Chinese cuisine has positioned itself globally with a strong presence. Perhaps it is correct to say that eating Chinese has become the second alternative to our native rice and curry. The cuisine from China has a rich gastronomical heritage. One of the popular venues along the iconic Mt.Lavinia beach is Loon Tao which has been around since 2008.
As we walked in on a Thursday night it was a lovely surprise to be greeted by a lady from Kenya. As we sat down we soon realized that all the F&B staff were from various countries, giving this place a very unique style of service.
Another feature that stood out in this 300 seat restaurant is that the building had been thoughtfully designed to somehow sustain the trees within the premises. I decided to sip a Sundown mocktail.
The menu at Loon Tao redefines what it means to be extensive in culinary choice. There are almost 300 items to choose from. These items showcase recipes from 4 culinary regions of China. With 30 appetizers to choose from I opted for the crispy beef chili and my friend took the Thai styled cuttle fish. The beef was tender yet crisp and coated in sauce, infused with red and green bell pepper. The menu specializing in seafood also has other choices of beef, lamb, duck and many dishes for vegetarians. The variety of rice and noodles is also quite impressive. The lighting at the tables could improve to offer more illumination to browse through the menu.
As we await our main course I spot the owner, Janaka Wimalananda. He is a dynamic hotelier who once managed 8 restaurants simultaneously in Japan. Janaka is a hands-on person and he was soon talking to guests taking orders and clearing plates: something not seen in today’s society. This is perhaps the secret to his success. Chef Molina Fidel has made our main course dishes: stir fried fish and Indonesian styled stir fried fish. The latter in a yellow colour sauce was nicely cooked and could be eaten with relish. We tried one of the 6 Chinese omelettes on the menu, again something very different from the styles we make at home. Other guests were indulging in the lagoon crabs and lobster.
Music supplements any dining experience, and on this day we were fortunate to listen to Shane Berenger playing solo: he gave brilliant renditions of songs by Paul Simon, Eagles, Lionel Richie and Journey. The venue is open for lunch and dinner and has a separate area upstairs for private parties.
The moonlight and view of the ocean is a bonus. A portion of chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream sealed our dinner, but the dessert could have had a garnish to enhance the visual appeal. Our lady from Kenya politely asked us to try the jasmine tea and we obliged: the tea was served in a unique teapot which had a light underneath.
With safe car parking, Loon Tao is the perfect venue for Chinese seafood on the beach.