Hotels
Mount Lavinia Jazz Festival 2010
West African jazz and soul quartet, OHZone the Jazz Septet, UK's very
own Dave O Higgins and his jazz trio and taking the best from the orient
Dylan Lye and his jazz sextet and The Frand Dubier Jazz Quartet from
India are ready to capture your jazz interest
Dylan Lye from Hong Kong |
Jazz at the Mount reflects Mount Lavinia Hotel's mission to promote
Mount Lavinia as Sri Lanka's jazz hot spot for the local and foreign
traveller and to develop a world class event with the
intention of creating an iconic event so that Sri Lanka will be
placed in the headlines across the world.
October 15 and 16 the Mount Lavinia Hotel will come alive with Jazz
at the Mount with big names like Emile Nelson, Andrew Oh, Blick Bassy,
Frank Dubier from India and indeed the fabulous line up of our local
jazz who have claimed the Jazz circle in Sri Lanka by storm. Jazz at the
Mount 2010 could be considered the third chapter in the story of the
Jazz music's evolution in Mount Lavinia Hotel and now it has taken a
better turn indeed as an annual event in the books of Mount Lavinia
Hotel's strategy to create a positive image in Sri Lanka.
Dave O Higgins Jazz Quartet from UK |
"Our main objective of this event is to make people understand that
we can work together in peace and harmony through the wonderful medium
of music," avers Mount Lavinia Hotel GM Anura Dewapura.
This year's edition will be totally focused on a fabulous line-up of
international jazz and soul artistes. The up and coming local jazz
talent will be once again held at the Paradise Beach at the Mount
Lavinia Hotel.
Rooted now in Mount Lavinia Hotel's legacy of churning out fabulous
and indeed unique initiatives, Jazz at the Mount 2010 will boast of
eight hours of live musical performances focusing on vocal and
instrumental jazz sessions, wonderful cuisine depicting world jazz
destinations with Sri Lanka too in the menu, and indeed a fabulous
atmosphere each day of the fest.
Mount Lavinia Hotel is committed to making each year's event bigger
and better. "Our vision for this annual occurrence always scheduled for
the third week of October is to eventually bring down big names like
George Benson, Joe Sample, Ramsey Lewis and world's true jazz greats.
And next year bigger names in the world are sure to be on the cards,"
Anura added further.
Blick Bassy is the new soul voice of Cameroon - soul in the sense of
vocals that come from within. Bassy says: "The soul of my music isn't so
much in the words, it's in the way of singing. In fact, the melody is a
mould for the words." Blick Bassy is the singer/ songwriter/ guitarist/
percussionist connects the music of Central and West Africa and mixes it
with bossa nova, jazz and soul.
From Hong Kong, Sri Lankan musician and indeed guitarist Dylan Lye
will elate the Sri Lankan music enthusiasts with melodies that indeed
come alive.
His guitar artistry, and his humble ways has endeared many a fan to
him. An imperative member of the highly successful Jetliners led by the
living legend Mignone Fernando, who performs at the Regent Hong Kong,
for seventeen years, Dylan continues to play in Hong Kong, leading his
own group. Who will consist of Adonis De Jesus, Tak Hong Tsang, Anthony
Fernandes, Bubu, ever gorgeous Jennifer Palor and Mike Inot's
contemporary and classic instrumental jazz in a serious vein on sax.
OHZone from Down Under consists of Andrew Oh, a Singapore born
Australian stands out as an extremely accomplished saxophonist of
international standard who leads the Jazz septet.
Armondo Hurley on vocals, bassist Emile Nelson, guitarist Rex Goh,
Mitch Farmer on Drums, Sunil de Silva who has established a formidable
reputation as Australia's premier hand percussionist during the last 25
years and Ara Naccesius on Keyboards.
Emile is a Sydney session musician who is comfortable in any musical
situation from jazz, country, Latin, fusion and pop. He has recorded and
played all styles.
Dave O'Higgins Quartet from the UK consists of Dave O'Higgins - a
tenor Saxophonist, pianist, double bassist and drummer. As the Jazz
Guide states "A stunning player in the neo-bop vein, with anq apparently
effortless flow of coherent ideas, beautiful time and a highly developed
harmonic sense."
The Frank Dubier Jazz Quartet from India consists of Frank Dubier,
one of India's foremost trumpet players.
He has over 50 years of musical experience ranging from leading and
big bands to film recording sessions and commercial and cross over
fusion groups.
His career has seen him play with the best in the country and world
over.
Currently leading a quartet his band has chosen to play jazz
Standards and jazz classics and the other members of the band are Austin
D'Costa on Drums, Creswell David on Keyboards, and Raymond Murray on
Bass Guitar.
SriLankan Airlines are the air travel sponsors for the event.
