Got the taste for Chinese seafood on the beach? Head to Loon Tao
There’s something about Loon Tao that speaks to the soul. For one you can walk in wearing almost anything-from those in an evening gown to beach bums in slippers and shorts, all are welcome. Then there’s the setting; a completely open restaurant and an unhindered view of the setting sun over an iridescent ocean. And of course, there’s the food. When owner Janaka Wimalananda conceptualised ‘Chinese seafood on the beach’ there were vehement warnings that this would be one venture doomed for failure. Walking into a bustling Loon Tao five years later on a rainy Thursday at 6 p.m., one would be happily forced to disagree.
“I always knew this was going to be successful though,” he will tell you. What’s not to like? Chinese, seafood and the beach-three things all Sri Lankans love in equal measure. Judging from his clientele, quite a few expatriates and tourists have discovered this hidden gem on the Mount Lavinia beach as well. The evening we visited the restaurant is almost filled to capacity with happy couples, big families,
Loon Tao: The beach, sea and Chinese food
friends celebrating and little children thrilled with the ocean view. Loon Tao’s only drawback, perhaps, is its inaccessibility. While we all love the beach trekking over a dodgy railway crossing and wet sand at night might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Although as Janaka and most of the restaurant’s patrons will tell you “it’s more than worth it.”
Once you battle the elements to walk in through a latched wooden gate, you’ll be greeted by a space that is quite possibly one of the most architecturally ingenious on that stretch. Janaka says that when he built the restaurant in 2008 his only brief to the designer was “I don’t want a box.” Most, unable to comprehend the concept of a beachfront property with no structure, were turned away. One architect finally fit the bill and his vision for a Balinese-style open space that actually has no walls, doors or windows is Loon Tao today.
Don’t let first impressions deceive you-the place looks quite small and cosy but Janaka says that on new year’s eve they can have a clientele of up to 600 people in one go. “That’s the beauty of the open space,” he smiles. This New Year’s Eve party is one of the few ‘functions’ that are ever held at Loon Tao because they have a policy of not closing the restaurant to regular customers so they can cater to a special event. But Janaka is a savvy businessman– in a few months the space will be restructured to add on a nifty upper level which will only cater to special events. This way he gets the best of both worlds.
Loon Tao’s kitchen is manned by a Chinese head chef and sous chef, and plenty of local and Chinese chefs and servers specially trained in the restaurant’s cuisine. Janaka knows his Chinese-he spent a long time working in the Far East-which is why his chefs know better than to cut corners when it comes to the food. We’re told that Loon Tao’s fresh produce is brought in on a daily basis and the only items purchased without a day’s notice are the non-perishables, which are imported from China. They will tell you that this is because they want to give nothing but the best-you’ll also realize that the restaurant’s unfailing popularity and regular clientele is partly due to this uncompromised vision for quality.
Jagath: Savvy businessman
The food itself is fantastic, if a little heavy on the palate. Chinese seafood by definition is rich in flavour and the fresh ingredients deliver in terms of taste. Leaving the regulars for later inspection, we tried a Garlic Cucumber appetizer-definitely not for the faint of heart. The raw cucumber and the very strong flavour of minced garlic could work perfectly with a bit of alcohol in the system, but was otherwise a rather jarring way to begin a meal. We did try some actual seafood though and enjoyed it immensely. The salad prawns is no salad, unless you count the
Cuttlefish rings. Pix by Mangala Weerasekera
strips of vegetable that come with it. The beautiful battered prawns are definitely the star of this dish-it somehow manages to taste fresh, salty and very creamy at the same time. Try not to order a multiple times and ruin your appetite for dinner! We also tried the cuttlefish rings with special sauce (very Sri Lankan of us, we know), and enjoyed that immensely. The special sauce turned out to be aioli which was fantastic with the seafood. The best thing? The sizeable quantities will definitely not leave you feebly protesting for ‘a little more for my money, please’. We’re also told that they serve a fantastic selection of desserts, ‘sizzlers’ and even a selection of tofu dishes for the stray vegetarian wandering in.
So go on. If you’re of that rare breed that still hasn’t discovered Loon Tao on the Mount Lavinia stretch of the beach (plenty already have, judging from the many Trip Advisor awards and a Living magazine accolade for No. 3 restaurant in the country), it’s probably time to make your way there. Because if you’re Sri Lankan and haven’t done Chinese seafood on the beach, we can safely say that you’ve really missed out!