The view from the massive windows was lovely. The silhouettes’ of cranes and cargo ships was clear in the night sky. The lime and soda was served in true British style, with the sugar syrup brought to the table in a crystal glass decanter - one does not see this kind of decanter in use these days. The Friday night buffet was neatly laid out. The salads were supplemented by two soups, however, the minestrone was not at its best possible temperature.
The main course was accentuated with a good mix of foreign and Sri Lankan dishes. The pasta Norma with fried eggplant was nice and not too heavy. The hot butter calamari was at the right texture and had the correct amount of spice. There were two kinds of rice dishes: a paella seafood rice and Kabsa Khaleeji. The latter is of Middle Eastern origin and was a rare treat for dinner.
I was surprised to see a roast turkey at the carving station - long before Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it was welcome and was crisp on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. The beef pie was another surprise, but the topmost crust was mildly crumpled. In addition to these dishes the local corner boasted string hoppers, pittu, egg hoppers and an array of succulent curries. By now the Harbour Room was becoming full with families enjoying their night out.
The amiable pianist continued to give lovely renditions of songs from the ’70s and ’80s. For dessert there were an assortment of puddings, cakes and jelly with ice cream.
The Omaliya, a rich pudding, again from the Middle Eastern cookbooks was excellent. It was served hot in keeping with tradition; I last had this in Sydney some years ago. The jaggery pudding in two layers of brown colour was also good. Having a coffee at the end of this lovely evening, glancing at the tug boats was a relaxing experience. The Harbour Room continues to uphold its legendary cuisine and decent service.