Dinu's Food Palace

Foodies abroad and locally who wish to savour all types of food outside the city of Colombo, must head straight to Nugegoda. It has as much as hundreds of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and stalls catering to different markets.

Down Church Street Nugegoda, from the Nawala junction, there are a number of restaurants and cafes facing the Nugegoda Supermarket complex. One such place is Dinu's Food Palace. Located adjoining Muluthenge, this place is not visible from the junction until you reach the entrance.

The Kothu kitchen is placed on one side of the entrance while food warmers are placed along it till midway. Since I visited this place for lunch, I can only speak of what was available for lunch. As far as cleanliness goes, I would give them a 9 out of 10. Service was also quick.

At the time I went - around 1.30 p.m, the place was choc-a-bloc with students and I had to wait for sometime to get a table to dine in. However, by 2 p.m. the place cleared up and I was able to place my order and have my lunch. These pictures were taken after lunch, when most of the crowd had left.


With regard to food, one food warmer consisted of Fried Rice, and it's accompaniments along with curries like, chicken, Soya meat and fish, while the other consisted of rice, vegetables and greens.

  

My order was rice and curry "Vegetables". Usually a person who takes non veg has a choice of 4 vegetables and 1 curry. Since I was going vegetarian, I had to choose 5 vegetables. I'm touched by the fact that they had greens as a choice. They already have my vote for this. Being a daughter of a doctor, I know the importance of having greens in our diet, so I highly appreciate anyone who offers them. The meal on the whole was great, except for one small defect - 2 of the vegetables had slightly excess salt.

 

There is one thing this medium sized restaurant does that others don't, and that is offer Chicken Kothu for lunch. The normal rate for Chicken Kothu at night is Rs. 230.00.  However, since students like this item, they are offering it at a special price of Rs. 190.00. and I'm not surprised. Almost all the students who came here today, ordered only Chicken Kothu. According to the owner, Chicken Kothu is a hit among students. 

 

Another unique aspect that I witnessed is the placing of small bins at strategic places between tables, to dispose the polythene sheets and the food remains. Based on what I had experienced, this is one place I will definitely recommend.

Spice & Ice - Omega Regency

I came here to dine and have my lunch. It was 3 p.m. and it was very difficult to find a place that still had lunch at that time. So I am immensely grateful that there was something I could take. At that time, Rice and Curry was over and only Biryani and Lamprais were available.

Ambience and appearance

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The place was very neat and clean. They were frequently cleaning/sweeping / mopping the floor. The decor on the walls served to increase the appetite even though such food stuffs were not available. They did however, have quite a lot of bakery items displayed in glass showcases.

Customer Service

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Terrible to say the least.  I had to go in search of the staff at the takeaway counter and ask what they had for lunch. No menus. When the meal was served I asked the serving person what they had for dessert. Her response left me a bad taste in my mouth. She said, only those in the chiller/freezer are there for dessert. Now I'm supposed to go to the freezer and select my dessert. Ha????

When a person goes to dine, they expect to be cared for. We expect them to be concerned about us and ask us whether we would like anything else? etc. And if we ask what they had , they must tell us a list of items available (if its just a small number) or give us the menu card.  Anything else is bad service.

Food

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Chocolate Mousse

Since they had only 2 items, I ordered Chicken Lamprais and for dessert- Chocolate mousse.

The Lamprais had the usual curries that you would find in a Lamprais, but with a small difference. Everything had Indian flavours - I mean they tasted like Indian curries. However, the ash plantain curry was stale.

Chicken Lamprais

The chocolate mouse was the saviour. I usually don't like anything with chocolate, but this mousse really made by day. In fact, the taste and feeling stayed in my mouth for a long time afterwards

Price

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I'd say they were reasonable. The same price you would find elsewhere.

Despite the lackluster experience, I will definitely recommend the food.

Tom Yum

Tom Yum is a small Thai Restaurant specialising in Thai Street Food. It is situated at #330, Galle Road, Bambalapitiya, Colombo 4 opposite St. Peter's College. I visited this place today at 7 p.m to take home some of their celebrated dishes.

Ambience

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At first glance, it looks like a small cafe, but it has all the trappings of a modern restaurant. The place has air-conditioning and the table decor is very simple and pleasant.  They also have a provision for a baby feeding chair for families with babies.

                                                                                                 

Customer Service

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The staff at this place is quite helpful. The local staff will suggest the food you should order if you have difficulties in selecting them. If you have any doubts about the items in the menu,the lady chef who runs this place and cooks the food, will oblige you by explaining the menu items patiently in her halting English. She has bowled me over with her demeanour and her pleasant conversation.

Food

Tom Yum Soup

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Food here is available in vegetarian, beef, chicken and seafood ranges. For my takeout, I ordered Tom Yum soup and Seafood Fried Rice with Basil -(small portion). Our takeaway order was packed in microwave safe containers, which was a first, when we consider other restaurants give takeouts in aluminum or disposable plastic food containers.

