History is sketchy for those who never left family behind.
Stories get juicier in the telling so this may be fact or fiction – you be the judge of that. What we do know is this: A love story is best concocted like a beautifully imaginative culinary delight, because not always does it pan out to be what we want it to be unless spiced up with fiery spices, the bitterness of a tropical sun kissed lime and pan fried with the milk drawn from the loins of healthy coconuts!
Welcome to the fable of Sir Alfred Clarke of the Fernham Estate, Buckinghamshire, England. Knighted by the monarch for his contribution towards horticulture, Sir Clarke was a close friend of John Nash who was commissioned to build the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and remodel Buckingham Palace. Nash used Sir Clarke to bring in the many beautiful and exotic tropical foliage including the birds of paradise that still roam free amongst the castles of England. Sir Clarke was recognized by the government of His Majesty George IV and was awarded a senior position amongst the recruits being sent to the colonies.
In 1822, he landed on the golden shores of Sri Lanka and thus sealed the fate of his life and heart. Settled in the cool hillside of Ceylon, he studied and mastered the tea trade. During his weekly strolls along the cool hillside, he met Satyavati, the daughter of a local tradesman Murghan, who supplied the estate with its weekly fruit, vegetables and spices. It was at this point that Sir Clarke’s desires were roused and passion seeped into every crevice of his heart.
One dreary monsoon morning, Satyavati arrived on the estate devastated and drenched. She had walked all night to get there. Sir Clarke hurriedly invited her into the warmth of an empty tea factory. Upon inquiry, he found out that Murghan’s body had been found washed up on the banks of a river near their home. No one knew how.
In the years which followed Satyavati carried out her father’s trade which proved to be immensely difficult. She was not only an unmarried young woman in a man’s world, but also an only child with no other relatives for support. Clarke, unable to hide his affection for her any longer, declares his love to Satyavati. For fear of any repercussions and shunning from her local community she refuses to entertain any such thoughts. She is however unable to deny his continued kindness towards her and eventually, her heart’s craving for him.
During a secret liaison to his beachside cottage, Satyavati tells Clarke of a recurring dream she is having about her father on the banks of a river and a dark shadow that follows him. Yet the moment the shadow gets too close, a flock of pink flamingos would fly in and carry him away to safety.
Realizing that a secret life was the only way he could love Satyavati, Clarke buys a property in the hills of Lindulla overlooking a river. An an only child himself, all his belongings and family heirlooms are brought to Lindulla from the Fernham Estate in Buckinghamshire to replicate his life style in England. He then proceeds to recreate the lake in Satyavati’s dream on this property. A flock of flamingos are brought from India along with twenty workers who do not speak the local language.
This would become their hideaway for the next 22 years. In 1843, during a trip to England with Satyavati, she becomes violently ill and passes away in his Buckinghamshire home. Sir Clarke returns to Ceylon with a broken heart and spends the next seventeen years in his Lindulla home, in complete isolation.
On the fourth of April 1844, Sir Clarke had a dream. He dreams of Satyavati at the lake with her father surrounded by thousands of Flamingos. He runs to her and when he gets close to her she turns and stretches her arms out to him. He holds her tight and says he will never let her go again. Ever. She looks into his eyes, kisses his head and says “we will meet again. Never forget what I told you”.
The very next day, Clarke orders for the name on the gates of the Lindulla estate to change from Fernham Estate to ‘Flamingo House’. Sir Clarke passed away in 1861, on that very same night, the flock of flamingos left the lake never to return again.
This is the myth that gave birth to the concept of Flamingo House. Esteem magazine has visited Flamingo House several times and we would like to share our experience. They opened in September this year and are located at No. 58A Horton Place, Colombo 07.
From the moment you walk in till you leave you will be enchanted by the décor and the ambiance. The other thing that will strike you, is the attention to detail and the service at this restaurant. Their service is truly exceptional. Friendly managers and wait staff that know their menu thoroughly and are able to make recommendations to first time diners. We must make special mention of their mixologist as well, he is a treat to watch and the cocktails he makes are very good.
We commenced our meal with an appetizer platter consisting of Soft Shell Crab, Duck Crepes and Isso Wade. The soft shell crab was divine and we really enjoyed the duck crepes, the isso wade was good but we would have preferred if the wade was a bit softer.
On a previous visit we tried their Seafood Laksa and it was phenomenally good. Generous amounts of cuttlefish, prawn and fish balls in a spicy and creamy coconut broth. Decadent and delicious, wish they would consider offering a larger portion to be ordered as a main as we would definitely order it on our next visit.
The assorted dim sum platter is another one of our firm favourites. An assortment of meat and vegetarian dim sum, is great as a snack for when you’re having drinks before your meal or waiting for those notoriously late friends to arrive.
For mains we tried the Norwegian Salmon, Pork Tenderloin, Calamari Stuffed with Minced Lamb and the Modha with Miso. The Norwegian Salmon was definitely the best, served on a bed of garlicky spinach and served with oyster sauce. The salmon was absolutely fresh and it almost melted in our mouths. The oyster sauce and spinach made an excellent combination and this has become our favourite dish at Flaming House. The Calamari Stuffed with Minced Lamb is served with a cup of jasmine rice and a Thai style papaya salad – we loved this one too, but the portion is a bit on the small side therefore we would encourage you to order an appetizer if you want to have the calamari as your main. The Pork Tenderloin was good and the portion was quite generous, served with your choice of baked or mashed potato, we quite liked it.
The Modha with Miso was a very clever dish and this too was served with jasmine rice and a miso sauce which really did justice to the Modha. Fresh white fish steamed and grilled to perfection. If you’re looking for something tasty and healthy this is the dish we’d recommend.
Something we really enjoyed at Flamingo House was their cocktails. They’ve taken classic cocktails and given it their own spin. For example the Gimlet has been renamed Kalinga’s Gimlet and it is served in a teacup and garnished with mint leaves. Another cocktail that caught our eye while perusing the menu was the Flamingo Rosa which is their house special. A classic raspberry mojito and instead of rum they’ve used vodka. Almost all their cocktails are priced between Rs. 700 and 950 excluding taxes.
When we usually dine at Flamingo House we are quite full after appetizers, mains and cocktails and on the rare occasion that we have more space in our tummies we always order the Chocolate Biscuit Pudding with Kahlua which is a Gerard Mendis special. This is served with a generous dollop of whipped cream and garnished with strawberries, we prefer to have the cream on the side as this dessert is rather indulgent by itself and doesn’t really need the whipped cream but if you love whipped cream why not indulge every now and then!
We love Flamingo House and it is a lovely place to celebrate a special occasion, a promotion or to have some after work drinks. The ambiance is great, it almost makes you feel like you are not in Colombo. The mood is quirky and it has a great vibe.
On average a meal for two people with appetizers, a main each, two cocktails and a dessert to share would cost Rs. 4,000 per person.
Our overall rating of the place is as follows:
Food: 7/10
Ambiance: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Portion Size: 6.5/10
Value for Money: 7/10
The next time you’re looking for a new place to try out in the city, call them and make a reservation before you decide to swing by. They can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamingohouselk/
Words by: Surovi Salgado and Aaron Seth