Published in Travel Sri Lanka magazine, August 2004.
By Laurie Ashton
Zanziba is another recent addition to Sri Lanka – it opened its doors on June 7th of this year.
When my husband and I arrived at the building, we admired the interesting artwork lining the staircase. One line drawing depicted a man with a feather in his hair. Another showed a woman with large earrings and neck rings. A third shows a figure, a woman perhaps, with feathers in her hair, a necklace, and rings on both upper arms. When we reached the top, we saw a golden hand high on the wall in front of a large stone bowl filled with flowers.
Upon entering the lounge, we were greeted by a hostess and asked if we wanted to sit in the lounge and have a drink. The décor was dark – carpet, furniture, and most walls were done in black with subdued lighting, and more golden hands interspersed hither and thither and with more artwork painted directly on the walls – swirls of white and gold. As we looked around, I noticed a beer dispenser on the bar that looked like a saxophone.
The furniture looked comfortable and resembled a living room more than a lounge. There were beautiful glass vases on the coffee tables that I had to stop and admire, and in one corner of the lounge, there was a semi-private section for even more intimate encounters. I was told that they have a female singer working in the lounge every night.
We were then led through the lounge into the restaurant, and in between the two sections, there was a reception desk in front of two elevator doors that lead directly from the lobby. Handy for tired or disabled patrons.
The restaurant was decorated much the same as the lounge was in all black with white table accents. Lighting was dim and fostered an intimate atmosphere. All the staff we saw were similarly dressed in dark clothing and blended into the background, all of which promotes a romantic dining experience. It was very easy to forget that there were other people there.
We were seated in comfortable chairs and were served a basket of bread with both white and brown bread and four types of butter – plain, garlic, mustard, and herb. I preferred the herb butter, but all were good. The brown bread was fresh and delicious, but unfortunately, the white bread was not. It was dried out and tasted like it was a day old.
We perused the menus and I immediately noticed that some dishes were thoughtfully labelled vegetarian. There was also a note in the menu indicating that the chef will prepare customized meals upon request.
The Zanziba offered an interesting selection of soups, and I had a very difficult time deciding which to start with. Tom Yam Kum (Rs. 350) – Thai Spicy Soup of Lemon Grass and Galanga Root served with Steamed Rice, Chicken & Coconut Soup (Rs. 200) – rich with coconut milk and aromatic Thai Spices, and Carrot and Orange Soup (vegetarian, Rs. 150) – served with spicy cheese sticks all looked interesting. After a few minutes, we finally decided.
My husband ordered the Essence of Forest Mushroom with chopped chives (vegetarian, Rs. 100), and I ordered Chicken and Banana Soup (Rs. 200). The mushroom soup was a clear soup with huge mushroom chunks that we found a little on the tough side. The Chicken and Banana Soup tasted good and had a banana fritter floating in it, along with chunks of banana, but no chicken that I could find. It was sweet, yet tangy; creamy, yet light. It was different than any soup I’ve ever had before and definitely enjoyable – an excellent choice.
Next, I had the Spring Rolls with Spicy Sauce (Rs. 150). The spring rolls were served artistically displayed in a bamboo steamer leaning teepee style in the centre with a vegetable salad underneath, and garnished with deep fried mint leaves and carrots. The spicy sauce wasn’t – it was sweet and sour instead, but still delicious. The spring rolls were perfect – crispy on the outside, fresh and juicy on the inside.
My husband had the Seared Yellow Fin Tuna (Rs. 300). His comment on the tuna? Sour, acidic, spicy with black pepper – all mixed together makes it very nice. A riotis mingling of taste, even. I agree. Again, it was different from anything else I’ve ever had before, and it was terrific.
Other appetizers on offer include Prawn Cocktail (Rs. 200) – served with organic herb toast and brandy cocktail sauce – and Green Peace (Rs. 150) – organic greens with marinated cheese and pesto sauce.
Zanziba offers a diverse selection of main courses and include Italian dishes, such as Spaghetti Milanaise Julienne (Rs. 250), served with ham, mushroom, and tomatoes; omelettes; Asian dishes such as Green Beef Curry with Thai Aubergine (Rs. 300) and Stir-fried Beef in Oyster Sauce (Rs. 300); and dishes such as Beef Tenderloin Steak (New Zealand, Rs. 1250, Sri Lankan Rs. 600), and Grilled Rack of Lamb (Rs. 1100) – served with creamy pepper sauce, potato wedges, and vegetables.
The Zanziba really does have something for everyone, and again, I had a difficult time deciding what to order.
For the main course, my husband ordered the Wok Fried Sea Food (Rs. 550). It was served with crisp fried noodles that had an unpleasant oily flavor. The vegetables were still crispy – the carrots were even cut into a cute flower like design – and had a nice sauce. Other than the noodles, it was good and pleasantly flavored, definitely enjoyable.
I ordered the Mixed Sea Food Platter (Rs. 1100), which was supposed to come with a spicy dip. It was a dismal disappointment. There was no spicy dip served with it, and to make matters worse, the seafood wasn’t seasoned at all – not even with salt that I could tell. It was dry and flavorless. To make matters worse, the prawns and crab were completely encased in their shells and still had the mandibles attached. I don’t particularly like having to work that hard to get at my food – especially when I’m out at a nice restaurant. The crab in particular was difficult to remove, and I ended up giving up after a couple of bites – it just wasn’t worth it. I also don’t find it particularly attractive when served this way, especially with all the left-over debris at the end.
It was, however, served with the same vegetable salad that was in the spring rolls dish and the tuna dish, and that salad was this dish’s only redeeming feature. But this then begs the question – is that same salad served with almost everything?
Given the price of this dish, I had expected much more than I had received.
For dessert, I had the Cheese Cake with Blue Berry Topping (Rs. 150). It’s an unbaked cheesecake, sweet, not too rich, served with tiny blueberries on top with a strawberry sauce and kiwi sauce – very good.
Unfortunately, the service was less than excellent – our waiter was woefully uninformed about the dishes he was serving and couldn’t answer a single question nor offer a single suggestion. They were also a little too fussy – they came to sweep the crumbs off the tablecloth twice while we were seated there – and that just interrupted the comfortable atmosphere that the restaurant otherwise had.
Even with décor that lends itself to intimacy (the inside cover of the menu bills Zanziba as a “place of delicious romance, intrigue and adventure”), when combined with inconsistent and unpredictable food in a restaurant that bills itself as a five star restaurant, it doesn’t have enough going for it at this point. I chalk it up to inexperience and newness, and when it’s had time to settle in, perhaps it’ll be worth checking out.
Zanziba Restaurant
32B (1/1) Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mw.
Colombo 03
Telephone: (011) 2446589/2347269
Lunch: 12pm to 3pm
Coffee, snacks, desserts: 3pm to 7pm
Dinner: 7pm to 2am Monday to Thursday, 3am Friday to Sunday – with the added comment that they are flexible on the closing times according to customer wishes.
All prices are inclusive of taxes and service charge.
