Dine ‘N’ Rest
In the cool climes of Hatton:
Beverley JANSZ
 Dine N Rest standing majestically in the centre of the Hatton Town is
the latest hotel complex in Hatton.
With the opening of this hotel, a long felt need for a quality
restaurant for Hatton, has now been fulfilled.
Dine ‘N’ Rest has five well appointed luxury guest rooms, with all
modern facilities including hot/cold water, TV, room service etc. The
guest rooms are moderately priced with special discounts for Sri Lankans
and expatriates.
The restaurant specialises in authentic Indian food, Chinese and
spicy Sri Lankan cuisine.
Dining guests get a panoramic view of the beautiful mountains which
surround Hatton.
“When Nuwara Eliya is crowded, most of the tourists come to Hatton.
Until recently there was a severe shortage of hotels in Hatton to cater
to these tourists.
Considering this fact, I embarked on two hotel projects, namely Dine
‘N’ Rest and Hill Side Inn, Managing Director, B. W. Harrison Silva
said.
These hotels cater to foreign tourists and Sri Lankans. Special
discounted packages are offered to Sri Lankans and expatriates who wish
to spend a holiday at an affordable price in the cool climes of Hatton.
Harrison further said that his aim was to promote Hatton as a
wonderful tourist destination. Hatton is blessed with a cool but
moderate climate and has a host of tourist attractions.
Harrison paid a tribute to D. K. Weeratunge Managing Director of D.
K. W. Shopping Complex, D. K. W. Plastics and Hatton Commercial Bank
Complex for providing the roof top floor of his Shopping Complex, for
the Dine ‘N’ Rest hotel complex. Dine ‘N’ Rest can be reached via
web.dinenresthatton.com
Galle Face Hotel
Reminiscence of a glorious past:
Beverley JANSZ
The most expensive piece of prime property in Colombo is also the
most treasured in history.
 For it was in this british area around the old Parliament House and
the promenade along the sea that the British built the Galle Face Hotel
in 1864, still reminiscent of the elegant days and ways of the Raj.
Having started out as an old Dutch villa, it came to be a meeting
point of four English entrepreneurs who bought up block by block of the
sea face as the Empire’s sun shone higher and created the “finest hotel
east of the Suez.”
Every room had an electric fan then and the same holds for decorative
purposes today even if the rooms are air-conditioned.
It defined standards of old world hospitality and its guest list at
the entrance is proof enough.
From George Bernard Shaw to Mark Twain, who never had enough of the
“sumptuously tropical” weather and Arthur C Clarke, who penned the final
chapters of 3001, The Final Odyssey here, nothing could be a better
writer’s retreat.
From Prince Philip, whose first car is parked here, to European and
Thai royalty and heads of state, Harold MacMillan, Richard Nixon, Nehru
and Indira Gandhi, everybody must have given diplomacy a miss from their
suites here.
And as the old lighthouse still stands tall, beaming the end of human
endeavour, the hotel receives every new visitor with the same enthusiasm
as it had for space voyager Yuri Gagarin.
Hollywood has lit up its walls with its shimmer, sending Alec
Guinness, Gregory Peck and Roger Moore. Who knows, Bo Derek must have
emerged from the azure waters of the private beach here and spun some
ideas for her directors?
Do you know that as you gaze out from the porch or even the
colonnadestyle open verandahs, your infinite line of vision touches
Africa? The Galle Face aura owes a lot to its 1960 director, Cyril
Gardiner, whose family owns it still.
He dedicated the hotel to “Yesterday’s charm and tomorrow’s comfort.”
He was the first hotelier to work on the idea of a non-smoking floor,
offering discounts to non-smokers and reminding everybody at the lift
lobby ever so lightly, “Please don’t smoke in bed because the ashes we
find maybe yours.”
There are quaint charms like the hotel’s Baroque interiors, the props
of Edgar Allen Poe, old lifts, mahogany corridors, velvet curtains, a
spiral wooden staircase that has a plaque with Mr Gardiner’s request to
“please walk down two flights” and the old chandelier in the Jubilee
Room.
The last still hosts grand banquets, complete with butter sculptures
of dancing girls and smocked up curtains on the bridal stage.
The hotel wears its rich past like a badge of honour, as showcased by
the world’s oldest hotel staffer, who welcomes each guest at the door.
