Mangosteen delight; icing on the cake in George’s Greek Feast
View(s):Geoge Calombaris had promised a Greek Feast and the Cinnamon Grand’s atrium was suitably adorned with Greek pillars, long tables dressed with snowy white tablecloths, a single strip of greenery running across to set the scene of subtle elegance.
George with Sharmini and Sunimal Senanayake, Sector Head - Leisure Resorts (Sri Lanka and the Maldives) & Executive Vice President - John Keells Group
This, mind you, was a pricey affair and expectations were high among the select clientele who had taken up Cinnamon Life’s invitation to dine with the celebrity chef they had flown down to the island on a brief but packed four day visit.
George, the darling of MasterChef fans for his genuine empathy with struggling contestants on the hit Australian show soon bounced up on stage in his trademark black apron and immediately struck the right note with the guests with his ‘Ayubowan’, offering his congratulations on Sri Lanka’s bold victory over India in the ICC Champions Trophy.
His own country Australia were playing England as he spoke and news of their disappointing exit would come a while later.
Just back from a trip to Habarana where Cinnamon Life had arranged for him to cook with the village ladies, he spoke with great appreciation for the simple natural ingredients and spices he had encountered, the experience, he said, he will never forget of eating with his fingers and the connection he had with the village cooks, even though they didn’t speak each other’s language.
Discovering the island’s cuisine and offering his own expertise as a top chef was all woven into his trip. His Greek Feast at the Cinnamon Grand presented by Cinnamon Life had merited careful planning.
A work of art: George’s mangosteen surprise
“When we accepted the invitation to come here, it wasn’t about copy pasting dishes we do back home,” he told the audience, also introducing his junior sous chef, Shehan Setunge ‘a local Colombo boy’ who was part of George’s three man chefs’ team on this visit. Shehan it was who had provided the input on the local food, George said, telling his mum, dad and grandmother in the audience they should be very proud of their boy.
And so on to the food. The menu didn’t offer a wealth of detail, but the local elements were as promised present – the starter – Fish/ Cucumber and Coconut, followed by a tangy fresh Beetroot/Yoghurt and Peanut salad. His piece d’ resistance was the deliciously crunchy Prawn Kataifi / Taramosalata/ Tea salt served most audaciously in a bed of newspaper.
The well known Greek meze Taramasalata or simply termed “fish roe salad” combined with the prawn was unforgettably delicious, the crispy tang of tea salt contrasting with creamy richness of the taramasalata.
The kataifi we were to discover later, was a Mediterranean filo pastry which came in thin strands, wrapped around the prawn.
The main – Short Rib/Pastourma/ Radish was, as we have often seen on MasterChef, satisfyingly crisp on the outside and succulently tender inside – topped with delicate slices of radish, again a careful pairing.
Prawn Kataifi /Taramosalata/ Tea salt in a bed of newspaper
Then came the surprise extra – stewards bearing forth white bowls where cradled in a bed of ice sat the rosy mangosteen shells, the flesh scooped out and filled in the shell as a sorbet topped with exquisite tiny meringues- almost too beautiful to eat.
If anything, when the listed dessert – Tea Panacotta/ passionfruit/ wild rice was served, it had had its thunder stolen by George’s inspired mangosteen creation.
It’s hard to please so many different tastes but the Greek Feast had given us some inkling of the creativity and passion for his craft that has taken George Calombaris from his dream of opening his own restaurant ten years ago to owning 11 today and celebrity status on MasterChef. -R.S.
Tea and photographs with George.
Eager fans of MasterChef took the chance to grab a moment with their favourite when Cinnamon Life presented a High Tea partnered by Dilmah at the Cinnamon Grand.