Tom Yum soup is a spicy soup available in chicken or seafood. My order was for chicken Tom Yum. It is a soup cooked in coconut milk with tomatoes, lemon grass, galangal  and mushroom. It was really yummy and the portion size was quite large. 

Hot green chillie sauce

The Seafood Fried Rice had cuttle fish, octopus and prawns. accompanied with a hot sauce made with fish broth, vinegar and chopped green chillies. Even though it was packed in a container, I quite liked the way the food was presented. It was garnished with freshly sliced cucumber wedges and spring onion. Unfortunately, the Fried rice had too much soya sauce and just ONE prawn. The hot sauce was also TOO SALTY. Other than this my overall food experience was OK. 

Seafood Fried Rice with Basil

Price
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The prices of the food were somewhat higher than the usual restaurant charges. More like 5 star hotel rates. I felt the price for the soup (Rs. 990) was too exorbitant considering it was just chicken broth in coconut milk.  I was also charged separately for the microwave safe containers,


Will I recommend?
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If you feel like you have some money to splash and you need to enjoy what you eat, then this is one place you should give some serious consideration.

Vasana Bakery, Nugegoda Branch

Vasana Bakery, Nugegoda 

This bakery outlet opened recently without much fanfare. Located on Stanley Tillekeratne Mawatha, between the Railway Station and the Post Office, and opposite ARPICO, Vasana Bakery is a modern take on the conventional bakery showroom.

When I first visited Vasana Bakery, there was quite a long queue. Out of curiosity I went closer to find out. That was when I found the reason it was attracting crowds. Prices of the bakery products were so low, they were more or less half the usual price at other bakeries. (The pictures were taken on my fourth visit.)

As for the size, they were the same size as the normal buns. For instance Fish Bun which usually retails from Rs. 30/= to Rs. 50/= at other bakeries, is sold for ........wait for it.......               Rs. 15!!! Believe it or not, the same is true of other products as well.

Seeni sambol bun - Rs. 15, Boiled Egg Bun Rs. 25, sponge cake Rs. 20, Cup cakes Rs. 25, Apple cake Rs. 20 etc.

In the afternoon, when a new set is produced, a new type of bun - which they call an omelet bun (selling for Rs 35) is available.

Its a circular bun, about 7 inches in diameter made like a pizza (no cheese) with a sprinkling of vegetables on top and covered with 'Bulls Eye'. That is, an egg is broken straight on to the bun without beating. It is seasoned and baked, the egg yolk stands on a side like the sun shining.

The gentleman, standing by the showcase is the Manager, a soft spoken unassuming person. They take cake orders for any type of cake or size. The other staff manning the outlet are quite friendly people.

In this age, when cunning shop keepers, manufacturers and bakers sell a product at a higher price claiming high costs while reducing the size of the product, this bakery stands out in the crowd as being the one that sells good quality bakery products at affordable prices.

I call this a modern version of a traditional bakery for two reasons, They retain the conventional feel by having all displayed in showcases (no self service), and they handle food items with disposable gloves. Modern westernised bakeries handle food with tongs. The informal manner, gives the local people the impression that attention is given to hygiene. This is NOT an upmarket city bakery. A person from the Rural areas should also be allowed to improve and this is a huge step in that direction.

I would recommend this place for the humbleness of the people working, for selling products at budget friendly prices and also for the range of products one can find only at a traditional bakery.

Pho Vietnam

I visited this place and purchased a takeout for dinner. Situated adjoining Calories, I decided to give this place a try.

As you enter through the main entrance you are faced with some tables and chairs set for outdoor eating, which were fully occupied. Inside the restaurant proper the decor - mainly Chinese pictures on the walls, instantly reminded me that I had come to a South Eastern restaurant. However, there was no background music to support the looks. In addition, the ambience would have been great if there were artifacts and souvenirs from Vietnam as stills or hanging from the walls.

At the time I visited, the place was crowded with Europeans and a couple of Chinese looking people. There was however only one staff member working, and he was very polite and helpful. He was responsible for taking orders, billing and serving food. The restaurant must seriously consider recruiting some stewards.

The restaurant had a very limited menu consisting mostly of different varieties of noodles cooked with beef, chicken and sea food, selections of soup and some salads. There was only ONE item with rice. This was rather disappointing as Vietnam is a rice growing country and I expected to see some selections of items with rice as well.

Not being a fan of noodles, I selected the rice item - Fried Rice with sea food. Cost Rs. 450.00. This is the standard price for items like this in normal upmarket restaurants.

Since this is the first time I was tasting Vietnamese food, I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the food and the ingredients used at the restaurant. My review is strictly limited to the food that was served.

The Fried Rice with sea food was prepared with steamed long grain rice sauteed with eggs, sweet corn, chopped carrots and beans, along with flash fried cuttle fish and prawns. They have also added fish sauce, tomato sauce and chillie paste to the mix. The combination was quite tasty.

I am extremely grateful to the restaurant for doing something which other restaurants couldn't be bothered doing. The PRAWNS used in the fried rice were CLEANED AND SHELLED. For this alone I am recommending this restaurant.

