Sizzling menu

A whole meal served on a sizzling platter… A new concept, well, not entirely, but to Sri Lanka, yes… Sitting at my table, glancing through the menu, I wondered what would possibly be the best choice among the many choices on offer – from steaks to chicken to lamb to sea food and then, not to forget the dessert and drinks menu, the variety is pretty mind blowing or may I say…sizzling!

You may wonder what all this sizzling is about. Well, these sizzling dishes can be found on Walukararama Road, Colombo 3 at, 'The Sizzle.' The restaurant first opened on April 1, last year, and speaking to Mr. Thushar Amalean, one of the joint owners of the restaurant, he said it all started during his college days in Bombay. It seems there was a place close to his college which served sizzlers and he said, "I loved the taste," and even in those days he said, "the dream was there at the back of my mind."

Mr. Amalean, however has and still is part of the garment industry but felt he needed a change and he along with Mr. Viraj Panchal, the owner of The Mango Tree, decided they should start up a restaurant. The challenge was, in a sense, to make sure 'their' restaurant stood out from the rest. And stand out, from the rest, it does!

The tag line, "Everything sizzles… even your appetite!" certainly says it all about the food that you can find at The Sizzle. The restaurant offers western, Indian, Chinese and Mongolian, all served on a sizzling platter. The main course aside, most of the desserts are served on a sizzling platter too. And some of the drinks 'sizzle' and smoke as well! In fact they have 20 sizzling desserts and from the mock-tails about four to five of them are of the non sizzling variety. The Sizzle does not serve alcohol and is a Halal restaurant as well.

According to Mr. Amalean, the steak and lamb dishes are said to be sizzling favourites at the restaurant, adding "the steaks are supposed to be the best in Colombo," according to most of his regular clients. And I must agree, as I had the opportunity to dig into one of the steak dishes – Tyson's Portion, which was simply amazing. The meat was so succulent and the vegetables and sauces complimented the meal just perfectly. It is steaming and sizzling when it is brought to your table and it is warm right up until the very last bite.

It must be noted that the main courses are balanced diets in terms of them having carbohydrates, starch and veggies and also protein. The three chefs who make these mouth-watering sizzlers are from India, while the amazing desserts are made by a Sri Lankan chef who has gained experience in a couple of hotels in Sri Lanka, with the total staff consists of around 20.

The Sizzle also has a number of mock-tails and desserts to choose from. 'Jillian's Pride,' which is a mock-tail consisting carrot and apple juice with fresh banana is worth a try. Talking about the sizzling desserts they have on offer, the sizzling chocolate almond brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce named, 'Carina's Favourite Sizzle,' is certainly a treat. 'Teresa's Favourite Sizzle,' which is a sizzling Philadelphia Cream Cheese Blueberry cake with almond sauce is not just sizzling but mouth-wateringly mind blowing!

The names of the food might right a bell to you. Well, they are all names of boxers. The main courses are named after male boxers while the desserts are named after lady boxers. The reason behind using such names was because the meal in itself can be considered a "tough meal," according to Mr. Amalean, therefore what better way to describe these tough meals than naming them after boxers!

The mood for food is set, with the décor being enhanced by the orange coloured walls and theme. According to Mr. Amalean the reason for choosing orange is because he feels it is a "foody" colour. The dishes are relatively spicy in order that they suit the Sri Lankan pallet.

The current menu is set to change in time and will offer a wider variety of dishes. There is also a wide range to choose from for kids as the restaurant is one for the whole family. The Take Away range is quite wide and their lunch menu which is called the 'express lunch' has rice, noodles and spaghetti on offer. The reason it is called express is because it can be eaten faster than the other main courses as it is not served as steaming and sizzlingly hot!

The Sizzle has a number of regular customers and due to this they plan to offer a privilege card to their loyal customers. Parking in Colombo is usually a big problem but there is relatively comfortable parking space in and around the restaurant.