The marine drive in Colombo is a serene roadway, especially, in the night, when the busy traffic has left the city. It is quite a happening street. Located on level 1 of the Ocean Edge Hotel is their main restaurant Waves, which has a concept of all day dining. The view of the ocean is quite stunning.
While sipping a mocktail of lime and grenadine I was contemplating my menu options when the Indian menu was recommended to me. The restaurant has shades of black and white with a high ceiling.
The sleek white tables add to its retro appeal. Within the next half hour the venue was crowded with guests who had come to chill out. I was happy to see 4 starters served - Cheese stuffed paneer tikka, Bharwan aloo tandoori, Tandoori pudina prawns, Afghani chicken and Tandoori crab.
The tandoori oven is central to Indian culinary heritage. It captures the distinct flavour and essence of food. The pudina prawns were an absolute delicacy, leaving behind a refreshing aftertaste.
The Afghani chicken was a first for me, and I would say it is one of the best poultry preparations I have had in Colombo. Gently immersed in the tandoori oven, the chicken is a perfect balance between moist and well cooked, giving mild pepper tones. It goes down well with the garlic naan. The masala encrusted lagoon crab, presented in its full form was another seafood sensation, although it requires you to use both hands to enjoy.
It would be good if the serving staff had a crab cutting device, as kids would find the task of breaking the crab mildly challenging. Again, for me the Indian crab dish was refreshing as we often eat crab curry.
This, in my dining experience, was the first time I have been served a masala crab as a starter and credit must go to Executive Chef, Almeida for this innovative dish on the menu. The next two items arrived, a mutton gravy and chicken muglahi. The mutton was at the right texture.
The thick and spicy gravy was perfect for the butter naan. The creamy essence of the chicken mughlai was nice, as often we in Sri Lanka are bestowed with spicy chicken dishes.
The contrast between the dishes on this Indian menu was remarkable, given the fact that Chef Mohammad Thanveer is only 23 years, and displayed such culinary prowess. Gulab jammun and Kesari were served for dessert. I have always eaten Kesari which is yellow in colour (traditional) but Chef Nuwan had chosen to make his in a radiant green colour which was nice for a change.
The gulab jammun was oozing with flavour soaked in sugar syrup. Indulging in this delicacy is perhaps the best way to end a Friday night and enter the bliss of the weekend. Thus, Ocean Edge Hotel is certainly a good venue, with value for money and plenty of parking space on two levels.