Remember the stories about the little green men who hid their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Or the elusive four-leafed clover that if found would bring the person good luck? Somehow childhood myths and legends are perhaps the most we’ve heard about the centuries old Irish culture. Yet, there is so much more to discover, especially when it comes to Celtic, Nordic and Viking-inspired Irish cuisine. In modern days this cuisine has evolved in to a lot of comfort food, rich in meat, gravies and yams.
As Sri Lankan opens up her doors to cuisines from around the world, Irish food which was limited to Pub Grub is not finding its way to our shores. One restaurant that is taking the “Irish Vibe” very seriously is the Four-Leafed Clover.
Situated down Maya Avenue in Colombo 6, the well-lit building is not hard to find. However, the fact that this road is one-way creates a small issues for anyone coming in from Kirulapone junction side, as you need to take a longer route to get here. Parking at the restaurant is also limited to a couple of vehicles. We went in on a weekday and the place was relatively crowded and were told weekends get quite busy especially if a good game is on the tele.
To put it in as simple a sentence as possible, we love what the owners have done with the interiors. What used to be a clothing store has been completely and artistically transformed in to different dining spaces, depending on your mood and group. There’s a little garden at the back of the restaurant which can be used for those who prefer outdoor dining, while the insides have comfy seating with great views of the screens. A winding staircase takes you to the upper floors where a private room has been done up for business meetings, a secluded area can be used for private functions or tables-for-two for intimate dining with a special someone. The idea is that they will accommodate anyone and everyone. The bottom floor also houses a bar area.
Our favourite parts of the interiors though was the mural containing tons of Irish symbolism. Drawn by a local artist, the details are so mind-boggling that for a moment they seem to intertwine with each other creating a psychedelic effect. Stare at it for a few minutes and you might almost think it comes to life! Then there’s the centerpiece lighting made up of empty bottles. Each bottle we were told comes with a story or memory depicting a moment in the owner’s lives.
In fact much of the restaurant revolves around the character and personalities of the couple who own the restaurant. Together with their consultant chef, a lot of thought has clearly been put in to the interior, ergonomics, menu and even the wait staff’s attire. Staff are also pretty high-tech all wired up with walkies connected to the main kitchen. It is through these devices that they communicate the orders to the kitchen and know when the orders are ready to be brought out.
The menu at Four-Leafed Clover is quite descriptive which helps those who haven’t tried Irish food before to make informed decisions. Off the Mocktails menu we first ordered a Blue Berry & Orange and a Citrus Cooler both of which were served in tall glasses. We definitely preferred the tangy berry flavour of the Blueberry which was perfect for our heavy meals.
The mains menu has everything from steaks and pies to chops, coddle, fish n chips, and even throws in some burgers and Italian fare. Being a hungry bunch we went to town with our orders and it didn’t help that the owners kept insisting that we try a few more dishes. So we ended up with a table full of Shepherd’s Pie, Lamb Shank, a Grilled Chicken Burger and a Prawn Tortellini. Let’s start with the Italian dish and tell you that it was amazing. The prawns were perfectly cooked in the pasta and the cream cheese spices with saffron sauce was simply divine. Full marks also for presentation. The burger was served with a generous portion of fat fries but didn’t really meet our expectations of a good burger. This was the only food item we didn’t particularly like.
Lamb Shank when done right is slow-cooked perfection and we felt that Four Leafed-Clover had taken a lot of care to put this dish together. The lamb marinated in red wine and rosemary is slow cooked until the meat is literally falling off the bone. Needless to say we made a mess of our faces digging in to this one. Our favourite though by far was the Shepherd’s Pie. In true Irish-style the stew inside a pastry crust was served in the pan it was cooked in itself. For the price tag on this dish, it was fully worth it and so filling that it’s almost shareable… That is if you feel like sharing!
As if all that food wasn’t enough, we were told we had to try their version of the classic cheesecake. Being stuffed to the brim and waiting to burst like a beer barrel we opted for just one portion and certainly didn’t regret it. We were served a hefty slice of cheesecake, which had all the elements well done. The crumble base was not too buttery or too flaky and stuck together perfectly while the layer of cake was light, moist and didn’t taste like the gelatin-infused ones you get in most places nowadays. Topped with an almost salty, strawberry compote the cheesecake was definitely one of the better ones we’ve had in town.
We forgot to mention earlier that all meals come with a complimentary bread basket that is freshly baked. You may not be able to keep your hands off this as you wait for your food to arrive because they just smell so good!
Enough of us ranting and raving about this place… We suggest you try it out for yourself… And maybe collect a bit of luck on the way…
So here’s our rating…
Location *** (One-way street and parking is a bit of an issue!)
Ambiance ***** (Nice interiors especially the various paintings of crabs!)
Service **** (Service was courteous but pretty slow!)
Food ***** (A lot of attention to detail!)
Overall **** ¼
Reviewed by #FoodiesSL
Price Range: Approximately 2,500 per head including drinks and dessert
Opening Times: 12:30pm–11:00pm daily (Closed on Monday)
Address: 168 Maya Ave, Colombo 05.Tel: 0112 365865