Go Italian to the sound of waves lapping the Induruwa shore
As tourism moves up market, restaurants are opening in resort areas to cater for discerning guests who want a change from typical hotel fare. Some have recruited Sri Lankan chefs who have returned from working abroad and want a job close to their home towns, so guests benefit from the local chef’s international experience. Others train their staff in the restaurant’s style of cuisine, be it Indian, Thai, seafood or European fusion. The result is that it is possible to eat well out of Colombo, and not just burgers or rice and curry of doubtful provenance at wayside eateries. Osteria Romana on the beach at Induruwa is an example and, since it is close to my home, I have eaten there several times. It has been thoughtfully converted from an architecturally designed beach house built in the classic Bawa style of columns and ponds with the addition of a modern fully-equipped kitchen.The capable staff members run it with efficiency and charm as though it were their own business.
The outcome is a huge success with the restaurant being packed with contented diners every evening during the west coast tourist season. The attraction is not just the quality of the food, but also of the service. In so many out of town restaurants, even those attached to hotels, the service is slow and amateurish. Not at Osteria Romana. Wine is served as soon as ordered and the stewards deliver the food as quickly as the kitchen prepares it.The kitchen is glass-walled so guests can see what’s going on as they walk down the corridor, open to a courtyard pond on one side, to the tables. These are set up in an alcove decorated with black and white photographs of Hollywood stars and warmly lit by candles, or on the verandah and out in the palm-shaded garden of sand at the edge of the beach.
The menu has been created by Chef Deepal who has drawn on his experience cooking Italian dishes in Saudi Arabia and also at Kuramathi island resort in the Maldives. He is ably assisted by Udara and Pasindu and it’s a pleasure to glimpse them working as a team in the spotlessly clean kitchen. The menu is not overloaded with different dishes, always a good sign as it indicates focus and competence. It’s in Italian, with English translation. On a recent visit, I shared a wooden platter of antipasto with friends in the entrance lounge while we waited for our dinner to be prepared. This consisted of generous helpings of cured meat and salami imported from Italy, and was a great “tapa” at Rs1,750, with our aperitif bottle of Chilean Shiraz (Rs 3,000).
The starters on the menu are varied ranging from Butterfish Carpaccio to a satisfying Salad Leaves with Gorgonzola (Italian blue cheese) and Bacon (Rs 950). Guests often settle for two exquisite starters rather than having a main course. The choice of mains is limited to seafood or chicken dishes, pork chops and, my own favourite, supremely tender Osso Bucco(veal shank) smothered with a Bolognaise Sauce of mince meat with sculpted mashed potatoes. Real comfort food, but be prepared to pay Rs 3,000 for it.
Cosy interiors (left) and Chef Deepal and his kitchen brigade Udara and Pasindu
There are several kinds of pasta ranging from Rs1,450 to Rs1,850 – the price of homemade tagliolini with prawns, calamari, fish and crab. My friend pronounced hers as “perfect!” Pizzas, which I haven’t tried, are 12 inches in diameter and yield eight pieces; priced from Rs1,350 to Rs1,850 – for the one with spicy prawns, zucchini and tomato.
In a refreshing departure from usual menus, the prices are nett, so there are no tiresome extras like taxes and service charge to add on, making the quoted prices competitive and not as high as they seem at first. Unusual too are the restaurant’s opening hours: from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., making it suitable for snacking during sun-downers as well as for a formal dinner. It is closed on Mondays.
The ambience adds to the enjoyment of Osteria Romana; it has a sophisticated Mediterranean air about it and, dining on the beach under a starry sky to the gentle sound of waves lapping the shore, is memorable.
Osteria Romana, 700B, Galle Road, Induruwa; tel: 034 229 1602.