Savouring Wadiya

"Beach Wadiya is not merely a beach restaurant. It is much, much more. It is a heritage, a landmark, a legend and, above all, the only one of its kind." – Dr. H. Varma, Director Development Assistant Department, World Tourism Organisation.

"A "Virgin" Restaurant! ” – Sir Richard Branson

Such are the comments found in a few of the guest books remaining after they were washed away from the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and they truly state what this restaurant Beach Wadiya is all about.

Well known for their amazing and mouth-watering baked crab, which one of the customers said, is simply "out of this world" and was having a second serving of it, then the devilled crab which comes with a delicious gravy and said to be favoured by the star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and the kankung dish which is a favourite of Princess Anne are some of the well known and loved dishes served at this restaurant…which are one-of-a-kind, hands down!

Olwyn Weerasekera, the owner of Beach Wadiya is from the south of the country, and had no prior training in this industry. It was his love for the food of the south that influenced him a great deal to dive into this restaurant business. And prior to this he was involved in a pharmaceutical firm. "Necessity is the mother of invention," he said adding, "I had to survive and live on this –that made me carry on this and continue," he said.

Having come across people from all walks of life during the past 30 plus years, he said it has always been a pleasure for him to have met people from Royalty to well known cricketers and celebrities, to entrepreneurs to just the simple common man.

Mr. Weerasekera has maintained the same standards over the years and says, "if you have come then or now or later, nothing would have changed except got better," adding that he would not have been successful if these simple rules were/are not followed. The food has been bought daily and is always fresh because he believes in always giving the customer the very best. The restaurant only has one sitting therefore you do not have to worry about rushing through your meal, when you are there it is all about the food, the natural ambiance and of course you!

Mr. Weerasekera stresses that you must make a reservation if you plan on dining there in the evenings. The restaurant is open from 10am – 3pm and then again from 6.30 - 11pm and closed only on Poya Days. There is obviously seafood on the menu but there are vegetarian dishes and meats like chicken or beef. Ice cream, wattalappam, curd and treacle or fruit are on offer for desserts.

A good combination at the restaurant would be the delicious crab and egg soup with garlic toast followed by their signature baked crab. This can then be followed by the scrumptious devilled crab, grilled prawns, kankung, vinegar soaked tomatoes, all with a lightly tossed fried rice. I can almost assure you these dishes will make your day!

Possibly the most cheerful server in town Banda, makes your experience at the Beach Wadiya that much more special. Banda has been at the restaurant for 29 years and joined them just before getting his O'Level results at the age of 16. "I give the restaurant my best and nothing less," he said, adding, "each day is a new day for me!"

He is ever so grateful for his job and says there is nothing quite like it, especially in terms of meeting people from all walks of life. Banda maintains the fact that "the customer is the boss" and is ever-ready to help you and is always bright and chirpy. In fact, it is so very rare to find such a genuine server anywhere.

The restaurant was affected when the 2004 South Asian Tsunami hit the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, and the three metre high water mark at the restaurant is stark reminder of this. The story of the restaurant can be seen all over the restaurant with the many photographs on the walls and proves just how much this restaurant can be considered a historical landmark in Sri Lanka. The restaurant has not changed at all and the ambiance is simple and all that counts is the delicious seafood.

Beach Wadiya is situated at 2, Station Avenue, Wellawatte and for reservations please call ahead and you can do so on, 258 8568/451 4477.