Saturday, 4 September 2010

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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

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


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