Perera & Sons, Bread Corner - BRC Grounds

The BRC outlet of Perera and Sons initially started out as one of their usual bakery outlets. For about a year now, they have introduced a new section- Bread Corner.

Located at the entrance of BRC Grounds on Havelock Road, it is air-conditioned and has a dine-in section with seating capacity for about 20 people. The outlet is open from 6.30 a.m. till 7 p.m., so you need to purchase your dinner early.

 

The Bread Corner produces items throughout the day, from bakery products manufactured by Perera and Sons. Their small kitchen is furnished with state-of-the-art modern equipment and appliances. The food at the Bread Corner, is prepared in a hygienic manner  by the chef and her assistants. They wear disposable transparent gloves when preparing and assembling the food items. Some of the items made at this counter are submarines, bagels etc including hot dogs. Some of these items are available at the bakery counter in the morning, while the others are made to order.

The items are packed with freshly made items and the vegetables are crispy and crunchy. In my opinion, they are a good healthy option and the prices are EXTREMELY REASONABLE. I ordered Thandoori Chicken Submarine. Cost Rs. 180.00 - one was very filling.

The staff here is generally very helpful, however, they DO NOT ACCEPT CARDS. Strictly Cash payments, so come handy with ready cash if you intend trying out these stuff.

Han Gook Gwan

I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try some yet untested international cuisines. Han Gook Gwan, a Korean Restaurant run by a Korean couple who live behind the restaurant, is a family business. Their emphasis is also on family. Situated on  Havelock Road opposite Hercules Tailors, it has ample parking space for about 4 to 5 vehicles. I came here today (5th November, 2015) to have my lunch.

As you enter, you will first be met by a steward who will greet you. You can sit in the public area or get a family room. I chose the public area so that I can observe everything. The place is fully air-conditioned. The walls of the restaurant are painted yellow and had pictures and some Korean wall hangings put up on the wall on one side. There is also a 45" TV tuned into Korean Broadcasting Corporation Channel (KBC). Another side of the hall had a huge glass window overlooking the Havelock Road.

Every table has a single burner gas cooker kept on the side. On inquiry I learned that if a customer wanted bar-be-cues for instance, they were cooked at the customer's table itself and served sizzling hot.

So, a look at the menu gave me a pretty good idea what types of food were being cooked here. Being a Muslim we don't eat pork, but we can eat sea food items, and there were quite a selection of sea food and vegetarian items to order. For instance you could order a vegetable or Egg Fried Rice or Sea Food Fried Rice for Rs. 450.00. Having tried too many Fried rice from different places, I decided to forego this and look for a healthier option.

The stewards, who were locals, were kind enough to guide me as to the most suitable food we could order. I learned that one particular item was a favourite among customers - Item No 66. This was Steamed Rice and Vegetables in Stone bowl with half boiled egg. I didn't fancy eating half boiled egg, so they suggested they provide omelet, which was agreeable to me. Cost Rs. 850.00

The table setting is quite different to what I have seen at other places. The hygienic levels of the cutlery (knife and spoon) is maintained by having them wrapped in oil paper. The serviettes are wet cold towels folded and rolled into a ball, there is a bowl to serve the food,  a jug of ice cold water and a mug to drink the water.

To really understand Korean culture, you have to experience it first hand, and I believe the best place is Han Gook Gwan. While we wait for our meal to be cooked, every customer is served a complimentary tray of 7 dishes served in small bowls as Appetizers.

 The Appetizers are (clockwise from top right) potatoes boiled in a milky mixture, peanuts coated in molasses honey, fried dried radish strips in hot pickle, raw radish in hot sauce, raw Chinese cabbage in hot pickle, bread like omelet, and finally at the center big onions in sweet vinaigrette. Although, their hot dishes had chillie flakes and were red, they weren't 'hot' like our local curries. I learned that Korean curries are not that hot.

My lunch arrived piping hot in a stone bowl. It had steamed rice at the bottom, topped by vegetables and finally my omelet at the top. I folded the omelet to peer at the different vegetables. The bowl of food was like a rainbow with multiple colours.

Over the layer of rice it had blanched Bok Choy, sliced pumpkin, julienne d carrots, Kankun, glass noodles and bean sprouts. The omelet was soft and flaky. Optional ingredients that could be added are chicken or prawns. You also get a hot and spicy Korean Chillie sauce as an accompaniment. 

According to the stewards, you are supposed to mix all the ingredients together and then eat by dipping on the sauce a little at a time. I preferred to serve them to my bowl and do the mixing on my own. By the way, salt an pepper shakers can be obtained on request.

For dessert you can select a fruit juice of your choice, eat some fruits or take ice cream (available flavours - vanilla, strawberry and chocolate). I chose vanilla ice cream (cost Rs. 190). You get 2 big scoops of ice cream.For this price, that was very reasonable, especially at a restaurant.

Overall a new experience and a filling meal. I will definitely return to try something else.