HOTELS

Mixed grill family time

Demi HEWAMANNA

When we speak about Sunday, for some it's a perfect day for a picnic, lazing at home, sleep late, go for a movie or do many things, but for the unfortunate (like us), have to come to office even on a beautiful glorious Sunday. However, generally,Sunday is considered more of the 'family' day - because thats the day when everyone is at home, some people go to Church, have a special meal at home and more.

Talking about special meals, we all like to have a nice evening with some good music, food, drinks and quality time with the family. Dinner is always simple and once in a while you make it elegant. It's not everyday that you get to sit in one of the oldest places in the heart of Colombo, listen to music by a musician who is able to grab you out of a tense mood, enjoy a great meal looking at one of the amazing sights that only few places can offer.

The place is none other than Grand Oriental Hotel's Harbour Room decorated in the 70s style. The Hotel re-launched one of its famous Tabrobane Mixed Grill with Sam The Man who really knows how to get the crowd sing, dance and eat at the same time without having to miss anything.

"Tabrobane mixed grill served at harbour for last 3 decades and we want to re launch this tradition with added sensation of 70's music with Sam the Man," Grand Oriental Hotel General Manager Nihal Jayawardena said.

"It was very famous among people in the early days and they know exactly where to come to have their favorite succulent meat and we want to keep that happening with out harming the tradition with the guest's who love 70's music and of cause the tastes of Taprobane Mixed Grill," added Nihal.

"Imported lamb chops, beef, chicken, bacon, sausage, and fried egg, liver accompanied with mash potatoes, buttered vegetables or with rice will serve with the famous 'Tabrobane sauce' as the menu," Grand Oriental Hotel Executive Chef Ruwan Withana said.

It really was a pleasant night, as I enjoyed my mixed grill looking at the busy harbour that was lit up in flood lights and watching the harbour workers loading and unloading containers and crates. Family by family, people kept walking in and everybody seemed to really enjoy the evening with the great music that Sam the Man provided. There was an Indian couple who had come down for vacation and Sam the Man had got the lady to join him in a duet to sing a hindi song with him.

All the guests ordered the Tabrobane Mixed Grill and from the looks on their faces, they really enjoyed the meal just as much as I did.

I am sure there are lot of people eagerly waiting to have it 'again'. Because of the war, a lot of extra security measures were taken to protect the country and it's people, but that extra measure was also a trouble to some people who didn't have the freedom to go here and there without being stopped constantly at various check points. Due to this, people were reluctant to go out and stopped at check points more than at traffic lights.

But now, roads have been cleared, check points have been removed and one can walk freely without any fear down York Street and do the things they did and enjoy themselves and head on down to Grand Oriental Hotel and enjoy the classics of food, music and ambiance.

Soul funk Sunday:

Hear the drummer get wicked

Soul Funk Sundat at the Park Street Mews is scheduled this month too on the second Sunday of the month which happens to be tomorrow (November 14).

If you did notice the Tag line-its off the old Chad Jackson classic 'Hear the Drummer (get wicked)'.

Soul Funk Sunday is the only place in Colombo where the cobbled street becomes an outdoor lounge cum music venue for all funky people to chill out with family, meet up with friends and enjoy food and beverage on a perfect balmy Sunday afternoon going into late evening.

This time around resident Dj Tareeq will be taking the event a bit up tempo and will spin the funkiest vibes with special guest percussionist, Saman Lenin. Spin off is at 5 pm.

The menu on this day will be all street food ranging from Satays to Shawarma, Potato Fries and Wedges together with the a-la-carte menu too should anyone want to tuck into something more substantial.

So make a date on Sunday November 14 to one of Colombo's most happening street parties and jam on the street.

This November at the Taj

As the festive season draws closer, excitement builds in the air the Mix gears up for a reveling time. The duo Rebirth featuring Marlon Amarasekera and Slovakian Janka will perform every Wednesday to Sunday 9 pm onwards.

Rebirths repertoire will leave you tapping your toes to or dancing away whatever the music you fancy, from the nostalgic retro hits to the current chart toppers.

What's more, having been performing over the last couple of years in Germany, the band even sings German music...classical tunes such as Cladia Jung or even the more new age tracks such as Helena Fischer.

Golden dragon - Master Chef Bai Ping presents latest menu

Await the launch of their new menu at the Golden Dragon with master Chef Bai Ping from November 20 onwards. Of the "Eight Great Culinary Traditions of China", Chef Ping is a maestro of Szechuan cuisine.

Famed for it's bold flavours, particularly pungency and spiciness it comes as no surprise that Szechuan cuisine is very popular in Sri Lanka.

Navaratna - Chettinad food promotion

This unique promotion with our specialty chef from Chennai features mouth-watering delicacies famed for their aromatic spiciness from the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu from November 26 to December 5.

Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic of all of India's fine cuisines. Stemming from the infatuations of the richly cultural Chettiar people this cuisine is truly distinctive with it's blend of hot, tangy and pungent, freshly ground masalas. Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Miele Guide 2010/11 list:

Bay Leaf - one of the best restaurants

The Bay Leaf restaurant has been listed as one of the Best restaurants for Sri Lanka in the 2010/2011 edition of The Miele Guide, Asia's first truly independent and authoritative restaurant guide. 'It evaluates restaurants annually across the region and releases an annual ranking of Asia's Top 20 restaurants in addition to profiling the best restaurants across Asia.