But that doesn’t mean it has forgotten the present.
Heritance adds a third dimension to Lankan cuisine
Heritance Hotels & Resorts (Heritance Kandalama and Heritance,
Ahungalla) is introducing health as a third dimension to Sri Lanka’s
cuisine in its properties. This is in addition to taste and
presentation.
Sri Lanka’s premier international hospitality brand which recently
announced its expansion overseas, brought leading Sri Lankan academics
in the field of food science & nutrition, Heritance’s internationally
acclaimed chefs and preferred suppliers to discuss the opportunities for
the development of Sri Lankan cuisine as a source of nutritive and
medicinal value as a value addition in their menus.
The workshop looked into the identification of nutrients and
corresponding ingredients, development of cuisine and looking at avenues
for supply.
Dr Ananda Chandrasekara, Senior Lecturer of Biochemistry, Human
Nutrition & Dietetics of the Department of Food Science & Technology of
the University of Peradeniya and Dr. Vajira Senaviratne, visiting
lecturer, Ayurveda Consultant and pharmaceutical chemist outlined Sri
Lankan food’s nutritional and medicinal values which reveal great
promise to develop specialized Sri Lankan cuisine as a health option.
Development of Sri Lankan cuisines is expected to create demand for
local ingredients, helping the rural economies of the country.
“The nutritional qualities of specific ingredients in western food
are well-known internationally due to the vast amount of research
published and media attention.
In contrast, Sri Lankan cuisine inspite of its many nutritive and
medicinal qualities, has not received due recognition.
We hope our initiative would help in recognizing the health aspect of
Sri Lankan cuisine internationally,” Managing Director Aitken Spence
Hotel Managements Malin Hapugoda, commented. Gemunu Goonawardena,
Director Food & Beverage and Anil Udawatte, Director Sales & Marketing
of Aitken Spence Hotels, also addressed the gathering.
Heritance Hotels and Resorts’ Group Skills Development Chef Dimuthu
Kumarasinghe, who is said to be the only chef in the world to have won
nine gold medals in individual events in both the Culinary Olympics and
Culinary World Cup and well-known Sri Lankan master chef, Publis Silva
were also present at the occasion.
Bernard Croos
Livewire of Galadari’s Banqueting Department:
After completing his studies at Royal College, Bernard Croos began
his hotel career at Lanka Oberoi (now Cinnamon Grand) in 1977 as a
humble casual steward with the firm ambition of someday reaching the
zenith of his hotel career, and it paid dividends.
In 1981 Bernard began to climb the ladder of success when he was
selected by the Sultanate of Oman Air Force Catering to work as a Head
Steward. Reconizing his honest and hard work, he was promoted to the
post of Mess Manager of the American Base in Oman.
Bernard returned to Sri Lanka in 1990 and joined the Galadari Hotel
(then Meridien) as a Senior Captain. Subsequently he was promoted to the
post of “Maitre” D’ - Banquet Operations Manager and Catering Manager.
In 1999, Bernard reached his goal in his hotel career when he was
appointed Banquet Manager.
Since Bernard was appointed Banquet Manager, Galadari Hotel has
recorded a tremendous improvement in banquet services. He treats the
Banquet Department as his “own home” and all guests as his “family
members”.
Whenever I called on Bernard, he greeted me with a hospitable smile
although extremely busy with banquet functions he had to handle. “Be it
a Sri Lankan or foreign guest, Bernard treats all as VIPs. It is the
success of his career.
(Text and Pic. B J)
Active Sunday at Fingara
 Experience a world of fun for the entire family at Fingara Town and
Country Club, Borelesgamuwa every Sunday.
Play a game of bowling, enjoy a dip in the swimming pool - let the
little ones enjoy themselves in the children’s play area and have a
feast at the scrumptious Sunday lunch buffet dished out by hand picked
chefs.
Enjoy scintillating calypso music by one of Sri Lanka’s popular
bands, to titillate your taste-buds.
Fingara’s Sunday lunch buffet offers a wide spread of delicious and
spicy Sri Lankan cuisine.
If you wish to go western, you could select from Fingara’s popular A
la-carte menu says sales manager, Food and Beverage, Fingara Club,
Adrian Gomez.
