Many restaurants in Colombo claim to be “fine dining” but in all our food adventures, we have come across far too few that actually live up to the expectations. And then there are those who make no such claims, but surpass expectations in every degree. Botanik by Cantaloupe and Co. is one of the latter and we were more than glad to pay a visit to.
The culinary expertise behind this buzzing bistro & bar comes from Chef Rishi Naleendra, a brilliant young Sri Lankan Chef who incidentally just won his first Michelin Star for his restaurant Cheek by Jowl in Singapore, which is famed for its modern Australian fare. Although we missed meeting the maestro himself, we did have the privilege of being served by a team that exudes professionalism and courtesy.
Botanik boasts two seating options in the form of an open air bar that overlooks Colombo’s evolving skyline or an air-conditioned interior that with its low lighting and exotic murals just makes one feel like you just entered a completely different world. Then there’s the show kitchen where the world-class chefs prepare every dish with minute precision. If pictures could tell you how much effort goes in to each dish, we believe our pictures do not do the trouble justice.
If there was a downside for us during our whole visit it was only that the drinks menu was not extensive enough. Let’s just get that out of the way before we tell you about how amazing the food was.
For starters we picked the Roasted Beetroot served with Hummus, Wild Rice and Date Dressing and the Poached Chicken Salad which comes topped with Satay Sauce, Wombok and Cucumber. The best way to describe the Beetroot Dish is “Divine”. For those who don’t particularly prefer vegetables this dish has the ability to change your mind forever. The beetroot chunks are well seasoned and mixed with the hummus is just melt-in-your-mouth. The wild rice adds a nice crunch to it, especially when it’s all mixed up together with the sweet and tangy date dressing. If you love your Malaysian food then the chicken salad will definitely be a favourite with the thick satay sauce combining all the ingredients well together.
Despite the menu being concise, Botanik does have options in terms of various meats and preparations. For mains we had the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Carrots, Watercress and Mint and the Confit Duck Leg with Five Spice Caramel and Charred Cucumber. Don’t ask us to pick the better of the two because right from the presentation we were hooked on both. Well, maybe the lamb was just a tad bit better since the meat was better done that the duck. We loved what the five spice caramel sauce does for the duck though making it a burst of flavours in your mouth.
If you are at Botanik for drinks, then we highly recommend their Chilli Salt Calamari. Don’t go expecting the typical HBC because that’s not what this is. With a dash of lime and all that chilli this is the perfect accompaniment to your favourite drink. You can also opt to try it out as a side dish to your mains.
If Botanik decided to only serve dessert one day, we would still go there on a weekly basis (daily if we were allowed to!), just to try their Buffalo Curd Parfait topped with Salted Kitul Caramel and Toasted Cashew. We have no words to properly describe this dish. Looks wise it doesn’t look as great as everything else that comes out of the show kitchen but boy does this taste good! Goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover! We will not attempt to describe in words just how good this is, so simply go there and try it!
One of the best parts about Botanik is the affordability. All these beautifully presented meals do not come with a hefty price tag and that means anyone can enjoy an amazing meal, in a wonderful ambiance in the heart of the city.
So here’s our rating… (The highest we’ve given anyone so far!)
Location **** (Located in the heart of Colombo!)
Ambiance ***** (Everything just done right!)
Service ***** (Superb service!)
Food ***** (Completely endorse the use of local produce and the food is done so well!)
Overall **** ¾
Reviewed by #FoodiesSL
Address: 7 Hospital Street, Colombo 01.
Tel: 0766 445888
Website: www.botanik.lk