Miele Guide was established three years ago with the sole intent of globally championing Asia's best restaurants to bring the world's attention to just how amazing and incredible some of the restaurants, restaurateurs and chef's in Asia truly are.

And it has strived to set new standards in Asia's culinary scene by creating platforms for gastronmic innovation, where the regions' deserving chefs are given due recognition.

The Bay Leaf launched its new menu as well. The new menu is presented every year which includes the current favorites plus a new range of Anti Pasta, Starters, Salads, Main courses and a sumptuous range of desserts.

Executive Chef Chef Saroj has taken much care to present the current menu. Some suggested dishes to mention are for starters one can enjoy the Calamari Fritti, Crispy-fried Squid served with a Spicy Salsa Arora, Prosciutto e Melone, Thinly Sliced Parma Ham served on Chilled Rock Melon with Mint or Bocconcini Fritti, Batter fried fresh mozzarella served with sea food marinara.

Fresh Pasta is made daily at the Bay leaf and all pasta is served Al Dente unless otherwise requested.

The fresh pasta range offers Fettuccine ai Vegetali Grigliati for the vegetarians, fresh Fettuccine tossed with Grilled Market Vegetables, Dry Chili Flakes, Basil and Parmesan Cheese Tagliatelle Mare e Monti Fresh Pasta tossed with onion, zucchini, salmon, cream, herbs and a dash of vodka or Cannelloni Nero frutti di Mare, fresh squid black ink pasta tubes wrapped around fresh seafood, Parmesan, oven baked with cream saffron cheese sauce.

The Ravioli has been a hot favorite among many and he offers Ravioli di Anatra Duck Ravioli served with a tomato, cream, oregano and vodka sauce or for others the Penne Quattro Formaggi (V) Short Pasta with four varieties of Italian cheese.

There are Italian rice specials with Risotto alla Milanese con gamberoni e Asparagi, Italian rice with King prawns, asparagus, saffron and parmesan cheese

The Italian desserts range from Gelato Misto, three flavors of Ice Cream with Honey Caramelized Nuts Meringue Italiana con Fragole e Panna Italian Meringue with Strawberries and cream and Zabaglione con Gelato,warm whipped egg yolk with white wine and Ice cream. There is also the regular favorites - chocolate fudge and brownies- and the fruit platter for the health conscious.

All this offers an exciting dining experience at the Bay Leaf Restaurant.

Authentic Sri Lankan cuisine continues Rasai Sri Lanka

Ceylon Continental continues to impress diners by offering innovative and sumptuous experiences at its special weekend Promotion, held on Saturday and Sunday and geared to repeat weekly.

This is designed to attract patrons looking for an authentic experience.

Just a few of these time-honoured delights include Kakulu bath, chicken and fish ambul thiyal, polos pahi, gotukola baduma, achcharu, kunisso baduma, gange maalu, chicken and mutton curries and hoppers / string hoppers.

A peek into the Hotel's dessert menu includes fruit salad with condensed milk, pol toffee and kiri toffee, dodol, welithalapa, sau dodol, pani walalu, polpani rolls, and aggala.

"Having Chef Ranjith Meegasthenna's experience behind the menus was a major benefit; he is one of the foremost professionals of industry.

He is a veteran of thirty years, and has been at Ceylon Continental for fifteen years; the Sri Lankan Food promotion has positively reflected on his versatility." the Hotel said.

Eco-Kids of MLH spread wealth with Green initiative

'Tis the season when our thoughts turn to gathering with our friends and family and celebrating the time of year. That doesn't mean it's time to throw out your 'green' sensibilities for the sake of togetherness. Well Mount Lavinia Hotel is certainly got their senses intact and is taking measures to make Going Green more than just a trend.

One such initiative is the Eco Kids art and essay competition that was held recently with all participants being the kids of MLH.

"We believe all great ideas begin at home and for certain no green idea is too big or too small for consideration by the Mount Lavinia Hotel's green team," states Director HR Ruwan Punchihewa.

Educate students! This is a school's number one role in going green: change the mindset and behavior of the next generation. Schools are now teaching students about global warming, climate change, renewable resources and all of the exciting technologies utilizing these, about recycling of solid wastes and water, and about green building.

More than 20 eco-experts - aged 15 and under - gathered at the hotel to share an exciting green message. Either by way of an art competition or essay competition and the topics were: Let us create a green planet, Are humans destroying planet earth and the world in another 25 years?

The Community development arm of the Go Green Team at MLH announced this Green program that put into perspective of how kids view "Green the planet is" and in turn help make their green dreams a reality.

The winners will be announced at the Team Member's Day that is scheduled for November 28. "Kids are just as likely to be leading the green charge as they are to be following green examples," GM Anura Dewapura says. "We believe that the greatest actions often grow from small ideas, so we wanted to give our MLH families kids an opportunity to put green ideas into action and to inspire other kids, parents and communities to make a positive environmental difference," he further stated.

No green idea is too big or too small for consideration by the Mount Lavinia Hotel's green team.

Other eco-worthy efforts done in hotel are the kaduru project, community clean-up programs on the beach and waste/energy reduction programs in the hotel The winners will receive cash prizes that have been released from the welfare fund of the hotel.