Blick Bassy from West Africa |
Jenifer Parlor from Hong Kong |
Andrew Oh from Australia |
Frank Dubier from India |
A harmony of sounds at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo
The Jags Quartet
|
The Trans Jazz Quartet and the Jags Quartet, share more than a
similar name and genre of music. The artistes of both bands share the
kind of passion for their music that cannot be described in words, but
can be felt in the intensity of their performance.
Jazz night |
The Trans Jazz Quartet has been a feature at the Cinnamon Lakeside
Colombo's monthly Jazz tribute since the very first Jazz night which was
held last November whilst Jags Quartet are the fresh faces that added a
new dimension to the night last month. The event has become a fixture in
the calendars of many and it's no surprise that fans follow the event
with such fervor when the combination of talent transports listeners
through time from the origins of Jazz through to modern renditions of
the music.
The Trans Jazz Quartet features Shiraz Noor Amit who has a way with
drums, Alston Joachim armed with hypnotic bass guitar skills and
Dilrukshi Sirimanne on keyboards and beautiful crystal clear vocals. The
Jags Quartet comprises a saxophonist and vocalist with a unique style,
Gananath Dasanayake, Ashane Bernard who is a sensation on keyboards,
Suraj Gunawardene, the talented base guitarist, whilst Jude Thiyagaraja
drums with flair.
The next Jazz Night at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo will be held on
September 10 from 7:30pm to 11:00pm. Guests are invited to unwind by the
Poolside Terrace of the hotel. Action stations and special menus will
offer a range of choices. Jazz night is a popular feature of the hotels
monthly events and it's therefore advisable to make your reservations.
Special attractions at Iftar buffet
Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo:
The Iftar Buffet at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo has gained popularity
amongst all diners regardless of religious orientation. The hotel chefs
have introduced a selection of Middle Eastern dishes for every stage of
the meal, beginning with the Iftar snacks, followed by the salads,
through to the main course as well as the desserts.
Baba Ganoush |
Shawarma |
For the initial snack, miniature Shawarma's are served in pita
pockets. Though different from the original shape and size, the
authenticity of the flavour is maintained in its taste.
The eggplant dishes, Baba Ganoush and Mutabbal, unique in flavour and
texture, as well as the Humus are best appreciated as a dip with pita
bread.
As always, the hotel sets its own standards for presentation. Where
else could guests pick Marzipan-filled Dates off a Date Palm? Catering
to guests' varying palates, some are even coated in shredded coconut.
The Umali has been a hit with its warm sweet taste. The puff pastry,
dates and nuts add texture to the thickened milk which is topped with
heavy cream.
The Kunafa is a comparatively lighter choice topped with vermicelli
and soaked in syrup.
Basbusa is an all time favourite semolina cake-type dessert soaked in
syrup.
Balah Eshram, a choux pastry based sweet, comes in a convenient to
eat size. Mahalabiya, a milk based dish sprinkled with nuts, is a hit
amongst both children and adults. At the Dining Room Iftar Buffet, it is
served in 3 varieties, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.
The Iftar and dinner buffet will be held at the the Dining Room and a
10 percent discount will be applicable to Iftar diners who arrive at the
restaurant by 6:15pm.
Basbusa |
Kunafa |
Balah Eshram |
Umali |
Dates off a Date Palm |
Fine wines
The Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo will host its monthly Wine Buffet on
September 8. It is a lovely opportunity to spend an evening engaged in
tasting fine food and fine wine. The primary attraction on this night is
the award winning wines list. Nine red and nine white wines will be
served in limitless quantities. As an accompaniment, the hotel's Chefs
will set out a spread of cheeses, asparagus, carvery and canapés.
The wine list comprises big names, including Arniston Bay Ruby
Cabernet Merlot, listed in UK's Top twenty wine list, Miquel Torres
Cordillera, a Gold Medal and Best Value White Wine Trophy winner,
Matthew Lang Chardonnay and many others from South Africa, Australia,
Chili, France, Germany and Italy.
From the comfort of being indoors, the lavish Cinnamon Lakeside
Lounge offers glimpses, through the glass, of a beautiful pool that
seems to lead effortlessly to the glistening Beira Lake beyond it.
Served in this setting, to the melodious sounds of the live band, the
wines hum a language of their own. The pianist will provide soft music
to complement the evening.
The buffet will be open from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.
Arabic food |
Celebrating Ramadan at the Galadari
This September 10 and 11 the Galadari Hotel will be hosting a Arabic
theme buffet to celebrate Eid from 7.00pm to 11.00pm at the Coffee Shop.
