The World Spice Festival swirled Colombo into a week of heady hedonism. Now the festivities have finished. But unlike most things in life, they haven’t left a bad after taste…
The Tourist Board of Sri Lanka and the city’s leading five stars and stand-alones hosted the event. With an unprecedented 18 participants even the most assiduous epicurean efforts wouldn’t have managed a global sampling. But here is our pick…...
The Hawkers’ Stalls at Galle Face Green proved a case of too many cooks and watery soup: the November rain decided to christen the inauguration with showers of blessings the Tourist Board would feign have done without. It is a mystery why the event was scheduled during the wet season which left international chefs languishing in soaked solitude with their live kitchens, rather impressively hoisted stalls and roaring seas.
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| Full of flavour: Vietnamese chef Tran Thi Than Tuyen’s offerings at the Hilton Colombo Residence at the festival opening |
Colombo was told their tongues would be titillated by “master chefs”. But what the Tourist Board meant by this remains somewhat nebulous, especially as a little investigation revealed that one of the chefs runs a fast food café in an obscure town and another works at Hong Kong’s Disneyland Hollywood Hotel (not the Disneyland Hotel with an award-winning restaurant). Besides, at least a couple of chefs weren’t from the countries whose cuisine they offered.
Hotels had guest chefs foisted upon them rather randomly. Indeed, the chef at the Taj Samudra was mildly bewildered as to why the Tourist Board had asked him to cook Moroccan cuisine when he is Syrian. He even confessed that he had to ferret around to procure three bags of cous cous, a North African speciality, not necessarily readily available in Arabic countries. Further, the Lebanese chef at the Galadari was Egyptian. Never mind. “Master chefs” sounds rather grand and the jugglery did not deter the crowds. After all, what you don’t know can’t hurt you. Only the well-travelled gastronome might have had cause to carp.
Hilton Colombo’s Korean Food Promotion, which coincided with but didn't partake of the World Spice Festival, should arguably have been the inspiration for the event, for rarely have I seen such a splendidly orchestrated culinary extravaganza conjugated with cultural razzmatazz. The Spice Festival somewhat disappointed by comparison. This is not to say it was a complete wash-out, the rain notwithstanding. And I did enjoy some of the surprises.
When I walked into the dismayingly decorated Hilton Colombo Residence my heart plummeted. It continued plummeting when the set menu hadn’t the items I sought. But announcing, “I can do it!” the undaunted Vietnamese lady chef Tran Thi Thanh Tuyen in less time than it took me to pronounce her name presented her wonderfully flavoured, superbly textured, extemporaneous preparations. Even the glutinous rice dumplings in ginger sauce, which generally repel me, were delicately handled.
The chef from Ho Chi Minh City’s Hotel Equatorial so impressed I “honoured” her with a second visit and was treated to a marvellous bespoke five courses. I then learned that this unassuming chef has won awards for best chef in Vietnam and procured a silver medal at a Dubai culinary competition. She is Chile-bound for another event. It is unfathomable why Chef Tuyen wasn’t allocated one of the more high profile addresses in town (without detracting from the excellences of Hilton Colombo Residence) where her talents might have received greater audiences.
I was therefore pleased when Hilton Colombo Residence subsequently won awards for Best Restaurant in Colombo in the category for food presentation, taste & decoration as well as First Prize for the Crab competition which was held at the BMICH at the closing ceremony.
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| The Cinnamon Lake Side’s Singapore food promotion |
The Galadari’s Scheherazade restaurant’s ambience mightn’t be the most appetising. Neither did they dress for their Lebanese food promotion. However, what’s on the plate interests me more than what’s on the walls and Chef Walid Mohammed Roshdy grabbed one’s attention.
The 28-year-old one-time banker disliked donning suits so started cooking up trouble in the kitchen instead. He did this so well, he now heads fine dining Maestro at Cairo’s Intercontinental City Stars. Distinguishing Lebanese and Egyptian cuisine (Egyptian chefs in London can get touchy on this point), Chef Roshdy says that the bibulous Lebanese have more mezzes. His Lebanese mezzes (excellent fare, rare outside the Middle East) certainly delighted a sold-out restaurant as did the fab Ayesh Alzury dessert. But the show stopper was Galadari Pastry Chef Fernando’s spice ice creams- the woodapple ice cream and cardamom espresso wowed me. I even had two sundaes.....
