Indian Summer brings its burst of flavours to Beruwala
Crisp and plump : The simple Samosa transformed into a decadent delicacy
Several Indian restaurants have opened recently along the west coast road from Colombo to Galle, perhaps catering to the Indian tourists who form the majority of visitors to Sri Lanka. While some restaurants have token Indian cooks, they serve uninspiring dishes you wouldn’t want to try again. So it is good to see that a branch of the Indian Summer chain has burst upon the scene at Beruwala, like a ray of sunshine on a dull day, specialising in gourmet-quality Indian (and Chinese) food.
As befits its brand name, the food is packed with summery flavours; you can bask in the tang of herbs and confidently balanced spices.Billed as serving “fusion cuisine” the restaurant dishes up carefully and swiftly prepared soups, fish, chicken and mutton items that are extravagant in taste but not in price, appealing to locals as well as visitors. Housed in a mansion atop a mound between Beruwala and Bentota, it has added a new dimension to restaurant dining on the coastal road, great for a special celebration or a quick flavourful meal.
The restaurant’s décor is impressive, setting the mood for a memorable experience. The building used to be a gem emporium but no trace of that remains. It is has tables on the terrace and in the garden as well as in the air-conditioned interior. This has been divided by contemporary screening of black painted, wooden latticework into three private rooms as well as the main dining hall. The effect of so much black (even the ceiling is black, as are the uniforms of the waiters) is brightened by friezes of red and gold ribbons hanging from the ceiling, perhaps representing the rays of an Indian sun.
Mercifully this austere modernism has not been reproduced in the furniture, so the seats are traditionally comfortable armchairs. There are no tablecloths on the black-painted tables but they do sport proper sized, red cloth napkins. The restaurant has 144 covers but, perhaps because of the latticework, preserves an intimate ambience.
No alcohol is served and the food is certified halal; authenticity of preparation is in the hands of a kitchen brigade consisting of seven Indian chefs and two Chinese ones. The menu is like a coffee table book: so many pages, each one with tempting photographs of the dishes. It takes time to wade through all the items to order a meal that can indeed be a fusion of Indian and Chinese cuisine.
Austere modernism: Black with a touch of red
While we haggled among ourselves about what to have, a waiter brought complimentary papadams with various dips. On our first visit we didn’t realise that one portion is enough for two people so we over-ordered. Even so, the food is moreish so we finished every morsel.
We discovered that the simple samosa is transformed into a decadent delicacy: crisp and plump with fragrant, succulent lamb. Fish tikka was a revelation as it was not only slathered in seasoning, it was cooked with a lightness of touch that rendered it sublime. We had a mutton dish (Roganjosh) to supplement a bowl of mutton biryani that was distinguished by the enticing aromas bursting through, defying us not to finish it. The manager urged us to eat the garlic cheese naan as it was served, piping hot and sizzling with garlic.
I ordered the Balti Chilli Chicken because I was curious to try it, having heard that the dish was created in Birmingham in the 1970s to satisfy the British hunger for adapted Indian curries. It was served in a small copper bucket and seemed somewhat mild with, to my surprise, strips of green bell pepper rather than the fiery chillies I expected.That must have been the British influence.
The Kulfi homemade ice cream with pistachio and rosewater was a perfect antidote for the fulsome flavours of the meal, transforming the usual finale of ice cream into a sweet climax.
The manager was charm personified and entered our order on his laptop so it was translated immediately to the kitchen and was being cooked even while he was speaking to us. For me the only upset to a perfect dinner there was the disturbance caused by over-enthusiastic service. I am not keen on the American practice of servers whipping away the plates from diners who have finished, while others at the table are still eating. It added confusion to the fusion.
Indian Summer Beruwala, 390 Galle Road, Moragalla, Beruwala; tel:034 2278676.