Ingredients have been specially flown down from the Middle East to
celebrate this special occasion with a fabulous spread of special
dishes. There will be also Arabic sweets for everyone and children under
8 years old to dine free. The Cafe 64 will also offer dishes such as
Sahan Biriyani, Nasi Goreng and cakes and regulars such as savouries,
juices, ice creams, sandwiches and more.
Tandoor at Ceylon Continental
Most people seem to think that tandoori is a recipe. Like many of the
world's great dishes this is actually a cooking method that has become
synonymous with the food that is prepared. To put simply tandoori is a
marinated meat cooked over an intense fire in a tandoor.
Tandoor Restaurant |
Biriyani with curries |
Naan with curries |
A tandoor is a clay oven in which a hot fire is built. Marinated
meats are lowered into the oven on long metal skewers and cooked in this
smokey and extremely hot environment until done.
As for the spices, tandoori is marinated or rubbed with a great
combination of spices.
The first thing you will notice is the colour. Tandoori dishes are
usually very red or very yellow; this depends on the marinade
ingredients.
Choose to be seated at their authentic North Indian restaurant
Tandoor at Ceylon Continental and you would be transported in time to
the Mogul era. Patrons will be treated to beautifully embossed copper
ware from the ceiling to cutlery, setting a truly royal North Indian
ambiance.
Tandoor restaurant opens for lunch and dinner and they have a special
trained Indian music group for guests' entertainment. All the interior
designs look in Indian style and staff who work are dressed in Indian
style which gives customers a real Indian experience.
There are some well qualified chefs from North India preparing dishes
at this restaurant.
The ingredients come from North India and its the secret of the
authentic.
"We have all types of guests such as corporate clients, expatriates,
local businessmen and other celebrates" said Public Relation Executive
of Ceylon Continental Hotel, Himali Wijesekara.
"This is a good place for Sri Lankans to enjoy the taste of authentic
North Indian food. We also do delivery service in Colombo, " she added.
GI
Blue Water treatment
Text Ganga Illeperuma
The Blue Water Hotel at Wadduwa has been one of the best known hotels
along the South coast line mainly because of its beautiful setting
giving the guest the illusion of the sea blending into the swimming pool
and the hotel.
The staff of Blue Water Hotel |
The head Desk |
The Blue Water's attraction is so powerful because of the colour
combination which have been used for exterior designing. Long corridors
with tall white pillars give a refreshing sight to guests who stay at
the Blue Waters.
Designed using natural materials and textures, the atmosphere at the
Blue Water Spa offers many kinds of treatments according to the guests'
wishes.
This hotel has 96 deluxe rooms and four suites with each having their
own terrace or balcony and all with the sea view. In keeping with the
theme of minimalistic luxury the interiors of the guest rooms have been
designed and furnished with the use of textures in earthy hues such as
marble, terra cotta and teak wood.
Chef Nihal
|
The Blue Water Hotel, GM Roshan Perera |
The spa has four treatment rooms. Each room is partly enclosed and
partly open to nature and has been created in a pavilion style. The spa
is surrounded by gardens, patios, water and a timber deck. The Spa
treatments focus on wellness and the types of therapy provided are based
on modern spa treatments drawing on traditional Asian healing systems.
Chandima, Dinali and Kumari |
The Blue Water Grand Ballroom made its debut in November 2009 and is
one of the largest pillar free banquet halls in Sri Lanka. Adorned in
warm bronze and gold and designed especially for celebrations of love
and life by architect Channa Daswatte. Decked out in tasteful yet
luxurious furnishing and fittings the ballroom accommodates up to a
thousand people.
"The Management of Union Resorts invested 250 million for a new
banquet hall and they will invest another 200 million for refurbishment.
We also work to empower our associates enabling them to deliver customer
satisfaction, support and cooperate with local communities and maintain
high standards while constantly striving to maintain professionalism in
the hospitality industry at all times," Blue Water Hotel General Manager
Roshan Perera said.
Indian indulgences
From a hotel that has shared with guests cultures from countries far
and wide, comes an Indian cultural experience of five star standards.
Following the popularity of their first Mumbai Jig in June this year,
the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo will host the third installment of the
promotion tonight.
The Mumbai jig |
The best of Indian food, drink, dance and music will be on display at
the hotel's Terrace, where the serene waters of the pool and lake set
off the warm ambiance of the charmingly decorated poolside terrace.
Guests are invited to a light start with the Indian street snacks on
offer. Prepared by the hotel's own Chef Rana from New Delhi, the Aloo
Chaat, Channa Chaat, Mixed Chaat, Papri Chaat and Bhel Puri are some of
the treats rarely experienced in Sri Lanka.
The meal progresses with a Chicken or Vegetarian Biryani, Mutton Rara
Gosht, Mumtaji Vegetables, Palak Paneer, Aloo Bonda, Lasooni Murugh
Tikka, Mathi Tikka, Tandoori Murugh and Oriental Marinated Seer
Medallions accompanied by a Raita and Mint chutney.
