I’m no stranger to Hilton Residencies; I’ve spent many a day drowning my sorrows at the bar contemplating the meaning of life and suffering an existential crisis. At that time Hilton Residencies needed a facelift and I had to get my life in order.
On a serious note, it was about time that Hilton Residencies got its act together, and what better way to do that than to come up with a brand-spanning new restaurant called Flow. It goes without saying that Colombo is saturated with plenty of restaurants and hotels; however, with the taste buds of customers forever evolving, it would come as no surprise that nearly all these establishments have found out that they need to innovate their menus if they are to keep customers coming back for more.
Not that people seem to be tired of the usual buffet suspects — think Cinnamon Grand, Cinnamon Lakeside, Kingsbury, and Mount Lavinia; but who’s going to say No to another buffet fiesta? I ended up at the Flow with two of my friends for the Sunday buffet; it didn’t disappoint. The price was steep — no surprise there (LKR 13,000 odd for three with drinks; ok, I admit it — I had a few beers, but, hey, that’s what guys do). Yet it must be said that this certainly was a Sunday lunch that was a feast for your eyes and your taste buds.
The thing with Colombo is that you’re bound to bump into quite a few familiar faces; some you genuinely want to say Hello to, while the rest you either pretend they didn’t exist or you them give a fake smile that are Disney-like in proportions, and remind yourself to visit Katharagama armed with a few coconuts hoping you can plead for some divine retribution. (But I digress; let’s stick with the buffet.)
Trust me on this — there was plenty of food; cuisine from countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Japan, China and Italy were well represented. I had them all. I ate so much that I felt my innards grew fins and were swimming in a sea of food. It’s impossible at this juncture to tell you about every single dish, but what I will say is that they served a Black Pork Curry that was to die for. The Sushi was a-okay, but to be honest, I’ve had better. Other noteworthy mentions would be the Roast Pork and a heavenly combination of Roast Chicken wrapped in Bacon. It was Valhalla for those who love the Paleo lifestyle. Hell, it was paradise for those who just adore food.
So was it all good? It was; the service was a bit lacking (I had to remind the waiters a few times to bring my beer) but this may be due to the fact that the whole place was packed with people. I’ll tell you what was better, though — it was the dessert spread. The usual suspects — Chocolate Mousse, Passionfruit Mousse, Waffles, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Kottu, Fruit Salad, Caramel Pudding — were well represented; however, what really took the cake (pun very much intended) was the Chocolate Marquise. This dessert was just an orgasm on your tongue; so says my taste buds.
I suppose what really was a first for me was the fact that this buffet also offered Dim Sum. In all my buffet journeys, I’ve never come across anyone serving Dim Sum. It also needs to be said that besides a few lapses in service, the staff were very very obliging and were eager to please; most even wore that charming Lankan smile that Sri Lankans are well known for; this seems to be a quality that is somewhat lacking in other establishments.
All in all, I can truly say that this is certainly a restaurant that needs to be paid a visit at least once. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’m a frequent visitor to this newly revamped and refurbished establishment; the gastronomical journey is one that’s promising and ultimately quite promising, too.
