Uncovering a Gem in the Back Alley

The Maharajah continued his recent health crusade by sending us to yet another dry venue in September 2022 and once again we ventured across a culinary border. This time it was to experience the flavours of the Pearl of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka. But first it was time to pre-load at the Kaiser Brew Garden where hip flasks were checked and some Deutschland delight in a glass, supped.

After a brisk walk and groping around dark back alleys, Ceylon Kitchen was located. First impressions were pleasing, with tempting aromas emanating from the kitchen and the staff promptly jumping over to serve us. On the advice of the entertaining front of house staff, we tried the Sri Lankan classics like Kottu Roti and Lump Rice as well as some of the specials they have on Thursdays and Fridays. The Lump Rice was pronounced to be on point and looked amazing as it is cooked in banana leaves. The Godamba Roti was also singled out for high praise. While the menu was succinct, every dish that came out was superbly tasty and well presented. The food absolutely earned the 4.8 out of 5 score it achieved, when the Scores on the Doors were tallied after the event. This one certainly took a lot of us by surprised and even the hardened Flask Bros had to admit, the lack of booze was more than made up for by the amazing food and service.

Then it was back to Kaiser Brew Garden where the recent non-appearance of the CoTM and FOMO trophies was a hot topic. Awarding this month’s winner was however an easy decision with JB deciding to leave the visitation mid-way through to tend to his newly brewed beer. While anything involving beer is normally grounds for excusing any and all behaviour, not today.

To summarise this visitation: Tasty and Unique – just like the RCCC.

Scores on the Doors:
Service: 4.4/5
Food: 4.8/5
Total: 9.2/10

Ceylon Kitchen, 173 Saint Asaph St