For added variety, an assortment of Naan or Tandoori Roti will be
available too.
This Indian meal would not be complete without a visit to the dessert
table. From afar the colourful array beckons with its visual appeal.
A little bite into the Gulab Jamun, Gajar Ka Halwa or the Rice Kheer
prove the calories worthwhile.
Over post dinner conversation, a tall glass of Faluda or Lassi goes
down well, perfecting the culinary aspect of the night.
The DJ will mix Bollywood tunes all night to which professional
dancers will make appearances, celebrating the energy and colour of the
Hindi movie world.
The next Mumbai Jig will take place tonight at The Poolside Terrace
of the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, from 7:30pm to 11:00pm.
Make a reservation by contacting the hotel or you will just miss out
on a really good night.
For veggie lovers
Japanese food is well known around the world for its unique taste and
there's always something to delight everyone's varied lifestyles.
Veggie dishes |
Although popularly known for sushi and sashimi or rather sea food,
historically, Japanese cuisine has been one of the greatest and
undoubtedly healthiest vegetarian cuisine in the world thanks to tofu,
miso, soba so on.
Fresh vegetables have always been important in Japanese cuisine, with
meals representing the seasonal changes of the country. Rice of course
is the staple food of Japan, followed by the second most popular menrui
(noodles).
Inspired fine Japanese cuisine in Colombo, Nihonbashi restaurants
offer a wide array of mouthwatering and delectable dishes for the sheer
pleasure of our vegetarian guests.
With edamame (imported Japanese soya bean pods) or tofu as an ideal
starter, to garlic rice or vegan chahan (Japanese fried rice), to
vegetable tempura dishes adding to it karapincha and gotukola, and to
noodles and other vegetarian set menus, indulge yourself in a truly
magical Japanese feast.
Upon special request to the waiters, one can even order certain non-veg
items such as okonomiyaki to be to be prepared for veggie preference.
Nihonbashi is open daily for lunch from 12:00noon to 2:30pm and
dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Innovative signature dining experiences
To be in par with this picturesque experience, The Mount Lavinia
Hotel has launched new dinner-time experiences aimed specifically at
travellers and visitors looking for conversation, company and a unique
experience over dinner.
These most innovative, yet simple concepts to be introduced into the
dining scene, adding another two unique experiences for our valuable
guests." said Anura.
The hotel boasts of an exceptional seafood restaurant and a culinary
cruise at the Governor's restaurant serving more formal fare but for
those wishing to try something a little bit different, there are some
great unique experiences to be enjoyed.
When asked the reason for the innovative dining experience, "As a
business traveller, you may well travel three out of four weeks in a
month, leaving loved ones, spouse and family behind at home.
While away, your schedule of meetings is exhausting and most nights
you go back to the hotel to dine in the privacy of your suite or brave a
restaurant alone.
Dining by oneself isn't always as exciting as it is with others, and
the alternative of in room dining, while once in a while is fun, each
and every night, lacks a certain appeal,"Anura adds.
Wine-makers nights with Chef Mats
The Wine and Dine pairing nights with Chef Mats will be another
signature event that will occur monthly where wine-makers will showcase
their Wines and Chef Mats will match and pair with delectable food
dishes with the wine-maker to enhance the dining experience.
September hails the first night when Sandalford: a boutique winery
with Vineyards in the Swan Valley and the World famous Margaret River
wine region in Western Australia will mark the debut of Winemakers Night
at the Mount Lavinia Hotel.
Roots wins the Best Restaurant
The Roots team
|
The Roots won the award for Best Restaurant 'A+' - juice/snack bar in
the city of Colombo for the year 2010" at the City Food Safety High
Achievers Awards Ceremony. This is the culmination of a series of
quality checks carried out by the Colombo Municipal Council in
affiliation with the Department of Public Health.
Roots is a household name in the fresh fruit juices, ice cream and
smoothies industry with over a decade of service.
Roots juices are made using only the finest natural ingredients
selected from best quality fresh fruits and then straight to the blender
with no preservatives or artificial flavours. Only table water is used
in blending the juices and are prepared in a very sanitary environment.
It is a lifestyle drink that celebrate great taste and good health
whilst at the same time it is natural, healthy, nutritional contains no
fat cholesterol and is vitamin and mineral enriched. Roots also serve a
variety of ice cream sundaes which are changed regularly to suit
customer needs and satisfaction. All sauces are made on special recipes.
In addition to ice cream sundaes, milk shakes, faludas and ice coffee
are offered.
The Roots Juice Bar also received 'A' grade awards in year 2007 and
2008. GI |