Sweet Temptation at Ceylon Continental
Be tempted to a selection of delicatessen at the pastry shop - La
Patisserie de Paris of the Ceylon Continental Hotel Colombo which is
open daily from 6.30 a.m.-9 p.m.
A choice of favourite cakes such as Black Forest cake, Fruit Gateau,
Chocolate Chip Cakes, Chocolate Butter Cream Cakes, Dutch Almond Cake
and Cherry Cake to name a few. Try out the muffins, Rum Balls or
delectable Tarts. Experience the sweet sensation of the delightful
Danishes, namely Custard, Chocolate or Raisin Danish and more of your favourite sweets.
La Patisserie de Paris also offers pastries of your choice nice and
spicy in case if you’re looking for a snack. Stuffed capsicums, Fish
Buns, Chicken Mushroom pie, Vegetable Springs Rolls, Seenisambol Bun,
Fish Puff and lots more for you to choose from with taste none can
compare.
What’s more interesting is that you could get yourself some fresh
breads that’s straight from the oven says Public Relations Executive,
Onitha Gurugalla.
Brown Bread, French Bread, Bavarian Bread, French Bread, Bavarian
Bread, a wide variety of breads to choose from. Further more special
breads and savories, which are made out of Sri Lankan rice flour are
available for guests who are more health conscious.
Rice and curry with chicken, beef, fish or egg, rice and curry with
vegetables, chicken or mutton biriyani, devilled fish or chicken rice,
devilled prawn rice, nasi-Goreng, fried noodles and lumprais are
available as take away food at La Patisserie de Paris daily.
Burger, Hotdog promotion at Commons
 In the mood for a nice, juicy, succulent burger?
Or how about a luscious, tantalising hotdog instead?
Indulge yourself at the Commons Coffee House, Flower Road
where you could savour the tastiest burgers in town, with a selection
of beef, chicken, fish, steak, mutton, seafood or vegetarian to choose
from. If that doesn’t do it for you, try the hotdogs, and choose your
own sauce and toppings!
This special offer is available until 30th of June.
So come along to Flower Road and have a bite - or just let Commons
bring it to you.
Takeaway is possible too from Commons Coffee Shop.
High Tea at the Cinnamon Grand
The Cinnamon Grand Colombo brings you a touch of tea time luxury on
weekends with a typical English afternoon high tea now being served at
the hotel’s Tea Lounge from 3.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
The Tea Lounge known for its cozy ambience is an ideal place to enjoy
this delightful ‘tea experience,’ with all the trimmings of a typical
English high tea, complete with silver service.
On offer is a delectable range of sweet and savoury afternoon teatime
delights and flavoursome tea varieties all laid and served in style in
keeping to the traditions associated with a typical English high tea.
A selection of finger sandwiches - Smoked Salmon, Roast Beef,
Cucumber and Cream, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate Praline Cake, Fruit
Tartlets, Cheese Straws, Scones with cream and jam and delicious Butter
Cake, provide for a tempting treat as much as the savoury short-eats in
an assortment of fillings.
Adding to the ambience would be the delightful sounds of classical
piano music! So relax with friends or family and add a touch of luxury
to those lazy afternoon tea sessions with a typical English high tea at
the Cinnamon Grand.
Lunch away from Home at GOH
 The days of busy executives are here to stay, and one has no time for
a leisurely lunch. Likewise, parking in the heart of the city is also a
difficulty that does not give the busy executive much choice as far as
venue for lunch is concerned.
All these problems are solved when you have your meal at the Sri
Lankan Restaurant of the Grand Oriental Hotel. In the heart of the city,
within walking distance, a sumptuous meal in a setting of traditional
ambience is now yours.
This time honoured establishment has now opened its portals to serve
the hurried worker a quick lunch. Just select your food from the spread
in the buffet, and enjoy your meal.
No more waiting to be served, no surreptitious glances at your watch
while your precious lunch hour is wasted - GOH attentive staff are ready
to offer you assistance.
Express lunch is the hotel’s motto, Secretary to General Manager,
Denise Peterson said.Should you be desk bound, but need sustenance of
substance, the GOH has takeaways.
Competitively priced packs of quality food, hygienically prepared
have become very popular amongst the office workers, Denise said. The
Sri Lankan restaurant at GOH is open from 12 noon till 3 p.m. |
