The new restaurant at Waters Edge elegantly captures the essence of our own Sri Lankan cuisine. The entire concept is the idea of Master Chef Rohan Fernandopulle. The venue is beautifully nestled on a verdant green esplanade, bordered by the emerald green waters of the lake. As I arrived for dinner, walking across the small bridge, the lights reflecting on the water was a stunning sight.
Greeted with the traditional Ayubowan, I was awed with the total ambience. Thuna Paha is not an ordinary ‘local’ restaurant. The team has elevated our traditional adornments to sync with present trends. I am served a tiny glass of tea infused with soda, which is chic and cute. The overall brown tones resonate a serene setting, with four window designs each reflective of the four regions of Sri Lanka. I was awed by a pot, which displayed an arrangement using dried red chilies- so cool.
There is a brick oven that yields finely baked roast paan. I take a bite as I await my drink order –a brilliant concoction of Nelli, orange and soda. Chef Ravi and his colleagues are busy. The restaurant has real show cooking, women making string hoppers, lavaria and pittu. Another chef turning our succulent egg hoppers, with the yolk at the right consistency. Yet another woman is turning out my most desired konde kavum. This is what show cooking must achieve: interactive conversation with customer and cook.
Thuna Paha has a cozy bar towards the right side and also an air-conditioned area for dining. With a breeze serenading the green I decided to sit in the open section. The starter arrives on a brown platter. Small deep fried fish, ash plantain chips, boiled gram tossed in oil and a most amazing polos cutlet- this was really exploding with flavour. The cutlet is reflective of the team’s passion for cooking. Rohan’s team surprised me (and other guests present) as there was a live cultural show depicting various forms of traditional dance. It would be good if they did give a 15 second introduction to each dance form, so as to enrich the foreign guests of our performing heritage.
The most unique feature at Thuna Paha is that the buffet literally comes to your table. Yes, three lovely girls clad in traditional attire carry your dinner in three large baskets, walking with alluring steps. Within is your dinner in small earthenware pots. There was rice, mutton curry, fish curry, spicy fried prawns supplemented by amberella curry, dhal, tempered potatoes, murunga cooked with saffron. This meal is enhanced with achcharu, pickle, dried fish and papadam. One of the nice things at this restaurant is that you can get up, walk around and then return to complete your meal. Dessert arrives on a tray garnished with a banana leaf. Three delicate cups that hold curd, wattalappan and bibikkan. The platter also has kalu dodal, milk toffee, coconut rock, thala guli and a cute miniature fresh fruit platter.
While I was nibbling on the nelli fruit Chef Ravi surprised me again: this time holding a large silver cup. The cup has steaming tea infused with pods of raw ginger. With exuberant flair he pours my tea into a glass. Wow. The meal at Thuna Paha is culinary theatre in itself loaded with nostalgia. Probably, the most creative restaurant in Colombo, that is taking local cuisine into new realms of glory.