Ambience was unrivalled at Hilton Colombo’s Curry Leaf, perhaps the city’s most picturesque spot whose outdoor setting courted by lotus ponds, tumbling foliage and lush landscaped gardens throbbed with tourists and the local elite. The sea food market habitually displays marine creatures. But during the Asian Sea Food fiesta the Singaporean guest chef Lim from the Red House Sea Food restaurant contributed two dishes: chilli crab and pepper crab.
However, tourists were seen relishing as much the Sri Lankan buffet on offer. Rotti, hoppers, string hoppers and Singaporean crab-- an eclectic mix. Further, the restaurant had the imagination to offer vegetarian innovations of sea food dishes: like veggies in the pepper sauce used for the crab or more adventurous pan fried “pomfret” made with rotti! Colombo’s most delicious service tasted better when dolloped with cardamom and bibikkan spice ice cream finished with a swig of masala spice tea. Tea-tillating!
Not to be outdone in numbers or popularity was The Cinnamon Lake’s Singapore food promotion. Long Feng’s terrace poured with not just rain but locals whom the packed interiors couldn’t accommodate. On a Monday night too! A Singapore Lion presided placidly amidst the gregarious mood undampened by the hectic downpour. The buffet was more intimate by comparison to some others though the noodles tasted remarkably like Maggi. However, guests seemed more interested in the desserts which threatened to topple over their plates as they made multiple sweet excursions. If truth be told, I too had not a few chocolate brownies. Sigh… But then, the Cinnamon Lake arguably boasts Colombo’s finest pastry chefs. Unsurprisingly, their spiced ice cream won first prize. It was lots of spice- cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and all that’s nice. Mmm...
The Taj Samudra scored full points on décor as they conjured a Moroccan facade, traditional Moroccan-style seating, indigenous pottery, shishas, palm trees and even two camels… The chef, however, was not from Morocco and one would be surprised if a belly-dancer called Christina could be. It is a pity that her gyrations were unappreciated by wives who sniggered as their husbands gazed admiringly at the pool, an effort in the dark. Nevertheless, the setting and dancing enthralled large groups of Arab tourists. The buffet was a somewhat promiscuous panoply of Moroccan (a few items), Arabic, Indian, Sri Lankan and Continental cuisines.
The chef brought along Arabic breads and baklava too (although baklava is Arabic, not Moroccan). But the stuffed dates from the Middle East were worth making a date with.
The Ceylon Continental stuck to what they promised. They said they were offering North Indian cuisine and they did just that, although one cannot imagine that the plethora of fragrant biriyanis the chef from New Delhi was demonstrating at Galle Face hadn’t the celebrated South Indian Hyderabadi touch. Amongst the biriyanis cooking enthusiasts learned to prepare were chicken, lamb and vegetable biriyanis. And if you visited the Tandoor restaurant you might have picked up some Hindi from the manager who spent some years at the Delhi Taj Mahal Hotel.
The Cinnamon Grand’s Spanish chef Ramon Salto Alvarez was the best on paper. Having trained at the legendary three-Michelin-starred El Boulli and with experience at some impressive London and Paris addresses the chef who has cooked for Al Pacino, Robert Deniro and Barack Obama (before he became president) is now heading Kuwait’s Missoni Hotel which will open next year. The chef was, incidentally, hand-picked by the hotel, not the Tourist Board. About 30 items sprawled on the buffet, including top-notch paella, although the chef regretted that local produce didn’t always capture Spanish flavours. The décor was more akin to an Italian idyll than sultry Spain but after a few glasses from the sangrila fountain who would have noticed?
In conclusion, the annual World Spice Festival got Colombo festive and feast-ive again, although perhaps short of the anticipated 10,000 visitors. If this be its aim then the event succeeded. However, if the Tourist Board entertains mightier ambitions of making it a world class event and luring the international gastronome they might have to be more stringent about guest chefs.
As the event stands I, for one, could not recommend that anyone cross seven seas for it as I would for say Hyderabad’s Deccan Festival, Paris’s Salon du Chocolat or Alba’s White Truffle Auction. However, the Spice Festival concept is inspired. Take a leaf from Hilton Colombo’s Korean Food promotion and perhaps the Spice Girls will be lured. I mean the likes of Victoria Beckham. Now wouldn’t that leave Colombo feeling hot hot hot, on more than just the palate. |
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