If there ever was a combination that is just perfect its good food and good music. Essentially this is what Sooriya Village is all about; a tribute to both.
As the now popular story goes it all started in 1968 when Gerald Wickremesooriya founded the Sooriya Record Label, considered to be the country’s most innovative and revolutionary record label at the time. His grandson Sanchita in an effort to take his grandfather’s vision of creating a space and platform for Sri Lankan music a step further founded Sooriya Village.
Essentially the converted “walauwa” type house is an arts village with its own restaurant, two fully equipped performance arts rehearsal suites, a practice space for visual arts performers and a state-of-the-art recording studio. Everything within the premises has a connection with the arts, starting from the psychedelic piano and the more-than-life-like devil dancers that welcome all guests. One can choose to dine indoors in a cosy dining area or sit outdoors along a corridor adorned with blown up prints of how the newspapers reported the birth of Sooriya in the 60s.
One of the quirkiest and cutest things is the colourful table mats and coasters which are made up of rolled up newspaper strips. That is until the waiters clad in khaki shorts and Sooriya t-shirts come over with the drinks menu printed out on replicas of vinyl records. The names of the drinks are another story in itself and the “Bibiti Bobiti Lime” comes highly recommended. We personally prefer the “Pink Lady” though which is a combination of just the right amount of rose syrup and barley.
Being that the consultant behind the menu is the dynamic Kollu himself our expectations are quite high in terms of the food. Sooriya has an intercontinental menu but has also given each dish a Sri Lankan twist. Between the three of us we decide to try out two varieties of salad and one soup. The “Asian-style Poached Chicken Salad” is a hefty serving of rocket leaves, generous strips of poached chicken seasoned to perfection and lots of pink pomegranate and actual walnuts. By the time you are done with this one, you actually may not have room for mains. The other salad we picked was the “Oriental Shrimp Salad” which honestly wasn’t as great as the chicken. We were a little put off by the fact that the shrimp had been sliced in half and the salad bowl contained only about 4 halves. The “Oriental Prawn Soup” though is a sure winner. With a base of coconut cream the soup is thick and full of flavour and aroma.
When it comes to the mains we opted for three completely different dishes. The “Baked Crab” served with Green Salad and Garlic Bread was the first to arrive. The crab itself was well-cooked and creamy. It was also quite a large portion. We also tried the “Portuguese-style Seafood Rice” which is more like yellow rice cooked in a thick tomato sauce mixed with generous chunks of fish, cuttle-fish and whole prawn (Yay!). The best part about it though is the crunchy bacon topping, and we all know that you can’t go wrong with bacon. Which brings us to the third main we ordered – “Belly Pork in Hot Butter Sauce” served with steamed rice. The pork was perfectly done with the sauce not being too spicy and just right. The steamed rice was a bit dry but that didn’t stop us from ordering a second portion of the same.
You would think that after all that food, we wouldn’t find room for dessert but who wants to miss out on Chocolate Mousse Cake, Cinnamon Honey Crème Brulee and Passion Fruit Pavlova. For those who prefer something less sweet the crème brulee is ideal but the pavlova is a must-try with its perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The bottom-line is that even if you don’t have a single musical bone in your body, you still need to visit Sooriya just for the food.
If not you can also use it to record your next Grammy-winning track, practice with the band, hold auditions for a talent show, stage a play under a tree or even convert the garden to an outdoor wedding setting. The possibilities are endless and Sooriya is just so welcoming. Sanchi and his crew also have plans to extend accommodation facilities for aspiring artists from around the world and closer to home.
With tummies filled to the brim with good food and hardly a dent in the wallet, Sooriya Village is one of our go-to places for good food and a good time.
So here’s our rating…
Location **** (Parking is a bit of an issue, and the temple in front means the music can’t be too loud which kind of kills the whole concept of the place)
Ambiance ***** (The décor and ambiance is so artsy. Lovely place to chill and hang out)
Service **** (A few of the staff members seem a bit lost but one uncle was just awesome! We love their shorts and t-shirts)
Food ***** (Soul Food!)
Overall **** 1/2
Ratings
***** We Love It!
**** Got It Right!
*** Getting There!
** Not So Great!
* Needs Serious Re-Thinking!
By #FoodiesSL
Contact Information
Address: 49, Skelton Road, Colombo 5.
Telephone: 0112 552666
Website: www.sooriyavillage.lk