In the heart of Colombo, the Commercial Centre of Sri Lanka is where the Alhambra Restaurant is located, renowned for its North Indian cuisine.
The ‘Alhambra’ is a popular restaurant at the Ramada Colombo Hotel, and has become the center of attraction for those with a palette for authentic Indian food.
Each country naturally has their own signature food and only they know to cook it the best. It is no different with our neighboring country India. This is why Colombo Ramada has got an in-house Indian Master Chef to spearhead the Alhambra team!
Thereby, Ramada Colombo has ensured that when entering Alhambra, it’s as good as entering one of India’s best of restaurants serving food with their own traditional concoctions. This has earned Ramada Colombo of being known as the authentic Indian food hub of Colombo.
Indian Chef Nirbhay Singh who is armed with 20 years’ experience in the Hospitality Industry has constantly introduced novel dishes to the menu, much to the delight of those who patronize the restaurant regularly. He first suggested that we try the Lassie drink, a creamy, fruity yogurt based drink blended with water and various fruits or seasoning such as salt or sugar. This drink originates from Punjab India.
The Menu has an extensive list of mouth- watering spicy dishes therefore it was mighty difficult for us to choose. However we let Chef Singh select and he said they are dishes that have also become popular to the Sri Lankan palette.
Visakha Peiris, an entrepreneur cum specialist in handmade items, who is also a connoisseur of good food, joined me in this gastronomic journey.
The dish selected by Chef Singh for Visakha, named ‘Thali’ is described as “the taste of India in one giant plate’. It is served with Biriyani, placed at the centre of the large plate, while Dhal, Moghul salad, raita, two vegetable curries, pickles and Watalappan for dessert are served in smaller bowls and placed around it.
Being a vegetarian she said that she loved the selected curries and declared that true to its description, the distinct aroma one gets of the spices used for the food on the large plate, was reminiscent of the typical North Indian food. She recommends this as a must ‘try dish’, especially to the first timers.
I was served with the Murgh Rogan Josh which is a North Indian style Chicken curry with rich flavoring. This is to be eaten with Naan. Delicious dish for those who enjoy Tandoori chicken, it is not hot and would be ideal for anyone who prefers not to have chilies or pepper in their food. I tasted this as a starter as Chef Singh had heavier dishes coming for the tasting!
The next main dish served was Moghul Shashlik. This will be a favourite for those who enjoy a very filling meal. It’s indeed a dish fit for an Emperor! A tomato infused rice is served with grilled meat, gravy and raita. I enjoyed the spicy and rich flavour. This is an Indian fine dining dish.
Alhambra serves vegetarian and non- vegetarian choices. And the list for both is equally long. One gets to have the typical Indian desserts too, with the menu’s favourite being Gulub Jamun and Gajar Halwa.
When you are ready to have a North Indian feast, step into Alhambra, which I dub now as the ‘Little India’ in Colombo. If you want the full spread, then you get the Exclusive Moghul Dinner buffet, every Friday- a lovely way to start off the Weekend. It’s the place to indulge oneself with its mouthwatering food, if you are to truly enjoy North Indian Cuisine at its best.
